156 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



intended to risk the adventure on board of the caravel Nina, 

 belonging to the younger of the three. The mariners took 

 courage, and the city of Palos contributed its second caravel, 

 the Gallega, making three in all. This Gallega, though old 

 and heavy and unfit for the service, was stout and solid, and 

 Columbus chose her for his flag-ship, rebaptizing her, however, 

 the Santa Maria. Towards the end of July, the vessels were 

 nearly ready for sea, and Columbus retired for a period to the 

 monastery, where he passed his days in prayer and his nights 

 in contemplation. On one occasion he left the convent and 

 appeared among the workmen : he surprised the sailors, con- 

 demned by the city to accompany him to the west, engaged in 

 putting the rudder of the Pinta together in such a manner that 

 the first storm would unship it. Marchena redoubled his exhor- 

 tations, and at last the expedition was ready. 



Popular belief has, in modern times, represented these vessels 

 as much smaller than they probably really were. The term 

 caravel, of doubtful etymology, affords no indication of their 

 tonnage or capacity. Caravels were used, however, to trans- 

 port troops, provisions, and artillery, and even to fight upon 

 the high seas. They were sent by Portugal to the coast of 

 Africa. John II. had, as we have narrated, sent a vessel to 

 the west in order to anticipate Columbus ; and this vessel was 

 a caravel. The smallest of the three — the Nina — subsequently, 

 when at sea, took on board fifty-six men, in addition to her own 

 crew, a number of cannon, and a portion of the rigging of the 

 Santa Maria, without lowering her water-line; and Columbus 

 once threatened a Portuguese officer to take one hundred of his 

 men on board the Nina and carry them to Castile. Neither she,, 

 nor the other two caravels, were the "light barks" or " shal- 

 lops" which historians have delighted to represent them. The 

 importance of the subject requires that we describe the three 

 vessels with all the minuteness which the late researches of 

 which we have spoken will authorize. 



