coast." To later times,
this note, also, shows how ignorant Columbus then was of mid-ocean.

On the twenty-second, to the Admiral's relief, there was a head wind;
for the crew began to think that with perpetual east winds they would
never return to Spain. They had been in what are known as the trade
winds. On the twenty-third the smoother water gave place to a rough sea,
and he writes that this "was favorable to me, as it happened formerly to
Moses when he led the Jews from Egypt."

The next day, thanks to the headwinds, their progress was less. On the
twenty-fifth, Pinzon, of the Pinta, felt sure that they were near the
outer islands of Asia as they appeared on the Toscanelli map, and at
sunset called out with joy that he saw land, claiming a reward for such
news. The crews of both vessels sang "Glory to God in the highest," and
the crew of the little Nina were sure that the bank was land. On this
occasion they changed from a western course to the southwest. But alas!
the land was a fog-bank and the reward never came to Martin Pinzon. On
the twenty-sixth, again "the sea was like a river." This was Wednesday.
In three days they sailed sixty-nine leagues. Saturday was calm. They
saw a bird called "'Rabihorcado,' which never alights at sea, nor goes
twenty leagues from land," wrote the confident Columbus; "Nothing is
wanting but the singing of the nightingale," he says.

Sunday, the thirtieth, brought "tropic-birds" again, "a very clear sign
of land." Monday the journal shows them seven hundred and seven leagues
from Ferro. Tuesday a white gull was the only visitor. Wednesday they
had pardelas and great quantities of seaweed. Columbus began to be sure
that they had passed "the islands" and were nearing the continent of
Asia. Thursday they had a flock of pardelas, two pelicans, a rabihorcado
and a gull. Friday, the fifth of October, brought pardelas and
flying-fishes.

We have copied these simple intimations from the journal to show how
constantly Columbus supposed that he was near the coast of Asia. On the
sixth of October Pinzon asked that the course might be changed to the
southwest. But Columbus held on. On the seventh the Nina was ahead, and
fired a gun and hoisted her flag in token that she saw land. But again
they were disappointed. Columbus gave directions to keep close order
at sunrise and sunset. The next day he did change the course to west
southwest, following flights of birds from the north which went in t