On the morning of Monday, 14th, a number of people appeared on the shore, and the admiral ordered the men in his boat to stand on their guard; but the natives shewed no signs of hostility, and the cacique of this part of the country came on board the admiral, attended by the Indian who had been there before and three other men. The admiral ordered them biscuits and honey to eat, and gave them red caps, bits of coloured cloth, and beads. Next day, the cacique sent his gold crown to the admiral and a great quantity of provisions, the men who brought these things being all armed with bows and arrows. Among the Indians who came on board the caravel, Columbus selected four youths who appeared to have good capacities, with the view of carrying them into Spain. From these he learnt many circumstances respecting the country. He departed from this bay, which he named De los Flechos, or of Arrows, on Wednesday the 16th of January, not thinking fit to remain any longer, as the caravels were leaky. Having sailed sixteen leagues with the wind at N.N.W. the Indians on board pointed out the island which is now called San Juan de Puerto Rico, in which they said the Caribbees lived, who are cannibals or man-eaters. Though desirous of exploring these islands, yet to satisfy the men, and because the wind freshened, he gave orders to steer a course for Spain.
For some time they sailed on prosperously, seeing many tunnies and gulls, and fell in with abundance of sea weeds, with which they were now well acquainted. They killed a tunny and a large shark, on which they made a comfortable meal, having no other provisions now left except wine and biscuit. The caravel Pinta could not sail well upon a bouline, as her mizen mast was faulty, and could hardly admit of carrying any sail; on which account little way was made, as the admiral had to wait for her. At times, when the weather was calm, the Indians on board used to leap into the sea and swim about with great dexterity. Having sailed several days on several tacks, owing to changes in the wind, they compared their reckonings. Pinzon, and the pilots Sancho Ruyz, Peralonso Ninno, and Roldan, judged that they were to the eastwards of the Azores, having allowed considerably more way than they had actually run; and proposed to bear to the north, by which they would come to Madeira or Porto Santo. But the admiral, being more skilful in computing the course, reckoned 150 leagues short of the others. On Tuesday the 12th February, a fierce storm arose, so that the ships had for some time to drive under bare poles, and the sea frequently broke over their decks. On Wednesday morning, the wind slackened a little, and they were able to shew a small bit of canvas; but towards night the storm again arose, and the waves ran so high that the ships were hardly able to live. The admiral endeavoured to carry a close-reefed mainsail, to bear his ship over the surges; but was at length forced to lay to, and to suffer his ship to drive astern before the wind. On Thursday the 14th February, the storm increased so that every one expected to perish, and it was concluded the Pinta had foundered as she was not to be seen. In this extremity, the admiral wrote an account of his discovery on a skin of parchment, which he wrapped up in an oil skin, and put into a close cask which he threw into the sea; in hope, if he should be lost, that this might reach their Catholic majesties. The crew believed that this was some act of devotion, and were the more confirmed in this idea, as the wind soon afterwards slackened. On Friday the 15th of February, land was seen a-head, to the E.N.E. which some alleged to be Madeira, while others insisted it was the Rock of Lisbon; but the admiral assured them it was one of the Azores. They plied backwards and forwards for three days, endeavouring to get up to this land, during which time the admiral suffered much with gout in his legs, having been long exposed to the cold and wet on deck during the storm. At length, with much difficulty, they came to anchor on Monday the 18th under the north side of the island, which proved to be St Marys, one of the Azores.
The caravel was immediately hailed by three men from the shore, for whom the admiral sent his boat, when they brought off some refreshments of bread and fowls from Juan de Costenheada, the governor of the island. On Tuesday the 19th, the admiral ordered half the crew to go on a procession to a chapel on shore, in discharge of a vow which he had made during the storm; proposing to do the same himself with the other half after their return, and he requested the three Portuguese to send them a priest to say mass. While these men were at prayer in their shirts, the governor come upon them with all the people of the town, horse and foot, and made them all prisoners. Owing to their long stay on shore, the admiral began to suspect that his people were detained, or their boat had been staved on the rocks. As he could not get sight of the place where they landed, as the hermitage to which they had gone was covered by a point jutting out into the sea, he removed the caravel right opposite the hermitage, where he saw many people on the shore, some of whom went into his boat and put off towards the caravel. Among these was the governor of the island, who, when the boat was within speech of the caravel, stood up and demanded security for coming on board; and though the admiral gave his word that he should be safe, he would not venture to come on board. The admiral then asked, why, since there was peace between the crowns of Spain and Portugal, he had sent him fresh provisions, and a message inviting him on shore, and yet had basely detained his men? adding, that he was ready to shew his commission from the king and queen of Castile. The governor answered, that he knew nothing of these sovereigns, of whom he did not stand in awe, and whose commission he did not value, and that all he had done was by the order of his own sovereign. After desiring his own men to bear witness of these words, the admiral told him, if his boat and men were not immediately restored, he would carry an hundred Portuguese prisoners into Spain.
After this, the admiral brought his ship again to anchor, and as the wind blew fresh, he caused all the empty casks to be filled with sea water to ballast the vessel. The wind continued to increase, and as there was no safe anchorage, he thought it safer to be out at sea, and therefore made sail for the island of St Michael. During the whole night it blew a heavy gale; and not being able to make the island of St Michael, the admiral returned to St Marys. Soon afterwards a boat came off with two priests, a notary, and five sailors; and, having received assurance of safety, the notary and priests came on board and examined the admirals commission. They returned to the shore, and shortly after, the governor sent back the boat and Spanish seamen; saying he would have given any thing to have taken the admiral, whom he had been ordered to seize by the king of Portugal. Having recovered his men, and the wind being now fair for Spain, the admiral set sail on an easterly course. On Saturday the 2d of March a new storm arose, so that the ship drove under bare poles till four o'clock on Monday, without hope of escaping. At that time, it pleased GOD that our mariners discovered the Cape of Cintra, usually called the Rock of Lisbon; and to avoid the tempest, the admiral resolved to put into the harbour, being unable to come to anchor at Cascaes. He gave GOD thanks for his deliverance from danger, and all men wondered how he had escaped, having never witnessed so violent a tempest.
SECTION XI.
From the arrival of Columbus at Lisbon, till the commencement of his second voyage to the New World.
The king of Portugal happened then to be at Valparayso, to which place the admiral sent a letter informing the king of his arrival, and that he had orders from their Catholic majesties to put into any of the Portuguese harbours in case of need, that he might procure what he was in want of, and requested permission to wait upon the king, to satisfy him that he had not come from Guinea, but from the Indies. At this time a galeon well stored with cannon, lay guard in the Tagus, commanded by Alvaro Daman, who sent his master Bartholomew Diaz de Lisboa in an armed boat to the admiral, desiring him to come on board the galeon and give an account of himself to the kings officers. Columbus answered that he was admiral to their Catholic majesties, and accountable to no man, and would not quit his ship unless compelled by superior force. Diaz then desired him to send his master; but this he likewise refused, saying that were as bad as going himself, and that Spanish admirals were not wont to put themselves or their men into the hands of others. On this Diaz requested to see his commission, and having seen it he returned to give an account to his captain of what had passed. Alvaro Daman, the Portuguese captain, went to wait upon the admiral in his boat, accompanied by kettle drums, trumpets, and hautbois, and courteously offered him every assistance in his power. When it was known in Lisbon that the admiral had come from discovering the Indies, great numbers flocked on board to see him, and the Indians he had brought from the new discovered countries, and all were filled with amazement.
The king of Portugal sent a letter to the admiral, by Don Martin de Noronha, requesting his presence at court; and, not to shew any distrust, he immediately complied. On his arrival, he was met by all the gentlemen of the royal household, who conducted him into the presence, where he was honourably received by the king, who desired him to be seated and gave him joy of his success. After inquiring some particulars of his voyage, the king observed, that according to certain articles agreed upon with their Catholic majesties, he conceived the discovery now made ought to belong to Portugal, and not to Spain. The admiral replied, that he had not seen these articles, and only knew that his sovereigns had directed him not to go to Guinea or the Mina; which orders had been made public in all the sea ports of Andalusia before he set out on his voyage. After some discourse, the king committed him to the care of the prior of Crato, a knight of Malta, the chief person then at court. Next day, the king told him he should be supplied with every thing he stood in need of; and asked him many questions concerning his voyage, the situation of his new discoveries, the nature of the people, and other circumstances, shewing that he was much concerned at having let slip the opportunity. Some persons proposed to murder the admiral, that what he had done might not be known; but to this infamous proposal the king would not give ear.
On Monday the 11th of March, the admiral took leave of the king, who ordered Noronha to conduct him back to Lisbon, and gave orders that he should be supplied gratis with all that he had need of, for himself or his caravel. Columbus took the road by Villa Franca, where he waited on the queen, then staying at the nunnery of St Anthony, and gave her a short account of his voyage. On his way to Lisbon, he was overtaken by a messenger from the king, offering horses and all other conveniencies, if he chose to go by land to Spain. But he preferred going by sea, and sailed from Lisbon for Seville on Wednesday the 13th of March. On Thursday before sunrise he came off Cape St Vincent, and arrived on Friday the 15th of March 1493 at Saltes, into which port he entered with the tide about mid-day. He sailed from that place on Friday the 3d August of the preceding year, having been six months and a half absent[1].
[1] Almost seven months and a half; or more precisely thirty-two weeks, being seven kalendar months and twelve days.--E.