CHAPTER XVI.
"They little thought how pure a light, With years, should gather round that day; How love should keep their memories bright-- How wide a realm their sons should sway."
Bryant.
The night that succeeded was one of very varied feelings among theadventurers. As soon as Sancho secured the reward, he had no furtherscruples about communicating all he knew, to any who were disposed tolisten; and long ere Columbus returned on board the vessel, theintelligence had spread from mouth to mouth, until all in the littlesquadron were apprised of the intentions of the Portuguese. Many hopedthat it was true, and that their pursuers might be successful; any fatebeing preferable, in their eyes, to that which the voyage promised; but,such is the effect of strife, much the larger portion of the crew wereimpatient to lift the anchors and to make sail, if it were only to getthe mastery in the race. Columbus, himself, experienced the deepestconcern, for it really seemed as if a hard fortune was about to snatchthe cup from his lips, just as it had been raised there, after all hiscruel sufferings and delays. He consequently passed a night of deepanxiety, and was the first to rise in the morning.
Every one was on the alert with the dawn; and as the preparations hadbeen completed the previous night, by the time the sun had risen, thethree vessels were under way, the Pinta leading, as usual. The wind waslight, and the squadron could barely gather steerage way; but as everymoment was deemed precious, the vessels' heads were kept to thewestward. When a short time out, a caravel came flapping past them,after having been several hours in sight, and the admiral spoke her. Sheproved to be from Ferro, the most southern and western island of thegroup, and had come nearly on the route the expedition intended tosteer, until they quitted the known seas.
"Dost thou bring any tidings from Ferro?" inquired Columbus, as thestrange ship drifted slowly past the Santa Maria; the progress of eachvessel being little more than a mile in the hour. "Is there aught ofinterest in that quarter?"
"Did I know whether, or not, I am speaking to Don Christopher Columbus,the Genoese that their Highnesses have honored with so important acommission, I should feel more warranty to answer what I have both heardand seen, Senor," was the reply.
"I am Don Christopher himself, their Highnesses' admiral and viceroy,for all seas and lands that we may discover, and, as thou hast said, aGenoese in birth, though a Castilian by duty, and in love to the queen."
"Then, noble admiral, I may tell you that the Portuguese are active,three of their caravels being off Ferro, at this moment, with the hopeof intercepting your expedition."
"How is this known, friend, and what reason have I for supposing thatthe Portuguese will dare to send forth caravels, with orders to molestthose who sail as the officers of Isabella the Catholic? They must knowthat the Holy Father hath lately conferred this title on the twosovereigns, in acknowledgment of their great services in expelling theMoor from Christendom."
"Senor, there hath been a rumor of that among the islands, but littlewill the Portuguese care for aught of that nature, when he deemeth hisgold in danger. As I quitted Ferro, I spoke the caravels, and have goodreason to think that rumor doth them no injustice."
"Did they seem warlike, and made they any pretensions to a right tointerrupt our voyage?"
"To us they said naught of this sort, except to inquire, tauntingly, ifthe illustrious Don Christoval Colon, the great viceroy of the east,sailed on board us. As for preparation, Senor, they had many lombardas,and a multitude of men in breast-plates and casques. I doubt if soldiersare as numerous at the Azores, as when they sailed."
"Keep they close in with the island, or stretch they off to seaward?"
"Mostly the latter, Senor, standing far toward the west in the morning,and beating up toward the land as the day closeth. Take the word of anold pilot, Don Christopher, the mongrels are there for no good."
This was barely audible, for, by this time, the caravels had driftedpast each other, and were soon altogether beyond the reach of the voice.
"Do you believe that the Castilian name standeth so low, DonChristopher," demanded Luis, "that these dogs of Portuguese dare do thiswrong to the flag of the queen?"
"I dread naught from force, beyond detention and frauds, certainly; butthese, to me, at this moment, would be little less painful than death.Most do I apprehend that these caravels, under the pretence ofprotecting the rights of Don John, are directed to follow us to Cathay,in which case we should have a disputed discovery, and divided honors.We must avoid the Portuguese, if possible; to effect which purpose, Iintend to pass to the westward, without nearing the island of Ferro, anycloser than may be rendered absolutely indispensable."
Notwithstanding a burning impatience now beset the admiral, and mostwith him, the elements seemed opposed to his passage from among theCanaries, into the open ocean. The wind gradually failed, until itbecame so calm that the sails were hauled up, and the three vessels lay,now laying their sides with the brine, and now rising to the summit ofthe ground-swell, resembling huge animals that were lazily reposing,under the heats of summer, in drowsy indolence.
Many was the secret _pater_, or _ave_, that was mumbled by the mariners,and not a few vows of future prayers were made, in the hope of obtaininga breeze. Occasionally it seemed as if Providence listened to thesepetitions, for the air would fan the cheek, and the sails would fall, inthe vain expectation of getting ahead; but disappointment as oftenfollowed, until all on board felt that they were fated to linger underthe visitations of a calm. Just at nightfall, however, a light airarose, and, for a few hours, the wash of the parted waters was audibleunder the bows of the vessels, though their way was barely sufficient tokeep them under the command of their helms. About midnight, however,even this scarcely perceptible motion was lost, and the craft were againlazily wallowing in the ground-swells that the gales had sent in fromthe vast expanse of the Western Ocean.
When the light reappeared, the admiral found himself between Gomera andTeneriffe, the lofty peak of the latter casting its pointed shadow, likethat thrown by a planet, far upon the water, until its sharp apex wasrenewed, in faint mimicry, along the glassy surface of the ocean.Columbus was now fearful that the Portuguese might employ their boats,or impel some light felucca by her sweeps, in order to find out hisposition; and he wisely directed the sails to be furled, in order toconceal his vessels, as far as possible, from any prying eyes. Theseason had advanced to the 7th of September, and such was the situationof this renowned expedition, exactly five weeks after it had left Spain;for this inauspicious calm occurred on a Friday, or on that day of theweek on which it had originally sailed.
All practice shows that there is no refuge from a calm at sea, except inpatience. Columbus was much too experienced a navigator, not to feelthis truth, and, after using the precaution mentioned, he, and thepilots under him, turned their attention to the arrangements required torender the future voyage safe and certain. The few mathematicalinstruments known to the age, were got up, corrected, and exhibited,with the double intention of ascertaining their state, and of making adisplay before the common men, that would heighten their respect fortheir leaders, by adding to their confidence in their skill. Theadmiral, himself, had already obtained a high reputation as a navigator,among his followers, in consequence of his reckonings having proved somuch more accurate than those of the pilots, in approaching theCanaries; and as he now exhibited the instruments then used as aquadrant, and examined his compasses, every movement he made was watchedby the seamen, with either secret admiration, or jealous vigilance; someopenly expressing their confidence in his ability to proceed wherever hewished to go, and others covertly betraying just that degree of criticalknowledge which ordinarily accompanies prejudice, ignorance, and malice.
Luis had never been able to comprehend the mysteries of navigation, hisnoble head appearing to repudiate learning, as a species ofaccomplishment but little in accordance with its wants or its tastes.Still, he was intelligent; and within the range of knowledge that it wasusual
for laymen of his rank to attain, few of his age did themselvesmore credit in the circles of the court. Fortunately, he had the mostperfect reliance on the means of the admiral; and being almost totallywithout personal apprehensions, Columbus had not a more submissive orblind follower, than the young grandee, under his command.
Man, with all his boasted philosophy, intelligence, and reason, existsthe dupe of his own imagination and blindness, as much as of theartifices and designs of others. Even while he fancies himself the mostvigilant and cautious, he is as often misled by appearances as governedby facts and judgment; and perhaps half of those who were spectators ofthis calculated care in Columbus, believed that they felt, in theirrenewed confidence, the assurances of science and logical deductions,when in truth their senses were impressed, without, in the slightestdegree, enlightening their understandings.
Thus passed the day of the 7th September, the night arriving and stillfinding the little squadron, or fleet, as it was termed in the loftylanguage of the day, floating helplessly between Teneriffe and Gomera.Nor did the ensuing morning bring a change, for a burning sun beat,unrelieved by a breath of air, on the surface of a sea that wasglittering like molten silver. When the admiral was certain, however, byhaving sent men aloft to examine the horizon, that the Portuguese werenot in sight, he felt infinitely relieved, little doubting that hispursuers still lay, as inactive as himself, to the westward of Ferro.
"By the seamen's hopes! Senor Don Christopher," said Luis, as he reachedthe poop, where Columbus had kept an untiring watch for hours, hehimself having just risen from a siesta, "the fiends seem to be leaguedagainst us! Here are we in the third day of our calm, with the Peak ofTeneriffe as stationary as if it were a mile-stone, set to tell theporpoises and dolphins the rate at which they swim. If one believed inomens, he might fancy that the saints were unwilling to see us depart,even though it be on their own errand."
"We _may not_ believe in omens, when they are no more than the fruits ofnatural laws," gravely returned the admiral. "There will shortly be anend of this calm, for a haze is gathering in the atmosphere thatpromises air from the east, and the motion of the ship will tell thee,that the winds have been busy far to the westward. Master Pilot,"addressing the officer of that title, who had charge of the deck at themoment, "thou wilt do well to unfurl thy canvas, and prepare for afavoring breeze, as we shall soon be overtaken by wind from thenorth-east."
This prediction was verified about an hour later, when all three of thevessels began, again, to part the waters with their sterns. But thebreeze, if any thing, proved more tantalizing to the impatient marinersthan the calm itself had been; for a strong head sea had got up, and theair proving light, the different craft struggled with difficulty towardthe west.
All this time, a most anxious look-out was kept for the Portuguesecaravels, the appearance of which, however, was less dreaded than it hadbeen, as they were now supposed to be a considerable distance toleeward. Columbus, and his skilful assistants, Martin Alonzo and VicenteYanez, or the brothers Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta and the Nina,practised all the means that their experience could suggest to getahead. Their progress, however, was not only slow but painful, as everyfresh impulse given by the breeze, served to plunge the bows of thevessels into the sea with a violence that threatened injuries to thespars and rigging. So trifling, indeed, was their rate of sailing, thatit required all the judgment of Columbus to note the nearlyimperceptible manner in which the tall, cone-like summit of the Peak ofTeneriffe lowered, as it might be, inch by inch. The superstitiousfeelings of the common men being more active than usual, even, someamong them began to whisper that the elements were admonishing themagainst proceeding, and that tardy as it might seem, the admiral woulddo well to attend to omens and signs that nature seldom gave withoutsufficient reason. These opinions, however, were cautiously uttered--thegrave, earnest manner of Columbus having created so much respect, as tosuppress them in his presence; and the mariners of the other vesselsstill followed the movements of their admiral with that species of blinddependence which marks the submission of the inferior to the superior,under such circumstances.
When Columbus retired to his cabin for the night, Luis observed that hiscountenance was unusually grave, as he ended his calculations of thedays' work.
"I trust all goes to your wishes, Don Christopher," the young man gailyobserved. "We are now fairly on our journey, and, to my eyes, Cathay isalready in sight."
"Thou hast that within thee, Don Luis," returned the admiral, "whichrendereth what thou wishest to see distinct, and maketh all colors gay.With me it is a duty to see things as they _are_, and, although Cathaylieth plainly before the vision of my mind--thou, Lord, who hastimplanted, for thine own great ends, the desire to reach that distantland, only know'st how plainly!--although Cathay is thus plain to mymoral view, I am bound to heed the physical obstacles that may exist toour reaching it."
"And are these obstacles getting to be more serious than we could hope,Senor?"
"My trust is still in God--look here, young lord," laying his finger onthe chart; "at this point were we in the morning, and to this point havewe advanced by means of all the toil of the day, down to this portion ofthe night. Thou seest that a line of paper marketh the whole of ourprogress; and, here again, thou seest that we have to cross this vastdesert of ocean, ere we may even hope to draw near the end of ourjourney. By my calculation, with all our exertions, and at this criticalmoment--critical not only as regardeth the Portuguese, but critical asregardeth our own people--we have made but nine leagues, which are asmall portion of the thousand that lie before us. At this rate we maydread a failure of our provisions and water."
"I have all confidence in your resources, Don Christopher, and in yourknowledge and experience."
"And I have all confidence in the protection of God; trusting that hewill not desert his servant in the moment that he most needeth hissupport."
Here Columbus prepared himself to catch a few hours' sleep, though itwas in his clothes, the interest he felt in the position of his vesselsforbidding him to undress. This celebrated man lived in an age when aspurious philosophy, and a pretending but insufficient exercise ofreason, placed few, even in appearance, above the frank admission oftheir constant reliance on a divine power. We say in appearance, as noman, whatever may be the extent of his delusions on this subject, reallybelieves that he is altogether sufficient for his own protection. Thisabsolute self-reliance is forbidden by a law of nature, each carrying inhis own breast a monitor to teach him his real insignificance,demonstrating daily, hourly, at each minute even, that he is but adiminutive agent used by a superior power in carrying out its own greatand mysterious ends, for the sublime and beneficent purposes for whichthe world and all it contains has been created. In compliance with theusage of the times, Columbus knelt, and prayed fervently, ere he slept;nor did Luis de Bobadilla hesitate about imitating an example that few,in that day, thought beneath their intelligence or their manhood. Ifreligion had the taint of superstition in the fifteenth century, and menconfided too much in the efficacy of momentary and transient impulses,it is certain that it also possessed an exterior of graceful meeknessand submission to God, in losing which, it may be well questioned if theworld has been the gainer.
The first appearance of light brought the admiral and Luis to the deck.They both knelt again on the poop, and repeated their paters; and then,yielding to the feelings natural to their situation, they arose, eagerto watch for what might be revealed by the lifting of the curtain ofday. The approach of dawn, and the rising of the sun at sea, have beenso often described, that the repetition here might be superfluous; butwe shall state that Luis watched the play of colors that adorned theeastern sky, with a lover's refinement of feeling, fancying that hetraced a resemblance to the passage of emotions across the tell-talecountenance of Mercedes, in the soft and transient hues that are knownto precede a fine morning in September, more especially in a lowlatitude. As for the admiral, his more practical gaze was turned in thedirection in
which the island of Ferro lay, awaiting the increase of thelight in order to ascertain what changes had been wrought during thehours he had slept. Several minutes passed in profound attention, whenthe navigator beckoned Luis to his side.
"Seest thou that dark, gloomy pile, which is heaving up out of thedarkness, here at the south and west of us?" he said--"it gaineth formand distinctness at each instant, though distant some eight or tenleagues; that is Ferro, and the Portuguese are there, without question,anxiously expecting our appearance. In this calm, neither can approachthe other, and thus far we are safe. It is now necessary to ascertain ifthe pursuing caravels are between us and the land, or not; after which,should it prove otherwise, we shall be reasonably safe, if we approachno nearer to the island, and we can maintain, as yesterday, theadvantage of the wind. Seest thou any sail, Luis, in that quarter of theocean?"
"None, Senor; and the light is already of sufficient strength to exposethe white canvas of a vessel, were any there."
Columbus made an ejaculation of thankfulness, and immediately orderedthe look-out aloft to examine the entire horizon. The report wasfavorable; the dreaded Portuguese caravels being nowhere visible. As thesun arose, however, a breeze sprung up at the southward and westward,bringing Ferro, and consequently any vessels that might be cruising inthat quarter, directly to windward of the fleet. Sail was made withoutthe loss of a moment; and the admiral stood to the northward andwestward, trusting that his pursuers were looking out for him on thesouth side of the island, which was the ground where those who did notthoroughly understand his aim, would be most likely to expect him. Bythis time the westerly swell had, in a great measure, gone down; andthough the progress of the vessels was far from rapid, it was steady,and seemed likely to last. The hours went slowly by, and as the dayadvanced, objects became less and less distinct on the sides of Ferro.Its entire surface next took the hazy appearance of a dim andill-defined cloud; and then it began slowly to sink into the water. Itssummit was still visible, as the admiral, with the more privileged ofhis companions, assembled on the poop, to take a survey of the ocean andof the weather. The most indifferent observer might now have noted themarked difference in the state of feeling which existed among theadventurers on board the Santa Maria. On the poop, all was cheerfulnessand hope, the present escape having induced even the distrustful,momentarily, to forget the uncertain future; the pilots, as usual, wereoccupied and sustained by a species of marine stoicism; while amelancholy had settled on the crew that was as apparent as if they werecrowding around the dead. Nearly every man in the ship was in some oneof the groups that had assembled on deck; and every eye seemed riveted,as it might be by enchantment, on the fading and falling heights ofFerro. While things were in this state, Columbus approached Luis, andaroused him from a sort of trance, by laying a finger lightly on hisshoulder.
"It cannot be that the Senor de Munos is affected by the feelings of thecommon men," observed the admiral, with a slight mixture of surprise andreproach; "this, too, at a moment that all of an intelligence sufficientto foresee the glorious consequences, are rejoicing that a heaven-sentbreeze is carrying us to a safe distance from the pursuing and enviouscaravels! Why dost thou thus regard the people beneath, with a steadyeye and unwavering look? Is it that thou repentest embarking, or dostthou merely muse on the charms of thy mistress?"
"By San Iago! Don Christopher, this time your sagacity is at fault. Ineither repent, nor muse as you would imply; but I gaze at yonder poorfellows with pity for their apprehensions."
"Ignorance is a hard master, Senor Pedro, and one that is now exercisinghis power over the imaginations of the seamen, with the ruthlessness ofa tyrant. They dread the worst merely because they have not theknowledge to foresee the best. Fear is a stronger passion than hope, andis ever the near ally of ignorance. In vulgar eyes that which hath notyet been--nay, which hath not, in some measure, become familiar byuse--is deemed impossible; men reasoning in a circle that is abridged bytheir information. Those fellows are gazing at the island, as itdisappears, like men taking a last look at the things of life. Indeed,this concern exceedeth even what I could have anticipated."
"It lieth deep, Senor, and yet it riseth to the eyes; for I have seentears on cheeks that I could never have supposed wetted in any mannerbut by the spray of the ocean!"
"There are our two acquaintances, Sancho and Pepe, neither of whomseemeth particularly distressed, though the last hath a cast ofmelancholy in his face. As for the first, the knave showeth theindifference of a true mariner--one who is never so happy as whenfurthest from the dangers of rocks and shoals: to such a man, thedisappearance of one island, and the appearance of another, are alikematters of indifference. He seeth but the visible horizon around him,and considereth the rest of the world, temporarily, as a blank. I lookfor loyal service in that Sancho, in despite of his knavery, and countupon him as one of the truest of my followers."
Here the admiral was interrupted by a cry from the deck beneath him,and, looking round, his practised and quick eye was not slow indiscovering that the horizon to the southward presented the usual wateryblank of the open ocean. Ferro had, in fact, altogether disappeared,some of the most sanguine of the seamen having fancied that they beheldit, even after it had finally sunk behind the barrier of waves. As thecircumstance became more and more certain, the lamentations among thepeople grew less and less equivocal and louder, tears flowed withoutshame or concealment, hands were wrung in a sort of a senseless despair,and a scene of such clamor ensued, as threatened some serious danger tothe expedition from this new quarter. Under such circumstances, Columbushad all the people collected beneath the break of the poop, and standingon the latter, where he could examine every countenance for himself, headdressed them on the subject of their grief. On this occasion themanner of the great navigator was earnest and sincere, leaving no doubtthat he fully believed in the truth of his own arguments, and that heuttered nothing with the hope to delude or to mislead.
"When Don Ferdinand and Dona Isabella, our respected and belovedsovereigns, honored me with the commission of admiral and viceroy, inthose secret seas toward which we are now steering," he said, "Iconsidered it as the most glorious and joyful event of my life, as I nowconsider this moment, that seemeth to some among you so painful, assecond to it in hope and cause for felicitation. In the disappearance ofFerro, I see also the disappearance of the Portuguese; for, now that weare in the open ocean, without the limits of any known land, I trustthat Providence hath placed us beyond the reach and machinations of allour enemies. While we prove true to ourselves, and to the great objectsthat are before us, there is no longer cause for fear. If any personamong you hath a mind to disburden himself, in this matter, let himspeak freely; we being much too strong in argument to wish to silencedoubts by authority."
"Then, Senor Don Almirante," put in Sancho, whose tongue was ever readyto wag, as occasion offered, "it is just that which maketh yourExcellency so joyful that maketh these honest people so sad. Could theyalways keep the island of Ferro in sight, or any other known land, theywould follow you to Cathay with as gentle a pull as the launch followeththe caravel in a light breeze and smooth water; but it is this leavingall behind, as it might be, earth as well as wives and children, thatsaddens their hearts, and uncorks their tears."
"And thou, Sancho, an old mariner that wast born at sea"--
"Nay, your Excellency, illustrious Senor Don Almirante," interruptedSancho, looking up with pretended simplicity, "not exactly at sea,though within the scent of its odor; since, having been found at theshipwright's gate, it is not probable they would have made a haven justto land so small a part of the freight."
"Well, born _near_ the sea, if thou wilt--but from thee I expect betterthings than unmanly lamentations because an island hath sunk below thehorizon."
"Excellency, you may; it mattereth little to Sancho, if half the islandsin the sea were sunk a good deal lower. There are the Cape de Verdes,now, which I never wish to look upon again, and Lampidosa, besidesStromboli and others in
that quarter, would be better out of the way,than where they are, as for any good they do us seamen. But, if yourExcellency will condescend to tell these honest people whither it isthat we are bound, and what you expect to find in port, and, moreespecially, when we are to come back, it would comfort them in anunspeakable degree."
"As I hold it to be the proper office of men in authority to let theirmotives be known, when no evil followeth the disclosure, this will Imost cheerfully do, requiring the attention of all near me, and chieflyof those who are most uneasy concerning our present position and futuremovements. The end of our voyage is Cathay, a country that is known tolie in the uttermost eastern extremity of Asia, whither it hath beenmore than once reached by Christian travellers; and its difference fromall other voyages, or journeys, that may have been attempted in order toreach the same country, is in the circumstance that we go west, whileformer travellers have proceeded east. But this is effecting ourpurposes by means that belong only to stout-hearted mariners, since nonebut those who are familiar with the ocean, skilful pilots, and obedientand ready seamen, can traverse the waters, without better guides thanthe knowledge of the stars, currents, winds, and other phenomena of theAtlantic, and such aids as may be gleaned from science. The reason onwhich I act, is a conviction that the earth is round, whence itfolloweth that the Atlantic, which we know to possess an easternboundary of land, must also have a western; and from certaincalculations that leave it almost certain, that this continent, which Ihold will prove to be India, cannot lie more than some twenty-five orthirty days' sailing, if as many, from our own Europe. Having thus toldwhen and where I expect to find the country we seek, I will now touch alittle on the advantages that we may all expect to derive from thediscovery. According to the accounts of a certain Marco Polo, and hisrelatives, gentlemen of Venice, and men of fair credit and goodreputations, the kingdom of Cathay is not only one of the most extensiveknown, but one that most aboundeth in gold and silver, together with theother metals of value, and precious stones. Of the advantages of thediscovery of such a land to yourselves, ye may judge by its advantagesto me. Their Highnesses have dignified me with the rank of admiral andviceroy, in anticipation of our success, and, persevering to asuccessful termination of your efforts, the humblest man among ye maylook with confidence to some signal mark of their favor. Rewards willdoubtless be rendered in proportion to your merits; he that deservethmuch, receiving more than he who hath deserved less. Still will there besufficient for all. Marco Polo and his relatives dwelt seventeen yearsin the court of the Great Khan, and were every way qualified to give atrue account of the riches and resources of those regions; and well werethey--simple Venetian gentlemen, without any other means than could betransported on the backs of beasts of burden--rewarded for their toilsand courage. The jewels alone, with which they returned, served long toenrich their race, renovating a decayed but honorable family, while theydid their enterprise and veracity credit in the eyes of men.
"As the ocean, for a long distance this side of the continent of Asiaand the kingdom of Cathay, is known to abound with islands, we mayexpect first to meet with them, where, it would be doing nature herselfinjustice, did we not anticipate fragrant freights of balmy spices, andother valuable commodities with which that favored quarter of the earth,it is certain, is enriched. Indeed, it is scarce possible for theimagination to conceive of the magnitude of the results that await oursuccess, while naught but ridicule and contempt could attend a hasty andinconsiderate return. Going not as invaders, but as Christians andfriends, we have no reason to expect other than the most friendlyreception; and, no doubt, the presents and gifts, alone, that willnaturally be offered to strangers who have come so far, and by a roadthat hath hitherto been untravelled, will forty-fold repay you for allyour toils and troubles.
"I say nothing of the honor of being among those who have first carriedthe cross to the heathen world," continued the admiral, uncoveringhimself, and looking around him with solemn gravity; "though our fathersbelieved it to be no little distinction to have been one in the armiesthat contended for the possession of the sepulchre. But neither thechurch, nor its great master, forgetteth the servitor that advanceth itsinterests, and we may all look for blessings, both here and hereafter."
As he concluded, Columbus devoutly crossed himself, and withdrew fromthe sight of his people among those who were on the poop. The effect ofthis address was, for the moment, very salutary, and the men saw theclouds that hung over the land disappear, like the land itself, withless feeling than they had previously manifested. Nevertheless, theyremained distrustful and sad, some dreaming that night of the picturesthat Columbus had drawn of the glories of the East, and others fancying,in their sleep, that demons were luring them into unknown seas, wherethey were doomed to wander forever, as a punishment for their sins;conscience asserting its power in all situations, and most vividly inthose of distrust and uncertainty.
Shortly before sunset, the admiral caused the three vessels to heave-to,and the two Pinzons to repair on board his own ship. Here he laid beforethese persons his orders and plans for their government, in the event ofa separation.
"Thus you will understand me, Senores," he concluded, after havingexplained at length his views: "Your first and gravest duty will be tokeep near the admiral, in all weather, and under every circumstance, solong as it may be possible; but, failing of the possibility, you willmake your way due westward, on this parallel of latitude, until you havegone seven hundred leagues from the Canaries; after which, you are tolie-to at night, as, by that time, it is probable you will be among theislands of Asia; and it will be both prudent, and necessary to ourobjects, to be more on the alert for discoveries, from that moment.Still, you will proceed westward, relying on seeing me at the court ofthe Great Khan, should Providence deny us an earlier meeting."
"This is well, Senor Almirante," returned Martin Alonzo, raising hiseyes, which had long been riveted on the chart, "but it will be farbetter for all to keep together, and chiefly so to us, who are littleused to the habits of princes, if we wait for your Excellency'sprotection before we rush unheedingly into the presence of a sovereignas potent as the Grand Khan."
"Thou showest thy usual prudence, good Martin Alonzo, and I much commendthee for it. It were, indeed, better that thou shouldst wait my arrival,since that eastern potentate may conceive himself better treated byreceiving the first visit from the viceroy of the sovereigns, who is thebearer of letters directly from his own royal master and mistress, thanby receiving it from one of inferior rank. Look thou well to the islandsand their products, Senor Pinzon, shouldst thou first gain those seas,and await my appearance, before thou proceedest to aught else. How standthy people affected on taking leave of the land?"
"Ill enough, Senor; so much so, indeed, as to put me in fear of amutiny. There are those in the Pinta who need to stand in wholesomedread of the anger of their Highnesses, to prevent their making a suddenand violent return to Palos."
"Thou wouldst do well to look sharply to this spirit, that it may bekept under. Deal kindly and gently with these disaffected spirits aslong as may be, encouraging them by all fair and reasonable promises;but beware that the distemper get not the mastery of thy authority. Andnow, Senores, as the night approacheth, take boat and return to yourvessels, that we may profit by the breeze."
When Columbus was again alone with Luis, he sat in his little cabin,with a hand supporting his head, musing like one lost in reflection.
"Thou hast long known this Martin Alonzo, Don Luis de Bobadilla?" he atlength asked, betraying the current of his thoughts, by the nature ofthe question.
"Long, Senor, as youths count time; though it would seem but a day inthe calculations of aged men."
"Much dependeth on him; I hope he may prove honest; as yet he hath shownhimself liberal, enterprising, and manly."
"He is human, Don Christopher, and therefore liable to err. Yet as mengo, I esteem Martin Alonzo far from being among the worst of his race.He hath not embarked in this enterprise under knig
htly vows, nor withany churchman's zeal; but give him the chance of a fair return for hisrisks, and you will find him as true as interest ever leaveth a man,when there is any occasion to try his selfishness."
"Then thou, only, will I trust with my secret. Look at this paper, Luis.Here thou seest that I have been calculating our progress since morning,and I find that we have come full nineteen leagues, though it be not ina direct westerly line. Should I let the people know how far we may havetruly come, at the end of some great distance, there being no landvisible, fear will get the mastery over them, and no man can foresee theconsequences. I shall write down publicly, therefore, but fifteenleagues, keeping the true reckoning sacred for thine eye and mine. Godwill forgive me this deception, in consideration that it is practised inthe interest of his own church. By making these small deductions daily,it will enable us to advance a thousand leagues, without awakening alarmsufficient for more than seven or eight hundred."
"This is reducing courage to a scale I little dreamt of, Senor,"returned Luis, laughing. "By San Luis, my true patron! we should thinkill of the knight who found it necessary to uphold his heart by ameasurement of leagues."
"All unknown evils are dreaded evils. Distance hath its terrors for theignorant, and it may justly have its terrors for the wise, young noble,when it is measured on a trackless ocean; and there ariseth anotherquestion touching those great staples of life, food and water."
With this slight reproof of the levity of his young friend, the admiralprepared himself for his hammock by kneeling and repeating the prayersof the hour.
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