Its irreligious tendency was pointed out by the Spanish ecclesiastics, and condemned by the Council of Salamanca; its orthodoxy was confuted from the Pentateuch, the Psalms, the Prophecies, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the writings of the Fathers--St.Chrysostom, St.Augustine, St.Jerome, St.Gregory, St.
Basil, St Ambrose.
At length, however, encouraged by the Spanish Queen Isabella, and substantially aided by a wealthy seafaring family, the Pinzons of Palos, some of whom joined him personally, he sailed on August 3, 1492, with three small ships, from Palos, carrying with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Grand-Khan of Tartary, and also a chart, or map, constructed on the basis of that of Toscanelli.

A little before midnight, October 11, 1492, he saw from the forecastle of his ship a moving light at a distance.

Two hours subsequently a signal-gun from another of the ships announced that they had descried land.

At sunrise Columbus landed in the New World.
On his return to Europe it was universally supposed that he had reached the eastern parts of Asia, and that therefore his voyage bad been theoretically successful.

Columbus himself died in that belief.