Columbus, who was probably never far from the shore at Funchal when a ship came into the harbour, happened to see them.

Struck by their appearance, and finding them in a quite destitute and grievously invalid condition, he entertained them in his house until some other provision could be made for them.

But they were quite worn out.

One by one they succumbed to weakness and illness, until one only, a pilot from Huelva, was left.

He also was sinking, and when it was obvious that his end was near at hand, he beckoned his good host to his bedside, and, in gratitude for all his kindness, imparted to him some singular knowledge which he had acquired, and with which, if he had lived, he had hoped to win distinction for himself.
The pilot's story, in so far as it has been preserved, and taking the mean of four contemporary accounts of it, was as follows.