Christopher Columbus. 
Chap. III. 
Admiral, it; Hiall belong to him to take Cognizance of 
fucli Controverfy j it may pleafe their Highneffes, that he 
or his Deputy, and no other Judge, fhall try the faid 
Caufe, if it appertains to the faid Office of Admiral as the 
fame has been enjoyed by the Admiral Don Alonfo Hen- 
riquez^ pr his PredecelTors in their Diliriffs, and according 
to Juftice. 
' 7 /m, That in all the Ships v/hich ffiall be fitted out for 
the faid Trade and Commerce, as often as they ffiall be 
fitted, the faid Don Chrifiopher Columbus^ if he ffiall 
think fit, may lay out the eighth Part of what ffiall be 
expended in fitting them out j and that he accordingly 
have and receive the eighth Part of the Profits of fuch 
Ships. 
Thefe Articles were granted in the Town of Santa Fee ^ 
in the Plain of Granada^ with which Difpatch and Money 
Don Chrifiopher Columbus fet out from Granada on the 
1 2th of May^ and leaving his Sons at their Studies in Cor- 
dova^ he went to the Town of Palos ^ to undertake his 
Voyage-, few at Court expecting that he would perform 
what he had promifed. Their Catholic Majefties ftridily 
enjoined him not to touch at the Mine in Guinea^ or to 
come within one Hundred Leagues of the Portugueze Set- 
tlements. They gave him their Letters Patents to all the 
Kings and Princes in the World, for them to give him 
a favourable Reception as their Commander he repaired 
to Palos, becaufe there were able Seamen in that Place, 
and. on Account of his Friendffiip with Father John Pe- 
rez de Merchena, who helped him very much in the Dif- 
patch of his Affairs ; perfuading the Sailors who were very 
backward to engage in an unknown Voyage. He car- 
ried with him Orders for that Town to furniffi him with 
two Caravels, which by ancient Tenure it was obliged to 
find for the Service of the Crown, during three Months 
every Year. 
He fitted out another Ship as Admiral, and called it 
St. Mary ; the fecond v/as called Pinta, of which Martin 
Alonfo Pinzon was Captain, and his Brother Francis Mar- 
tinez Pinzon Mafter : The Third was named Nina, car- 
rying fquare Sails, whofe Captain and Mafter was Vincent 
Tanez . who was very helpful in this Affair, and 
laid down half a Million of Marvedies for the eighth 
Part of the Expence. He made ufe of the Pinzons, be- 
caufe they were principal Men in that Town, wealthy 
and fkilful Mariners, and all the Men feeing them approve 
of the Voyage, were willing to undertake it. 
3. The Ships being provided for a Year, having on 
board ninety Men, moft of them Natives of Palos, and 
among them fome Friends of (Rumbus, and fome of the 
Kings Servants, they fet fail on Friday the third of Au- 
gufi, half an Hour before Sun rifing, and got over the 
Bar of Saltes, direfting their Courfe for the Canary Hands, 
after they had all (following the Example of Columbus) 
made their Confeffion, and received the Holy Communi- 
on. As they held on their Voyage, on the fourth of Au- 
guji, the Rudder of the Caravel Pinta, in which Martin 
Alonfo Pinzon commanded, broke loofe, as was fufpeft- 
ed by the Contrivance of Gomez Rafeon and Chrifiopher 
Winter 0 Mariners, to whom the Caravel belonged, be- 
caufe they went the Voyage againft their Will, and there- 
fore they had endeavoured to difappoint it before their 
Departure. But 'Martin Alonfo Pinzon being an able 
Sailor, the Rudder was faftened with Cables in fuch Man- 
ner, that they were able to fail till the Tuefday following, 
when it again broke loofe, and they were all forced to lie 
by. 
This Mifchance happening to the Caravel Pinta, at 
their firft fetting out, would have ftartled any fuperftiti- 
ous Perfon, efpecially confidering how difobedient PAartin 
Alonfo afterwards proved to Columbus. Having mended 
the Rudder the beft they could, on the i ith of Augufi by 
Break of Day they difeovered tlie Canaries, and not being 
able in two Days to put into grand Canaria, becaufe the 
Wind was contrary, Columbus ordered Martin Alonfo to 
piocure fome other Veffel as foon as he could get affiore, 
and he, with the other two, made for the Hand Go- 
mera, to endeavour the fame ; but finding none, he re- 
turned to great Cajtamia, and refolved to make a, new 
Ruddei to the Caravel Pinta, and to change the Sails of 
VoL. II. Numb. 70. 
S 
the Caravel Nina, which v/ere fquare, into tliofe called 
Shoulder of Mutton Sails, that he might follow the other 
Ships more fpeedily, and with lefs Danger. 
The 5th of September, in the Afternoon, he failed, and 
arrived at the Ifiand Gomcra, fpent four Days there, taking 
in frefii Water and Fuel, with the utnioft Diligence; 
becaufe, being informed that three Portuguefe Caravels 
were hovering about thefe Hands to feize him, he appre- 
hended fome Trouble on Account of the King of Por- 
tugaSs Concern, when heunderftood that Don Chrifiopher 
Columbus had articled with their Catholic Majefties, being 
apprehenfive that God had taken that good Fortune out 
of his Hands. Thurfday the 6th, which may be reckon- 
ed the Entry of the Undertaking, he failed to the Weft- 
ward, making but little Way. But the next Day they 
loft fight of Land, and many fighed and wept, believ- 
ing they ffiould never fee it again : But Columbus encou- 
raged and comTorted them with Thoughts of Wealth 
and good Fortune. That Day they run eighteen Leagues, 
but the Admiral defignedly reckoned but fifteen, thinking 
it convenient to ffiorten their Run, that the Men might 
be lefs afraid. On the nth, being 150 Leagues from the 
Hand Ferro, they fpied a Peice of a Maft, which feemed 
to have been carried away by the Current. In the fame 
Latitude, fomewhat farther on, the Current fat ftrong to 
the Northward, and 50 Leagues farther Weftward. 
On the 14th Columbus about Night-fall obferved that 
the Needle varied to the North-weft about half a Point, 
and that at Break of Day it did the like, fomewhat above 
half a Point, by which he perceived that the Needle did 
not point direftly to the Star called the North; but at 
another fixed and invifible Point. This Variation had 
not till then been obferved by any Perfon whatfoever, 
which was much admired, and much more the third Day 
after, when he had advanced 100 Leagues farther, hold- 
ing the fame Courfe, becaufe the Needles then at Night- 
fall varied to the North- weft as before, and in the Morn- 
ing again pointed upon the very Star. 
On the 15th, being near 300 Leagues Weftward of 
the Hand Ferro, a Flame of Fire was feen falling into the 
Sea in the Night, four or five Leagues from’ the Ships 
towards the South- weft-, the Weather being calm and the 
Sea fmooth, the Currents ftill fetting to the North-eaft ; 
and the Crew of the Caravel Nina, faid they had the Day 
before feen a Bird called a Waterwagtail, which they ad- 
mired, that being the firft, and a Bird which they fay 
never flies above fifteen or twenty Leagues from Land. 
The next Day they were more furprized to fee Spots of 
green and yellow Weeds on the Surface of the Water, 
which feemed to have been waftied from fome Hand or 
Rocks, and they faw much more the Day following, 
which made them conclude that they were near Land, 
and they were ftrongly confirmed in it, becaufe they faw 
a little Grafshopper alive upon the Weeds; others fan- 
cied there might be Rocks or Lands under Water, and, 
being afraid, muttered againft the Voyage ; it vras alfo 
obferved, that the Sea- Water was not half fo fait as that 
they had paffed, and that Night they faw many Tunnies 
following the Ships fo clofe, that the Men in the Caravel 
Nina killed one of them with an Harping-iron, and in 
the Morning they found the Air as warm as in Anda- 
luzia, in April. 
Being 370 Leagues to the Weftward of the Hand 
Ferro, they faw another Waterwagtail, and on the 28 th 
Martin Alonfo Pinzon, who had flipped before with the 
Caravel Pinta, which was a very good Sailer, lay by for 
the Admiral, and told Irim he had feen a' Multitude of 
Birds making to the Weftward, which made him be- 
lieve he ffiould fee Land that Night, and find it to the 
Northward 1 5 Leagues from thence ; nay, he fancied he 
had feen it : But the Admiral judging it was not fo, 
would not lofe Time to go in queft of it, though ail 
were for it ; becaufe he did not think himfelf to be in the 
Place, where, according to his Notions, he expefted to dif- 
cover it. ihat Night the Wind frefliened, after they had 
failed eleven Days without handing their Sails, ftill fail- 
ing right before the Wind to the Weftward ; the Admi- 
ral continually noting down every thing that happened ; 
obferying what Wind blew ; what lus Courfe was ; v/lias 
C Fiffies 
1 
