From Micah (year 2):
They saw many savages.
The sailors lost heart.
They sailed from Spain to India. Well, they were trying to get to India. But on the way they got to other Islands. White snow-birds came. So they thought land was near. At night, Columbus saw a light disappearing and re-appearing. I think that was a savage carrying it. The sailors wanted to throw Columbus overboard, because they wanted to go back home.
From Mom:
Columbus's ship left Spain, and as land went out of sight on the journey, the men cried, thinking they would never see their homes again. (Remember, they had been forced on this journey). They sailed for weeks and weeks. Columbus kept track of how far they had gone, but showed the men a track with much less distance than the real log, because he didn't want the men to know how far from home they were. The men grew discouraged and planned mutiny - to throw Columbus overboard and return home. But the Captain thought he spotted land, and everyone grew more cheerful. It was just a cloud however. They also saw seaweed and land birds, that made them think they were close to land, but they never got there. They were again discouraged and planning to toss out Columbus and return home, when Columbus himself spotted what looked like a light appearing and disappearing. Two other seamen verified that it was indeed a light, and at 2am the next morning, land was sighted, for real this time. Columbus was so pleased that he bowed his knees and prayed, and kissed the ground when they landed.
They came in search of gold, but all they found were natives, tobacco, potatoes, and a little gold. He was still convinced that he was off the shore of India, and kept going from Island to Island looking for India, or at least gold and spices. He was in fact, between North and South America, in the Islands that, because of his journey, called the "West Indies".
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