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1492.

BOOK left was about to fail them. Columbus, with no lefs quickness than ingenuity, invented a reafon for this appearance, which, though it did not fatisfy himself, feemed fo plausible to them, that it difpelled their fears, or filenced their murmurs,

HE ftill continued to fteer due west, nearly in the fame latitude with the Canary Islands. In this course he came within the sphere of the trade wind, which blows invariably from east to weft, between the tropics and a few degrees beyond them. He advanced before this fteady gale with fuch uniform rapidity, that it was feldom neceffary to fhift a fail. When about four hundred leagues to the weft of the Canaries, he found the fea fo covered with weeds, that it refembled a meadow of vaft extent, and in fome places they were fo thick, as to retard the motion of the veffels. This ftrange appearance occafioned new alarm and difquiet. The failors imagined that they were now arrived at the utmoft boundary of the navigable ocean; that these floating weeds would obftruct their farther progrefs, and concealed dangerous rocks, or fome large tract of land, which had funk, they knew not how, in that place. Columbus endeavoured to perfuade them, that what had alarmed, ought rather to have encouraged them,

and

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and was to be confidered as a fign of approach. BOOK ing land. At the fame time, a brisk gale arose, and carried them forward. Several birds were feen hovering about the ship, and directed their flight towards the weft. The defponding crew refumed fome degree of fpirit, and began to entertain fresh hopes.

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UPON the first of October they were, accord- These ining to the admiral's reckoning, feven hundred and feventy leagues to the weft of the Canaries; but left his men fhould be intimidated by the prodigious length of the navigation, he gave out that they had proceeded only five hundred and eighty-four leagues; and, fortunately for Columbus, neither his own pilot, nor those of the other fhips, had skill fufficient to correct this error, and discover the deceit.. They had now been above three weeks at fea; they had proceeded far beyond what former navigators had attempted or deemed poffible; all their prognostics of difcovery, drawn from the flight of birds and other circumstances, had proved fallacious; the appearances of land, with which their own credulity or the artifice of their commander had from time to time flattered and amufed them, had been altogether illufive, and their profpect of fuccefs

9 See NOTE XIII.

feemed

BOOK feemed now to be as diftant as ever. Thefe

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reflections occurred often to men, who had no other object or occupation than to reafon and discourse concerning the intention and circumstances of their expedition. They made impreffion, at first, upon the ignorant and timid, and, extending, by degrees, to fuch as were better informed or more refolute, the contagion fpread at length from ship to fhip. From fecret whif pers or murmurings, they proceeded to open cabals and public complaints. They taxed their fovereign with inconfiderate credulity, in paying fuch regard to the vain promises and rash conjectures of an indigent foreigner, as to hazard the lives of fo many of her own subjects, in profecuting a chimerical fcheme. They affirmed that they had fully performed their duty, by venturing fo far in an unknown and hopeless course, and could incur no blame for refusing to follow, any longer, a defperate adventurer to certain deftruction. They contended, that it was neceffary to think of returning to Spain, while their crazy veffels were still in a condition to keep the fea, but expreffed their fears that the attempt would prove vain, as the wind, which had hitherto been fo favourable to their course, muft render it impoffible to fail in the oppofite direction. All agreed that Columbus fhould be compelled by force to adopt a measure on which

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their common fafety depended. Some of the BOOK more audacious propofed, as the most expeditious and certain method for getting rid at once of his remonstrances, to throw him into the sea, being perfuaded that, upon their return to Spain, the death of an unfuccefsful projector would excite little concern, and be inquired into with no curiofity.

of Colum

them.

COLUMBUS was fully fenfible of his perilous The addrefs fituation. He had obferved, with great uneafi- bus in nefs, the fatal operation of ignorance and of foothing fear in producing difaffection among his crew, and saw that it was now ready to burst out into open mutiny. He retained, however, perfect prefence of mind. He affected to seem ignorant of their machinations. Notwithstanding the agitation and solicitude of his own mind, he appeared with a cheerful countenance, like a man fatisfied with the progress he had made, and confident of fuccefs. Sometimes he em, ployed all the arts of infinuation, to foothe his Sometimes he endeavoured to work upon their ambition or avarice, by magnificent defcrip. tions of the fame and wealth which they were about to acquire. On other occafions, he af fumed a tone of authority, and threatened them with vengeance from their fovereign, if, by their daftardly behaviour, they fhould defeat this

men.

noble

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BOOK noble effort to promote the glory of God, and to exalt the Spanish name above that of every other nation. Even with feditious failors, the words of a man whom they had been accustomed to reverence, were weighty and perfuafive, and not only restrained them from thofe violent exceffes which they meditated, but prevailed with them to accompany their admiral for fome time longer.

As they proceeded, the indications of approaching land feemed to be more certain, and excited hope in proportion. The birds began to appear in flocks, making towards the fouthwest. Columbus, in imitation of the Portuguefe navigators, who had been guided, in feveral of their discoveries, by the motion of birds, altered his courfe from due weft towards that quarter whither they pointed their flight. But, after holding on for feveral days in this new direction, without any better fuccefs than formerly, having feen no object, during thirty days, but the fea and the sky, the hopes of his companions fubfided faster than they had risen; Their fears their fears revived with additional force; impatience, rage, and defpair, appeared in every All fenfe of fubordination was loft the officers, who had hitherto concurred with Columbus in opinion, and supported his authority,

return.

Danger of a mutiny.

countenance.

7

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