at once point out to him the direction where that is. They
thought he meant Cibao, where afterwards the best mines of gold were
found.

FURTHER EXPLORATIONS.

The admiral, bent on discovery, and especially on finding the terra firma,
which adjoined "his" India, did not stay long anywhere. Proceeding
southwards from San Salvador, he discovered an island, or rather a group
of islands, to which he gave the name of Santa Maria de la Concepcion; he
then discovered Cuba, and coasted along the northeastern part of that
island; and afterwards, in due course, came to Hispaniola, called by the
natives Hayti, in which island he landed upon the territory of King
Guacanagari where he was received most cordially.

Various conjectures have been made as to the different results which would
have followed, both for the New and for the Old World, if Columbus had
steered a little to the northward, or the southward, of the course which
he actually took. One thing, however, is obvious, that in arriving at
Hispaniola he came to a central point, not only of the West Indies, but of
the whole of the New World, and a point, therefore, most felicitously
situated for the spreading of future discovery and conquest.

INSUBORDINATION OF MARINERS.

It may be mentioned here, that Martin Alonzo Pinzon had wilfully parted
company from the admiral while on the coast of Cuba: covetousness being
probably the cause of this most undutiful proceeding. But, indeed, there
is another instance of the insubordination of the mariners, which makes
the wonder only still greater how Columbus could have brought them across
the Atlantic at all.

WRECK OF ADMIRAL'S VESSEL.

One evening the admiral, after paying a visit to Guacanagari, seeing the
sea quite calm, betook himself to rest. As he had not slept for two days
and a night, it is probable his slumber was deep. Meanwhile, the
steersman, contrary to the distinct orders of the admiral, gave the helm
to a common sailor, a youth. All the sailors went to sleep. The sea was as
calm "as water in a dish." Little by little the ship drifted on to a
shoal. Directly they touch, the sailor-boy at the helm starts from his
dream, and gives the alarm. The admiral jumps up first (for the
responsibility of command seldom goes quite to sleep); then the officer
whose watch it ought to have been hurries up, and the admiral orders him
to lower the boat which they carried on the poop, and to throw out all
anchor astern