d announced his intention of visiting him. But when, in
fulfilment of their vow, half the crew went, barefoot and in their shirts,
on a pilgrimage to the chapel of St. Mary, which was not far from the
harbour, the governor and his satellites lay in ambush on the road, and
captured the whole band of pilgrims. The crowns of Portugal and Castile
were still at peace, but it appears that this "man, dressed in a little
brief authority," thought that the capture would gratify his sovereign.
The remonstrances of the admiral were of no avail; and as the weather
would not allow of his remaining in his present anchorage, he was forced
to stand out to sea, and to run nearly to St. Michael's, with a crew which
comprised only three able seamen. On the 21st of February he returned to
St. Mary's, and eventually, as the governor was unable to seize Columbus
himself, he decided on recognizing the royal commission which he produced,
and restoring his crew. On the 24th the "Nina" again steered for Spain,
but another tempest supervened, and continued with more or less fury for
more than a week.

ARRIVAL IN THE TAGUS.

In this last storm, which raged with destructive violence along the west
coast of the whole Continent of Europe, and which drove the "Pinta" almost
helplessly towards a lee-shore, the dangers of the voyage reached their
climax. "I escaped," says the admiral, "by the greatest miracle in the
world." Fortunately, however, his seamanship was equal to the emergency,
and on the afternoon of the fourth of March he came to anchor in the
Tagus. To the King of Portugal, who happened to be at no great distance,
he sent a despatch announcing his arrival and the result of his voyage,
and, in reply, received a pressing invitation to court. With this he
thought proper to comply, "in order not to show mistrust, although he
disliked it," and was received by the king with the highest honours. This
must have been almost too much of a triumph for a generous mind,
considering that the court before which he was displaying the signs of a
new world had refused the opportunity of securing the discovery for
itself. The king, however, now took occasion to put in a claim to the
newly found countries, basing it on that papal bull which has been
mentioned in a previous chapter but, although Columbus, in the interest of
his sovereigns, took care to repudiate this claim as decidedly as
possible, his royal host continued to entertain him with the utmost