succeeded in persuading them and, in response to his
demands, they provided him at the expense of the royal treasury with
three ships[1]; the first having a covered deck, the other two being
merchantmen without decks, of the kind called by the Spaniards
_caravels_. When everything was ready Columbus sailed from the coast
of Spain, about the calends of September in the year 1492, taking with
him about 220 Spaniards.[2]

[Note 1: This statement is not absolutely exact, as the funds came
from various sources. Columbus, assisted by the Pinzon brothers of
Palos, furnished one eighth of the amount, or the cost of one vessel.
Two vessels were supplied by the town of Palos, in response to a royal
order; the town owing such service to the crown. The ready money
required was advanced by Santangel, receiver of the ecclesiastical
revenues of Aragon.]

[Note 2: From Palos on August 3d, 1492. The inscription on the
floor of Seville Cathedral reads: _con tres galeras y 90 personas_. It
follows that Peter Martyr's figures are exaggerated, for only Oviedo
amongst early authorities exceeds the number ninety, and he numbers
the united crews at 120 men.]

The Fortunate Isles, or, as the Spaniards call them, the Canaries,
were long since discovered in the middle of the ocean. They are
distant from Cadiz about three hundred leagues; for, according to the
masters of the art of navigation, each marine league is equal to
four thousand paces.[3] In ancient times these islands were called
Fortunate, because of the mild temperature they enjoyed. The islanders
suffered neither from the heat of summer nor the rigours of winter:
some authors consider that the real Fortunate Isles correspond to the
archipelago which the Portuguese have named Cape Verde. If they are at
present called the Canaries, it is because they are inhabited by men
who are naked and have no religion. They lie to the south and are
outside European climates. Columbus stopped there to replenish his
supply of provisions and water, and to rest his crew before starting
on the difficult part of his enterprise.

[Note 3: According to the computations of Columbus, four miles
were equal to one marine league; the Italian mile, assumed to have
been used by him, was equal to 1842 English feet. Fifty-six and
two-thirds miles were equal to a degree.]

Since we are speaking of the Canaries, it may not be thought
uninteresting to recall how they were discovered and civilised. During
many c