sterly
gale of many days' duration, a piece of strange wood, wrought, but not
with iron; Pedro Correa, Columbus's own brother-in-law, was said to have
seen another such waif at Porto Santo, with great canes capable of
holding four quarts of wine between joint and joint, and to have heard
of two men being washed up at Flores "very broad-faced, and differing in
aspect from Christians." West of Europe, now and then, men fancied there
hove in sight the mysterious islands of St Brandan, of Brazil, of
Antillia or of the Seven Cities. In his northern journey, too, some
vague and formless traditions may have reached the explorer's ear of the
voyages of Leif Ericson and Thorfinn Karlsefne, and of the coasts of
Markland and Vinland. All were hints and rumours to bid the bold mariner
sail towards the setting sun, and this he at length determined to do.

Quest of a patron.

The concurrence of some state or sovereign, however, was necessary for
the success of this design. Columbus, on the accession of John II. of
Portugal, seems to have entered the service of this country, to have
accompanied Diego d'Azambuja to the Gold Coast, and to have taken part
in the construction of the famous fort of St George at El Mina
(1481-1482). On his return from this expedition, he submitted to King
John the scheme he had now matured for reaching Asia by a western route
across the ocean. The king was deeply interested in the rival scheme (of
an eastern or south-eastern route round Africa to India) which had so
long held the field, which had been initiated by the Genoese in 1291,
and which had been revived, for Portugal, by Prince Henry the Navigator;
but he listened to the Genoese, and referred him to a committee of
council for geographical affairs. The council's report was adverse; but
the king, who was yet inclined to favour the theory of Columbus,
assented to the suggestion of the bishop of Ceuta that the plan should
be carried out in secret and without its author's knowledge. A caravel
was despatched; but it returned after a brief absence, the sailors
having lost heart, and refused to venture farther. Upon discovering
this treachery, Columbus left Lisbon for Spain (1484), taking with him
his son Diego, the only issue of his marriage with Felipa Moniz, who was
by this time dead. He departed secretly;--according to some writers, to
give the slip to King John; according to others, to escape his
creditors.

Columbus next betook himself to the s