return." In short, the best thing would be to throw him into the sea
some night, and make a story that he had fallen, into the water while
taking the position of a star with his astrolabe; and no one would ask
any questions, as he was a foreigner. They carried this talk to the
Pinzons, who listened to them; after all, we have not had to wait long
for trouble with the Pinzons! "Of these Pinzons Christopher Columbus
complains greatly, and of the trouble they had given him."

There is only one method of keeping down mutiny at sea, and of preserving
discipline. It is hard enough where the mutineers are all on one ship
and the commander's officers are loyal to him; but when they are
distributed over three ships, the captains of two of which are willing to
listen to them, the problem becomes grave indeed. We have no details of
how Columbus quieted them; but it is probable that his strong personality
awed them, while his clever and plausible words persuaded them. He was
the best sailor of them all and they knew it; and in a matter of this
kind the best and strongest man always wins, and can only in a pass of
this kind maintain his authority by proving his absolute right to it.
So he talked and persuaded and bullied and encouraged and cheered them;
"laughing with them," as Las Casas says, "while he was weeping at heart."


Probably as a result of this unpleasantness there was on the following
day, Tuesday, September 25th, a consultation between: Martin Alonso
Pinzon and the Admiral. The Santa Maria closed up with the Pinta, and a
chart was passed over on a cord. There were islands marked on the chart
in this region, possibly the islands reported by the shipwrecked pilot,
possibly the island of Antilla; and Pinzon said he thought that they were
somewhere in the region of them, and the Admiral said that he thought so
too. There was a deal of talk and pricking of positions on charts; and