Columbus was overjoyed at the success which at last crowned his efforts and at once began actively fitting out the necessary vessels. Those which the King placed at his disposal were so small and poorly built that no man but Columbus would have trusted himself in them upon a vast, unknown sea whose dangerous spots were uncharted. The vessel which he commanded was named the _Santa Maria_; the second, the _Pinta_; and the third, the _Nina_. The last two were hardly larger than good-sized boats. The little squadron was provided with subsistence for twelve months and ninety men.[12] The cost of the expedition was not more than 5300 ducats, a sum which at that time seemed so large to the impoverished Court that the whole undertaking might have been abandoned had it not been that the citizens of Palos provided two of the vessels, the King sending only one. At last all the preparations were made and the vessels lay at their anchors ready to sail. Before weighing anchor, however, Columbus considered it a duty to invoke the favor of the Creator of the ocean, the Creator and Ruler of all the earth, for the expedition which he had so much at heart, for it was also his purpose to spread the knowledge of the only true God in the ignorant wilderness whither Divine Providence was to conduct him. Accompanied by all his companions, Columbus went in solemn procession to a monastery in the vicinity of Palos and there publicly implored divine help, his seamen following his pious example. Then they returned, full of confidence in the Most High. The next morning, August 3, 1492, they set sail in God’s name amid the cheers of a great multitude of spectators. Columbus commanded the larger vessel, the _Santa Maria_, and the two brothers, Martin and Vicente Pinzon, the two smaller vessels. According to Columbus’ plans the fleet was to sail first to the Canaries, but on the second day out a slight accident happened which might have ruined the expedition if Columbus had been as weak as his superstitious comrades. The rudder of the _Pinta_ was broken, purposely, it is believed, by the helmsman, who was afraid of the voyage and hoped in this manner to force Columbus to go back. The crew declared that the accident foretold disaster. “We shall be lost,” they shouted, “if we do not go back at once.” “But why?” asked Columbus. “Why?” they replied. “Heaven has already shown clearly enough by this broken rudder that it will be disastrous if we do not abandon the undertaking at once.” “I really do not know,” answered Columbus, “how you have learned that this unexpected event is a sign of coming disaster. So far as I know, a broken rudder only means that we must mend it.” “The Admiral is a freethinker,” the seamen whispered to each other; “he does not believe in signs.”