Chap. III. Christopher Columbus. 7 
Leagues. On the 2d they killed a Tunny, and faw 
much other Fifh, and a white Bird, and many grey ones, 
and the Weeds very much withered, and almoft rotted to 
Dull-, and having feeii no Birds the third Day, they 
feared they had miffed fome Eland on either Side, believ- 
ing that the many Birds they had feen, went over from 
one Eland to another ^ and the Men being defiroiis to turn 
to one Side or other to feek for thefe Lands, Columbus 
did not think fit to let flip the fair Weather that favour- 
ed him *, he kept to the Weft, which was what he de- 
fired, becaufe he thought he fhould lofe the Credit of 
his Undertaking, if they faw him turning, at random, 
from one fide to the other, to find out that, which he 
always affirmed he knew. 
For this Reafon, the Men began again to mutiny, 
which none will wonder at, who confiders fo many Men 
led by one of whom few of them had any Knowledge, ex- 
pofed to fo many Dangers, without feeing any thing for 
fo many Days, but Sky and Water, or knowing what 
would be the End of fiich a long Voyage. But it 
pleafed God to fend new Tokens, which, in fome mea- 
fure, quieted their Minds ; for on the 4th, in the After- 
noon, they faw about forty Sparrov/s and two Gulls, which 
came fo near to the Ships, that a Sailor killed one of 
them with a Stone, and feveral flying Fiflies fell into the 
Ship-, all which things, and the good Words the Ad- 
miral gave them, pacified them j the next Day there flew 
near the Ships -a Wagtail and a Gull, and feveral Spar- 
rows from the Weftward. On the 7th fome Signs of 
Land appeared to the Weftward, but no Man diirft 
fpeak of it becaufe of the Thicknefs of the Weather, 
though they all wiflied for it, to gain the Reward of an 
an Annuity of 10,000 Marvedies, their Catholic Ma- 
jefties had promifed for Life to the firft that fliould dif- 
cover Land ; and to prevent their crying Land at every 
Foot, in Hopes of that Annuity, it was ordained, that 
whofoever faid it, if the fame were not made good in 
three Days, Ihould be for ever excluded from that Re- 
ward, though he fliould afterwards really difcover it. 
However, thofe aboard the Caravel Nina^ which was 
much a-head, being fo good a Sailor, concluding that it 
was certainly Land, fired their Guns and put out their 
Colours. But the farther they failed, the more their Joy 
abated, till it quite vaniflied. 
In the Midft of thisAnguifh, it pleafed God to comfort 
them again with the Sight of many Birds, among which 
many were Land Fowl, flying from the Weft to the 
South-weft ; and Columbus^ confidering after he had failed 
fo vaft a Length, that fuch fmall Birds could not be far 
from Land, concluded it muft certainly be near, and 
therefore he altered the Courfe he liad then held due Weft, 
and fteered South- weft ; alledging, that though he alter- 
ed his Courfe, he deviated but little from the firft Defign, 
and did it to follow the Rules and Method of the Tortu- 
guefe^ who had difcovered moft of the Elands by follow- 
ing the Flight of fuch Birds ; Befides, that thofe they then 
faw took the fame Way, he alio concluded he fliould 
find Land, for as they well knew he had often told 
them he did not expeft to find it till he had failed 750 
Leagues from the Canaries WTftwards-, at which Di- 
ftance he had alfo told them he fliould difcover the Hand 
Cipango, and that he fhould certainly have found it, had 
he not known it was faid to lie North and South, and 
that he had not turned to the Southward to avoid falling 
on it, and that he believed it lay among other Elands on 
the left Hand, and which Way thofe Birds flew, and that 
it was by reafon they were fo near Land, fo many, 
and fuch various Sorts, of them appeared. 
6. It pleafed God, v/hen Don Chriftopher Columbus 
could no longer withftand fo much Contradiction, that 
on the iifh of October^ 1492, in the Afternoon, he re- 
ceived fome Comfort by the manifeft Tokens they per- 
ceived of their being near Land \ for the Men aboard the 
Admiral faw a green Rufli near the Ship, and next a large 
green Fifh of that Sort that creeps clofe about the Rocks. 
Thofe aboard the Caravel Finta faw a Cane and a Staff, 
and took up one that was artificially wrought, and a little 
Board, and faw Abundance of Weeds frefli torn off from 
the Shore for which Reafons, and, becaufe they brought 
up Sand upon founding ; there v/as a Certainty of their 
being near Land, which was confirmed by the Shifting 
of the Wind, which feemed to come from the Shore. 
Columbus being fatisfied, after Night-fall, when they had 
faid the Sahe Regina^ as is ufual among Sailors , he dif- 
courfed the Men, telling them how merciful God had been 
to them, carrying them fafe fo long a Voyage, and that, 
fince the Tokens were hourly manifeft, he defired them to 
watch all Night, fince they knew that, in the firft Article 
of the InftruClions he had given them when he came out of 
Spain^ he told them, that when they had run 700 Leagues 
without difeovering Land, they v/ere to lie by after Mid- 
night, till Day, and be upon the Watch, for he firmly 
believed they would find Land that Night ; And that, 
befides the 10,000 Marvedies, an Annuity their High- 
nelTes had promiffed the Perfon that fhould firft difcover 
it, he would give a velvet Doublet. Two Hours before 
Midnight, Columbus ftanding on the Poop faw a Light,, 
and privately called Peter Gutierres^ Groom of the 
Privy Chamber to the King, and bid him look at it, and 
he faw it j then they called Roderick Sanchez of Segovia^ 
Purfer of the Fleet, who could not dlfcern it ; but after- 
wards it was feen twice, and looked like a little Candle 
raifed up, and then taken down and Columbus did not 
queftion but it was a true Light, and that they v/ere 
near Land, and fo it proved •, and it was of People paf- 
fing from one Houfe to another. Two Hours after Mid- 
night, the Caravel Pinta, was alv/ays a-head, and made 
Signs of Land, which was firft difcovered by a Sailor, 
whofe Name was Roderick de PrianSj but two Leagues 
diftant. But their Catholic Majefties declared, that the 
Reward of 10,000 Marvedies Annuity belonged to the 
Admiral, and it was afterwards paid him at the Shambles 
of dm'/, becaufe Fe faw the Light amidft Darknefs, mean- 
ing the Spiritual Light that was then coming in amongft 
thofe barbarous People. When Day appeared they perceiv- 
ed an Hand 1 5 Leagues in Length ; plain, much wooded, 
well watered, and having a Lake of frefli Water in the 
Midft of it ; well ftored with People, who flood full of 
Admiration on the Shore, imagining the Ships to be Sea 
Monfters, waiting with the utmoft Impatience to know 
what they were, as the Spaniards were no lefs eager to be 
upon Land. 
The Admiral went afhore in his Boat, armed, and the 
Royal Colours flying ; as did the Captains, Martin Alonjo 
Pinzon and Vincent. Tanez Pinzon^ carrying the Colours 
of their Enterprize, being a green Crofs with fome Crowns, 
and the Names of their Catholic Majefties. Having all of 
them kiffed the Ground, and on their Knees, with Tears, 
given Thanks to God for the Goodnefs he had ftiewn 
them; the Admiral flood up and gave that Hand the 
Name of San Salvador^ which the Natives called Guana- 
ham^ being one of thofe afterwards called Lucayo Hands, 
950 Leagues from the Canaries^ difcovered after they had 
failed 33 Days. Then, with proper Solemnity, he took 
PofTefllon of it, in the Name of their Catholic Majefties, 
for the Crown of Cafiile and Leon % a great Multitude of 
the Natives looking on. 
The Spaniards immediately owned him as their Admi- 
ral and Viceroy, and fwore Obedience to him, as repre- 
fenting the King’s Perfon in that Country, with all the 
Joy and Satisfaftion that fo great an Event deferved; all 
begging his Pardon for the IVoiible and Uneafinefs they 
had given him, by their Inconftancy and want of Refo- 
folution. The Admiral, believing thofe Indians a gentle 
and Ample People, gave them fome red Caps, Glafs-Beads, 
and fuch like Things, which they highly valued. The 
Spaniards no lefs admiring their Colour and Shape. When 
the Admiral returned on board, the Indians follov/ed him : 
Some fwimming, and others in their Boats, called Ca- 
noes, made of one Peice of Wood, like Trays.. They 
carried along with them Skins and Bottoms of . Cotton, 
Parrots and Javelins, the Ends of which were armed 
with Fifh Bones, inftead of Horn, and fome other Things 
to exchange for Glafs-toys, Hawks-bells, and the like •, 
which they were fo fond of, that they received even the 
broken Peices of earthen Plates as precious Relics, be- 
ing a People in their original Simplicity. 
,S They 
