The Discovered America
It is August 3, 1492.A new day begins In a busy' Spanish harbor. Three ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the santa Maria are starting out to see. Someday these ships will be famous People will know their names five hundred years later. But the men on board cannot even imagine that. They are afraid of getting lost. The ocean is a great mystery. How big is it? How long will it take to cross it? What is on the other side? Will they ever get back to Spain? Christopher Columbus is not afraid of getting lost. He is the captain of the Santa Maria and the leader of the voyage. Columbus knows a lot about the sea He is a navigator and a mapmaker .Now he dreams of becoming an explorer, too. The rulers Of Spain Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand believe in Columbus, They are paying for his trip, Columbus promises to find a new route from Spain to the Far East, India, China, Japan-the Indies! Lands of gold and valuable spices! If he succeeds, Spain Will be rich, Columbus knows the world is round, Why not travel to the Far East by sailing west? But the world is bigger than Columbus thinks. And there is something else Columbus doesn't know. Two huge continents lie in his way. Nobody in Europe knows they are there. Soon the sailors cannot see land. Now they are really afraid. What if the wind stops blowing? The ships have no motors. What if there is a storm? The ships are small and made only of wood. What if they run out of food? They cannot go back for more. What if they are in danger? They cannot radio for help. But the wind blows steadily. The sea is calm, The Ships are loaded with food and water and spare wood. In fact, so much is stored below, the sailors must sleep on deck. There are ninety men in all—about thirty on each ship. Most are sailors, but there is also a doctor, a carpenter, a goldsmith, and an interpreter who speaks Arabic. There are even some boys to help the sailors. Weeks and weeks go by .Now everyone is tired and scared. Tired of eating salt meat. Tired of seeing nothing but ocean. Tired Of being stuck on a tiny ship, blazes across the sky, The sailors watch it fall. Is it a warning sign? Should they turn back? Are they going to die? But Columbus knows it is just a meteor. Sail on!" he tells them One morning the sailors see another strange sight. A blanket of seaweed covers the ocean, Will the Ships get stuck? The sailors are afraid, But not Columbus And on they go They have been at sea for almost two whole months. Where is the land Columbus promised? Columbus points to the birds flying overhead. He points to the leafy branches floating in the water. Land must be nearby! More days go by. The sailors complain loudly. Who cares about finding a new route to the Indies? They just want to stay alive. Columbus must turn back now! If he does not, they will throw him overboard! Columbus begs them to wait. Just three more days, he says. The first night goes by. On the second night, the lookout on the Pinta sees something ahead. The moonlight is reflecting offa sandy beach. Land! Land!" he shouts. The message is sent from ship to ship. It is October 12, 1492. As the sun rises every one can see an island. This must be the Far East! Three boats go ashore, The sailors are so happy to be on land, they kiss the sand There are people on the island, Columbus calls them Indians because he thinks he has reached the Indies. He names the island San Salvador He says it now belongs to Spain. But the island really belongs to the people who live there. The Indians have never seen men with swords Why have they come? What will they do? Columbus gives the Indians shiny beads and tiny bells. The Indians give Columbus soft, cool cloth and colorfúl birds. People in Europe do not have cotton or parrots. The Indians are wearing gold rings. Columbus asks questions with his hands. Where does the gold come from? The Indians do not understand. Columbus sails further west to look for gold. He visits other islands. He meets more Indians.
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