After the islands came
mainland. "Cathay" ran the writing. "Mangi. Here
is the seat of the Great Khan. His city is Cambalu." South
of all this ran other drawings and other legends. "Here,
opposite Africa, near the equator, are islands called Manillas.
They have lodestone, so that no ship with iron can sail to
them. Here is Java of all the spices. Here is great India
that the ancients knew."
"We are bearing toward Cipango," said the Admiral. "I
look first for small outward islands, where perhaps the folk
are uncouth and simple, and there is little gold."
And again days passed. When many times upon the
_Santa Maria_ and as often on the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_ some
one had cried "Land!" and the ships been put in commotion
and the land melted into air before our eyes, and another
as plausible island or coast formed before us only to
vanish, despair seized us again. Witchcraft and sorcery and
monstrous ignorance, and fooled to our deaths! "West--
west--west!" till the west was hated. The Pinzons thought
we should change course. If there were lands we were
leaving them in the north where hung the haze. But the
Madman or the Black Magician, our Italian Admiral, would
not hear good advice! It was Gutierrez's word, under his
breath when the Admiral was in earshot, and aloud when
he was not. "Our Italian--our Italian! Why did not
Italy keep him? And Portugal neither would have him!
Castile, the jade, takes him up!"
Then after absence began again the signs.
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