Well, until that moment, he would hold his ship's prow to the west! For
twenty years he had labored to get this chance; he would rather die than
fail.
And then, suddenly, far ahead, he saw a light moving low along the
horizon. It disappeared, reappeared, and then vanished altogether. The
lookout had also seen it, and soon after, as the moon rose, a gun from
the Pinta, which was in the lead, announced that land had been sighted.
It was soon plainly visible to everyone, a low beach gleaming white in
the moonlight, and the ships hove-to until daybreak.
In the early dawn of the twelfth day of October, 1492, the boats were
lowered, and Columbus and a large part of his company went ashore, wild
with exultation. They found themselves on a small island, and Columbus
named it San Salvador. It was one of the Bahamas, but which one is not
certainly known. Columbus, of course, believed himself near the coast of
Asia, and spent two months in searching for Japan, discovering a number
of islands, but no trace of the land of gold and spices which he sought.
One of his ships was wrecked and the captain of the third sailed away to
search for gold on his own account, so that it was in the little Nina
alone that Columbus at last set sail for Spain.
[Illustration: COLUMBUS]
It was no longer a summer sea through which the tiny vessel ploughed her
way, but a sea swept by savage hurricanes.
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