the world for
ever, and that nothing but water and waves awaited them in the west.

From the first day Columbus kept a very exact diary, which shows how
thoroughly he embraced Toscanelli's theory and how implicitly he relied
on his fellow-countryman's calculations. To his crews, however, he
represented the distance as short, so that their fears should not be
increased by the thought of the great interval that separated them from
the Old World. They became more anxious as days came and went, and still
nothing but boundless deserts of water spread in every direction.

After a week's sail their keels ploughed through whole fields of
floating seaweed, and Columbus pacified his men by the suggestion that
this was the first indication of their approach to land.

The _Santa Maria_ was a broad and clumsy vessel, really intended to
carry cargo. She was, therefore, a slow sailer, and the other two ships
usually took the lead. They were of more graceful build and had large
square sails, but were of barely half the tonnage of the flagship. But
all three kept together and were often so close that shouts could be
heard from one ship to the other. One day Pinzon, captain of the
_Pinta_, called out to Columbus that he had seen birds flying westwards
and expected to sight land before night. They therefore sailed
cautiously lest they should run aground, but all their apprehension
ceased when a sounding-line two hundred fathoms long, lowered through
the floating sea-wrack, failed to reach the bottom.

Their progress was stopped by several days of calm, and it was September
22 before the sea-weed came to an end and the vessels rolled again out
to the open bluish-green water.

Through hissing surge the _Santa Maria_ and her two consorts cut their
way due west. A more favourable breeze could not be wished. It was the
trade wind which filled their sails. The sailors were afraid of the
constant east wind, and when at length it veered round for a time,
Columbus wrote in his journal: "This head-wind was very welcome, for my
men were mightily afraid that winds never blew in these seas which would
take them back to Spain."

Toscanelli's map was sent backwards and forwards between Columbus and
Pinzon, and they wondered where they really were, and how far it was to
the islands of eastern Asia. On September 25, Pinzon ascended the poop
of the _Pinta_ and called out to Columbus, "I see land." Then he fell on
his knees with all his crew, and, wi