s and boilings. Among our mariners many took fright. "What
is it? Are there witches? We are in a cauldron!"

Christopherus Columbus himself took the helm of the _Esperanza_. Many a
man in these times chose to doubt what kind of Viceroy he made, but no
man who ever sailed with him but at last said, "Child of Neptune, and
the greatest seaman we have!"

We outrode danger and came under land to a quiet anchorage, the _San
Sebastian_ and the _San Martin_ following us as the chickens the hen.
Still before us we saw that current ridge the sea. The Admiral stood
gazing upon the southward shore that hung in a dazzling haze. Now we
thought water, now we thought land. He called to a ship boy and the
lad presently brought him a pannikin of water dipped from the sea. The
Admiral tasted. "Fresh! It is almost fresh!"

He stood with a kindling face. "A river runs into sea from this land!
Surely the mightiest that may be, rushing forth like a dragon and
fighting all the salt water! So great a river could not come from an
island, no, not if it were twice as large as Hispaniola! Such a river
comes downward with force hundreds of leagues and gathers children to
itself as it comes. It is not an island yonder; it is a great main!"

We called the gulf where we were the Gulf of the Whale. Trinidad stood
on the one hand, the unknown continent on the other. After rest in
milky water, we set sail to cross the width of the Whale, and found
glass-green and shaken water, but never so piled and dangerous as at the
Mouth of the Serpent. So we came to that land that must be--we knew not
what! It hung low, in gold sunlight. We saw no mountains, but it was
covered with the mightiest forest.

Anchoring in smooth water, we took out boats and went ashore, and we
raised a cross. "As in Adam we all die, so in Christ we be alive!" said
the Admiral, and then, "What grandeur is in this forest!"

In truth we found trees that we had not found in our islands, and of an
unbelievable height and girth. Upon the boughs sat parrots, and we were
used to them, but we were not used to monkeys which now appeared, to
our mariners' delight. We met footprints of some great animal, and
presently, being beside a stream, we made out upon a mud bank those
crocodiles that the Indians call "cayman." And never have I seen so
many and such splendid butterflies. All this forest seemed to us of a
vastness, as the rivers were vast. There rang in our ears "New! New!"

And at last c