INSUBORDINATION OF MARINERS.

It may be mentioned here, that Martin Alonzo Pinzon had wilfully parted
company from the admiral while on the coast of Cuba: covetousness being
probably the cause of this most undutiful proceeding. But, indeed, there
is another instance of the insubordination of the mariners, which makes
the wonder only still greater how Columbus could have brought them across
the Atlantic at all.


WRECK OF ADMIRAL'S VESSEL.

One evening the admiral, after paying a visit to Guacanagari, seeing the
sea quite calm, betook himself to rest. As he had not slept for two days
and a night, it is probable his slumber was deep. Meanwhile, the
steersman, contrary to the distinct orders of the admiral, gave the helm
to a common sailor, a youth. All the sailors went to sleep. The sea was as
calm "as water in a dish." Little by little the ship drifted on to a
shoal. Directly they touch, the sailor-boy at the helm starts from his
dream, and gives the alarm. The admiral jumps up first (for the
responsibility of command seldom goes quite to sleep); then the officer
whose watch it ought to have been hurries up, and the admiral orders him
to lower the boat which they carried on the poop, and to throw out all
anchor astern. Instead of obeying the admiral, this cowardly villain, with
others like him, sprang into the boat and made off for the other vessel,
which was about half a league off. The other vessel would not receive
them, and they rowed back again. But it was too late. The admiral did what
he could in the emergency: he cut down the mast, lightened the vessel as