He addressed himself to their passions with all the variety of management
that the situation would admit, sometimes by soothing them with the
prognostics of approaching land, sometimes by flattering their ambition and
feasting their avarice with the glory and wealth they would acquire from
discovering the rich countries beyond the Atlantic, and sometimes by
threatening them with the displeasure of their king, should their
disobedience defeat so great an object. But every argument soon lost its
effect; and their uneasiness still increased. From secret whisperings it
arose to open mutiny and dangerous conspiracy. At length they determined to
rid themselves of the remonstrances of Columbus by throwing him into the
sea. The infection spread from ship to ship, and involved officers as well
as sailors. They finally lost all sense of subordination and addressed
their commander in an insolent manner, demanding to be conducted
immediately back to Spain; or, they assured him, they would seek their own
safety by taking away his life.

Columbus, whose sagacity had discerned every symptom of the disorder, was
prepared for this last stage of it; and was sufficiently apprized of the
danger that awaited him. He found it vain to contend with passions he could
no longer control. He therefore proposed that they should obey his orders
for three days longer; and should they not discover land in that time, he
would then direct his course for Spain. They complied with his proposal;
and, happily for mankind, in three days they discovered land. This was
a small island, to which he gave the name of San Salvador. His first
interview with the natives was a scene of compassion on the one part and
astonishment on the other, but highly interesting to both. The natives were
entirely naked, simple and timorous; and they viewed the Spaniards as a
superior order of beings descended from the sun; which, in that island and
in most parts of America, was worshipped as a Deity. By this it was easy