On the twenty-second, to the Admiral’s relief, there was a head wind; for the crew began to think that with perpetual east winds they would never return to Spain.  They had been in what are known as the trade winds.  On the twenty-third the smoother water gave place to a rough sea, and he writes that this “was favorable to me, as it happened formerly to Moses when he led the Jews from Egypt.”

The next day, thanks to the headwinds, their progress was less.  On the twenty-fifth, Pinzon, of the Pinta, felt sure that they were near the outer islands of Asia as they appeared on the Toscanelli map, and at sunset called out with joy that he saw land, claiming a reward for such news.  The crews of both vessels sang “Glory to God in the highest,” and the crew of the little Nina were sure that the bank was land.  On this occasion they changed from a western course to the southwest.  But alas! the land was a fog-bank and the reward never came to Martin Pinzon.  On the twenty-sixth, again “the sea was like a river.”  This was Wednesday.  In three days they sailed sixty-nine leagues.  Saturday was calm.  They saw a bird called “‘Rabihorcado,’ which never alights at sea, nor goes twenty leagues from land,” wrote the confident Columbus; “Nothing is wanting but the singing of the nightingale,” he says.

Sunday, the thirtieth, brought “tropic-birds” again, “a very clear sign of land.”  Monday the journal shows them seven hundred and seven leagues from Ferro.  Tuesday a white gull was the only visitor.  Wednesday they had pardelas and great quantities of seaweed.  Columbus began to be sure that they had passed “the islands” and were nearing the continent of Asia.  Thursday they had a flock of pardelas, two pelicans, a rabihorcado and a gull.  Friday, the fifth of October, brought pardelas and flying-fishes.

We have copied these simple intimations from the journal to show how constantly Columbus supposed that he was near the coast of Asia.  On the sixth of October Pinzon asked that the course might be changed to the southwest.  But Columbus held on.  On the seventh the Nina was ahead, and fired a gun and hoisted her flag in token that she saw land.  But again they were disappointed.  Columbus gave directions to keep close order at sunrise and sunset.  The next day he did change the course to west southwest, following flights of birds from the north which went in that direction.  On the eighth “the sea was like the river at Seville,” the weeds were very few and they took land birds on board the ships.  On the ninth they sailed southwest five leagues, and then with a change of wind went west by north.  All night they heard the birds of passage passing.