To him and his successor, John the Second, Columbus explained the probability of success, and each of them, as it would seem, had confidence in it.
But King John made the great mistake of intrusting Columbus's plan to another person for experiment.

He was selfish enough, and mean enough, to fit out a ship privately and intrust its command to another seaman, bidding him sail west in search of the Indies, while he pretended that he was on a voyage to the Cape de Verde Islands.

He was, in fact, to follow the route indicated by Columbus.

The vessel sailed.

But, fortunately for the fame of Columbus, she met a terrible storm, and her officers, in terror, turned from the unknown ocean and returned to Lisbon.