that their only seaworthy boat had been destroyed by the Indians. His own
boats were small and scarcely weathertight. But some of Quibia's family
who had been taken on board the squadron as prisoners, had made their
escape by swimming to the shore, three miles off; and this feat encouraged
a bold pilot of Seville, named Ledesma, who was on board the admiral's
caravel, to attempt a similar exploit. Never was bearer of reprieve for
the condemned more welcome. Ledesma communicated with the Adelantado, and
conveyed to the admiral intelligence of the desperate state of affairs.
The result was, that when in a few days the wind moderated, all the
settlers were taken on board the squadron, which now only consisted of
three ships, as it was found necessary to abandon the caravel which had
been left inside the harbour bar.

And there was no time to spare. The rough weather had severely tried the
crazy and worm-eaten vessels; and anxiety and want of rest were having
their effect on Columbus. Making his way first to Porto Bello, where he
was obliged to leave another caravel as no longer seaworthy, on the 31st
of May he quitted the coast at a point on the west of the Gulf of Darien,
and steered northward towards Cuba. A collision between his two remaining
ships rendered them still more unfit to cope with the squalls and breakers
of the Archipelago; but at last, in the middle of June, with his crews in
despair, nearly all his anchors lost, and his vessels worm-eaten so as to
be "as full of holes as a honey-comb," he arrived off the southern coast
of Cuba, where he obtained supplies of cassava bread from friendly
natives.



CHAPTER XII.