cessive caution and parsimony, he received the plans of Columbus with more approbation than any monarch to whom they had been presented. After several unsuccessful applications to other European powers of less note, he was induced, by the entreaty of Perez, a man of learning, and who had great influence with Isabella, to apply a second time to the court of Spain. Isabella became his munificent patroness, and to her ultimately he owed his success. Though the name of Ferdinand appears conjoined with that of his queen in this transaction, yet his distrust of Columbus was still so violent, that he refused to take any part in the enterprise as king of Arragon. And as the whole expence of the expedition was to be defrayed by the crown of Castile, Isabella reserved to her subjects of that kingdom an exclusive right to all the benefits which might redound from its success. As soon as the treaty was signed, Isabella, by her attention and activity in forwarding the preparations for the voyage, endeavoured to make some reparation to Columbus for the time which he had lost in fruitless solicitation. A squadron of three ships was fitted out, victualled for twelve months, and furnished with ninety men. And on the third day of August he left Spain, in the presence of a crowd of spectators, who united their supplications to heaven for his success. He steered directly for the Canary islands, where he arrived and refitted, and on the 6th of September set sail in a due western course into an unknown ocean. A. D. 1492, Here the voyage of discovery may be said to begin. The first day, as it was very calm, he made but little progress; but on the second he lost lost sight of the Canaries; and many of the sailors, dejected already and dismayed, when they contemplated the boldness of the undertaking, began to beat their breasts, and to shed tears, as if they were never more to behold land. Columbus comforted them with assurances of success, and the prospect of vast wealth in those opulent regions whither he was conducting them. Happily for himself, and for the country by which he was employed, he joined to the ardent temper and inventive genius of a projector virtues of another species, which are rarely united with them. He possessed a thorough knowledge of mankind, an insinuating address, a patient perseverance in executing any plan; the perfect government of his own passions, and the talent of acquiring an ascendant over those of other men. All these qualities, which formed him for command, were accompanied with a superior knowledge of his profession, which begets confidence in times of difficulty and danger. As soon as they put to sea he regulated every thing by his sole authority; he superintended the execution of every order; and allowing himself only a few hours for sleep, he was at all other times upon deck. He attended to the motion of tides and currents, watched the flight of birds, the appearance of fishes, of sea-weed, and of every thing that floated on the waves, and entered every occurrence, with a minute exactness, in the journal which he kept. By the 14th of September the fleet was more than 200 leagues to the west of the Canary isles. There they were struck with an appearance no less astonishing than new. They observed that the magnetic needle, in their compasses, did not point exactly to the polar star, but varied towards the west; and as they proceeded, this variation increased. This phenomenon filled the companions of Columbus with terror They were now in a boundless unknown ocean, far from the usual course of navigation; nature itself seemed to have altered, and the only guide which they had left was about to fail them. Columbus invented a reason for this appearance, which, though not satisfactory to himself, seemed so plausible to them, that it dispelled their fears, or silenced their murmurs. Upon the first of October they were, according to the admiral's reckoning, 770 leagues to the west of the Canaries. They had now been three weeks at sea, and had proceeded far beyond what former navigators had attempted or deemed possible, and their prospect of success seemed to be as distant as ever. These reflections occurred often to men who had no other object or occupation than to reflect on the intention and circumstances of their expedition. They made impression, at first, on the timid and ignorant, and extending, by degrees, to such as were better informed or more resolute, the contagion spread at length from ship to ship. From secret whispers they proceeded to open cabals and public complaints. All agreed that Columbus should be compelled by force to make the best way home. Some even proposed to throw him into the sea, as the surest mode of getting rid of his remonstrances; being persuaded that, upon their return to Spain, the death of an unsuccessful projector would excite little concern, and be inquired into with no curiosity. Columbus was fully sensible of his perilous situation. He had observed with great uneasiness the disaffection of his crew: he retained, however, perfect presence of mind, and affected to be ignorant of their machinations. Sometimes he employed all the arts of insinuation to soothe his men. men. Sometimes he endeavoured to work upon their ambition and avarice, by magnificent descriptions of the fame and wealth which they were about to acquire. On other occasions he assumed the tone of authority, and threatened them with the vengeance of their sovereign, if, by their dastardly behaviour, they should defeat this noble effort to promote the glory of God, and to exalt the Spanish name above that of every other nation. Thus he prevailed with them to accompany their admiral for some time longer. As they proceeded, the indications of approaching land seemed to be more certain. The birds began to appear in flocks, making to the southwest: to the same point Columbus directed the course of his fleet. The hopes of his men were, for a time, greatly elevated: but at the end of thirty days, no object having been descried but sea and sky, their fears revived with additional force; impatience, rage, and despair, appeared in every countenance. All sense of subordination was lost: the officers took part with the private men, and they unanimously required their commander instantly to tack about and return to Europe. Finding the methods which he had before adopted of no avail, he promised solemnly to his men that he would comply with their request, provided they would accompany him and obey his commands for three days longer; and if, during that time, land was not discovered, he would then abandon his enterprise, and direct his course to Spain. Enraged as the sailors were, yet they consented to this proposition, which did not to them appear unreasonable. Nor did Columbus hazard much in confining himself to a term so short. The presages of discovering land were now so numerous and promising, that he deemed them infallible; and on on the 11th of October, after public prayers for success, he ordered the sails to be furled, and the ships to lie-to, keeping strict watch lest they should be driven ashore in the night. During this interval of suspense and expectation no man shut his eyes, all kept upon deck, gazing intently towards that quarter where they expected to discover the land, which had been so long the object of their wishes. About ten o'clock in the evening Columbus, standing on the forecastle, observed a light at a distance, and privately pointed it out to Pedro Guttierez, a page of the queen's wardrobe. Guttierez perceived it, and calling out to the comptroller of the fleet, all three saw it in motion, as if it were carried from place to place. A little after midnight the joyful sound of Land, land, was heard from the Pinta, which kept always a-head of the other ships. They all waited in the anguish of uncertainty and impatience for the return of day. As soon as morning dawned all doubts and fears were dispelled. From every ship an island was seen about two leagues to the north, whose verdant fields, well stored with wood, and watered with many rivulets, presented the aspect of a delightful country. The crew of the Pinta instantly began Te Deum, and were joined by those of the other ships, with tears of joy and transports of congratu lation. This office of gratitude to heaven was followed by an act of justice to their commander. They threw themselves at the feet of Columbus, with feelings of self-condemnation mingled with reverence. They implored him to pardon their past conduct; and reverting in the phrensy of their admiration from one extreme to another, they now pronounced the man whom they had so lately re viled |