of the bottom also made it
impossible for the vessels to find anchorage. The anchors dragged and
the water became more white and turbid. To the members of the crews
these phenomena caused great terror, which was by no means ill founded,
since there was imminent danger of the vessels being driven ashore and
wrecked. To Columbus, in his state of mental exaltation and high
expectancy, however, they were full of inspiration and encouragement to
proceed, indicating to him that he was entering strange regions where
extraordinary discoveries were to be made. For we must remember that,
far as he was in advance of his time in geographical vision, he still
thought that the earth was not globular but pear-shaped, and he expected
to find tribes of men with tails, and with only one eye and with their
heads growing beneath their shoulders!

Finding anchorage at last upon the shore of a small island, he sent the
smallest of his vessels forward to explore the archipelago and also to
visit the coast of the mainland. The report which was brought back to
him was that the archipelago was as dense and as intricate as the
Gardens of the Queen which they had left behind them, and that the
coast of the mainland was flat, marshy, and covered with almost
impenetrable mangrove forests, far beyond which fertile uplands and
mountain ranges were to be seen, while numerous columns of smoke
ascending gave token of a considerable population. At this the entire
expedition proceeded, to retrace the course which had been pursued by
the pilot caravel, and after much difficulty and occasional groundings
of the vessels, the coast of Cuba was reached, doubtless near the
eastern extremity of the great Zapata Peninsula. The vast marshes gave
little encouragement for landing, and the expedition continued eastward
until Punta Gorda was reached, to which Columbus gave the name of Punta
Serafina.

Rounding this point and heading northward, the fine expanse of Broa Bay
confronted them, with the coast of the Province of Havana far beyond,
and with another archipelago at the west. The mountains which lie between
Guines and Matanzas fringed the horizon, and toward them the Admiral
steered, presently reaching good anchorage off a most inviting coast. The
mangrove swamps of Zapata had been left behind, and here the shore was
high and dry, and covered with groves of palm and other trees. Here a
landing was made, and copious supplies of fresh water were found for the
re