And then he sailed with his ships along shore looking for a safe harbor.
But the people in Santo Domingo put no faith in the Admiral's "probabilities." There will be no storm, the captains and the officers said.

If there should be our ships are strong enough to stand it.

The Admiral Columbus is getting to be timid as he grows older.

And in spite of the old sailor's warning, the big gold fleet sailed out of the harbor of Santo Domingo and headed for Spain.
But almost before they had reached the eastern end of the island of Hayti, the storm that Columbus had prophesied burst upon them.
It was a terrible tempest.

Twenty of the ships went to the bottom.