est joy, and crowded around
Columbus with expressions of gratitude and admiration, in great
contrast to the distrustful manner in which they had treated him a
few days before.

The land they were approaching was very beautiful. It was a green,
sunny island with pleasant groves in which birds were singing.
Beautiful flowers were blooming all around and the trees were laden
with fruit. The island was inhabited, too, for groups of
strange-looking men were seen running to the shore.

At length the ships cast anchor, the boats were lowered, and Columbus,
clad in rich scarlet and carrying in his hand the royal banner of Spain,
was taken ashore. As soon as he stepped on the beach, Columbus knelt
down and gave thanks to God. He then planted the banner of Spain in
the ground and took possession of the country in the name of Ferdinand
and Isabella.

[Illustration: The Landing of Columbus.]

This island he called San Salvador, because he and his crew had been
saved from a watery grave, and also because October 12 was so named
in the Spanish calendar.

Columbus supposed San Salvador to be one of the islands near the coast
of Asia, but it is one of the Bahamas.

Thus was America discovered on the 12th of October, 1492.

The natives of this island were different from any people the Spaniards
had ever seen. They were of a reddish-brown color, and had high cheek
bones, small black eyes, and straight black hair. They were entirely
naked, and their bodies were greased and painted. Their hair was
decorated with feathers, and many of them were adorned with curious
ornaments.

They were at first very much afraid of the white men and kept far away.
But gradually they lost their fear and brought the Spaniards presents
of bananas and oranges. Some of them gathered courage enough to touch
the Spaniards and pass their hands over them, as if to make certain
that they were real beings. These men, whose skin was so white, they
thought to be gods who had come down from the sky.

When Columbus asked them where they found the gold of which many of
their ornaments were made, they pointed toward the south. Then
Columbus took some of them with him to search for the land of gold.

The next land he reached was the island of Cuba. Thinking that this
was a part of India, he called the natives Indians. He then sailed
to Haiti, which he called Hispaniola, or "Little Spain." For more than
three months Columbus cruised among these islands, where the