Came from deck Roderigo Sanchez and Diego de Arana.
The Admiral made me a gesture of dismissal.
The Canaries and we drew together. Great bands of
cloud hid much of the higher land, but the volcano top came
clear above cloud, standing bare and solemn against blue
heaven. Leaving upon our right Grand Canary we stood for
the island of Gomera. Here we found deep, clear water
close to shore, a narrow strand, a small Spanish fort and
beginnings of a village, and inland, up ravines clad with a
strange, leafless bush, plentiful huts of the conquered
Guanches. Our three ships came to anchor, and the Admiral
went ashore, the captains of the _Pinta_ and the Nina following.
Juan Lepe was among the rowers.
The Spanish commandant came down to beach with an
armed escort. The Admiral, walking alone, met him between
sea and bright green trees, and here stood the two
and conversed while we watched. The Admiral showed him
letters of credence. The commandant took and read, handed
them back with a bow, and coming to water edge had presented
to him the two captains, Martin and Vicente Pinzon.
He proved a cheery old veteran of old wars, relieved that
we were not Portuguese nor pirates and happy to have late
news from Spain. It seemed that he had learned from a
supply ship in June that the expedition was afoot.
The _Santa Maria_ and the Nina rode close in shore.
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