II.

1492.

1493.

to avoid giving offence to the natives by any violence or exaction, to cultivate the friendship of Guacanahari, but not to put themselves in his power, by ftraggling in fmall parties, or marching too far from the fort. He promised to revisit them foon, with fuch a reinforcement of ftrength as might enable them to take fullpoffeffion of the country, and to reap all the fruits of their discoveries. In the mean time, he engaged to mention their names to the king and queen, and to place their merit and fervices in the most advantageous light.

On

HAVING thus taken every precaution for the fecurity of the Colony, he left Navidad on the fourth of January, one thousand four hundred. and ninety-three, and steering towards the east, discovered, and gave names to most of the harbours on the northern coast of the island. the fixth, he descried the Pinta, and foon came up with her, after a feparation of more than fix weeks. Pinzon endeavoured to juftify his con-. duct, by pretending that he had been driven, from his courfe by ftrefs of weather, and prevented from returning by contrary winds. The admiral, though he still fufpected his perfidious intentions, and knew well what he urged in his

Oviedo ap. Ramufio, iii. p. 8z, E. Herrera, dec. i lib. i. c. 20. Life of Columbus, c. 34.

own

II,

1493.

own defence to be frivolous as well as falfe, was BOOK fo fenfible that this was not a proper time for venturing upon any high strain of authority, and felt fuch fatisfaction in this junction with his confort, which delivered him from many difquieting apprehensions, that lame as Pinzon's apology was, he admitted of it without difficulty, and restored him to favour. During his absence from the admiral, Pinzon had vifited several harbours in the island, had acquired fome gold by trafficking with the natives, but had made no discovery of any importance.

return to

Europe.

FROM the condition of his fhips, as well as Refolves to the temper of his men, Columbus now found it neceffary to haften his return to Europe. The former, having fuffered much during a voyage of fuch an unufual length, were extremely leaky. The latter expreffed the utmost impatience to revifit their native country, from which they had been fo long abfent, and where they had things fo wonderful and unheard-of to relate. Accordingly, on the fixteenth of January, he directed his course towards the north-eaft, and foon loft fight of land. He had on board fome of the natives, whom he had taken from the different islands which he dif covered; and befides the gold, which was the chief object of research, he had collected fpeci

1493.

A violent

BOOK mens of all the productions which were likely to become fubjects of commerce in the feveraf countries, as well as many unknown birds, and other natural curiofities, which might attract the attention of the learned, or excite the wonder of the people. The voyage was profperous to the fourteenth of February, and he had advanced near five hundred leagues across the form arifes. Atlantic Ocean, when the wind began to rife, and continued to blow with increafing rage, which terminated in a furious hurricane. Every thing that the naval skill and experience of Columbus could devife was employed, in order to fave the fhips. But it was impoffible to withftand the violence of the ftorm, and, as they were ftill far from any land, deftruction feemed inevitable. The failors had recourfe to prayers to Almighty God, to the invocation of faints, to vows and charms, to every thing that religion dictates, or fuperftition fuggefts, to the affrighted mind of man. No profpect of deliverance appearing, they abandoned themfelves to despair, and expected every moment to be fwallowed up in the waves. Befides the paffions which naturally agitate and alarm the human mind in fuch awful fituations, when certain death, in one of his most terrible forms, is before i Columbus had to endure feelings of diftrefs peculiar to himself. He dreaded that all know

The conduct of Columbus.

ledge

11.

1493

ledge of the amazing discoveries which he had BOOK made was now to perifh; mankind were to be deprived of every benefit that might have been derived from the happy fuccefs of his fchemes, and his own name would defcend to pofterity as that of a rafh deluded adventurer, inftead of being transmitted with the honour due to the author and conductor of the moft noble enterprife that had ever been undertaken. Thefe reflections extinguished all fenfe of his own perfonal danger. Lefs affected with the lofs of life, than folicitous to preferve the memory of what he had attempted and atchieved, he retired to his cabin, and wrote, upon parchment, a fhort account of the voyage which he had made, of the courfe which he had taken, of the fituation and riches of the countries which he had difcovered, and of the colony that he had left there. Having wrapped up this in an oiled cloth, which he inclosed in a cake of wax, he put it into a cafk carefully stopped up, and threw it into the fea, in hopes that fome fortunate accident might preferve a depofit of fo much importance to the world.

Ar length Providence interpofed, to fave a Takes fhellife referved for other fervices. The wind

C

Life of Columbus, c. 37. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. ii. c. 1, 2.

Sce NOTE XVI.

ter in the

Azores.

II.

1493.

BOOK abated, the fea became calm, and on the even. ing of the fifteenth, Columbus and his companions discovered land; and though uncertain what it was, they made towards it. They foon knew it to be St. Mary, one of the Azores or western ifles, fubject to the crown of Portugal. There, after a violent conteft with the governor, in which Columbus difplayed no less fpirit than prudence, he obtained a fupply of fresh provifions, and whatever elfe he needed. One circumftance, however, greatly difquieted him. The Pinta, of which he had loft fight on the first day of the hurricane, did not appear; he dreaded for fome time that fhe had foundered at fea, and that all her crew had perished: afterwards, his former fufpicions recurred, and he became apprehenfive that Pinzon had borne away for Spain, that he might reach it before him, and, by giving the firft account of his discoveries, might obtain fome fhare of his fame.

Feb. 24.

Arrives at

In order to prevent this, he left the Azores. Lisbon. as foon as the weather would permit. At no great diftance from the coaft of Spain, when near the end of his voyage, and feemingly beyond the reach of any disaster, another storm arofe, little inferior to the former in violence; and after driving before it during two days and