he houses are roofed
with gold. The people are idolaters. There are spices and pearls,
nutmegs, pepper and precious stones. Very much gold so that the common
people use it as they wish."

We read, the Admiral seated, we, the great cabin group, standing,
bending over the table. After the islands came mainland. "Cathay" ran
the writing. "Mangi. Here is the seat of the Great Khan. His city is
Cambalu." South of all this ran other drawings and other legends. "Here,
opposite Africa, near the equator, are islands called Manillas. They
have lodestone, so that no ship with iron can sail to them. Here is Java
of all the spices. Here is great India that the ancients knew."

"We are bearing toward Cipango," said the Admiral. "I look first for
small outward islands, where perhaps the folk are uncouth and simple,
and there is little gold."

And again days passed. When many times upon the _Santa Maria_ and as
often on the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_ some one had cried "Land!" and the
ships been put in commotion and the land melted into air before our
eyes, and another as plausible island or coast formed before us only to
vanish, despair seized us again. Witchcraft and sorcery and monstrous
ignorance, and fooled to our deaths! "West--west--west!" till the west
was hated. The Pinzons thought we should change course. If there were
lands we were leaving them in the north where hung the haze. But the
Madman or the Black Magician, our Italian Admiral, would not hear good
advice! It was Gutierrez's word, under his breath when the Admiral was
in earshot, and aloud when he was not. "Our Italian--our Italian! Why
did not Italy keep him? And Portugal neither would have him! Castile,
the jade, takes him up!"

Then after absence began again the signs. Flocks of birds went by us. I
saw him watching, and truly these flights did seem to come from south of
west. On the seventh of October he altered course. We sailed southwest.
This day there floated by a branch with purple berries, and we saw
flying fish. Dolphins played about the ship. The very sea felt warm to
the hand, and yet was no oppression, but light and easily breathed air,
fragrant and lifting the spirits.

And now we saw floating something like a narrow board or a wide staff.
The master ordered the boat lowered; we brought it in and it was given
dripping into the Admiral's hand. "It is carved by man," he said.
"Look!" Truly it was so, rudely done with bone or flint, but carved by
man with