The other two ships, as we have seen, were commanded by the Pinzon
brothers; and they, being natives of Palos, had secured all the
respectable Palos men who were willing to enlist; but Columbus had only
the worst element--the jail-birds and loafers from other towns. And here
they stood, saying plainly by their manner, "We are going back! What are
you going to do about it?"

We don't know exactly what he did do about it; Martin Alonzo Pinzon sent
him advice to "hang a few of the rebels; and if you can't manage to hang
them, I and my brothers will row to your ship and do it." But
Christopher appears to have handled the situation without their help,
and without hanging any one; for soon the helmsman swung the _Santa
Maria_ around again. On October 10 trouble broke out afresh, and
Columbus makes this entry in his diary:--

"The crew, not being able to stand the length of the voyage, complained
to me, but I reanimated them."

By October 10 the voyage had lasted some seventy days! No wonder the
crew needed to be "reanimated." Yet, there were the birds flying out to
them, bringing their message of hope, if only the poor frightened men
could have had more faith! The Pinzons meanwhile were having less
trouble; for when their sailors wished to turn back because nothing had
been found seven hundred and fifty leagues west of the Canaries, Martin
Alonzo told them all the absurd tales he had read about Cipango, and
promised them, if only they went ahead, that its wealth would make their
fortune. This appears to have hushed their murmuring; but Christopher
had no such flowery promises to hold forth.

Martin Pinzon, having observed a few days before that most of the birds