It is in no way strange that the demands of Columbus should have been thought excessive; indeed, the wonderful thing is that they should, under any circumstances, have been agreed to.  Here was a man, to all appearances a penniless adventurer, asking for honors, dignities and rewards which any grandee of Spain might have envied him.  That they should have been granted was due to the impulsive sympathy of Isabella and the indifference of her royal consort, who said neither yes nor no; though, in the light of subsequent events, it is not improbable that the thought may have crossed his mind that royal favor may always be withdrawn, and that the hand which gives may also take away.

But though Columbus had triumphed in this particular, his trials were by no means at an end.  The little port of Palos was commanded by royal order to furnish the new Admiral with two small vessels known as caravels.  This was soon done, but no sailors were willing to embark on such a voyage, the maddest in all history.  Only by the most extreme measures, by impressment and the release of criminals willing to accompany the expedition in order to get out of jail, were crews finally provided.  A third small vessel was secured, and on the morning of Friday, August 3, 1492, this tiny fleet of three boats, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina, whose combined crews numbered less than ninety men, sailed out from Palos on the grandest voyage the world has ever known.

The shore was lined with people weeping and wringing their hands for the relatives and friends whom they were sure they should never see again, and most of the sailors were certain that they were bidding farewell forever to their native land.  Even at the present day, few men would care to undertake such a voyage in such ships.  The two little caravels, Nina and Pinta, were decked only at stern and prow.  The Santa Maria was but little larger, her length being only about sixty feet, and all three of the vessels were old, leaky, and in need of frequent repairs.

The map which Toscanelli had given Columbus years before showed Japan lying directly west of the Canaries, so to the Canaries Columbus steered his fleet, and then set forth westward into the unknown.  By a fortunate chance, it was the very best route he could have chosen, for he came at once into the region of the trade winds, which, blowing steadily from the east, drove the vessels westward day after day over a smooth sea.  But this very thing, favorable as it was, added greatly to the terror of the men.  How were they to get back to Spain, with the wind always against them?  What was the meaning of a sea as smooth as their own Guadalquiver?  They implored Columbus to turn back; but to turn back was the last thing in his thoughts.  An opportune storm helped to reassure his men by proving that the wind did not always blow from the east and that the sea was not always calm.