ld see tree and house
in those Canaries upon which we were bearing down.

I said, "Now that printing is general, it may go into far lands and into
multitude of hands and heads. Many a voyager to come may study it."

He drew deep breath. "It is the very truth! Prince Henry the Navigator.
Christopherus Columbus the Navigator, and greater than the first--"

Sun shone, wind sang, blue sea danced beyond the door. Came from deck
Roderigo Sanchez and Diego de Arana. The Admiral made me a gesture of
dismissal.

The Canaries and we drew together. Great bands of cloud hid much of the
higher land, but the volcano top came clear above cloud, standing bare
and solemn against blue heaven. Leaving upon our right Grand Canary we
stood for the island of Gomera. Here we found deep, clear water close
to shore, a narrow strand, a small Spanish fort and beginnings of a
village, and inland, up ravines clad with a strange, leafless bush,
plentiful huts of the conquered Guanches. Our three ships came to
anchor, and the Admiral went ashore, the captains of the _Pinta_ and the
Nina following. Juan Lepe was among the rowers.

The Spanish commandant came down to beach with an armed escort. The
Admiral, walking alone, met him between sea and bright green trees, and
here stood the two and conversed while we watched. The Admiral showed
him letters of credence. The commandant took and read, handed them
back with a bow, and coming to water edge had presented to him the two
captains, Martin and Vicente Pinzon. He proved a cheery old veteran of
old wars, relieved that we were not Portuguese nor pirates and happy to
have late news from Spain. It seemed that he had learned from a supply
ship in June that the expedition was afoot.

The _Santa Maria_ and the Nina rode close in shore. Captain Martin
Pinzon beached the Pinta and unshipped the hurt and useless rudder. Work
upon a new one began at once. The Admiral, the two captains and those
of rank upon the ships supped with the commandant at his quite goodly
house, and the next day he and his officers dined aboard the Santa
Maria. The Admiral liked him much for he was more than respectful toward
this voyage. A year before, bathing one day in the surf, there had come
floating to his hand a great gourd. None such grew anywhere in these
islands, and the wind for days had come steadily from the west. The
gourd had a kind of pattern cut around it. He showed it to the Admiral
and afterwards gave it to him. Th