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COLUMBUS PLANNING THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

It is not strange the King was reluctant to give up any part of such valuable revenues and to concede such important privileges, especially as the new country might be larger than the mother country, and the representative of the King more powerful than the King himself—but Isabella was fully determined to recognize Columbus’ undertaking and would not listen to any objections. She said: “I will pledge my crown of Castile for the success of this scheme and my jewels also if sufficient money is not raised to carry it out.”

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Columbus was overjoyed at the success which at last crowned his efforts and at once began actively fitting out the necessary vessels. Those which the King placed at his disposal were so small and poorly built that no man but Columbus would have trusted himself in them upon a vast, unknown sea whose dangerous spots were uncharted. The vessel which he commanded was named the Santa Maria; the second, the Pinta; and the third, the Nina. The last two were hardly larger than good-sized boats. The little squadron was provided with subsistence for twelve months and ninety men.[12] The cost of the expedition was not more than 5300 ducats, a sum which at that time seemed so large to the impoverished Court that the whole undertaking might have been abandoned had it not been that the citizens of Palos provided two of the vessels, the King sending only one. At last all the preparations were made and the vessels lay at their anchors ready to sail.