Having taken such measures as seemed to him best, and left behind a president and council to administer affairs in his absence, Columbus took three caravels and proceeded on an exploring voyage. He set sail the 24th of April and steered westward. After touching at Monte Christi and La Navidad, he arrived on the 29th at the port of St. Nicholas, whence he beheld the extreme point of Cuba.*

Columbus sailed along the southern coast of Cuba twenty leagues, when he anchored in a harbour, to which, from its size, he gave the name of Puerto Grande, at present called Guantanamo. Then he continued westward and came to a harbour, which, it is probable, was the same at present called St. Jago de Cuba. On the 3d of May, after standing westward to a high cape, he turned south. He had not sailed many leagues before the blue summits of a vast and lofty island began to rise. He anchored in a harbour about the centre, to which he gave the name of Santa Gloria, and then coasted westward a few leagues to a harbour which he called Puerto Buene. Here there was a rencontre, in which, for the first time, a dog was used against the natives. To this island, Columbus gave the name of Santiago, but it has retained its original Indian name of Jamaica. After coasting it westward about twenty-four leagues farther, he approached the western extremity, when the breeze being fair for Cuba, he returned thither.†

On the 18th of May 1494, the squadron arrived at a great cape to which Columbus gave the name of Cubo de la Cruz, which it still retains. Resuming

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 1, p. 244 to 264.

† Id. p. 265 to 270.

his course to the west, he came on the following day to where the coast suddenly swept away to the northeast for many leagues, and then curved round again to the west, forming an immense bay, or rather gulf. The navigation was rendered difficult by numerous keys and sand banks. To this labyrinth of islands, Columbus gave the name of the Queen's Gardens. They were generally uninhabited; but on one of the largest, where they landed on the 22d of May, they found a considerable village. To this island, the admiral gave the name of Santa Maria. Having extricated himself from this archipelago, Columbus stood for a mountainous part of the island of Cuba, about fourteen leagues distant, where he landed at a large village on the 3d of June. Pursuing their voyage, the ships for the greater part of two days, swept along the open part of the coast, traversing the wide gulf of Xagua. Penetrating another labyrinth of islands, Columbus reached a low point of Cuba, to which he gave the name of Point Serafin; within which the coast swept to the east, forming a deep bay. After exploring this bay to the east, he continued westward, and proceeding about nine leagues, came to a shore where he had communications with the natives, one of whom he took as a guide. He had not gone far, before he was again involved in keys, shoals and sand banks. For several days he continued exploring the coast. As he proceeded, he found it took a general bend to the southwest. He went near that deep bay called by some the bay of Philipina, by others, of Cortes. All on board considered the extent they had coasted, too great for this to be an

island; they felt confident this land was a continent, and the further investigation of the coast was relinquished. Columbus stood to the southeast on the 13th of June. He soon came in sight of a large island, to which he gave the name of Evangelista; it is at present known as the island of Pines. He then stood to the south, but soon found himself enclosed in the lagoon of Siguanca. Leaving this lagoon, he retraced his course to the last anchoring place, and thence set sail on the 25th of June, navigating back through the groups of islands between Evangelista and Cuba. At length they emerged from the cluster of islands called the Jardins and Jardinellos, and came to the open part of the coast of Cuba. On the 7th of July, they anchored in the mouth of a fine river, to which Columbus gave the name of Rio de la Misa. Here he remained till the 16th. On the 18th, he reached Cape Cruz again.*

The wind being contrary for a return to Hispaniola, Columbus on the 22d of July, stood across for Jamaica, to complete the circumnavigation of that island. For nearly a month, he continued beating to the eastward along its southern coast. On the 19th of August, he lost sight of its eastern extremity, to which he gave the name of Cape Farol; it is called at present Point Morant. Steering eastward, he beheld on the following day, that long peninsula of Hispaniola, known by the name of Cape Tiburon. To this, he gave the name of Cape San Miguel. About the end of August, he anchored at a small island or rather rock called by him Alto Velo; it rises singly

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 1, p. 270 to 286.

out of the sea, opposite to a long cape, to which he gave the name of Cape Beata. For eight days he remained weather-bound in a channel opening between Hispaniola and a small island, to which he gave the name of Saona. On the 24th, he reached the eastern extremity of Hispaniola, to which he gave the name of Cape San Rafael; it is at present known as Cape Engano. Hence he stood to the southeast, touching at the island of Mona, situated between Hispaniola and Porto Rico. Reaching now a known and tranquil sea, the excitement which had sustained him during his exertions, became abated, and mind and body sunk exhausted. He fell into a deep lethargy, resembling death itself, and was borne in a state of insensibility to the harbour of Isabella.*

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 1, p. 286 to 292.

CHAPTER V.

Of the application of Columbus, through his brother Bartholomew, to Henry the Seventh of England; the arrival of Bartholomew at Hispaniola; and the meeting there of the two brothers in 1494.

When towards the end of 1484 Christopher. Columbus was about to leave Portugal, he engaged his brother Bartholomew to depart to England, with proposals to the monarch of that country.* If at this time the elder brother contemplated going to Spain, he may have feared that Ferdinand and Isabella, like the King of Portugal, would refuse to forward his enterprise, and desired to avoid the loss of time that there would be, if he delayed till such refusal to bring the subject to the notice of another prince. The ship in which Bartholomew sailed was, on its way, robbed by pirates. Owing to this, and his poverty and sickness away from home, the proposals intended to be made to the King of England, were not submitted to him for several years. At length, he published in London, in the year 1488, a Map of the World, with some Latin verses on it, which Ferdinand Columbus, the son of Christopher, has, in his father's Life set down, he says, "rather for their antiquity than for their goodness." They are inserted

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 1, p. 37 and 293.