at
the southwest was not far off. The change of direction was probably
fortunate. If he had persisted in keeping on the parallel, 720 miles
would have brought him to the coast of Florida, a little south of Cape
Malabar. After the change he had but 505 miles of water before him, and
the temper of the sailors was growing more dangerous with every
mile,[516]--until October 11, when the signs of land became
unmistakable, and the wildest excitement prevailed. A reward of 10,000
maravedis had been promised to the person who should first discover
land, and ninety pair of eyes were strained that night with looking.
About ten o'clock the Admiral, standing on the tower-like poop of his
vessel, saw a distant light moving as if somebody were running along
the shore with a torch. This interpretation was doubted, but a few
hours later a sailor on the Pinta saw land distinctly, and soon it was
visible to all, a long low coast about five miles distant. This was at
two in the morning of Friday, October 12,[517]--just ten weeks since
they had sailed from Palos, just thirty-three days since they had lost
sight of the coast of Ferro. The sails were now taken in, and the ships
lay to, awaiting the dawn.

[Footnote 516: The often-repeated story that a day or two
before the end of the voyage Columbus capitulated with his
crew, promising to turn back if land were not seen within three
days, rests upon the single and relatively inferior authority
of Oviedo. It is not mentioned by Las Casas or Bernaldez or
Peter Martyr or Ferdinand Columbus, and it is discredited by
the tone of the Admiral's journal, which shows as unconquerable
determination on the last day of the voyage as on any previous
day. Cf. Irving, vol. i. p. 187.]

[Footnote 517: Applying the Gregorian Calendar, or "new style,"
it becomes the 21st. The four hundredth anniversary will
properly fall on October 21, 1892.]

* * * * *

[Sidenote: The crews go ashore.]

At daybreak the boats were lowered and Columbus, with a large part of
his company, went ashore. Upon every side were trees of unknown kinds,
and the landscape seemed exceedingly beautiful. Confident that they must
have attained the object for which they had set sail, the crews were
wild with exultation. Their heads were dazed with fancies of princely
fortunes close at hand. The offic