On the tenth of October the men made remonstrance, which has been exaggerated in history into a revolt.  It is said, in books of authority, that Columbus begged them to sail west only three days more.  But in the private journal of the tenth he says simply:  “The seamen complained of the length of the voyage.  They did not wish to go any farther.  The Admiral did his best to renew their courage, and reminded them of the profits which would come to them.  He added, boldly, that no complaints would change his purpose, that he had set out to go to the Indies, and that with the Lord’s assistance he should keep on until he came there.”  This is the only passage in the journal which has any resemblance to the account of the mutiny.

If it happened, as Oviedo says, three days before the discovery, it would have been on the eighth of October.  On that day the entry is, “Steered west southwest, and sailed day and night eleven or twelve leagues—­at times, during the night, fifteen miles an hour—­if the log can be relied upon.  Found the sea like the river at Seville, thanks to God.  The air was as soft as that of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it.  The weeds appeared very fresh.  Many land birds, one of which they took, flying towards the southwest, also grajaos, ducks and a pelican were seen.”

This is not the account of a mutiny.  And the discovery of Columbus’s own journal makes that certain, which was probable before, that the romantic account of the despair of the crews was embroidered on the narrative after the event, and by people who wanted to improve the story.  It was, perhaps, borrowed from a story of Diaz’s voyage.  We have followed the daily record to show how constantly they supposed, on the other hand, that they were always nearing land.

With the eleventh of October, came certainty.  The eleventh is sometimes spoken of as the day of discovery, and sometimes the twelfth, when they landed on the first island of the new world.

The whole original record of the discovery is this:  “Oct. 11, course to west and southwest.  Heavier sea than they had known, pardelas and a green branch near the caravel of the Admiral.  From the Pinta they see a branch of a tree, a stake and a smaller stake, which they draw in, and which appears to have been cut with iron, and a piece of cane.  Besides these, there is a land shrub and a little bit of board.  The crew of the Nina saw other signs of land and a branch covered with thorns and flowers.  With these tokens every-one breathes again and is delighted.  They sail twenty-seven leagues on this course.

“The Admiral orders that they shall resume a westerly course at sunset.  They make twelve miles each hour; up till two hours after midnight they made ninety miles.