e it lay directly ahead, about six miles away.

[Illustration: Map showing the direction in which Columbus sailed
on his great voyage across the ocean.]

Then Columbus gave the order to furl sails, and the three vessels
came to a stop and waited for the dawn. When the sun rose on Friday,
October 12th, 1492, Columbus saw a beautiful island with many trees
growing on it. That was his first sight of the New World.

13. Columbus lands on the island and names it; who lived on the
island.--Attended by the captains of the other two vessels, and by
their crews, Columbus set out in a boat for the island. When they
landed, all fell on their knees, kissed the ground for joy, and gave
thanks to God. Columbus named the island San Salvador[14] and took
possession of it, by right of discovery, for the king and queen of
Spain.

[Illustration: LANDING OF COLUMBUS.]

He found that it was inhabited by a copper-colored people who spoke
a language he could not understand. These people had never seen a
ship or a white man before. They wore no clothing, but painted their
bodies with bright colors. The Spaniards made them presents of
strings of glass beads and red caps. In return they gave the Spaniards
skeins of cotton yarn, tame parrots, and small ornaments of gold.

After staying here a short time Columbus set sail toward the south,
in search of more land and in the hope of finding out where these
people got their gold.

[Footnote 14: San Salvador (San Sal-va-dor'): meaning the Holy
Redeemer or Saviour.]

14. Columbus names the group of islands and their people.--As
Columbus sailed on, he saw many islands in every direction. He
thought that they must be a part of the Indies which he was seeking.
Since he had reached them by coming west from Spain, he called them
the West Indies, and to the red men who lived on them he gave the
name of Indians.

15. Columbus discovers two very large islands; his vessel is wrecked,
and he returns to Spain in another.--In the course of the next six
weeks Columbus discovered the island of Cuba. At first he thought
that it must be Japan, but afterward he came to the conclusion that
it was not an island at all, but part of the mainland of Asia.

Next, he came to the island of Hayti,[15] or San Domingo.[16] Here
his ship was wrecked. He took the timber of the wreck and built a
fort on the shore. Leaving about forty of his crew in this fort,
Columbus set sail for Palos in one of the two remaining