[COLUMBUS RETURNS TO SPAIN]
| January | obliged | several | court |
| Isabella | decided | fifteenth | delay |
| Ferdinand | wrecked | discovered | search |
| Santa Maria | farewell | seaport | voyage |
At last Columbus gave up the search for gold, and decided to return to Spain. He wished to tell King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of the islands he had visited.
He was sure that he had discovered a new way to India, and he wished to ask the king for more ships and more men. He believed that great riches could be found on these islands which he had visited.
Early in January he gave a farewell feast to the natives. Then he sailed for Spain, taking with him six Indians.
His flagship, the Santa Maria, had been wrecked. One of his captains had sailed away in the Pinta and had not returned. And so Columbus was obliged to cross the ocean in the Nina, which was the smallest of his three ships.
The voyage was long and the storms were many. The little ship was tossed about by the waves and was often in great danger. But at last the shores of Spain were seen by the sailors, and great was their joy.