urn to Europe.
"Monday, February 14.--This night the wind increased still more; the
waves were terrible. Coming from two opposite directions, they crossed
each other, and stopped the progress of the vessel, which could neither
proceed nor get out from among them; and as they began continually to
break over the ship, the Admiral caused the main-sail to be lowered. She
proceeded thus during three hours, and made twenty miles. The sea became
heavier and heavier, and the wind more and more violent. Seeing the
danger imminent, he allowed himself to drift in whatever direction the
wind took him, because he could do nothing else. Then the Pinta, of
which Martin Alonzo Pinzon was the commander, began to drift also; but
she disappeared very soon, although all through the night the Admiral
made signals with lights to her, and she answered as long as she could,
till she was prevented, probably by the force of the tempest, and by her
deviation from the course which the Admiral followed." Columbus did not
see the Pinta again until she arrived at Palos. He was himself driven
fifty-four miles towards the northeast.
The journal continues. "After sunrise the strength of the wind
increased, and the sea became still more terrible. The Admiral all this
time kept his mainsail lowered, so that the vessel might rise from among
the waves which washed over it, and which threatened to sink it.
The Admiral followed, at first, the direction of east-northeast, and
afterwards due northeast. He sailed about six hours in this direction,
and thus made seven leagues and a half. He gave orders that every sailor
should draw lots as to who should make a pilgrimage to Santa Maria of
Guadeloupe, to carry her a five-pound wax candle. And each one took a
vow that he to whom the lot fell should make the pilgrimage.
"For this purpose, he gave orders to take as many dry peas as there were
persons in the ship, and to cut, with a knife, a cross upon one of them,
and to put them all into a cap, and to shake them up well. The first who
put his hand in was the Admiral. He drew out the dry pea marked with the
cross; so it was upon him that the lot fell, and he regarded himself,
after that, as a pilgrim, obliged to carry into effect the vow which he
had thus taken. They drew lots a second time, to select a person to go
as pilgrim to Our Lady of Lorette, which is within the boundaries of
Ancona, making a part of the States of the Church: it is a place
where the Holy
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