that it was delicious to breathe it. The weeds appeared very fresh. Many
land birds, one of which they took, flying towards the southwest, also
grajaos, ducks and a pelican were seen."

This is not the account of a mutiny. And the discovery of Columbus's own
journal makes that certain, which was probable before, that the romantic
account of the despair of the crews was embroidered on the narrative
after the event, and by people who wanted to improve the story. It was,
perhaps, borrowed from a story of Diaz's voyage. We have followed the
daily record to show how constantly they supposed, on the other hand,
that they were always nearing land.

With the eleventh of October, came certainty. The eleventh is sometimes
spoken of as the day of discovery, and sometimes the twelfth, when they
landed on the first island of the new world.

The whole original record of the discovery is this: "Oct. 11, course
to west and southwest. Heavier sea than they had known, pardelas and a
green branch near the caravel of the Admiral. From the Pinta they see a
branch of a tree, a stake and a smaller stake, which they draw in, and
which appears to have been cut with iron, and a piece of cane. Besides
these, there is a land shrub and a little bit of board. The crew of
the Nina saw other signs of land and a branch covered with thorns and
flowers. With these tokens every-one breathes again and is delighted.
They sail twenty-seven leagues on this course.

"The Admiral orders that they shall resume a westerly course at sunset.
They make twelve miles each hour; up till two hours after midnight they
made ninety miles.