184 V. M. ■Co'iicas — TJie Caravels of ColuDihas. 



tract he afterward did not fulHll because it was not in writing. 

 Let ns forget and forgive the man and always think of the hero. 

 But I will finish to explain why there do not exist so many 

 details of the caravels Pinta and Nina as of the Santa Maria. 

 This is because tlie smaller ships were in their owners' or cap- 

 tains' hands ; they did not enter into the contracts and inven- 

 tories of the admiral. 



The three vessels being ready, they sailed from Palos on 

 August 3, arrived at the Canary islands on August 9, and re- 

 mained there until September 6, and did not sail from Gomera, 

 an island south of Tenerite. 



The instruments that tliey used in navigation were similar to 

 those you see on this table. The astrolabe, well known in Spain 

 since the eleventh century; the jacob-stafF, that instrument 

 that proceeds from the Chaldeans; and I offer besides for your 

 inspection these others, which are not copies, but real instru- 

 ments that have been used at sea and that belong to the Spanish 

 section of the exposition, and I am now to describe to you briefly 

 the use of them. (The description followed.) 



The voyage of the caravels was made by the parallel of 27° 

 flirough the trade winds that, as we know today, come more to 

 the north m summer, in which season the voyage was under- 

 taken. You know how the deviation of the compass was dis- 

 covered by Columbus, and how skillfully he overcame the diffi- 

 culty between his men, changing the card on the needle as much 

 as was necessary to correct the difference. You know also the 

 history of the mutiny, made conspicuous by many curious pic- 

 tures, one of which you can see in La Rabida, Avhere Columbus 

 is menaced by poignards during his sleep. Read the magnificent 

 inquests (numbers 15, 16 and 17, Diplomatic Collection, pages 

 565-567), where 5''ou will see that Columbus consulted Martin 

 Pinzon about returning to Spain that night, and tliat Pinzon 

 answered, " No, sir; God would never allow a fleet of such a great 

 king to return, not only tonight, but not for a year " (page 566); 

 to which Columbus answered, " Let you be the blessed of God." 

 How could it be otherwise in a short voyage of thirty days that 

 the only thing that made them uneasy Avas the steadiness of the 

 wind, since it is the only thing referred to in the admiral's log 

 of the 22d of September, when he says that he was very happy 

 at having a head-wind, as the sailors were uneasy at the steadi- 



