From The Log of Christopher Columbus:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3.

Friday, August 3, 1492, at 8 o'clock we started from the bar of Saltes: we went with a strong sea-breeze 60 miles, which are 15 leagues, toward the south, until sunset: afterwards to the south-west and to the south, quarter south-west, which was the way to the Canaries.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4.

We went to the south-west, quarter south.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5.

We went on our way, more than 40 leagues between day and night.

MONDAY, AUGUST 6.

The helm of the caravel Pinta, upon which was Martin Alonso Pinzon, broke or became disjointed: this was believed and suspected to have been caused by ones Gomes Rascon and Cristo hal Quintero, who owned the caravel, because that voyage was displeasing to them. The Admiral says that before he left, they had discovered the aforesaid men concerned in certain plots and intrigues, as they say. The Admiral was greatly disturbed there, on account of not being able to aid the said caravel without endangering himself his own vessel and says that he became less anxious from knowing that Martin Alonso Pinzon was a brave and intelligent person: finally, between day and night they went 29 leagues.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7.

The helm of the Pinta again became disjointed and they repaired it and went in search of the island of Lanzarote, which is one of the Canary Islands, and they went 25 leagues between day and night.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8.

The pilots of the three caravels differed in opinions as to where they were, and the Admiral came nearest to the truth and wished to go to the Grand Canary to leave the caravel Pinta, as she was getting into bad condition on account of the helm and was leaking and he wished to obtain another caravel there, if one could be found. They could not make the Grand Canary that day.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9.

The Admiral was not able to reach Gomera until Sunday in the night, and Martin Alonso remained on that coast of the Grand Canary by order of the Admiral, because he was not able to navigate. Afterwards the Admiral reached Canaria (or Tenerife) and they repaired the Pinta very well, with much labour and great efforts on the part of the Admiral, Martin Alonso and the others: and finally they came to Gomera. They saw a great fire issue from the mountains of the island of Tenerife of which the greater part is very high. They made the sails of the Pinta round, as they were lateen sails. He returned to Gomera, Sunday, Sept 2, with the Pinta repaired.

The Admiral says that many honourable Spaniards, inhabitants of the island of Hierro, swore that they were on Gomera with Dofia Inez Peraza, mother of Guillen Peraza, who was afterward the first Count of Gomera, and that each year they saw land to the west of the Canaries {which is to the west} and others from Gomera affirmed the same thing under oath. The Admiral says here that he remembers that being in Portugal in the year 1484, a man came from the island of Madeira to the King to beg him for a caravel in order to go to this land I which he saw, which he swore he saw each year and always in the same manner: and he also says he remembers that the same was said in the Azores Islands, and that all were agreed as to the route, the appearance and size. Having then taken water and wood and meat, and the other things which the men had, whom the Admiral left on Gomera when he went to the Island of Canaria to repair the caravel Pinta, he finally set sail from the said island of Gomera with his three caravels on Thursday, Sept 6.

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