CHAPTER XV.
"While you here do snoring lie, Open-ey'd conspiracy His time doth take: If of life you keep a care, Shake off slumber, and beware; Awake! Awake!"
Ariel.
The wind continuing fair, the three vessels made good progress in thedirection of the Canaries; Sunday, in particular, proving a propitiousday, the expedition making more than one hundred and twenty miles in thecourse of the twenty-four hours. The wind still continued favorable, andon the morning of Monday, the 6th of August, Columbus was cheerfullyconversing with Luis, and one or two other companions who were standingnear him on the poop, when the Pinta was seen suddenly to take in herforward sails, and to come up briskly, not to say awkwardly, to thewind. This manoeuvre denoted some accident, and the Santa Mariafortunately having the advantage of the wind, immediately edged away tospeak her consort.
"How now, Senor Martin Alonzo," hailed the admiral, as the two caravelscame near enough together to speak each other. "For what reason hastthou so suddenly paused in thy course?"
"Fortune would have it so, Senor Don Christoval, seeing that the rudderof the good caravel hath broken loose, and we must fain secure it ere wemay again trust ourselves to the breeze."
A severe frown came over the grave countenance of the great navigator,and after bidding Martin Alonzo do his best to repair the damage, hepaced the deck, greatly disturbed, for several minutes. Observing howmuch the admiral took this accident to heart, the rest descended to thedeck below, leaving Columbus alone with the pretended groom of theking's chamber.
"I trust, Senor, this is no serious injury, or one in any way likely toretard our advance," said Luis, after manifesting that respect which allnear him felt for the admiral, by a pause. "I know honest Martin Alonzoto be a ready seaman, and should think his expedients might easily serveto get us as far as the Canaries, where greater damages can meet withtheir remedies."
"Thou say'st true, Luis, and we will hope for the best. I feel regretthe sea is so high that we can offer no assistance to the Pinta, butMartin Alonzo is, indeed, an expert mariner, and on his ingenuity wemust rely. My concern, however, hath another and a deeper source thanthe unloosing of this rudder, serious as such an injury ever is to avessel at sea. Thou know'st that the Pinta hath been furnished to theservice of the queen, under the order claiming the forfeited duty fromthe delinquents of Palos, and sorely against the will of the caravel'sowners hath the vessel been taken. Now these persons, Gomez Rascon andChristoval Quintero, are on board her, and, I question not, havedesigned this accident. Their artifices were practised long, to ourdelay, before quitting the haven, and, it would seem, are to becontinued to our prejudice here on the open ocean."
"By the allegiance I owe the Dona Isabella! Senor Don Christoval, but Iwould find a speedy cure for such a treason, if the office of punishmentrested with me. Let me jump into the skiff and repair to the Pinta,where I will tell these Masters Rascon and Quintero, that should theirrudder ever dare to break loose again, or should any other similar anduntoward accident chance to arrive, the first shall be hanged at theyard of his own caravel, and the last be cast into the sea to examineinto the state of her bottom, the rudder included."
"We may not practice such high authority without great occasion andperfect certainty of guilt. I hold it to be wiser to seek anothercaravel at the Canaries, for, by this accident, I well see we shall notbe rid of the artifices of the two owners, until we are rid of theirvessel. It will be hazardous to launch the skiff in this sea, or I wouldproceed to the Pinta myself; but as it is, let us have confidence inMartin Alonzo and his skill."
Columbus thus encouraged the people of the Pinta to exert themselves,and in about an hour or two, the three vessels were again making thebest of their way toward the Canaries. Notwithstanding the delay, nearlyninety miles were made good in the course of the day and night. But thefollowing morning the rudder again broke loose, and, as the damage wasmore serious than in the former instance, it was still more difficult torepair. These repeated accidents gave the admiral great concern, for hetook them to be so many indications of the disaffection of hisfollowers. He fully determined, in consequence, to get rid of the Pinta,if it were possible to find another suitable vessel among the islands.As the progress of the vessels was much retarded by the accident,although the wind continued favorable, the expedition only got somesixty miles, this day, nearer to its place of destination.
On the following morning, the three vessels came within hail of eachother; and a comparison of the nautical skill of the differentnavigators, or pilots, as it was then the custom to style them, tookplace, each offering his opinion as to the position of the vessels.
It was not the least of the merits of Columbus, that he succeeded in hisgreat experiment with the imperfect aid of the instruments then in use.The mariner's compass, it is true, had been in common service quite acentury, if not longer, though its variations--a knowledge of which isscarcely less important in long voyages than a knowledge of theinstrument itself--were then unknown to seamen, who seldom ventured farenough from the land to note these mysteries of nature, and who, as aclass, still relied almost as much on the ordinary position of theheavenly bodies to ascertain their routes, as on the nicer results ofcalculation. Columbus, however, was a striking exception to thislittle-instructed class, having made himself thoroughly acquainted withall the learning of the period that could be applied in his profession,or which might aid him in effecting the great purpose for which alone henow seemed to live.
As might be expected, the comparison resulted altogether in theadmiral's favor, the pilots in general being soon convinced that healone knew the true position of the vessels, a fact that was soonunanswerably determined by the appearance of the summits of theCanaries, which hove up out of the ocean, in a south-easterly direction,resembling well-defined dark clouds clustering in the horizon. Asobjects like these are seen at a great distance at sea, more especiallyin a transparent atmosphere, and the wind became light and variable, thevessels, notwithstanding, were unable to reach Grand Canary untilThursday, the 8th of August, or nearly a week after they had left Palos.There they all ran in, and anchored in the usual haven. Columbusimmediately set about making an inquiry for another caravel, but,proving unsuccessful, he sailed for Gomera, where he believed it mightbe easier to obtain the craft he wanted. While the admiral was thusemployed with the Santa Maria and the Nina, Martin Alonzo remained inport, being unable to keep company in the crippled condition of thePinta. But no suitable vessel being found, Columbus reluctantly returnedto Grand Canary, and, after repairing the Pinta, which vessel was badlycaulked, among the other devices that had been adopted to get her freedfrom the service, he sailed again for Gomera, from which island he wasto take his final departure.
During these several changes, a brooding discontent began to increaseamong most of the common mariners, while some even of a higher class,were not altogether free from the most melancholy apprehensions for thefuture. While passing from Grand Canary to Gomera, with all his vessels,Columbus was again at his post, with Luis and his usual companions nearhim, when the admiral's attention was drawn to a conversation that tookplace between a group of the men, who had collected near the main-mast.It was night, and there being little wind, the voices of the exciteddisputants reached further than they themselves were aware.
"I tell thee, Pepe," said the most vociferous and most earnest of thespeakers, "that the night is not darker than the future of this crew.Look to the west, and what dost see there? Who hath ever heard of land,after he hath quitted the Azores; and who is so ignorant as not to knowthat Providence hath placed water around all the continents, with a fewislands as stopping-places for mariners, and spread the broad oceanbeyond, with an intention to rebuke an over-eager curiosity to pry intomatters that savor more of miracles than of common worldly things?"
"This is well, Pero," answered Pepe; "but I know that Monica thinks theadmiral is sent of God, and that we may look forward to greatdiscoveries, through his means; and m
ost especially to the spreading ofreligion among the heathens."
"Ay, thy Monica should have been in Dona Isabella's seat, so learned andpositive is she in all matters, whether touching her own woman's duties,or thine own. She is _thy_ queen, Pepe, as all in Moguer will swear; andthere are some who say she would gladly govern the port, as shegoverneth thee."
"Say naught against the mother of my child, Pero," interrupted Pepe,angrily. "I can bear thy idle words against myself, but he that speakethill of Monica will have a dangerous enemy."
"Thou art bold of speech, Pero, when away a hundred leagues from thineown better nine-tenths," put in a voice that Columbus and Luis bothknew, on the instant, to belong to Sancho Mundo, "and art bold enough tojeer Pepe touching Monica, when we all well know who commandeth in acertain cabin, where thou art as meek as a hooked dolphin, whatever thoumay'st be here. But, enough of thy folly about women; let us reason uponour knowledge as mariners, if thou wilt; instead of asking questions ofone like Pepe, who is too young to have had much experience, I offermyself as thy catechist."
"What hast _thou_, then, to say about this unknown land that liethbeyond the great ocean, where man hath never been, or is at all likelyto go, with followers such as these?"
"I have this to say, silly and idle-tongued Pero--that the time was wheneven the Canaries were unknown; when mariners did not dare to pass thestraits, and when the Portuguese knew nothing of their mines and Guinea,lands that I myself have visited, and where the noble Don Christovalhath also been, as I know on the testimony of mine own eyes."
"And what hath Guinea, or what have the mines of the Portuguese to dowith this western voyage? All know that there is a country calledAfrica; and what is there surprising that mariners should reach a landthat is known to exist; but who knoweth that the ocean hath othercontinents, any more than that the heavens have other earths?"
"This is well, Pero," observed an attentive by-stander; "and Sancho willhave to drain his wits to answer it."
"It is well for those who wag their tongues, like women, without thoughtof what they say," coolly returned Sancho, "but will have little weightwith Dona Isabella, or Don Almirante. Harkee, Pero, thou art like onethat hath trodden the path between Palos and Moguer so often, that thoufanciest there is no road to Seville or Granada. There must be abeginning to all things; and this voyage is, out of doubt, the beginningof voyages to Cathay. We go west, instead of east, because it is theshorter way; and because, moreover, it is the _only_ way for a caravel.Now, answer me, messmate; is it possible for a craft, let her size orrig be what it may, to pass over the hills and valleys of a continent--Imean under her canvas, and by fair sailing?"
Sancho waited for a reply, and received a common and complete admissionof the impossibility of the thing.
"Then cast your eyes at the admiral's chart, in the morning, as hekeepeth it spread before him on the poop, yonder, and you will see thatthere is land from one pole to the other, on each side of the Atlantic,thereby rendering navigation impossible, in any other direction thanthis we are now taking. The notion of Pero, therefore, runs in the teethof nature."
"This is so true, Pero," exclaimed another, the rest assenting, "thatthy mouth ought to be shut."
But Pero had a mouth that was not very easily closed; and it is probablethat his answer would have been to the full as acute and irrefutable asthat of Sancho, had not a common exclamation of alarm and horror burstfrom all around him. The night was sufficiently clear to permit thegloomy outlines of the Peak of Teneriffe to be distinctly visible, evenat some distance; and, just at that moment, flashes of flame shot upwardfrom its pointed summit, illuminating, at instants, the huge pile, andthen leaving it in shadowy darkness, an object of mystery and terror.Many of the seamen dropped on their knees and began to tell their beads,while all, as it might be instinctively, crossed themselves. Next arosea general murmur; and in a few minutes, the men who slept were awoke,and appeared among their fellows, awe-struck and astounded spectators ofthe phenomenon. It was soon settled that the attention of the admiralshould be drawn to this strange event, and Pero was selected for thespokesman.
All this time, Columbus and his companions remained on the poop, and, asmight have been expected, this unlooked-for change in the appearance ofthe Peak had not escaped their attention. Too enlightened to be alarmedby it, they were watching the workings of the mountain, when Pero,accompanied by nearly every sailor in the vessel, appeared on thequarter-deck. Silence having been obtained, Pero opened the subject ofhis mission with a zeal that was not a little stimulated by his fears.
"Senor Almirante," he commenced, "we have come to pray your Excellencyto look at the summit of the Island of Teneriffe, where we all think wesee a solemn warning against persevering in sailing into the unknownAtlantic. It is truly time for men to remember their weakness, and howmuch they owe to the goodness of God, when even the mountains vomitflames and smoke!"
"Have any here ever navigated the Mediterranean, or visited the islandof which Don Ferdinand, the honored consort of our lady the queen, ismaster?" demanded Columbus, calmly.
"Senor Don Almirante," hastily answered Sancho, "I have done so,unworthy as I may seem to have enjoyed that advantage. And I have seenCyprus, and Alexandria, and even Stamboul, the residence of the GreatTurk."
"Well, then, thou may'st have also seen AEtna, another mountain whichcontinueth to throw up those flames, in the midst of a nature and ascene on which Providence would seem to have smiled with unusualbenignity, instead of angrily frowning, as ye seem to imagine."
Columbus then proceeded to give his people an explanation of the causesof volcanoes, referring to the gentlemen around him to corroborate thefidelity of his statements. He told them that he looked upon this littleeruption as merely a natural occurrence; or, if he saw any omen at allin the event, it was propitious rather than otherwise; Providenceseeming disposed to light them on their way. Luis and the rest nextdescended among the crew, where they used their reasoning powers inquieting an alarm that, at first, had threatened to be serious. For themoment they were successful, or perhaps it would be better to say thatthey succeeded completely, so far as the phenomenon of the volcano wasconcerned, and this less by the arguments of the more intelligent of theofficers, than by means of the testimony of Sancho, and one or twoothers of the common men, who had seen similar scenes elsewhere. Withdifficulties like these had the great navigator to contend, even afterhe had passed years in solicitations to obtain the limited means whichhad been finally granted, in order to effect one of the sublimestachievements that had yet crowned the enterprise of man!
The vessels reached Gomera on the 2d of September, where they remainedseveral days, in order to complete their repairs, and to finish takingin their supplies, ere they finally left the civilized abodes of man,and what might then be deemed the limits of the known earth. The arrivalof such an expedition, in an age when the means of communication were sofew that events were generally their own announcers, had produced astrong sensation among the inhabitants of the different islands visitedby the adventurers. Columbus was held in high honor among them, not onlyon account of the commission he had received from the two sovereigns,but on account of the magnitude and the romantic character of hisundertaking.
There existed a common belief among all the adjacent islands, includingMadeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, that land lay to the westward;their inhabitants living under a singular delusion in this particular,which the admiral had an occasion to detect, during his second visit toGomera. Among the most distinguished persons who were then on theisland, was Dona Inez Peraza, the mother of the Count of Gomera. She wasattended by a crowd of persons, not only belonging to her own, but whohad come from other islands to do her honor. She entertained the admiralin a manner suited to his high rank, admitting to her society such ofthe adventurers as Columbus saw fit to point out as worthy of the honor.Of course the pretended Pedro de Munos, or Pero Gutierrez, as he was nowindifferently termed, was of the number; as, indeed, were most of thosewho might be
deemed any way suited to so high and polished a society.
"I rejoice, Don Christopher," said Dona Inez Peraza, on this occasion,"that their Highnesses have at length yielded to your desire to solvethis great problem, not only on account of our Holy Church, which, asyou say, hath so deep an interest in your success, and the honor of thetwo sovereigns, and the welfare of Spain, and all the other greatconsiderations that we have so freely touched upon in our discoursealready, but on account of the worthy inhabitants of the FortunateIslands, who have not only many traditions touching land in the west,but most of whom believe that they have more than once seen it, in thatquarter, in the course of their lives."
"I have heard of this, noble lady, and would be grateful to have theaccount from the mouths of eye-witnesses, now we are here, together,conversing freely concerning that which is of so much interest to usall."
"Then, Senor, I will entreat this worthy cavalier, who is every waycapable of doing the subject justice, to be spokesman for us, and to letyou know what we all believe in these islands, and what so many of usfancy we have seen. Acquaint the admiral, Senor Dama, I pray thee, ofthe singular yearly view that we get of unknown land lying afar off, inthe Atlantic."
"Most readily, Dona Inez, and all the more so at your gracious bidding,"returned the person addressed, who disposed himself to tell the story,with a readiness that the lovers of the wonderful are apt to betray whena fitting opportunity offers to indulge a favorite propensity. "Theillustrious admiral hath probably heard of the island of St. Brandan,that lieth some eighty or a hundred leagues to the westward of Ferro,and which hath been so often seen, but which no navigator hath yet beenable to reach, in our days at least?"
"I have often heard of this fabled spot, Senor," the admiral gravelyreplied; "but pardon me if I say that the land never yet existed, whicha mariner hath seen and yet a mariner hath not reached."
"Nay, noble admiral," interrupted a dozen eager voices, among which thatof the lady, herself, was very distinctly audible, "that it hath beenseen most here know; and that it hath never been reached, is a fact towhich more than one disappointed pilot can testify."
"That which we have seen, we know; and that which we know, we candescribe," returned Columbus, steadily. "Let any man tell me in whatmeridian, or on what parallel this St. Brandan, or St. Barandon, lieth,and a week shall make _me_ also certain of its existence."
"I know little of meridians or parallels, Don Christopher," said theSenor Dama, "but I have some ideas of visible things. This island have Ioften seen, more or less plainly at different times; and that, too,under the serenest skies, and at occasions when it was not possiblegreatly to mistake either its form or its dimensions. Once I remember tohave seen the sun set behind one of its heights."
"This is plain evidence, and such as a navigator should respect; and yetdo I take what you imagine yourself to have seen, Senor, to be someillusion of the atmosphere."
"Impossible!--impossible!" was said, or echoed, by a dozen voices."Hundreds yearly witness the appearance of St. Brandan, and its equallysudden and mysterious disappearance."
"Therein, noble lady and generous cavalier, lieth the error into whichye have fallen. Ye see the Peak the year round; and he who will cruise ahundred miles, north or south, east or west, of it, will continue to seeit, the year round, except on such days as the state of the atmospheremay forbid. The land which God hath created stationary, will be certainto remain stationary, until disturbed by some great convulsion thatcometh equally of his providence and his laws."
"All this may be true, Senor; doubtless it _is_ true; but every rulehath its exceptions. You will not deny that God ruleth the worldmysteriously, and that his ends are not always visible to human eyes.Else, why hath the Moor so long been permitted to rule in Spain? whyhath the Infidel, at this moment, possession of the Holy Sepulchre? whyhave the sovereigns been so long deaf to your own well-grounded wishesand entreaties to be permitted to carry their banners, in company withthe cross, to Cathay, whither you are now bound? Who knoweth that theseappearances of St. Brandan may not be given as signs to encourage onelike yourself, bent on still greater ends than even reaching itsshores?"
Columbus was an enthusiast; but his was an enthusiasm that was seated inhis reverence for the acknowledged mysteries of religion, which soughtno other support from things incomprehensible, than might reasonably bethought to belong to the exercise of infallible wisdom, and whichmanifested a proper reverence for a Divine Power. Like most of thatperiod, he believed in modern miracles; and his dependence on the directworldly efficacy of votive offerings, penances, and prayers, was such asmarked the age in general, and his calling in particular. Still, hismasculine understanding rejected the belief of vulgar prodigies; andwhile he implicitly thought himself set apart and selected for the greatwork before him, he was not disposed to credit that an airy exhibitionof an island was placed in the west to tempt mariners to follow itsshadowy outline to the more distant regions of Cathay.
"That I feel the assurance of the Providence of God having selected meas the humble instrument of connecting Europe with Asia, by means of adirect voyage by sea, is certain," returned the navigator, gravely,though his eye lighted with its latent enthusiasm; "but I am far fromindulging in the weakness of thinking that direct miraculous agenciesare to be used to guide me on my way. It is more in conformity to thepractice of divine wisdom, and certainly more grateful to my ownself-love, that the means employed are such as a discreet pilot, and themost experienced philosophers, might feel proud in finding themselvesselected to display. My thoughts have first been turned to thecontemplation of this subject; then hath my reason been enlightened by adue course of study and reflection, and science hath aided in producingthe conviction necessary to impel myself to proceed, and to enable me toinduce others to join in this enterprise."
"And do all your followers, noble admiral, act under the same guidance?"demanded the Dona Inez, glancing at Luis, whose manly graces, andmartial aspect, had found favor in the eyes of most of the ladies of theisland. "Is the Senor Gutierrez equally enlightened in this manner? andhath he, too, devoted his nights to study, in order that the cross maybe carried to the heathen, and Castile and Cathay may be more closelyunited?"
"The Senor Gutierrez is a willing adventurer, Senora, but he must be theexpounder of his own motives."
"Then we will call on the cavalier, himself, for an answer. These ladiesfeel a desire to know what may have impelled one who would be certain tosucceed at the court of Dona Isabella, and in the Moorish wars, to joinin such an expedition."
"The Moorish wars are ended, Senora," replied Luis, smiling; "and DonaIsabella, and all the ladies of her court, most favor the youths whoshow a manly disposition to serve the interests, and to advance thehonor of Castile. I know very little of philosophy, and have stillsmaller pretensions to the learning of churchmen; but I think I seeCathay before me, shining like a brilliant star in the heavens, and amwilling to adventure body and soul in its search."
Many pretty exclamations of admiration broke from the circle of fairlisteners; it being most easy for spirit to gain applause, when it isrecommended by high personal advantages, and comes from the young andfavored. That Columbus, a weather-worn veteran of the ocean, should seefit to risk a life that was already drawing near its close, in a rashattempt to pry into the mysteries of the Atlantic, seemed neither socommendable, nor so daring, but many discovered high qualities in thecharacter of one who was just entering on his career, and that underauspices apparently so flattering, and who threw all his hopes on theuncertain chances of success in a scheme so unusual. Luis was human, andhe was in the full enjoyment of the admiration his enterprise hadevidently awakened among so many sensitive young creatures, when DonaInez most inopportunely interposed to interrupt his happiness, and towound his self-esteem.
"This is having more honorable views than my letters from Sevilleattribute to one youth, who belongeth to the proudest of our Castilianhouses, and whose titles alone should invite him to add new lustre to
aname that hath so long been the Spanish boast," resumed the SenoraPeraza. "The reports speak of his desire to rove, but in a mannerunworthy of his rank; and that, too, in a way to serve neither thesovereigns, his country, nor himself."
"And who may this misguided youth be, Senora?" eagerly inquired Luis,too much elated by the admiration he had just excited to anticipate theanswer. "A cavalier thus spoken of, needeth to be warned of hisreputation, that he may be stimulated to attempt better things."
"His name is no secret, since the court speaketh openly of his singularand ill-judged career; and it is said that even his love hath beenthwarted in consequence. I mean a cavalier of no less lineage and namethan Don Luis de Bobadilla, the Count of Llera."
It is said that listeners seldom hear good of themselves, and Luis wasnow fated to verify the truth of the axiom. He felt the blood rushing tohis face, and it required a strong effort at self-command to prevent himfrom breaking out in exclamations, that would probably have containedinvocations of half the patron saints he had ever heard of, had he nothappily succeeded in controlling the sudden impulse. Gulping the wordshe had been on the point of uttering, he looked round, with an air ofdefiance, as if seeking the countenance of some man who might dare evento smile at what had been said. Luckily, at that moment, Columbus haddrawn all of the males present around himself, in warm discussion of theprobable existence of the island of St. Brandan; and Luis nowhere met asmile, with which he could conveniently quarrel, that had a setting ofbeard to render it hostile. Fortunately, the gentle impulses that areapt to influence a youthful female, induced one of Dona Inez's faircompanions to speak, and that in a way greatly to relieve the feelingsof our hero.
"True, Senora," rejoined the pretty young advocate, the first tones ofwhose voice had an effect to calm the tempest that was rising in thebosom of the young man; "true Senora, it is said that Don Luis is awanderer, and one of unsettled tastes and habits, but it is also said hehath a most excellent heart, is generous as the dews of heaventhemselves, and carrieth the very best lance of Castile, as he is alsolike to carry off the fairest maiden."
"It is vain, Senor de Munos, for churchmen to preach, and parents tofrown," said Dona Inez, smiling, "while the beautiful and young willprize courage, and deeds in arms, and an open hand, before the morehomely virtues commended by our holy religion, and so zealouslyinculcated by its servants. The unhorsing of a knight or two in thetourneys, and the rallying a broken squadron under a charge of theInfidel, counteth far more than years of sobriety, and weeks of penanceand prayer."
"How know we that the cavalier you mention, Senora, may not have hisweeks of penance and his hours of prayer?" answered Luis, who had nowfound his voice. "Should he be so fortunate as to enjoy a conscientiousreligious adviser, he can scarce escape both, prayer being so oftenordered in the way of penance. He seemeth, indeed, to be a miserabledog, and I wonder not that his mistress holdeth him cheap. Is the nameof the lady, also, given in your letter?"
"It is. She is the Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Valverde, nearly alliedto the Guzmans and the other great houses, and one of the fairestmaidens of Spain."
"That is she!" exclaimed Luis; "and one of the most virtuous, as well asfair, and wise as virtuous!"
"How now, Senor, is it possible that you can have sufficient knowledgeof one so situated, as to speak thus positively of her qualities, aswell as of her appearance?"
"Her beauty I have seen, and of her excellence one may speak by report.But doth your correspondent, Senora, say aught of what hath become ofthe graceless lover?"
"It is rumored that he hath again quitted Spain, and, as is supposed,under the grave displeasure of the sovereigns, since it hath beenremarked that the queen now never nameth him. None know the road he hathtaken, but there is little doubt that he is again roaming the seas, asusual, in quest of low adventures among the ports of the east."
The conversation now changed, and soon after the admiral and hisattendants repaired to their different vessels.
"Of a verity, Senor Don Christoval," said Luis, as he walked alone withthe great navigator toward the shore, "one little knoweth when he isacquiring fame, and when not. Though but an indifferent mariner, and nopilot, I find my exploits on the ocean are well bruited abroad! If yourExcellency but gain half the reputation I already enjoy, by this presentexpedition, you will have reason to believe that your name will not beforgotten by posterity."
"It is a tribute the great pay for their elevation, Luis," returned theadmiral, "that all their acts are commented on, and that they can dolittle that may be concealed from observation, or escape remarks."
"It would be as well, Senor Almirante, to throw into the scales, atonce, calumnies, and lies, and uncharitableness, for all these are to beadded to the list. Is it not wonderful, that a young man cannot visit afew foreign lands, in order to increase his knowledge and improve hisparts, but all the gossips of Castile should fill their letters to thegossips of the Canaries, with passages touching his movements anddemerits? By the Martyrs of the East! if I were Queen of Castile, thereshould be a law against writing of others' movements, and I do not know,but a law against women's writing letters at all!"
"In which case, Senor de Munos, thou wouldst never possess thesatisfaction of receiving a missive from the fairest hand in Castile."
"I mean a woman's writing to a woman, Don Christopher. As to lettersfrom noble maidens intended to cheer the hearts and animate the deeds ofcavaliers who adore them, they are useful, out of doubt, and the saintsbe deaf to the miscreant who would forbid or intercept them! No, Senor,I trust that travelling hath at least made me liberal, by raising meabove the narrow prejudices of provinces and cities, and I am far fromwishing to put an end to letters from mistresses to their knights, orfrom parents to their children, or even from wives to their husbands;but, as for the letters of a gossip to a gossip, by your leave, SenorAlmirante, I detest them just as much as the Father of Sin detests thisexpedition of ours!"
"An expedition, certainly, that he hath no great reason to love,"answered Columbus, smiling; "since it will be followed by the light ofrevelation and the triumph of the cross. But what is thy will, friend,that thou seemest in waiting for me, to disburden thyself of something?Thy name is Sancho Mundo, if I remember thy countenance?"
"Senor Don Almirante, your memory hath not mistaken," returned theperson addressed; "I am Sancho Mundo, as your Excellency saith,sometimes called Sancho of the Ship-Yard Gate. I desire to say a fewwords concerning the fate of our voyage, whenever it shall suit you,noble Senor, to hear me where there are no ears present that youdistrust."
"Thou may'st speak freely now; this cavalier being my confidant andsecretary."
"It is not necessary that I should tell a great pilot, like yourExcellency, who is King of Portugal, or what the mariners of Lisbon havebeen about these many years, since you know all better than myself.Therefore I will just add, that they are discovering all the unknownlands they can, for themselves, and preventing others, as much as inthem lies, from doing the same thing."
"Don John of Portugal is an enlightened prince, fellow, and thou wouldstdo well to respect his character and rank. His Highness is a liberalsovereign, and hath sent many noble expeditions forth from his harbor."
"That he hath, Senor, and this last is not the least in its designs andintentions," answered Sancho, turning a look of irony toward theadmiral, that showed the fellow had more in reserve than he cared todivulge without some wheedling. "No one doubts Don John's willingness tosend forth expeditions."
"Thou hast heard some intelligence, Sancho, that it is proper I shouldknow! Speak freely, and rely on my repaying any service of this sort tothe full extent of its deservings."
"If your Excellency will have patience to hear me, I will give the wholestory, with all minuteness and particularity, and that in a way to leaveno part untold, and all parts to be as easily understood as heart canwish, or a priest in the confessional could desire."
"Speak; no one will interrupt thee. As thou art frank, so
will be thyreward."
"Well, then, Senor Don Almirante, you must know that about eleven yearssince, I made a voyage from Palos to Sicily, in a caravel belonging tothe Pinzons, here; not to Martin Alonzo, who commandeth the Pinta, underyour Excellency's order, but to a kinsman of his late father's, whocaused better craft to be constructed than we are apt to get in thesedays of hurry, and rotten cordage, and careless caulking, to say nothingof the manner in which the canvas is"--
"Nay, good Sancho," interrupted the impatient Luis, who was yet smartingunder the remarks of Dona Inez's correspondent--"thou forgettest nightis near, and that the boat is waiting for the admiral."
"How should I forget that, Senor, when I can see the sun just dippinginto the water, and I belong to the boat myself, having left it in orderto tell the noble admiral what I have to say?"
"Permit the man to relate his story in his own manner, Senor Pedro, Ipray thee," put in Columbus. "Naught is gained by putting a seamen outin his reckoning."
"No, your Excellency, or in kicking with a mule. And so, as I wassaying, I went that voyage to Sicily, and had for a messmate one JoseGordo, a Portuguese by birth, but a man who liked the wines of Spainbetter than the puckering liquors of his own country, and so sailed muchin Spanish craft. I never well knew, notwithstanding, whether Jose was,in heart, most of a Portuguese, or a Spaniard, though he was certainlybut an indifferent Christian."
"It is to be hoped that his character hath improved," said Columbus,calmly. "As I foresee that something is to follow on the testimony ofthis Jose, you will let me say, that an indifferent Christian is but anindifferent witness. Tell me, at once, therefore, what he hathcommunicated, that I may judge for myself of the value of his words."
"Now, he that doubteth your Excellency will not discover Cathay is aheretic, seeing that you have discovered my secret without having heardit! Jose has just arrived, in the felucca that is riding near the SantaMaria, and hearing that we were an expedition that had one Sancho Mundoengaged in it, he came speedily on board of us to see his old shipmate."
"All that is so plain, that I wonder thou thinkest it worthy ofrelating, Sancho; but, now we have him safe on board the good ship, wecan come at once to the subject of his communication."
"That may we, Senor; and so, without any unnecessary delay, I willstate, that the subject was touching Don Juan of Portugal, Don Ferdinandof Aragon, Dona Isabella of Castile, your Excellency, Senor DonAlmirante, the Senor de Munos here, and myself."
"This is a strange company!" exclaimed Luis, laughing, while he slippeda piece of eight into the hand of the sailor; "perhaps that may aid theein shortening the story of the singular conjunction."
"Another, Senor, would bring the tale to an end at once. To own thetruth, Jose is behind that wall, and as he told me he thought his newsworth a dobla, he will be greatly displeased at finding I have receivedmy half of it, while his half still remaineth unpaid."
"This, then, will set his mind at rest," said Columbus, placing anentire dobla in the hand of the cunning fellow, for the admiralperceived by his manner that Sancho had really something of importanceto communicate. "Thou canst summon Jose to thy aid, and deliver thyself,at once, of thy burden."
Sancho did as directed, and in a minute Jose had appeared, had receivedthe dobla, weighed it deliberately on his finger, pocketed it, andcommenced his tale. Unlike the artful Sancho, he told his story at once,beginning at the right end, and ceasing to speak as soon as he had nomore to communicate. The substance of the tale is soon related. Jose hadcome from Ferro, and had seen three armed caravels, wearing the flag ofPortugal, cruising among the islands, under circumstances that leftlittle doubt their object was to intercept the Castilian expedition. Asthe man referred to a passenger or two, who had landed within the hour,to corroborate his statement, Columbus and Luis immediately sought thelodgings of these persons, in order to hear their report of the matter.The result proved the sailor had stated nothing but what was true.
"Of all our difficulties and embarrassments, Luis," resumed the admiral,as the two finally proceeded to the shore, "this is much the mostserious! We may be detained altogether by these treacherous Portuguese,or we may be followed in our voyage, and have our fair laurels seizedupon by others, and all the benefits so justly due for our toil and riskusurped, or at least disputed, by men who had not the enterprise andknowledge to accept the boon, when fairly offered to them."
"Don John of Portugal must have sent far better knights than the Moorsof Granada to do the feat," answered Luis, who had a Spaniard's distastefor his peninsular neighbors; "he is a bold and learned prince, theysay, but the commission and ensigns of the sovereign of Castile are notto be disregarded, and that, too, in the midst of her own islands,here."
"We have no force fit to contend with that which hath most probably beensent against us. The number and size of our vessels are known, and thePortuguese, questionless, have resorted to the means necessary to effecttheir purposes, whatever those purposes may be. Alas! Luis, my lot hathbeen hard, though I humbly trust that the end will repay me for all!Years did I sue the Portuguese to enter fairly into this voyage, and toendeavor to do that, in all honor, which our gracious mistress, DonaIsabella, hath now so creditably commenced; he listened to my reasonsand entreaties with cold ears--nay, repelled them, with ridicule anddisdain; and yet, here am I scarce fairly embarked in the execution ofschemes that they have so often derided, than they endeavor to defeat meby violence and treachery."
"Noble Don Christoval, we will die to a Castilian, ere this shall cometo pass!"
"Our only hope is in speedy departure. Thanks to the industry and zealof Martin Alonzo, the Pinta is ready, and we may quit Gomera with themorning's sun. I doubt if they will have the hardihood to follow us intothe trackless and unknown Atlantic, without any other guides than theirown feeble knowledge; and we will depart with the return of the sun. Allnow dependeth on quitting the Canaries unseen."
As this was said they reached the boat, and were quickly pulled on boardthe Santa Maria. By this time the peaks of the islands were toweringlike gloomy shadows in the atmosphere, and, soon after, the caravelsresembled dark, shapeless specks, on the unquiet element that washedtheir hulls.