Perhaps as much more was borrowed from King Ferdinand, although he was to have no share in the enterprise in which Queen Isabella and Columbus were partners.
It was just an hour before sunrise on Friday, the third of August, 1492, that the three little ships hoisted their anchors and sailed away from the port of Palos.

I suppose it was a very sorry and a very exciting morning in Palos.

The people probably crowded down on the docks, some of them sad and sorrowful, some of them restless and curious.

Their fathers and brothers and sons and acquaintances were going--no one knew where, dragged off to sea by a crazy old Italian sailor who thought there was land to be found somewhere beyond the Jumping-off place.

They all knew he was wrong.