Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-08-27
CHAPTER ".

The situation of Columbus was daily
 becoming more and more critical. In
 proportion as he approached the regions
 where he expected to find land the impa-
 tience of his crews augmented. The fa-
 vOrable signs which increased his conf
 dence were derided by them as delusive.
 and there was danger of their rebelling and Obliging tIm to turn back when on
 the point of realizing the object of all
 his labOrs. They beheld themselves with dismay still waited onward over the
 boundless wastes of what appeared to them a mere watery desert surrounding the habitaDle world. What was to be- come of them should their provisions fail? Their ships were too weak and de-
 fective even for the great voyage they had already made, but if they were still to press forward, adding at every mo- ment to the immense expanse behind them, how should they ever be able to return, having no intervening port where they might victual and refit.
 In this way they fed each others discontents, gathering together in little knots and fomenting spirit of mutinous opposition; and when we consider the natural fire of the Spanish temperament and its impatience of control, and that a great part of these men were sailing on compulsion, we cannot wonder that there was imminent danger of their breaking forth into open rebellion and compelling Columbus to turn back. In their secret conferences they exclaimed against him as desperado. bent, in a mad phantasy, upon doing something extravagant to render himself notorious. What were their sufferings and dangers to one evil dently content to sacrifice his own life for the chance of distinction? What obii- gations bound them to continue on with him. or when were the terms of their agreement to be considered as fulfilled? They had already penetrated unknown seas. untraversed by sail. far beyond where man had ever before ventured They had done enough to gain them selves a character for courage and hardi- hood in undertaking such an enterprise and persisting in it so far. How much farther were they to go in quest of a merely conjectured land? Were they to sail on until they perished or until all return home became impossible? In such case they would be the authors of their own destruction.
 On the other hand, should they con- suit their safety and turn back before too late, who would blame them? Any complaints made by Columbus would be of no weight; he was a foreigner, with out friends or influence; his schemes had been condemned by the learned and dis cOuntenanced by people of all ranks. He had no party to uphold him, and host of opponents whose pride of opinion would be gratiied by his failure Or, as an effectual means of preventing his complaints, they might throw him into the sea and give out that he had fallen overheard while busy with his instru- ments contemplating the stars, a report which no one would have either the in- clinatlOn or the means to controvert.
 Columbus was not ignorant of the mutinOus disposition of his crew, but he still maintained a serene and steady soothing some with gentle words, endeavOring to stimulate the pride or avarice of others, and openly menacinS the refractory with signal pun lshment should they do anything to i'm pede the voyage.
 On the 25th of September the wind again became favorable, and they were able to resume their course directly to the west. The airs being light and the sea calm the vessels sailed near to each other, and Columbus had much conver- sation with Martin AlonzO Pinzon OH the subject of a chart, which the former had sent three days before on board of