The fort was finished in ten days and Columbus selected forty-three men who were to garrison it under command of the nobleman, Diego de Cerana. He ordered them to render him absolute obedience to preserve the good-will of Guakanahari and his people in every way and to acquaint themselves with their language. The place where he left them he named La Navidad. After this, Columbus went on board the little vessel and on January 4, 1493, weighed anchor. A bold venture! In a small, unseaworthy vessel he determined to recross the vast and still little known ocean. To remove every vestige of doubt at the suspicious Court and convince the King of the truth of his discoveries, he took with him as evidence not only gold but several of the natives, besides unknown birds of various species. On his voyage eastward he kept his course for some time along the coast of Hispaniola to get a view of the adjacent region. On the second day he saw a vessel in the distance. He at once sailed in its direction and found it to be the vessel of the faithless Pinzon, of which he had had no trace for six weeks. Pinzon came on board and tried to convince Columbus it was all the fault of stormy weather which had driven him out to sea. Columbus knew this was false but, naturally magnanimous, he affected to believe it and took him into his favor, highly pleased that the results of his great discoveries no longer depended upon the safety of one small vessel. Pinzon also had been cruising along the coast of Hispaniola but in a different direction, bartering for gold. Chapter VIII The Return Voyage—Storm on the Way—Arrival at the Azores, Lisbon, and Palos A fresh west wind, which fortunately had sprung up, carried the vessels swiftly along and the joyful crews already fancied themselves in Spain telling their astonished listeners the story of the wonders of the New World. Then suddenly a storm cloud arose in the western sky. The storm rapidly approached. It grew darker and darker and the frightened sailors, in anxious expectancy of what might happen, stood around the deck watching the Admiral who, with his customary composure, issued the necessary orders.