On its ramparts Columbus mounted the cannons he had saved from the wreck and named the fort La Navidad--that is, Fort Nativity, because it was made out of the ship that was wrecked on Christmas Day-the day of Christ's nativity, his birthday.
He selected forty of his men to stay in the fort until he should return from Spain.

The most of them were quite willing to do this as they thought the place was a beautiful one and they would be kept very busy filling the fort with gold.

Columbus told them they must have at least a ton of gold before he came back.

He left them provisions and powder for a year, he told them to be careful and watchful, to be kind to the Indians and to make the year such a good one that the king and queen of Spain would be glad to reward them.

And then he said good-by and sailed away for Spain.
It was on the fourth of January, 1493, that Columbus turned the little Nina homeward.