Notable Voyagers | Page 5

might discover.
Secondly: He was to be viceroy and governor-general over them.
Thirdly: He was to be entitled to receive for himself one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and all other articles and merchandise obtained within this admiralty.
Fourthly: He or his lieutenant was to be the sole judge in all cases and disputes arising out of traffic between those countries and Spain.
Fifthly: He might then, and at all after times, contribute an eighth part of the expense in fitting out vessels to sail on this enterprise, and receive one-eighth part of the profit.
The latter engagement he fulfilled through the assistance of the Pinzons of Palos, and added a third vessel to the armament.
Thus, one-eighth of the expense attendant on this grand expedition, undertaken by a powerful nation, was actually borne by the individual who conceived it, and who likewise risked his life on its success.
The capitulations were afterwards signed by Ferdinand and Isabella on the 17th of April, 1492, when, in addition to the above articles, Columbus and his heirs were authorised to prefix the title of Don to their names.
It was arranged that the armament should be fitted out at the port of Palos, Columbus calculating on the co-operation of his friends Martin Alonzo Pinzon and the Prior of the convent.
Both Isabella and Columbus were influenced by a pious zeal for effecting the great work of salvation among the potentates and peoples of the lands to be discovered. He expected to arrive at the extremity of the ocean, and to open up direct communication with the vast and magnificent empire of the Grand Khan of Tartary. His deep and cherished design was the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre, which he meditated during the remainder of his life, and solemnly provided for in his will.
Let those who are disposed to faint under difficulties in the prosecution of any great and worthy undertaking, remember that eighteen years elapsed after the time that Columbus conceived his enterprise, before he was able to carry it into effect; that the greater part of that time was passed in almost hopeless solicitation, amidst poverty, neglect, and taunting ridicule; that the prime of his life had wasted away in the struggle; and that when his perseverance was finally crowned with success, he had reached his fifty-sixth year.
CHAPTER TWO.
FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS--A.D. 1492.
Columbus returns to Palos--Assisted by the Prior of La Rabida--The Pinzons agree to join him--Difficulty of obtaining ships and men--At length three vessels fitted out--Sails in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and Nina, on 3rd August, 1492--Terrors and mutinous disposition of the crews--Reaches the Canary Islands--Narrowly escapes from a Portuguese squadron seat to capture him--Alarm of the crews increases--The squadron sails smoothly on--Columbus keeps two logs to deceive the seamen--Signs of land--Seaweed--Flights of birds--Birds pitch on the ship--Frequent changes in the tempers of the crews-- Westerly course long held--Course altered to south-west--Pinzon fancies he sees land--Disappointment--Columbus sees lights at night--Morning dawns--San Salvador discovered--Natives seen--Columbus lands--Wonder of the natives--Proceeds in search of Cipango--Other islands visited, and gold looked for in vain--Friendly reception by the natives--Supplies brought off--Search for Saometo--Cuba discovered 20th October, 1492-- Calls it Juana--Believes it to be the mainland of India--Sends envoys into the interior--Their favourable report of the fertility of the country--A storm--Deserted by Martin Pinzon in the Pinta--First view of Hispaniola--A native girl captured--Set free--Returns with large numbers of her countrymen--Arcadian simplicity of the natives.
Columbus hastened to Palos, where he was received as the guest of Fray Juan Perez, the worthy Prior of the convent of Rabida. The whole squadron with which the two sovereigns proposed to carry out their grand undertaking was to consist only of three small vessels. Two of these, by a royal decree, were to be furnished by Palos, the other by Columbus himself or his friends.
The morning after his arrival, Columbus, accompanied by the Prior, proceeded to the church of Saint George in Palos, where the authorities and principal inhabitants had been ordered to attend. Here the royal order was read by a notary public, commanding them to have two caravels ready for sea in ten days, they and their crews to be placed at the disposal of Columbus. He himself was empowered to procure and fit out a third vessel.
Orders were likewise read, addressed to the public authorities, and the people of all ranks and conditions in the maritime borders of Andalusia, commanding them to furnish supplies and assistance of all kinds for fitting out the caravels.
When, however, the nature of the service was explained, the owners of vessels refused to furnish them, and the seamen shrank from sailing into the wilderness of the ocean.
Several weeks elapsed, and not a vessel had been procured. The sovereigns therefore issued further orders, directing the magistrates to press into the service any caravel they might select, and