And the discovery of Columbus's own journal makes that certain, which was probable before, that the romantic account of the despair of the crews was embroidered on the narrative after the event, and by people who wanted to improve the story.

It was, perhaps, borrowed from a story of Diaz's voyage.

We have followed the daily record to show how constantly they supposed, on the other hand, that they were always nearing land.
With the eleventh of October, came certainty.

The eleventh is sometimes spoken of as the day of discovery, and sometimes the twelfth, when they landed on the first island of the new world.
The whole original record of the discovery is this: "Oct.

11, course to west and southwest.