CHAPTER SIX. THIRD VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS--A.D. 1498. Columbus, after many delays, fits out another squadron, and sails on his third voyage, 30th May, 1498--Touches at Gomara--Retakes a prize to a French privateer--Off the Cape de Verdes--Sends three of his ships to Hispaniola, and steers south-west with the remainder--Long becalmed-- Steers west and sights Trinidad--Sees mainland of South America--Natives come off--Alarmed by music--A bore threatens to destroy the ships-- Enters the Serpent's Mouth--Sails up the Gulf of Paria--Mistakes the promontory for an island--Anchors at the mouth of the river--Natives come off--Pearls seen among them--Large quantities procured--Passes through the Dragon's Mouth--Natives seen fishing for pearls--Three pounds weight obtained--His eyesight failing, steers for Hispaniola-- Makes the land fifty leagues more to the west than he had expected-- Reaches Isabella--Disastrous state of the settlement--Bobadilla sent out to supersede Columbus--Summoned to Isabella--Columbus and his brothers sent in chains to Spain--Arrival--Reaction in his favour--Honourably received at Court--Ovando sent out to supersede Bobadilla--The belief of Columbus that a passage into the Indian Ocean was to be found--Obtains authority to fit out another fleet. It was not without numerous wearying delays that Columbus at length succeeded in getting another squadron fitted out to prosecute his discoveries. He at length obtained six vessels, with which he set sail on the 30th of May, 1498. Having heard that a French squadron was cruising off Cape Saint Vincent, he first stood to the south-west, touching at the islands of Porto Santo and Madeira, and then continued his course to the Canary Islands. As he approached Gomara on the 19th of June, he saw at anchor a French privateer with two Spanish prizes. The former put to sea in all haste, followed by her prizes, one of which had only four men on board, besides six Spanish prisoners. Though he sent three of his vessels in pursuit, the privateer and one of the prizes escaped, but the six Spaniards on board the other, rising on their captors, she was retaken and brought back to the port. Leaving Gomara, Columbus dispatched three of his ships to carry supplies to Hispaniola, and with the three remaining vessels prosecuted his voyage towards the Cape de Verde Islands. Though suffering from sickness, he continued to keep his reckoning and make his observations with his usual minuteness.