He started from the port of Palos, first for the Canary Islands.

These he left on the 6th September, and steered due west.

On the 13th of that month, Columbus observed that the needle of the compass pointed due north, and thus drew attention to the variability of the compass.
By the 21st September his men became mutinous and tried to force him to return.

He induced them to continue, and four days afterwards the cry of "Land! land!" was heard, which kept up their spirits for several days, till, on the 1st October, large numbers of birds were seen.

By that time Columbus had reckoned that he had gone some 710 leagues from the Canaries, and if Zipangu were in the position that Tostanelli's map gave it, he ought to have been in its neighbourhood.