The True Story of Christopher Columbus Called The Great Admiral | Page 8

and to whom he had a
letter of introduction, Columbus found a chance to talk over his plans
with a number of priests and scholars in the city of Salamanca where
there was a famous college and many learned men.
Columbus told his story. He said what he wished to do, and asked these
learned men to say a good word for him to, Ferdinand and Isabella so
that he could have the ships and sailors to sail to Cathay. But it was of
no use.
What! sail away around the world? those wise men cried in horror.
Why, you are crazy. The world is not round; it is flat. Your ships would
tumble off the edge of the world and all the king's money and all the
king's men would be lost. No, no; go away; you must not trouble the
queen or even mention such a ridiculous thing again.
So the most of them said. But one or two thought it might be worth
trying. Cathay was a very rich country, and if this foolish fellow were
willing to run the risk and did succeed, it would be a good thing for
Spain, as the king and queen would need a great deal of money after the
war with the Moors was over. At any rate, it was a chance worth
thinking about.
And so, although Columbus was dreadfully disappointed, he thought
that if he had only a few friends at Court who were ready to say a good
word for him he must not give up, but must try, try again. And so he
staid in Spain.

CHAPTER III.

HOW COLUMBUS GAINED A QUEEN FOR HIS FRIEND.
When you wish very much to do a certain thing it is dreadfully hard to
be patient; it is harder still to have to wait. Columbus had to do both.
The wars against the Moors were of much greater interest to the king
and queen of Spain than was the finding of a new and very uncertain
way to get to Cathay. If it had not been for the patience and what we
call the persistence of Columbus, America would never have been
discovered--at least not in his time.
He staid in Spain. He grew poorer and, poorer. He was almost
friendless. It seemed as if his great enterprise must be given up. But he
never lost hope. He never stopped trying. Even when he failed he kept
on hoping and kept on trying. He felt certain that sometime he should
succeed.
As we have seen, he tried to interest the rulers of different countries,
but with no success. He tried to get help from his old home-town of
Genoa and failed; he tried Portugal and failed; he tried the Republic of
Venice and failed; he tried the king and queen of Spain and failed; he
tried some of the richest and most powerful of the nobles of Spain and
failed; he tried the king of England (whom he got his brother,
Bartholomew Columbus, to go and see) and failed. There was still left
the king of France. He would make one last attempt to win the king and
queen of Spain to his side and if he failed with them he would try the
last of the rulers of Western Europe, the king of France.
He followed the king and queen of Spain as they went from place to
place fighting the Moors. He hoped that some day, when they wished to
think of something besides fighting, they might think of him and the
gold and jewels and spices of Cathay.
The days grew into months, the months to years, and still the war
against the Moors kept on; and still Columbus waited for the chance
that did not come. People grew to know him as "the crazy explorer" as
they met him in the streets or on the church steps of Seville or Cordova,
and even ragged little boys of the town, sharp-eyed and shrill- voiced as
all such ragged little urchins are, would run after this big man with the
streaming white hair and the tattered cloak, calling him names or
tapping their brown little foreheads with their dirty fingers to show that
even they knew that he was "as crazy as a loon."
At last he decided to make one more attempt before giving it up in

Spain. His money was gone; his friends were few; but he remembered
his acquaintances at Palos and so he journeyed back to see once more
his good friend Friar Juan Perez at the Convent of Rabida on the hill
that looked out upon the Atlantic he was so anxious to cross.
It was in the month of November, 1491, that he went back to the
Convent of Rabida. If he