THE
barks.
C O M P A N I O N S OF C O L U M B U S .
41
The storm passed away, and the firmament was again
serene; but the mariners remained tossing about in confusion, dismayed by the turbulence of the waves and the strange aspect of the heavens.
They looked in vain to the south for some polar
star by which to shape their course, and fancied that some swelling prominence of the globe concealed it from their view. They knew nothing as yet of the firmament of that hemisphere, nor of that beautiful constellation the southern cross, but expected to find a guiding star at the opposite pole, similar to the cynosure of the north. Pinzon, however, who was of an intrepid spirit, pursued his course resolutely to the west, and after sailing about two hundred and forty leagues, and being in the eighth degree of southern latitude, he beheld land afar off on the 28th of January, to which he gave the name of Santa Maria de la Consolation, from the sight of it having consoled him in the midst of doubts and per足 plexities.
It is now called Cape St. Augustine, and forms the
most prominent part of the immense empire of Brazil. The sea was turbid and discolored as in rivers, and on sound足 ing they had sixteen fathoms water.
Pinzon landed, accompanied
by a notary and witnesses, and took formal possession of the ter足 ritory for the Castilian crown ; no one appeared to dispute his pretensions, but he observed on the beach the print of footsteps, of gigantic size. At night there were fires lighted upon a neighboring part of the coast, which induced Pinzon on the following morning to send forty men well armed to the spot.
A band of Indians, of about
equal number, sallied forth to encounter them, armed with bows and arrows, and seemingly of extraordinary stature.
A still
greater number were seen in the distance, hastening to the sup足 port of their companions. The Indians arrayed themselves for