agues, or about 1,000 geographical
miles, of continuous coast running steadily in nearly the same
direction.[572] Clearly it was too long for the coast of an island; and
then there was the name Mangon = Mangi. The only puzzling circumstance
was that they did not find any of Marco Polo's cities. They kept getting
scraps of information which seemed to refer to gorgeous kingdoms, but
these were always in the dim distance. Still there was no doubt that
they had discovered the coast of a continent, and of course such a
continent could be nothing else but Asia!

[Footnote 572: The length of Cuba from Cape Mayzi to Cape San
Antonio is about 700 English miles. But in following the
sinuosities of the coast, and including tacks, the estimate of
these pilots was probably not far from correct.]

[Sidenote: A solemn expression of opinion.]

Such unanimity of opinion might seem to leave nothing to be desired. But
Columbus had already met with cavillers. Before he started on this
cruise from Isabella, some impatient hidalgos, disgusted at finding much
to do and little to get, had begun to hint that the Admiral was a
humbug, and that his "Indies" were no such great affair after all. In
order to silence these ill-natured critics, he sent his notary,
accompanied by four witnesses, to every person in those three caravels,
to get a sworn statement. If anybody had a grain of doubt about this
coast being the coast of Asia, so that you could go ashore there and
walk on dry land all the way to Spain if so disposed, let him declare
his doubts once for all, so that they might now be duly considered. No
one expressed any doubts. All declared, under oath, their firm belief.
It was then agreed that if any of the number should thereafter deny or
contradict this sworn statement, he should have his tongue slit;[573]
and if an officer, he should be further punished with a fine of 10,000
maravedis, or if a sailor, with a hundred lashes. These proceedings were
embodied in a formal document, dated June 12, 1494, which is still to be
seen in the Archives of the Indies at Seville.[574]

[Footnote 573: "E cortada la lengua;" "y le cortarian la
lengua." Irving understands it to mean cutting off the tongue.
But in those days of symbolism slitting the tip of that unruly
member was a recognized punishment for serious lying.]

[Footnote 574: It is printed in full in Navarrete, to