50 COXCEPTIOXS OF COLUMBUS 



\'oyage. In thirty-three days he reached land among 

 the Bahama group of islands and so crowned the first 

 part of his work with complete success. 



The Return Voyage 



After exploring among the West Indies from Octo- 

 ber 12, 1492, to January 16, 1493, Columbus began 

 his homeward voyage. So much has been said about 

 his disco\'er}^ of America that it has been lost to sight 

 and thought that he also discovered both of the 

 great sailing routes in the North Atlantic. It is in 

 the study of this return ^'oyage in connection with 

 the outward voyage that the science of Columbus 

 stands out in striking fashion. He made no attempt 

 to return to Spain by the wa}' he came. For the 

 period from January 16 to February 4 he continued 

 toward the northern latitudes (see PI. I). In that 

 time he made only about a third of the distance home- 

 ward across the Atlantic. But he reached a point 

 directly west of the Azores. There he reached the 

 latitude of the prevailing westerly winds. It w^as in 

 this latitude that he really recrossed the Atlantic. 

 In general the w^esterly winds are more reliable five 

 degrees farther north. But Columbus reached a re- 

 gion where he did not have to contend with easterly 

 winds. \Mience came this happy inspiration? Was 

 it another happy chance? Or was it an application 

 of reason to the knowledge we have shown he had 

 that in the latitude of the Azores the winds were pre- 

 vailing westerlies? 



