While we stopped at Gornera we were at least not drifting upon lodestone, equator fire and chaos! Here on Gomera might be studied the three Pinzon brothers.

Vicente was a good, courageous captain, Francisco a good pilot, and a courageous, seldom-speaking man.

But Martin Alonso, the eldest, was the prime mover in all their affairs.

He was skillful navigator like his brothers and courageous like them, but not silent like Francisco, and ambitious far above either.

He would have said perhaps that had he not been so, been both ambitious and shrewd, the Pinzons would never have become principal ship-owning, trading and maritime family of Palos and three leagues around.