pectable if they did not wear crowns of gold inlaid
with bright jewels on all public occasions, but Queen Isabella cared far
more to send the gospel of Christ over to the heathen than how she might
look, or what other people might say about her. The jewels were pawned
and the money was given to Columbus. With a glad heart he hastened back
to the little town of Palos where he had left his young son with the
kind priest Juan Perez.

But now a new difficulty arose. Enough sailors could not be found who
would venture their lives by going out on this unknown voyage with a
crazy old man such as Columbus was thought to be. At last the convicts
from the prisons were given liberty by the Queen on condition that they
would go with the sailors and Columbus. So, you see, it was not
altogether a very nice crew, still it was the best he could get, and
Columbus' heart was so filled with the great work that he was willing to
undertake the voyage no matter how great or how many the difficulties
might be. The ships were filled with food and other provisions for a
long, long voyage.

Nobody knew how long it would be before the land on the other side could
be reached, and many people thought there was no possible hope of its
ever being found.

Early one summer morning, even before the sun had risen, Columbus bade
farewell to the few friends who had gathered at the little seaport of
Palos to say good-bye to him. The ships spread their sails and started
on the great untried voyage. There were three boats, none of which we
would think, nowadays, was large enough or strong enough to dare venture
out of sight and help of land and run the risk of encountering the
storms of mid-ocean.

The names of the boats were the Santa Maria, which was the one that
Columbus himself commanded, and two smaller boats, one named the Pinta
and the other the Nina.

Strange, indeed, must the sailors have felt, as hour after hour they
drifted out into the great unknown waters, which no man ever ventured
into before. Soon all land faded from their sight, and on, and on, and
on they went, not knowing where or how the voyage would end. Columbus
alone was filled with hope, feeling quite sure that in time he would
reach the never before visited shores of a New World, and would thus be
the means of bringing the Christian religion to these poor, ignorant
people. On and on they sailed, day after day--far beyond the utmost
point which sailors had ever before reached.