14 "The V O Y 
to lie by for hei'j they made little Way. Sometimes when 
there were Calms the Indians leaped into the YYater, f¥/am 
about and diverted themfelves; having failed feveral Days 
changing their Coiirfe according to the Yfinds, they en- 
deavoured to keep their Reckoning, and fancied they 
were to the Eaftward of the Iidands of Azores^ becaufe 
they reckoned more Leagues than they really failed. Be- 
ing quite millaken in the Way, they made to the North- 
ward, fo that inftead of any of the Azores they would 
more likely have fallen in with Madera^ or Puerto Santo. 
1 5. The Admiral, being mmre Ikilful at reckoning the 
Run, found 1 50 Leagues lefs than the others. On the 
1 2 th of February the Sea began to fwell with great and 
dangerous Storms, and he drove moll of the Night 
without any Sail ; afterwards he put out a little Sail ; the 
Waves broke and wracked the Ships. The next Morn- 
ing the Wind dackened, but the very next Night it rofe 
again, which hindered the Ship’s Way, fo that he could 
not drift the Sails. The Admiral kept under a main Top- 
fail reefed, only to bear up the Ship againd: the Waves, 
but, perceiving how dangerous it was, he let it run be- 
fore the Wind, there being no other Remedy. Then the 
Caravel Pinta began to bear away, though the Admiral 
kept his Light abroad the whole Night, and the Pinta 
anfwered. The 14th oi February., after Sun rifing, the 
Wind blew fiercer, and they were more afraid of peridi- 
ing, with the Trouble of believing that the Caravel Pinta 
was already lod. The Admiral thinking himfelf near 
Death, to the End that fome Knowledge might come to 
their Catholic Majefties of what he had done in their 
Service, he writ as much as he could of what he had dif- 
coyered on a Skin of Parchment, and having wrapped it 
tip in a Piece of Cere-cloth, he put it into a wooden Calk 
and call it into the Sea ; all the Men imagining it had 
been fome Piece of Devotion j and prefently the Wind 
flackened. 
On the 1 5th he faw Land a-head, bearing from them 
Eaft North-eaft: Some faid it was the Ifland Madera., 
others, that is was the Rock Cintra, near Lift on, but the 
Admiral always faid they were the Iflands Azores, and 
they plied to and fro with much Labour, but could not 
come up with the Ifland of St. MLary. The Admiral’s 
Legs being very uneafy, becaufe he had been out in all 
the Rain and Gold, he flept little •, and on the 1 8th came 
to an Anchor on the North-fide of the Ifland, which they 
found to ht St. Mary^s prefently three Men made a waft 
to the Caravel *, he fent the Boat for them ; they car- 
ried the Admiral Refrefhments of Bread and Fowl from 
the Governor, whofe Name was Don John de Cafianeda. 
On the 1 9th he ordered one half of the Men to go out in 
Proceffion to an Hermitage there was near, to perform 
their Vow, and that when they returned he would go out 
with the other half ; and defired the Portuguefe to bring 
him a Clergyman to fay Mafs. While they were at 
Prayers in their Shirts, the whole Town on Horfeback 
and on Foot, with their Commanders, fell upon and made 
them Prifoners. 
They flaying very long, the Admiral fufpedting, either 
that they were detained, or that the Boat was ftaved, be- 
caufe the Ifland was enclofed with Rocks, and becaufe he 
could not fee the Hermitage, being covered by a Point of 
Land that runs into the Sea, he therefore brought the 
Caravel right before the Hermitage, and faw abundance 
of People come into the Boat, and make towards the Ca- 
ravel. The Commander of the Ifland flood up and de- 
manded Hoftages, and though they were offered him, 
the Portuguefe would not venture his Perfon. The Admi- 
ral afked him why he had fent him R.efrefhments and 
thofe Portuguefe to invite him on Shore, and afterwards, 
' notwithftanding the two Nations of Caflile and Portugal 
were at Peace, he had fo bafely detained his Men, and that 
to convince him he was employed in the King of Spain’^ 
Service, he would fhew him his Commiffion. The Por- 
tuguefe anfwered, we here know nothing of their Majefties 
of Caftile, nor their Commiffion, nor do we fear them. 
Some other Words pafled between them, and the Portii- 
guefe bid him carry his Caravel to the Harbour, for all he 
had done was by the King’s order. The Admiral took 
Witnefs of what he faid, and anfwered: That if he did 
AGES of ' Book I. 
not reftore him his Men and the Boat, he would carry 
away an hundred Portuguefe into Spain: This faid, he re- 
turned and anchored where he was before, becaufe the 
Wind blew frefli. He ordered the Calk to be filled with 
Sea-water to ballaft the Veffel, and by reafon of the foul 
Weather failed towards the Ifland of St. Michael, becaufe 
there are no good Plarbours in thofe Iflands ; and it is 
fafeft to keep out at Sea. He was in a great Storm all 
the Night, and having miffed of the Ifland of St. Mi- 
chael, he returned to that of St. Mary, and prefently the 
Boat came with tv/o Clergymen and a Notary, and five 
Sea-men ; and upon Security given them they came aboard 
the Caravel, and required the Admiral to Ihew them the 
King of Spain's Commiffion, which he did, and they re- 
turned and releafed his Men and the Boat •, and the Com- 
mander faid he had Orders from the King of Portugal . 
to feize the Admiral, and would give any tiling to have 
him. 
Having recovered his Men, and the Weather becom- 
ing fair, he ordered them to fteer their Coaft Eaft. The next 
Day came to the Ship a large Bird, which the Admiral 
judged to be an Eagle. On the 2d of March there was 
fo great a Storm, that he ordered to call Lots for a Pil- 
grim to go to St. Mary de Cinta e 7 ^ Guelva, and the Lot 
fell upon the Admiral j fo that it looked as if God had 
followed him, that he might humble himfelf, and not 
grow proud lor the Mercies he had fliewn him. They 
drove with all their Sails furled in the greateft Danger, 
without Elopes of efcaping ■, but it pleafed God that they 
difcovered the Land and Rock of Cintra^, and to avoid 
the Storm he refolved to put into the Harbour, not being 
able to ftay at Cafcaes. He returned Thanks to God for 
his Delivery, and all admired how he had got into the 
Port, affirming they had fcarce feen fuch dreadful Storms. 
The King of Portugal was thfen at Valparayfo, to whom 
he writ, fignifying that their Majefties of Spain, his So- 
vereigns, had ordered him not to avoid entering his 
Highnefs’s Ports, to get what he wanted with his Money, 
defiring he would give him Leave to come up to Lijbon 
for more Security, and that his Highnefs might know he 
came not from Guinea, but from the Indies. 
Bartholomew Diaz de Lijboa Mailer of a Galeon, who 
was there in an armed Boat, went aboard the Caravel and 
ordered the Admiral to go up with him to give an Ac- 
count of himfelf to the King’s Officers and the Captain 
of the Galeon. Columbus anfwered, that he was Admiral 
in the Service of their Majefties of Spam, and was not 
obliged to give any Man an Account of himfelf j nor 
would he go out of his Ship unlefs he was compelled 
by Force. The Portuguefe anfwered, he might fend the 
Mailer of his Ship, but the Admiral would not fend him 
neither ; faying he would not do it unlefs compelled and 
could not relfft it, for he looked upon it much alike to 
fend another or go himfelf j and that it was the Pra( 5 lice 
of the Admirals of the Kings of Cajiile, rather to die 
than deliver up themfelves or their Men. The Portuguefe 
Mafter replied, that fmce he was fo refolved, he might 
do as he pleafed, but that he defired he would condefcend 
to fhew him his Commiffion from their Majefties of Spain^ 
if he had any fuch : As foon as he had feen it he return- 
ed to the Galeon and reported what had palled ; and the 
Captain, whofe Name was Alvaro Dam.an, went aboard 
the Admiral’s Caravel with Drums, Trumpets, and Haut- 
boys, and offered to ferve him in whatfoever he fhould 
command. 
As foon as it was known at Lifhon, that the Admiral 
was come to lifhon from the hiddes, fuch Numbers flocked 
to fee him and the Indians, that it was wonderful to ob- 
ferve how they ftood in Admiration. The next Day he 
received a Letter from the King of Portugal, by Don Mar- 
tin de Norhona his Servant, by which he defired him to 
come to him, v/hich he was obliged to do to avoid 
fhewing any Miftruft ; he went and lay at Sacovam, where 
he was well entertained ; and the King had given Orders 
that they fliould give him all he had Occafion for at lif- 
hon, without Money. The next Day he came to the 
Place where the King was, and the Gentlemen of the 
Eloulhold came out to receive him, and bore him Com- 
pany to the Palace, The King received him with much 
Honour^ 
V 
