“The reward was afterwards adjudged to the admiral.”  This has often been alleged, and apparently with considerable reason, as a stain upon the name of Columbus.]

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COLUMBUS SHIPWRECKED.

On the morning of the 24th of December, Columbus set sail from Port St. Thomas before sunrise, and steered to the eastward, with an intention of anchoring at the harbour of the cacique Guacanagari.  The wind was from the land, but so light as scarcely to fill the sails, and the ships made but little progress.  At eleven o’clock at night, being Christmas eve, they were within a league or a league and a half of the residence of the cacique; and Columbus, who had hitherto kept watch, finding the sea calm and smooth, and the ship almost motionless, retired to rest, not having slept the preceding night.  He was, in general, extremely wakeful on his coasting voyages, passing whole nights upon deck in all weathers; never trusting to the watchfulness of others where there was any difficulty or danger to be provided against.  In the present instance he felt perfectly secure; not merely on account of profound calm, but because the boats on the preceding day, in their visit to the cacique, had reconnoitred the coast, and had reported that there were neither rocks nor shoals in their course.

No sooner had he retired, than the steersman gave the helm in charge to one of the ship-boys, and went to sleep.  This was in direct violation of an invariable order of the admiral, that the helm should never be intrusted to the boys.  The rest of the mariners who had the watch took like advantage of the absence of Columbus, and in a little while the whole crew was buried in sleep.  In the meantime the treacherous currents, which run swiftly along this coast, carried the vessel quietly, but with force, upon a sand-bank.  The heedless boy had not noticed the breakers, although they made a roaring that might have been heard a league.  No sooner, however, did he feel the rudder strike, and hear the tumult of the rushing sea, than he began to cry for aid.  Columbus, whose careful thoughts never permitted him to sleep profoundly, was the first on deck.  The master of the ship, whose duty it was to have been on watch, next made his appearance, followed by others of the crew, half awake.  The admiral ordered them to take the boat and carry out an anchor astern, to warp the vessel off.  The master and the sailors sprang into the boat; but, confused as men are apt to be when suddenly awakened by an alarm, instead of obeying the commands of Columbus, they rowed off to the other caravel, about half a league to windward.

In the meantime the master had reached the caravel, and made known the perilous state in which he had left the vessel.  He was reproached with his pusillanimous desertion; the commander of the caravel manned his boat and hastened to the relief of the admiral, followed by the recreant master, covered with shame and confusion.