ded Columbus's history as viceroy
and governor of the new Indies which he had presented to the country of
his adoption.

Fourth voyage.

His hour of rest, however, was not yet come. Ever anxious to serve their
Catholic highnesses, "and particularly the queen," he had determined to
find a strait through which he might penetrate westwards into Portuguese
Asia. After the usual inevitable delays his prayers were granted, and on
the 9th of May 1502, with four caravels and 150 men, he weighed anchor
from Cadiz, and sailed on his fourth and last great voyage. He first
betook himself to the relief of the Portuguese fort of Arzilla, which
had been besieged by the Moors, but the siege had been raised before he
arrived. He put to sea westwards once more, and on the 15th of June
discovered the island of Martinino (probably St Lucia). He had received
positive instructions from his sovereigns on no account to touch at
Hispaniola; but his largest caravel was greatly in need of repairs, and
he had no choice but to abandon her or disobey orders. He preferred the
latter alternative, and sent a boat ashore to Ovando, asking for a new
ship and for permission to enter the harbour to weather a hurricane
which he saw was coming on. But his requests were refused, and he
coasted the island, casting anchor under lee of the land. Here he
weathered the storm, which drove the other caravels out to sea, and
annihilated the homeward-bound fleet, the richest that had till then
been sent from Hispaniola. Roldan and Bobadilla perished with others of
the admiral's enemies; and Fernando Columbus, who accompanied his father
on this voyage, wrote long afterwards, "I am satisfied it was the hand
of God, for had they arrived in Spain they had never been punished as
their crimes deserved, but rather been favoured and preferred."

After recruiting his flotilla at Azua, Columbus put in at Jaquimo and
refitted his four vessels; and on the 14th of July 1502 he steered for
Jamaica. For several days the ships wandered painfully among the keys
and shoals he had named the Garden of the Queen, and only an opportune
easterly wind prevented the crews from open mutiny. The first land
sighted (July 30th) was the islet of Guanaja, about 40 m. east of the
coast of Honduras. Here he got news from an old Indian of a rich and
vast country lying to the eastward, which he at once concluded must be
the long-sought-for empire of the grand khan. Steering along the coast
of Ho