Columbus in the New World

C OLUMBUS had just made his first voyage across the unknown ocean. On the twelfth of October, 1492, he landed on one of those small islands which are now called the West Indies. Richly clad, and bearing the royal banner of Spain, he stepped ashore with his men, knelt and kissed the ground with tears of joy, and gave thanks to God.

"I claim this land," he said, "in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella."

He named the island San Salvador.

During the voyage across the ocean some of his men had become frightened, and had started a mutiny. These now threw themselves at his feet, and asked him to forgive them.

The next three months Columbus spent in exploring. On the twenty-eighth of October he went ashore on Cuba. He thought that this island was a part of Asia.

"My eyes are never weary of gazing at the beautiful scenery," he wrote. "The singing of the birds makes me wish never to depart hence."

Columbus had sailed from Spain with three small ships. The largest was called the Santa Maria. The other two were the Pinta and the Niña. In the three crews there were about a hundred persons.

In November, while Columbus was sailing about, the Pinta, a swifter vessel than the others, became separated from him. The captain of the Pinta, who was a daring sailor, continued on his course, and discovered the island of Haiti. Here Columbus joined him, a few days later.

On the day after Christmas, Columbus built a fort on the island and left a part of his men there. This was the first Spanish colony in the New World.

Two days later, through the carelessness of the pilot, the Santa Maria ran aground on a sandbank. No lives were lost, but the ill-fated ship had to be abandoned. The wind and waves soon dashed her to pieces.

"This is a sad state of things," said Columbus to his men. "Nobody in Europe knows that we have found a new way to India. What if we should be wrecked on these strange coasts, and all of us should be lost? No news of our success would ever reach the ears of King Ferdinand. Our names would be bywords of folly and rashness. There is only one thing to do; we must sail back to Spain. It will be easy enough to get ships and men for another voyage, when the people hear our story."

A few days later, with the Pinta and the Niña, he set sail.

All went well for a month. Then a great storm burst on the little fleet. During the next four days the sea was so rough that the two frail ships were nearly lost. They were again separated, and each had to continue its voyage alone.

"Have I gone through all these dangers and hardships to die here in mid-ocean?" Columbus said to himself. "Shall King Ferdinand never hear of what I have done?"

He took two pieces of parchment, and wrote separate letters describing his discoveries. He sealed each of these and addressed it to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He then wrapped each in a cloth, put it in a large cake of wax, and packed it in a cask. One of these casks he dropped into the sea. The other he kept on the deck of his ship.

"If the ship is lost," he said, "perhaps one of these casks will drift ashore and be picked up. The letter may be found and read. The world will then know what I have done."

But the ship rode safely out the storm.

On the fifteenth of March the brave Columbus sailed proudly into the harbor of Palos, and sent a messenger to the king and queen.