CHAP.
CHRISTOPHER
IV.]
COLUMBUS.
251
ther, about midnight on Saturday the 2d of March, the caravel was struck by a squall of wind, which rent all her sails, and, con tinuing to blow with resistless violence, obliged her to scud under bare poles, threatening her each moment with destruction.
In
this hour of darkness and peril, the crew again called upon the aid of Heaven.
A lot was cast for the performance of a bare
footed pilgrimage to the shrine of Santa Maria de la Cueva in Huelva, and, as usual, the lot fell upon Columbus. There was something singular in the recurrence of this circumstance.
Las
Casas devoutly considers it as an intimation from the Deity to the admiral that these storms were all on his account, to humble his pride, and prevent his arrogating to himself the glory of a discovery which was the work of God, and for which he had merely been chosen as an instrument.* Various signs appeared of the vicinity of land, which they supposed must be the coast of Portugal: the tempest, however, increased to such a degree, that they doubted whether any of them would survive to reach a port. The whole crew made a vow, in case their lives were spared, to fast upon bread and water the follow ing Saturday.
The turbulence of the elements was still greater
in the course of the following night.
The sea was broken, wild,
and mountainous; at one moment the light caravel was tossed high in the air, and the next moment seemed sinking in a yawning abyss.
The rain at times fell in torrents,—and the lightning
flashed and thunder pealed from various parts of the heavens. In the first watch of this fearful night, the seamen gave the usually welcome cry of land, but it now only increased the gene ral alarm.
They knew not where they were, nor where to look
for a harbor; they dreaded being driven on shore, or dashed upon * Las Casas, Hist. Ind., lib. i. cap. 73.