In 1484 Columbus arrived at Palos de Moguer in Andalusia. Stopping one day at the Franciscan convent of La Rabida to beg some bread and water for his child, the guardian or superior, Juan Perez Marchens, passing by, and entering into conversation with the stranger, was so struck with the grandeur of his views, that be detained him as a guest, and sent for the physician of Palos, Garcia Fernandez, to discuss the project Now, for the first time, it began to be listened to with admiration. Marchena, taking charge of the maintenance and education of the young son of Columbus, gave the father a letter of introduction to the confessor of Isabella, Fernando de Talavera. This expected patron treated the wandering petitioner as a dreaming specu lator, and a needy applicant for bread. His humble dress, and his want of connections and academia honours, formed, in the eyes of all the courtiers, an inexplicable contrast with his brilliant proposals and aspirations. But indigence, contumely, and indignities of all kinds, could not shako the pereeversoce of Columbus. At last, through Cardinal Mendoza, he obtained an audience of King Ferdinand, who referred the matter to a conference of learned monks, which was held io the convent of the Druninivans of St. Stephen at Salamanca. At the very opening of the discussion Columbus was assailed with biblical objections, egaiest which no mathematical demonstration was admitted; but he mat them on th.ir own ground. He poured forth texts and predictions as mystical types of his proposed discovery. The inquiry however, after intentional procrastination, ended in no uufavourable report. After seven years wasted at the Spanish court in solicitation, occasional hope. and bitter disappointment, a connection with a lady of Cordoba, Beatria Eoriquez, prevented his entirely breaking with Spain. She was the mother of his second sun, Ferdinand, who became his historian, and whom he always treated on terms of perfect equality with his legitimate son Diego. Columbus was now about to apply to the Frroeh king, from whom he had received a letter of encourage ment; when, returning for his eldest son. Diego, to La Rabida, the warmhearted friar Marchena endeavoured to dissuade him from this project, sent again for the physician, Garcia Fernandez, and also called to their council Alonso Phnom This distinguished navigator not only approved of the projected voyage, but offered to engage in it. with his money and in person, and even to defray the expenses of a new application at court.
The ardent friar lost no time in writing directly to Queen Isabella. and on her requesting a verbal explanation of the subject, ho immediately went to Santa F6, where she was then superintending with Ferdinand the close investment of Granada. Isabella, who had never heard the proposition urged with such honest zeal, enthusiasm, and eloquence, and who was besides more open to noble impulses than her husband, was at last moved in behalf of Columbus, but her favour was checked by her confessor Talavera. who, being now mimd to the see of Granada, was more astonished than ever at the lofty claims of this indigent and threadbare solicitor. Those claims would be exorbitant in case of success, he observed; how unreasonable then would they appear in case of failure, which was almost sure to happen, and which would prove the gross credulity of the Spanish monarchs. Moro moderate, yet highly honourable and advantageous terms were offered to Columbus, but ho considered them beneath the dignity of his enter prise, and determined once more to ebandou Spain for ever.
Some friends, who considered his departure as an irreparable loss, once more remunetrated with Isabella, who at last offered her own jewels to defray the expenses of the expedition, and thus overcame the coolness of Ferdinand. Accordingly a messenger was sent to overtake Columbus, who, after some hesitation, returned to Santa F. Stipulations were at last signed by Ferdinand and Isabella at Granada on the 17th of April 1492.
On Friday, the 3rd of August 1492, Columbus, as admiral of the seas and lauds which he expected to discover, set sail from the bar of Sakes, near Palos, with three vessels and 120 men, who were full of doubts and fears, and were partly pressed into the service. Two of
these vessels were caravels, or light barques, no better than our river and coasting craft. This however Columbus considered an advantage, as it would afford him the means of examining shallow rivers and harbours. On the 5th one of the vessels had her rudder broken ; but fortunately on the 6th he perceived, as he expected, the Canaries, where he refitted. On the 6th of September he hastily quitted Gemara, to avoid three frigates which were sent against him by the king of Portugal from spite at seeing Columbus engaged in the Spanish service. As soon as the Canaries were out of eight, consternation and despair spread among the crews, and the admiral was obliged to leave them in ignorance of the progress they were making. The stratagem he adopted for this purpose, and iu which he persevered throughout the voyage, was that of keeping two reckonings, one true and private for his own guidance, the other merely fur the crews, to keep thpm in ignorance of the great distance they were advancing. He also forbade the variation of the needle, which he observed on the 13th of Sep tember, about 200 leagues west of the island of Ferro, to he mentioned to the crew, till it was noticed also by his pilots, when he succeeded in allaying their terrors with his ready ingenuity to meet any emer gency, by ascribing the phenomenon to the movement of the polo star. The whole expedition being founded on the presumption of finding land to tho west, Columbus kept steadily to this course, lest he should appear to doubt sod waver, and never weut in search of islands, which floating weeds, birds, and other indications gave him reason to believe were not far of On the 20th of September the wind veered round to the southwest; and although unfavourable to the expedition, this circumstance cheered the dismayed crew, who were alarmed at its continuance from the cast, which seemed to preclude all hope of their return. Repeated disap pointments made the crews at last regard all signs of land as mere delusions. On the evening of the 10th of October they exclaimed more violently than ever agaiust the obstinacy of an ambitious des perado, in tempting fate on a boundless sea ; they even meditated throwing the admiral overboard and directing their course homeward. Columbus, for the last time, tried to pacify them in a friendly manner; but this only increased their clamour. lie then assumed a decided tone, acted in open defiance of his crews, and his situation became desperate. That he ever yielded to his men, rests on no other authority than that of Oviedo, a writer of inferior credit, who was grossly misled by a pilot of the name of Heruea Perez Mathoos, an enemy to Columbus. Fortunately, on the llth, the manifestations of land were such as to conviuce the most dejected. Accordingly, after the evening prayer, Columbus ordered a careful lookout, nod himself remained on the high stern of hie vessel from ten o'clock, when ho observed glimmerings of light, as be supposed, on shore, till two in the morning, when the foremost vessel fired a gun as a signal of land having been discovered. Not no eye was closed that night, all waiting with intense feeling for the dawn of the 12th of October 1492, which was to reveal the great mystery of the ocean, whether it was bounded by a savage wilderness, or by spicy groves and apleudid cities. possibly the very Cipango, the constant object of the golden faeci a of the admiraL With tears of joy, after fervid thanksgivings, Columbus kissed the earth on which he landed, and with great solemnity planted the cross in the New World at Guanahani, or San Salvador, one of the Guesyos, Lucayan, or Bahama Islands. Those who had lately been most in despair were now the most extravagant in their joy. The moat mutinous end outrageous thronged closest round the admiral, and crouched at the feet of R man who in their eyes had already wealth and honours in his gift.