em back to the land highly gratified. No other interruption
occurred to their friendly intercourse. Four young Indians who came on
board gave such glowing accounts of the islands to the east, that
Columbus prevailed on them to accompany him as guides. He also wished
to visit two islands which he fancied to exist,--one inhabited by
Amazons, and the other by men; but a favourable breeze springing up for
Spain, and observing the gloom in the countenances of the seamen,--
knowing as he did also their insubordinate spirit, and the leaky state
of the ships, and that, should they founder, his glorious discovery
would be lost to the civilised world,--he deemed it wise to steer
directly homewards. The favourable breeze, however, soon died away, and
for the remainder of the voyage light winds from the eastward prevailed.

The _Pinta_ also sailed badly, her foremast being so defective that it
could carry but little sail. In the early part of February, having run
to about the thirty-eighth degree of north latitude, they got out of the
track of the trade winds, and once more were able to steer a direct
course. The pilots, by the changes of their courses, at length got
perplexed; but Columbus kept so careful a reckoning that he felt sure of
their position. The two principal pilots made out that they were one
hundred and fifty leagues nearer Spain than he knew to be the case. He,
however, allowed them to remain in their error, that he alone might
possess a knowledge of the route to the newly-discovered countries. By
his calculation they were not far off from the Azores. On the 12th of
February a strong gale with a heavy sea got up, and the next day the
wind and swell so increased that Columbus was aware that a heavy tempest
was approaching. It soon burst upon them with frightful violence,
increasing still more on the 14th, the waves threatening every moment to
overwhelm their battered barks. After laying to for three hours they
were compelled to scud before the wind. During the darkness of the
night the _Pinta_ was lost sight of. The Admiral steered as well as he
could to the north-east to approach the coast of Spain, showing lights
to the _Pinta_; but no answering signals were seen, and fears were
entertained that she had foundered. The following day the tempest raged
as furiously as before on the helpless bark. During the storm the
ignorant and superstitious crew cast lots as to who should perform
pilgrimages to their