Chapter XII: Home Again.
Columbus set out on his return journey in January, but he was obliged to go very
slowly, because the wind was often against him, and because one of his vessels was
badly crippled. In the middle of February a terrible storm separated the two ships, and
Columbus, fearing his vessel would sink, and the news of his discovery perish with him,
wrote out two accounts of his journey. These were enclosed in cakes of wax, which were
put into empty casks. One of them was cast into the sea,
but the other was left on deck, so it could float off if the
boat sank.
The storm grew so fierce that Columbus and his men
vowed to go in procession to the first church they saw
after landing, and return thanks, if they were only
spared. When the storm-tossed navigators finally
reached the Azores, therefore, they tried to keep this
promise; but the people were so unkind that they imprisoned those who landed. Columbus
managed to recover his men, but on the way from those islands to Spain, another
tempest overtook him, and it was only after much tossing that the Niña at last reached
Portugal.
As soon as he landed, Columbus sent a messenger to Ferdinand and Isabella to an-nounce
his safe return, and the success of his undertaking. The very people who had
once made fun of him now eagerly listened to all he had to say, and their hearts were full
of envy at the thought that the newly discovered islands would belong to Spain, and not to Portugal. It is even said that some one basely proposed to murder Columbus and send
out ships to take possession of the land in the name of Portugal.
The king, however, would not consent, and Columbus,
sailing away again, finally entered the port of Palos,
whence he had started many months before. As soon as
the people heard that he had succeeded, they were almost
wild with joy, and rang all the bells in the city. One of the
Pinzons, who had hoped that Columbus’ vessel had gone
down in the storm, came into Palos just then with the
Pinta. He had intended to claim all the honors of the new
discovery, and was greatly disappointed when he found that Columbus had reached port
before him.
As the court was at Barcelona, Columbus immediately went there, with his Indians,
parrots, and other curiosities, and all along the road people came in crowds to stare at
him. They gazed in wonder at the Indians, who, in their turn, were bewildered by all the
strange sights they beheld.
The royal couple received Columbus in state, and, after he had bent the knee before
them in homage, made him sit down in their presence—a great honor—and relate his
adventures. Columbus gave them glowing descriptions of the new islands, told them he
had found the road to India, and promised that they should soon be rich. This news
caused such rejoicing that the royal couple went to give solemn thanks in the chapel.
Honors were now showered upon Columbus, who was welcomed and feasted everywhere.
In fact, people made such a fuss over him that some of the courtiers became jealous.
A story is told about one of these men who sneeringly remarked at a banquet that
even if Columbus had not discovered the road across the ocean, there were plenty of
brave Spaniards who could have done so. Columbus seemed to pay no special attention
to this taunt, but quietly taking an egg from a dish placed in front of him, he asked the
guests if they could make it stand on end. All tried, and failed. When they finally declared
the feat impossible, Columbus struck the egg on the table hard enough to break
its shell slightly. Then, leaving it standing there, he calmly said that everything was
equally easy—after you knew how to do it.
The news brought by Columbus made a sensation everywhere; but while all the people
were talking about his discoveries, he was actively preparing to cross the Atlantic
again, intending this time to reach India. Instead of three miserable little ships, and
very small crews, he now had a fleet of seventeen vessels, carrying about fifteen hundred
men.
The second expedition set sail in September, 1493, and, after stopping at the Canary
Islands, steered across the Atlantic to the eastern West Indies. There Columbus found a
fierce tribe of Caribs, of whose attacks the Indians had complained to him the year before.
The Spaniards explored these islands, lost their way at times in the forest, and once
came to the homes of some cannibal Caribs. When they saw a heap of human bones, left
over from a horrible feast, they shuddered with dread at the thought of falling into the
hands of these cruel men.
