south-west. Columbus, imitating the Portuguese naviga tors, who had been guided in several of their discoveries by the motion2 of birds, altered his course from due west towards that quarter whither they pointed their flight. But after holding on for several days in this new directior without any better success than formerly, having seen no object during thirty days but the sea and the sky, the hopes of his companions subsided faster than they had risen; their fears revived3 with additional force;3 impatience, rage and despair, appeared in every countenance. All sense of subordination was lost. The officers, who had hitherto concurred with Columbus in opinion and supported his authority, now took part with the private men; they assembled tumultuously on the deck, expostulated with their commander, mingled threats with their expostulation, and required him instantly to tack" about and return to Europe.

Columbus perceived that it would be of no avail to have recourse to any of his former arts, which having been tried so often, had lost their effect; and that it was impossible to rekindle any zeal for the success of the expedition among men in whose breasts fear had extinguished every generous sentiment. He saw that it was no less vain to think of employing either gentle or severe measures to quell a mutiny so general and so violent. It was necessary, on all these accounts, to soothe passions which he could no longer command, and to give way to a torrent too impetuous to be checked. He promised solemnly to his men that he would comply with their request, provided they would accompany him and obey his command for three days longer; and if, during that time, land were not discovered, he would abandon then the enterprise, and direct his course towards Spain.

128.

Continuation.

Enraged as1 the sailors were, and impatient to turn thei faces again towards their native country, this proposition did not appear to them unreasonable; nor did Columbus hazard much in confining3 himself to term so short. The presages of discovering land were now so numerous and promising that he deemed them infallible. For some days the sounding-line reached the bottom, and the soil which it brought up, indicated land to be at no great distance. The flocks of birds increased, and were composed not only of sea-fowl, but of such land-birds as could not be supposed to fly far from the shore. The crew of the Pinta observed a cane floating, which seemed to have been newly cut, and likewise a piece of timber artificially carved. The sailors on board the Nina took up the branch of a tree with red berries perfectly fresh. The clouds around the setting sun assumed a new appearance; the air was more mild and warm, and during night the wind became unequal and variable.

From all these symptoms Columbus was so confident of being near land, that on the evening of the eleventh 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 so long been the object of their wishes.

129. Continuation.

About two hours before midnight, Columbus, standing on the forecastle, observed a light at a distance, and pri vately pointed it out to Pedro Guttierez, a page of the

queen's wardrobe. Guttierez perceived it, and calling to Salcedo, 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 ahead of the other ships. But having been so often deceived by fallacious appearances, every man was now become slow of belief, and waited in all the anguish of uncertainty and impatience for the return of day.

As soon as the morning dawned, all doubts and fears were dispelled. From every ship an island was seen3 about two leagues to the north, whose flat and 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 the Te Deum, as a hymn of thanksgiving to God, and were joined by those of the other ships with tears of joy and transports of congratulation. This offices 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 selfcondemnation mingled with reverence. They implored him to pardon their ignorance, incredulity, and insolence, which had caused him so much unnecessary disquiet, and had so often obstructed the prosecution of his well-concerted plan: and, passing in the warmth of their admiration from one extreme to another, they now pronounced the man whom they had so lately reviled and threatened, to be a person inspired by Heaven with sagacity and fortitude more than human, in order to accomplish a design so far beyond the ideas and conception of all former ages.

As soon as the sun rose, all their boats were manned and armed. They rowed towards the island with their colors displayed, with warlike music, and other martial pomp. As they approached the coast, they saw it covered with a multitude of people, whom the novelty of the spectacle had

drawn together, whose attitudes and gestures expressed wonder and astonishment at the strange objects which presented themselves to their view.

130.

Conclusion.

Columbus was the first European who set foot' on the new world which he had discovered. He landed in a rich dress, and with a naked2 sword in his hand. His men followed, and kneeling down, they all kissed the ground which they had so long desired to see. They next3 erected a crucifix, and prostrating themselves before it, returned. thanks to God for conducting their voyage to such a happy issue. They then took solemn possession of the country for the crown of Castile and Leon, with all the formalities which the Portuguese were accustomed to observe in acts of this kind in their new discoveries.

The Spaniards while thus employed were surrounded by many of the natives, who gazed in silent admiration upon actions which they could not comprehend, and of which they could not foresee the consequence. The dress of the Spaniards, the whiteness of their skins, their beards, their arms, appeared strange and surprising. The vast machines in which they had traversed the ocean, that seemed to move upon the waters with wings, and uttered a dreadful ound resembling thunder, accompanied with lightning and moke, struck them with such terror that they began to respect their new guests as a superior order of beings, and concluded they were children of the sun who had descended to visit the earth.

The Europeans were hardly less amazed at the scene now before them. Every herb and shrub and tree was different from those which flourished in Europe. The soil seemed to be rich, but bore few marks of cultivation. The climate, even to the Spaniards, felt warm, though

extremely delightful. The inhabitants appeared in the simple innocence of nature. Their black hair, long and uncurled, floated upon their shoulders, or was bound in tresses on their head. They had no beards, and their bodies were perfectly smooth.. Their complexion was of a dusky copper color, their features singular rather than disagreeable, their aspect gentle and timid. Though not tall, they were well-shaped and active. Their faces and several parts of their bodies, were fantastically painted with glaring colors. They were shy at first through fear, but soon became familiar with the Spaniards, and with transports of joy received from them hawk-bells, glass beads, or other baubles; in return for which they gave such provisions as they had, and some cotton yarn, the only commodity of value which they could produce.

8

Towards evening Columbus returned to his ship, accom panied by many of the islanders in their boats, which they called canoes, and though rudely formed out of the trunk of a single tree, they rowed them with surprising dexterity. Thus in10 the first interview between the inhabitants of the old and new worlds everything was conducted amicably and to their mutual satisfaction. The former enlightened and ambitious, formed11 already vast ideas with respect to the advantages which they might derive from the regions that began to open to their view. The latter, simple and undiscerning, had no foresight of the calamities and desolation which were approaching12 their country!

131.

ROBERTSON.

Columbus's First Return to Europe.

The voyage was prosperous till the fourteenth of February, and he had advanced near five hundred leagues across the Atlantic ocean, when the wind began to rise, and continued to blow with increasing rage, which terminated in a furious hurricane. Everything that the naval skill and