90 The Humming Bird. 



Columbus, being by these papers, more confirmed than 

 ever in his opinion of a new world in the West, declared 

 what he really believed to the Republic of Genoa ; but they 

 looked upon him as a vain and idle fellow; yet (Columbus 

 full of his great pro,ect,thus flighted and scornfully rejected, 

 addressed himself to the King of Portugal, where they 

 wearied him, spending long time with dilatory answers to 

 no effect, the opinion of a whole court of expert navigators 

 having cast his declaration out as a chimera or mere fancy. 

 Soon after, Columbus sent his brother to England to move 

 the business to King Henry the Seventh, he being taken pri- 

 soner by the way, which prevented him to arrive in time to 

 the English Court. For meanwhile, Ferdinando and Isabella, 

 Kings of Castille, having finished the war with the Moors, 

 had furnished him out for the expedition, which he effected 

 by the favour of Alfonso Mendotio and Alfonso Quintavilia, 

 both great Ministers of State under Ferdinand and Isabel, 

 and obtained so much, at last, that he was sent with a hun- 

 dred and twenty soldiers, besides seamen, in two ships and 

 one pinnace. Thus supplied, he set sail from Cadiz upon the 

 King's account, the fourth of August 1492, and first reached 

 the Canary islands, and from thence steering southwest, the 

 wind in thirty three days scarce varying one point ; but 

 although the weather blew so constant, yet the seamen 

 changed their mind, and stormed quite contrary crying, that 

 Colombus was guilty of all their deaths, « for, said they, after 

 they had lost sight of the Canaries so many days, nothing- 

 appearing but sea and sky. « Who can hope for any success 

 or happy conclusion of so desperate a. voyage, so rashly under- 

 taken and so full of eminent danger. » Yet Columbus bore 

 bravely up and weathered all their exclamations, although 

 they threatened no less than his murder. At last, articling 

 they came to this agrément. That if after sailing forwards 

 three days more, no land was discovered, they should return. 

 But about two o'clock the next night, Columbus saw a 

 glimmering like fire in the sky and in the morning found 

 himself close aboard a most pleasant coast, where landing 

 with twelve men, he erected a cross cut out of a tree. Thence 

 lies ailed over to Cuba where the sea was so rough that he 

 was forced to stand off, fearing rocks and shallow water. 

 Soon after, he got to the northward of the island Hayti 

 which he called Hispaniola. Here his best ship was bulged 

 upon a rock on which they had all perished, had it not been 

 flat on the top, so that the soldiers and the whole crew of 

 seamen were saved by the other two vessels. 



The inhabitants stark naked seeing these strangers, fled 

 to the woods ; but the Spaniards overtaking a woman, they 

 entertained her with sweetmeats and wine, and putting her 

 on, a white shirt, sent her again to the rest of the natives, 



