After This, As The Admiral Was In His Cabin About Ten O'clock At Night, He
Saw A Light On Shore; But It Was So Unsteady That He Could Not Certainly
Affirm That It Came From Land.
He called to one Peter Gutierres and
desired him to try if he could perceive the same light, who
Said he did;
but one Roderick Sanchez of Segovia, on being desired to look the same way
could not see it, because he was not up time enough, as neither the
admiral nor Gutierres could see it again above once or twice for a short
space, which made them judge it to proceed from a candle or torch
belonging to some fisherman or traveller, who lifted it up occasionally
and lowered it again, or perhaps from people going from one house to
another, because it appeared and vanished again so suddenly. Being now
very much on their guard, they still held on their course until about two
in the morning of Friday the twelfth of October, when the Pinta which was
always far a-head, owing to her superior sailing, made the signal of
seeing land, which was first discovered by Roderick de Triana at about two
leagues from the ship. But the thirty crowns a-year were afterwards
granted to the admiral, who had seen the light in the midst of darkness, a
type of the spiritual light which he was the happy means of spreading in
these dark regions of error. Being now so near land, all the ships lay to;
every one thinking it long till daylight, that they might enjoy the sight
they had so long and anxiously desired[3].
When day light appeared, the newly discovered land was perceived to
consist of a flat island fifteen leagues in length, without any hills, all
covered with trees, and having a great lake in the middle. The island was
inhabited by great abundance of people, who ran down to the shore filled
with wonder and admiration at the sight of the ships, which they conceived
to be some unknown animals. The Christians were not less curious to know
what kind of people they had fallen in with, and the curiosity on both
sides was soon satisfied, as the ships soon came to anchor. The admiral
went on shore with his boat well armed, and having the royal standard of
Castile and Leon displayed, accompanied by the commanders of the other two
vessels, each in his own boat, carrying the particular colours which had
been allotted for the enterprize, which were white with a green cross and
the letter F. on one side, and on the other the names of Ferdinand and
Isabella crowned.
The whole company kneeled on the shore and kissed the ground for joy,
returning God thanks for the great mercy they had experienced during their
long voyage through seas hitherto unpassed, and their now happy discovery
of an unknown land. The admiral then stood up, and took formal possession
in the usual words for their Catholic majesties of this inland, to which
he gave the name of St Salvador.
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