Peter Parleys Tales About America and Australia | Page 5

a very
crazy one, lest, if any accident should befal it, he might be left without
the means of returning to Europe, and both the glory and benefit of his
great discoveries might be lost; so he determined to prepare for his
return.
But as it was impossible for so small a vessel as the Nina to contain the
crew of the ship that was wrecked in addition to its own, Columbus was
greatly perplexed what to do.
Many of his men were so delighted with the island and its inhabitants,
that they begged of him to let them remain there, and Columbus
consented to leave forty of them on the island, while he and the
remainder made the voyage back.
He promised to return to them speedily. He now built them a fort with
the timber of the wreck, and fortified it with the guns of the Santa
Maria, and did every thing in his power to provide for their comfort
during his absence, particularly enjoining them to be kind and peaceful
towards the Indians.
This was the first colony of Europeans that settled in the new world,
and Columbus gave it the name of Navidad.
[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.
COLUMBUS SETS SAIL TO RETURN TO SPAIN, AND
ENCOUNTERS A DREADFUL STORM.
Having obtained a certain quantity of the precious metals, and other
curious productions of the countries he had discovered, he set sail to
recross the wide Atlantic Ocean.
It was the second day after they had left the island that they saw a sail
at a distance, which proved to be the Pinta.
On joining the admiral, Pinzon made many excuses and endeavoured to
account for his desertion, saying he had been separated by stress of
weather. Columbus admitted his excuse, but he ascertained afterwards
that Pinzon parted company intentionally, and had steered directly east
in quest of a region where the Indians had assured him that he would
find gold in abundance.
They had guided him to Hayti, where he had been for some time, in a
river about fifteen leagues from the part of the coast where Columbus
had been wrecked.
He had collected a large quantity of gold by trading with the natives,
and on leaving the river he had carried off four Indian men and two
girls to be sold in Spain.
[Illustration]
Columbus immediately sailed back for this river, and ordered the four
men and two girls to be dismissed well clothed and with many presents,
to atone for the wrong they had experienced. This resolution was not
carried into effect without great unwillingness and many angry words
on the part of Pinzon.
Columbus, being now joined by the Pinta, thought he might pursue his
discoveries a little further, and on leaving this part of the coast he took
with him four young Indians to guide him to the Carribean Islands, of

which they gave him a very interesting account, as well as of another
island said to be inhabited by Amazons.
A favourable breeze, however, sprang up for the voyage homewards,
and seeing gloom and impatience in the countenances of his men, he
gave up his intention of visiting these islands, and made all sail for
Spain, the young Indians having consented to accompany him that they
might learn the Spanish language, and be his guides and interpreters
when they should return.
His voyage homeward was much more tedious; for those trade winds
which had wafted him so rapidly westward, across the Atlantic, still
blew from east to west, and Columbus did not then know that their
influence only extends to a certain distance on each side of the Equator,
so that if he had sailed a little farther north, on his return, he would
very likely have met with a south-west wind, which was just what he
wanted.
On the 12th of February they had made such progress as led them to
hope they should soon see land. The wind now came on to blow
violently; on the following evening there were three flashes of lightning
in the north-east, from which signs Columbus predicted an approaching
tempest.
It soon burst upon them with frightful violence. Their small and crazy
vessels were little fitted for the wild storms of the Atlantic; all night
they were obliged to scud under bare poles, at the mercy of the
elements; as the morning dawned there was a transient pause and they
made a little sail, but the wind rose with redoubled fury from the south
and increased in the night, threatening each moment to overwhelm
them or dash them to pieces.
The admiral made signal-lights for the Pinta to keep in company, but
she was separated by the violence of the storm, and her lights gleamed
more and more distant till they ceased entirely.
When the day