ain his plans to her once more. Columbus
did so, and the queen was so fully convinced that she exclaimed: "I
will provide ships and men for you, if I have to pledge my jewels in
order to do so!"

[Illustration: Columbus before Ferdinand and Isabella.]

Three ships were fitted out for the voyage. These ships were very
different from those we see to-day. They were light, frail barks called
caravels, and two of them, the _Pinta_ and _Nina_, had no decks. The
third, the _Santa Maria_, had a deck. It was upon this largest caravel
that Columbus placed his flag.

On the 3d of August, 1492, the little fleet set sail from Palos,
entering upon the most daring expedition ever undertaken by man. The
people of the town gathered on the wharf to see the departure of the
vessels. Many of them had friends or relatives on board whom they
expected never to look upon again. Sad indeed was the sight as the
little caravels sailed out of the harbor and faded from view.

After sailing a few days, the _Pinta_ broke her rudder. This accident
the sailors took to be a sign of misfortune. They tried to persuade
Columbus to put back to Palos, but he would not listen to such a
suggestion. Instead of sailing back, he pushed on to the Canary Islands.
Here his ships were delayed three weeks, after which they continued
the voyage into unknown waters.

After they had sailed westward for many days, the sailors began to
show signs of alarm, and they implored Columbus to return. He tried
to calm their fears. He described the rich lands he hoped to find,
and reminded them of the wealth and fame this voyage would bring to
them. So they agreed to venture a little farther.

[Illustration: The Pinta.]

At last the compass began to point in a different direction, and the
sailors became almost panic-stricken. They thought they were sailing
straight to destruction, and when they found that Columbus would not
listen to their entreaties they planned a mutiny. Though Columbus knew
what the sailors were plotting, he kept steadily on his course.
Fortunately, signs of land soon began to appear. A branch with berries
on it floated past, a rudely carved paddle was picked up, and land
birds were seen flying over the ships.

A prize had been offered to the sailor who first saw land, and all
eagerly watched for it night and day. At last, early one morning, a
gun was fired from the _Pinta_, and all knew that land had been sighted.
The sailors were filled with the wild