e
caravel _Nina_ also saw signs of land, and a small branch covered with
berries.[108-2] Every one breathed afresh and rejoiced at these signs.
The run until sunset was 27 leagues.

After sunset the Admiral returned to his original west course, and they
went along at the rate of 12 miles an hour. Up to two hours after
midnight they had gone 90 miles, equal to 22-1/2 leagues. As the caravel
_Pinta_ was a better sailer, and went ahead of the Admiral, she found the
land, and made the signals ordered by the Admiral. The land was first
seen by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana.[109-1] But the Admiral, at ten
o'clock, being on the castle of the poop,[109-2] saw a light, though it
was so uncertain that he could not affirm it was land. He called Pero
Gutierrez, a gentleman of the King's bed-chamber, and said that there
seemed to be a light, and that he should look at it. He did so, and saw
it.[109-3] The Admiral said the same to Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, whom
the King and Queen had sent with the fleet as inspector, but he could see
nothing, because he was not in a place whence anything could be seen.
After the Admiral had spoken he saw the light once or twice, and it was
like a wax candle rising and falling. It seemed to few to be an
indication of land; but the Admiral made certain that land was close.
When they said the _Salve_, which all the sailors were accustomed to sing
in their way, the Admiral asked and admonished the men to keep a good
look-out on the forecastle, and to watch well for land; and to him who
should first cry out that he saw land, he would give a silk doublet,
besides the other rewards promised by the Sovereigns, which were 10,000
maravedis to him who should first see it.[109-4] At two hours after
midnight the land was sighted at a distance of two leagues. They
shortened sail, and lay by under the mainsail without the bonnets.

[_Friday, 12th of October_]

The vessels were hove to, waiting for daylight; and on Friday they
arrived at a small island of the Lucayos, called in the language of the
Indians, Guanahani.[110-1] Presently they saw naked people. The Admiral
went on shore in the armed boat, and Martin Alonso Pinzon, and Vicente
Yanez, his brother, who was captain of the _Nina_. The Admiral took the
royal standard, and the captains went with two banners of the green
cross, which the Admiral took in all the ships as a sign, with an F and a
Y[110-2] and a crown over each letter, one on one side of th