It pleased God, when Columbus was no longer able to withstand the discontents and mutinous spirit of his men, that in the afternoon of Thursday the 11th of October 1492, he was comforted by manifest tokens of approaching land. A green rush was seen to float past his own ship, and a green fish of that kind which is known to be usually near rocks. Those of the Pinta saw a cane and a staff, and took up another curiously carved, and a piece of board, and many weeds were seen, evidently fresh torn from the shore. The people on board the Ninna saw similar tokens, and a branch of thorn with its berries, that seemed to have been recently torn from the bush. All these were strong indications of being near land; besides which the lead now found a bottom and brought up sand; and the wind became unsteady, which was thought to proceed from the nearness of the land. From all these signs, Columbus concluded that he was now certainly near the land he was in search of; and when night came, after evening prayer he made a speech to his men, setting forth the infinite goodness of God, who had conducted them in safety through so long a voyage. He then gave orders, that they should lay to and watch all night; since they well knew that the first article of their sailing instructions was, that, after sailing seven hundred leagues without finding land, they should not make sail between midnight and day-break; and he was almost confident they would make the land that night. On purpose farther to rouse their vigilance, besides putting them in mind of the promised annuity of 10,000 maravedies from the king to him who might first see land, he engaged to give from himself a velvet doublet to the discoverer.

About ten o'clock at night of Thursday the 11th October 1492, as Columbus was sitting on the poop of his vessel, he espied a light; on which he privately called upon Peter Gutierrez, a groom of the kings privy chamber, and desired him to look at the light, which he said he saw. He then called Roderigo Sanchez de Segovia, inspector of the fleet, who could not discern the light; but it was afterwards seen twice, and looked like a candle which was lifted up and then held down; so that Columbus had no doubt of it being a real light on land, and it afterwards turned out to have been a light carried by some people who went from one house to another.

About two the next morning, the caravel Pinta, being always foremost, made a signal of seeing land, which was first descried by a sailor named Roderick de Triana, and was then about two leagues distant. But the annuity of 10,000 maravedies, promised in reward to him who should first discover land, was afterwards decreed by their majesties to belong to the admiral, and was always paid him from the rents of the shambles of Seville; because he saw the light in the midst of darkness; typical of the spiritual light they were bringing among those barbarous people: For God so ordered it, that, as soon as the wars with the Moors of Granada were ended, after 720 years from their first coming into Spain, this great work should begin; by which the crown of Castile and Leon might be continually employed in the good work of bringing infidels to the knowledge of the Catholic faith.

When day appeared, on Friday the 12th October, they perceived a flat island, fifteen leagues in length, covered with wood, abundantly supplied with good water, having a fresh lake in the middle, and full of people. The natives stood on the shore in great admiration of the ships, which they believed to be some monstrous unknown animals, and were as impatient to be better informed respecting them, as the Spaniards were to go on shore. The admiral went on shore in his boat well manned, and having the royal standard displayed, accompanied by the two captains of the other ships, Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and Vincent Yannez Pinzon, in their own boats carrying the peculiar colours of the enterprize, being a green cross with several crowns, and inscribed with the names of their Catholic majesties. On landing they all fell upon their knees, kissing the ground, and returned thanks to the Almighty for his merciful guidance and protection. The admiral then stood up, and named the island San Salvador or St Saviour; but by the inhabitants it was called Guanahani. This first discovered land in the new world, being one of the islands afterwards called Lucayos or Bahamas, is 950 leagues from the Canary islands108, and was discovered after 33 days sail109. Columbus took formal possession of the country for the crown of Castile and Leon, in presence of the notary Roderick de Escoveda, being surrounded by great numbers of the natives. All the Spaniards now acknowledged him as admiral and viceroy, taking an oath to obey him, as representing the sovereign in those parts; and they did this with all that pleasure and alacrity which may easily be imagined to have actuated them on this successful occasion, all begging pardon for the trouble they had given him through their pusillanimous and irresolute conduct during the voyage.

Perceiving that the natives, who were called Indians by the Spaniards, were a simple and peaceable people, who stood gazing with admiration at the Christians, wondering at their beards, complexion, and cloaths, the admiral gave them some red caps, glass beads, and other baubles, which they received eagerly and seemed to prize much; while the Spaniards were no less surprised to behold the appearance and behaviour of this new people. The admiral returned on board, followed by many Indians, some by swimming, and others in boats called canoes, made out of one piece of timber, like troughs or trays. The Indians brought along with them clews of cotton-yarn, parrots, javelins pointed with fish bones, and some other things, which they bartered for glass toys, hawks-bells and such trifles, with which they were highly pleased, and even set a high value on broken pieces of glazed earthern ware, plates, and poringers. All the natives, both men and women, were entirely naked like man in the state of innocence, the greater number being under thirty years of age, though some were old. They wore their hair down to their ears, some few to their necks, tied with a string in the nature of tresses. Their countenances and features were good; yet having extraordinarily broad foreheads, gave some appearance of deformity to their appearance. They were of a middle stature and well shaped, having their skins of an olive colour, like the natives of the Canaries; but some were painted white, some black, and others red; most of them in different parts of their bodies, but some only on their faces, round the eyes, or on their noses. They were quite ignorant of our weapons; for on being shewn swords, they ignorantly laid hold of the edge. They knew nothing of iron, but used sharp stones for working in wood. Being asked by signs, how they came by some scars that were observed upon some of them, they made the Spaniards understand that the people of some other islands came occasionally to make them prisoners, and that they had been wounded in defending themselves. They had very voluble tongues, and appeared of quick apprehension, and easily repeated any words they heard spoken. The only living creatures that were seen among them were parrots.

On the next day, being the 13th October, many Indians came off to the ships in their canoes, most of which carried forty or even fifty men, and some were so small as only to hold one. Their oars were formed like a bakers peel, with which they rowed, or paddled rather, as if digging with a spade. Though easily overset, the Indians were excellent swimmers, and easily turned their canoes up, again, after which they laded the water out with calabashes, which they carried with them for that purpose. They brought much cotton on board to barter with the Spaniards, and some of them gave as many clews as weighed a quarter of a hundred weight in exchange for a small brass Portuguese coin called centis, worth less than a farthing. These people were never satisfied with gazing on the Spaniards, and used to kneel down and hold up their hands, as if praising God for their arrival, and were continually inviting each other to go and see the men who had come from heaven. They wore no jewels, nor had they any other thing of value, except some little gold plates which hung at their noses. Being asked whence they had this gold, they answered by signs that they procured it from the southwards, where there was a king, who had abundance of that metal. The ships were never clear of Indians, who, as soon as they could procure a bit of any thing, were it only a fragment of a broken earthen dish, went away well pleased and swam ashore with their acquisition, offering whatsoever they possessed for the meanest trifle. Thus the whole day was spent in trading, their generosity in giving being occasioned by the value they set upon what they received in return, as they looked upon the Spaniards as people come from heaven, and were therefore desirous of something to keep in remembrance of them. At night they all went on shore. On the morning of the 14th the admiral took a survey of all the coast to the north-west in the boats, the natives following along the shore, offering provisions, and calling to each other to come and see these heavenly men; others followed in canoes, and some by swimming, holding up their hands in admiration, asking by signs if the Christians did not come from heaven, and inviting them to come on shore to rest themselves. The admiral gave to all strings of glass beads, pins, or other toys, being much pleased to see the simple innocence of the natives. He continued the survey till he came to a ridge of rocks inclosing a spacious harbour, where a strong fort might have been built, in a place almost surrounded by water. Near that harbour there was a village of six houses, surrounded by abundance of trees, which looked like gardens. As the men were wearied with rowing, and the land did not appear sufficiently inviting to make any stay, Columbus returned to the ships; and having heard of other lands, he resolved to go in search of them.