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.