seen that the most faint-hearted took courage. The men had already
noticed great flocks of land-birds flying toward the west, as if to
guide them. Now some of the men on one vessel saw a branch of a
thorn-bush float by. It was plain that it had not long been broken
off from the bush, and it was full of red berries.

But one of the crew on the other vessel found something better even
than the thorn-branch; for he drew out of the water a carved
walking-stick. Every one saw that such a stick must have been cut
and carved by human hands. These two signs could not be doubted. The
men now felt sure that they were approaching the shore, and what was
more, that there were people living in that strange country.


12. Discovery of land.--That evening Columbus begged his crew to keep
a sharp lookout, and he promised a velvet coat to the one who should
first see land. All was now excitement; and no man closed his eyes
in sleep that night.

Columbus himself stood on a high part of his ship, looking steadily
toward the west. About ten o'clock he saw a moving light; it seemed
like a torch carried in a man's hand. He called to a companion and
asked him if he could see anything of the kind; yes, he, too, plainly
saw the moving light, but presently it disappeared.

Two hours after midnight a cannon was fired from the foremost vessel.
It was the glad signal that the long-looked-for land was actually
in sight. There it lay directly ahead, about six miles away.

[Illustration: Map showing the direction in which Columbus sailed