All these tokens of land proving vain, the fears of the men increased, and they now began to mutter openly that the admiral proposed to make himself great at the expence of their lives; and, having now done their duty by venturing farther than any men had ever done before, they ought not to seek their own destruction by sailing onwards to no purpose; for, if they should expend all their provisions, they would have none to serve them on the homeward voyage; and the vessels, being already crazy, would never hold out; so that no one would blame them for returning, and they would be the more readily believed at home, as the admiral had met with much opposition at court.  Some even went the length of proposing to throw him overboard, to end all controversy, and to give out that he had fallen accidentally into the sea while observing the stars.  Thus the men inclined more and more to mutiny from day to day, which greatly perplexed Columbus; who sometimes soothed them with fair words, and at other times curbed their insolence with menaces; often enumerating the increasing signs of land, and assuring them they would soon find a wonderfully rich country, where all their toils would be amply rewarded.  They thus continued so full of care and trouble that every day seemed a year, till on Tuesday the 29th September, Vincent Yannez Pinzon, while conversing with Columbus, called out Land!  Land! “Sir, I demand my reward for this news.”  He then pointed to the S.W. and shewed something that looked like an island, about 25 leagues from the ships.  Though this was afterwards believed to have been a concerted matter between the admiral and him, yet it was then so pleasing to the men that they gave thanks to God; and the admiral pretended to believe it till night, steering his course in that direction to please the men.

Next morning, what seemed land turned out only clouds or a fog bank, which often looks like land; and with much discontent the course was again altered due west, and so continued while the wind was favourable.  This day, Wednesday 26th, they saw a gull, a water-wagtail, and other birds.  Next morning another gull flew past from the west towards the east, and they saw many fishes called dorados, or gilt-heads, some of which were struck with harpoons.  Another water-wagtail passed very near the ships; and the currents were observed not to run in so strong a body as before, but to change with the tides; and there were fewer weeds.  Friday 28th September, they saw many dorados, and on Saturday a water-wagtail, which is a species of sea bird that never rests, but perpetually pursues the gulls till they mute for fear, which the other catches in the air.  Of these there are great numbers about the Cape Verde islands.  Soon after many gulls appeared, and numbers of flying fishes.  In the afternoon, many weeds were seen stretching from north to south, also three gulls and a water-wagtail pursuing them.  The men constantly allowed that