on its reverse side the famous couplet which excluded Aragon from a
share in the discovery:--

A Castilla y a Leon
Nuevo mundo dio Colon.

To Castile and to Leon
Columbus gave a new world.

The great moment having come when a Spanish sovereign cried out, "Bring
the man back! The thing shall be done!" it was done. Columbus, on
hearing these things from the messengers, turned his mule back to
Granada. The necessary papers were drawn up to provide ships and men;
also, an order creating Christopher Columbus, or Cristobal Colon as he
was called in Spain, Admiral and Viceroy, and granting all the other
demands he had made in the event of his voyage being successful. Even
the reluctant Ferdinand now fell in with his wife's schemes and signed
the order along with her.

The preparing of these papers took some time. Columbus had returned to
Granada in late December, 1491, and it was not until April 17 the
following year that "the greatest paper monarch ever put pen to" was
signed. The fact that it refers to discoveries _already made_ and
discoveries to be made in the Ocean Sea is our strongest reason for
believing that the pilot's story had been laid before the sovereigns.
Christopher's long years of uncertainty were ended; the man's great
perseverance had won out at last; and the weary petitioner who, some
months before, had ridden doubtingly forth from La Rabida now rode back,
bursting with joy, to fall on the good prior's neck and weep out his
gratitude.