How truly old we are God
only knows!
The _Margarita_ sailed most badly. At San Juan that is the
neighbor great island to Hispaniola, council, two councils,
one following the other. Then said the Admiral, "We are
to find the Strait that shall at last carry us to clothed Asia
of all the echoes, and to find we have but four small ships
and one of them evidently doomed. And in that one sails
my brother. What is the Sovereigns' command? `Touch
not on your outward way at Hispaniola!' What is in their
mind here? `Hale and faring well, you have no need.'--
But if we are not hale and faring well by a fourth of our
enterprise? They never meant it to a drowning man, or
one whose water cask was empty! Being Christian, no!
We will put into San Domingo and ask of Don Nicholas de
Ovando a ship in place of the _Margarita_."
Whereat all cheered. We were gathered under palms,
upon a fair point of land in San Juan le Bautista. Next day
we weighed anchor, and in picture San Domingo rose before
us.
He felt no doubt of decent welcome, of getting his ship.
Fifteen sail had gone out with Ovando. Turn the cases
around, and he would have given Ovando welcome, he would
give him a good ship. How much more then Christopherus
Columbus! The enterprise was common in that all stood
to profit. It was royal errand, world service! So he thought
and sailed in some tranquillity of mind for San Domingo.
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