First voyage: The Great Canary--Gomera--Magnetic variation--Symptoms of revolt--Land, land--San Salvador--Taking possession--Conception-- Fernandina or Great Exuma--Isabella, or Long Island--The Mucaras-- Cuba--Description of the island--Archipelago of Notre-Dame-- Hispaniola or San Domingo--Tortuga Island--The cacique on board the _Santa-Maria_--The caravel of Columbus goes aground and cannot be floated off--Island of Monte-Christi--Return--Tempest--Arrival in Spain--Homage rendered to Christopher Columbus. During the first day's voyage, the admiral--the title by which he is usually known in the various accounts of his exploits--bearing directly southwards, sailed forty-five miles before sunset; turning then to the south-east, he steered for the Canaries, in order to repair the _Pinta_, which had unshipped her rudder, an accident caused perhaps by the ill-will of the steersman, who dreaded the voyage. Ten days later Columbus cast anchor before the Great Canary Island, where the rudder of the caravel was repaired. Nineteen days afterwards he arrived before Gomera, where the inhabitants assured him of the existence of an unknown land in the west of the Archipelago. He did not leave Gomera until the 6th of September. He had received warning that three Portuguese ships awaited him in the open sea, with the intention of barring his passage; however, without taking any heed of this news, he put to sea, cleverly avoided meeting his enemies, and steering directly westward, he lost all sight of land. During the voyage the admiral took care to conceal from his companions the true distance traversed each day; he made it appear less than it really was in the daily abstracts of his observations, that he might not add to the fear already felt by the sailors, by letting them know the real distance which separated them from Europe. Each day he watched the compasses with attention, and it is to him we owe the discovery of the magnetic variation, of which he took account in his calculations. The pilots, however, were much disturbed on seeing the compasses all "north-westers," as they expressed it. [Illustration: Christopher Columbus on board his caravel.]