When many times upon the _Santa Maria_ and as often on the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_ some one had cried "Land!" and the ships been put in commotion and the land melted into air before our eyes, and another as plausible island or coast formed before us only to vanish, despair seized us again.

Witchcraft and sorcery and monstrous ignorance, and fooled to our deaths! "West--west--west!" till the west was hated.

The Pinzons thought we should change course.

If there were lands we were leaving them in the north where hung the haze.

But the Madman or the Black Magician, our Italian Admiral, would not hear good advice! It was Gutierrez's word, under his breath when the Admiral was in earshot, and aloud when he was not.