ey put their steeds into motion, walked behind them
downhill and over sandy ways into Palos. There I found Sebastian Jaurez
who signed me in. I put into my pocket the coin he gave me and drank
with him a stoup of wine, and then I went to church.

It was a great shadowy church and I found it full. Jaurez piloted me to
where just under pulpit were ranged my fellow mariners, a hundred plain
sailormen, no great number with which to widen the world! A score or so
of better station were grouped at the head of these, and in front of all
stood Christopherus Columbus. I saw again Martin Alonso Pinzon who had
entered the Prior's room at La Rabida, and with him his two brothers
Francisco and Vicente. Martin Pinzon would be captain of the _Pinta_
and Vicente of the Nina. And there were Roderigo Sanchez of Segovia,
Inspector-General of Armament, and Diego de Arana, chief alguazil of the
expedition, and Roderigo de Escobedo, royal notary, and with these three
or four young men of birth, adventuring for India now that the war with
the Moor was done. And there were two physicians, Garcia Fernandez and
Berardino Nunez. And there was the Franciscan, Fray Ignatio, who would
convert the heathen and preach before the Great Khan.

The Admiral of Ocean-Sea stood a taller man than any there, tall,
muscular, a great figure. He was richly dressed, for as soon as he could
he dressed richly. A shaft of light struck his brow and made his hair
all glowing silver. His face was lifted. The air about him to my eyes
swam and quivered and was faintly colored.

Fray Juan Perez preached the sermon and he used great earnestness and
now and again his voice broke. He talked of God's gain that we went
forth upon, reaping in a field set us. One thing came forth here that I
had not before heard.

"And the unthinkable wealth that surely shall be found and gained,
for these countries to which you sail have eight-tenths of the world's
riches, shall put Castile and Leon where of old stood Pagan Rome, and
shall make, God willing, of this very Palos a new Genoa or Venice! And
this man, your Admiral, how hath he proposed to the Sovereigns to use
first fruits? Why, friends, by taking finally and forever from Mahound,
and for Holy Church and her servant the Spains, the Holy Sepulchre!"

In the end, we the going forth, kneeling, made general confession and
the priest's hands in the dusk above absolved us. There was solemnity
and there was tenderness. A hundred and twe