Martin Alonso has in fact shown himself at last in his true colours. He
has got the fastest ship, he has got a picked company of his own men from
Palos; he has got an Indian on board, moreover, who has guaranteed to
take him straight to where the gold is; and he has a very agreeable plan
of going and getting it, and returning to Spain with the first news and
the first wealth. It is open mutiny, and as such cannot but be a matter
of serious regret and trouble to the Admiral, who sits writing up his
Journal by the swinging lamp in his little cabin. To that friend and
confidant he pours out his troubles and his long list of grievances
against Martin Alonso; adding, "He has done and said many other things
to me." Up on deck the torch is burning to light the wanderer back
again, if only he will come; and there is "a nice little breeze" by which
to come if he wishes; but Martin Alonso has wishes quite other than that.


The Pinta was out of sight the next morning, and the little Nina was all
that the Admiral had to rely upon for convoy. They were now near the
east end of the north coast of Cuba, and they stood in to a harbour which
the Admiral called Santa Catalina, and which is now called Cayo de Moa.
As the importance of the Nina to the expedition had been greatly
increased by the defection of the Pinta, Columbus went on board and
examined her. He found that some of her spars were in danger of giving
way; and as there was a forest of pine trees rising from the shore he was
able to procure a new mizzen mast and latine yard in case it should be
necessary to replace those of the Nina. The next morning he weighed
anchor at sunrise and continued east along the coast. He had now arrived
at the extreme end of Cuba, and was puzzled as to what course he should
take. Believing Cuba, as he did, to be the mainland of Cathay, he would
have liked to follow the coast in its trend to the south-west, in the