let from himself.

After this, as the admiral was in his cabin, about ten o'clock at night,
he saw a light on shore; but it was so unsteady that he could not
certainly affirm that it came from land. He called to one Pedro Gutierrez
and desired him to try if he could perceive the same light, who said he
did; but one Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, on being desired to look the
same way, could not see it, because he was not up time enough, as neither
the admiral nor Gutierrez could see it again above once or twice for a
short space, which made them judge it to proceed from a candle or torch
belonging to some fisherman or traveller, who lifted it up occasionally
and lowered it again, or perhaps from people going from one house to
another, because it appeared and vanished again so suddenly. Being now
very much on their guard, they still held on their course until about two
in the morning of Friday, October 12th, when the Pinta, which was always
far ahead, owing to her superior sailing, made the signal of seeing land,
which was first discovered by Rodrigo de Triana at about two leagues from
the ship. But the thirty crowns a year were afterward granted to the
admiral, who had seen the light in the midst of darkness, a type of the
spiritual light which he was the happy means of spreading in these dark
regions of error. Being now so near land, all the ships lay to, everyone
thinking it long till daylight, that they might enjoy the sight they had
so long and anxiously desired.

When daylight appeared, the newly discovered land was perceived to
consist of a flat island fifteen leagues in length, without any hills,
all covered with trees, and having a great lake in the middle. The island
was inhabited by great abundance of people, who ran down to the shore
filled with wonder and admiration at the sight of the ships, which they
conceived to be some unknown animals. The Christians were not less
curious to know what kind of people they had fallen in with, and the
curiosity on both sides was soon satisfied, as the ships soon came to
anchor. The admiral went on shore with his boat well armed, and having
the royal standard of Castile and Leon displayed, accompanied by the
commanders of the other two vessels, each in his own boat, carrying the
particular colors which had been allotted for the enterprise, which were
white with a green cross and the letter F on one side, and on the other
the names of Ferdinand and Isabella crowned.

The whole