carving apparently wrought by some iron instrument. Moreover, the men in
one of the vessels saw a branch of a haw tree with fruit on it.

LIGHT ON SHORE.

Now, indeed, they must be close to land. The sun went down upon the same
weary round of waters which for so long a time their eyes had ached to see
beyond, when, at ten o'clock, Columbus, standing on the poop of his
vessel, saw a light, and called to him, privately, Pedro Gutierrez, a
groom of the king's chamber, who saw it also. Then they called Rodrigo
Sanchez, who had been sent by their highnesses as overlooker. I imagine
him to have been a cold and cautious man, of the kind that are sent by
jealous states to accompany and curb great generals, and who are not
usually much loved by them. Sanchez did not see the light at first,
because, as Columbus says, he did not stand in the place where it could be
seen; but at last even he sees it, and it may now be considered to have
been seen officially. "It appeared like a candle that went up and down,
and Don Christopher did not doubt that it was true light, and that it was
on land; and so it proved, as it came from people passing with lights from
one cottage to another."

THE PROMISED PENSION.

Their highnesses had promised a pension of ten thousand maravedis to the
fortunate man who should see land first. The "Pinta" was the foremost
vessel; and it was from her deck, at two o'clock in the morning, that land
was first seen by Rodrigo de Triana. We cannot but be sorry for this poor
common sailor, who got no reward, and of whom they tell a story, that in
sadness and despite, he passed into Africa, after his return to Spain, and
became a Mahometan. The pension was adjudged to the admiral: it was
charged, somewhat ominously, on the shambles of Seville, and was paid him
to the day of his death; for, says the historian Herrera, "he saw light in
the midst of darkness, signifying the spiritual light which was introduced
amongst these barbarous people, God permitting that, the war being
finished with the Moors, seven hundred and twenty years after they had set
foot in Spain, this work (the conversion of the Indians) should commence,
so that the Princes of Castille and Leon might always be occupied in
bringing infidels to the knowledge of the Holy Catholic faith."

RELIGIOUS MOTIVIES.

These last words are notable. They are such as Columbus himself would
probably have made use of in describing this, the crowning event