other European sailors of Columbus's day about a hundred years.

At the Canaries the troubles of Columbus commenced. And he did have a
lot of trouble before his voyage was over. While near the island called
the Grand Canary the rudder of the Pinta, in which Captain Alonso Pinzon
sailed, somehow got loose, then broke and finally came off. It was said
that two of the Pinta's crew, who were really the owners of the vessel,
broke the rudder on purpose, because they had become frightened at the
thoughts of the perilous voyage, and hoped by damaging their vessel to
be left behind.

But Columbus had no thought of doing any such thing. He sailed to the
island of Gomera, where he knew some people, and had the Pinta mended.
And while lying here with his fleet the great mountain on the island of
Teneriffe, twelve thousand feet high, suddenly began to spit out flame
and smoke. It was, as of course you know, a volcano; but the poor
frightened sailors did not know what set this mountain on fire, and they
were scared almost out of their wits' and begged the Admiral to go back
home. But Columbus would not. And as they sailed away from Gomera some
sailors told them that the king of Portugal was angry with Columbus
because he had got his ships from the king and queen of Spain, and that
he had sent out some of his war-ships to worry or capture Columbus.

But these, too, Columbus escaped, although not before his crews had
grown terribly nervous for fear of capture. At last they got away from
the Canaries, and on Sunday, the ninth of September, 1492, with a fresh
breeze filling their sails, the three caravels sailed away into the
West. And as the shores of Ferro, the very last of the Canary Islands,
faded out of sight, the sailors burst into sighs and murmurings and
tears, saying that now indeed they were sailing off--off--off--upon the