Martin's cherished goal; to be sure, there were no golden temples to be
seen, but Columbus, always hopeful, was willing to believe that these
lay farther inland, near the gold mines. Resolved to investigate on his
next voyage, he made accurate notes so as to find this same beautiful
harbor again. But the natives who gathered around explained, by signs,
that the island was small, and that there were no palaces or bridges.
While lingering here, the most remarkable thing happened; for another
European caravel led by another explorer entered! Of course it was the
_Pinta_ whose captain had been trying to find either Cipango or the
mainland. There was nothing for Martin to do but to appear friendly and
pretend that his ship had drifted away and got lost. Columbus accepted
the excuse, and both ships started direct for home. The last of the
Bahamas faded from sight that same day, January 16, and the two tiny
caravels were again the only moving objects on the vast, but no longer
unknown, Atlantic Ocean.

For nearly a month, that is, until February 13, the passage was calm and
monotonous; and as the _Pinta_ was in bad shape again every one was
relieved to find the weather so quiet; but on the 13th the wind rose and
rose till it lashed the sea into a fury. All day the sailors labored
with the angry waves that kept dashing over the decks; and all that
night the two lonely little ships kept signaling to each other until
they were swept too far apart. When day broke, the _Pinta_ was
nowhere to be seen and was sorrowfully given up for lost. But there was
no time to mourn; this day was even worse than yesterday, and the
Admiral and his sailors, after the custom of their time, made vows that
if only the Virgin would intercede with Heaven and save them, they would
make a pilgrimage to her shrine of Guadalupe, far north of Sevilla, or
go as penitents in procession to the first church they came to after
reaching land.