72


Soon  the  ships  were  in  the  Roaring  Forties


FIRST  OF  ALL,  the  ships  made  for  the  Canary  Islands,  where  the  "Nina"  had
to  be  repaired.  Columbus  was  forced  to  travel  very  fast.  He  knew  that
three  Portuguese  men-of-war  were  trying  to  intercept  him.  The  Portuguese,  who
knew  more  about  the  road  to  the  Indies  than  anybody  else,  did  not  intend  to  let
a  foreigner  interfere  with  their  monopoly  and  they  hoped  to  prevent  Columbus
from  sailing  toward  the  West.  The  three  ships,  however,  managed  to  evade  their
enemies  and  soon  they  were  in  the  Roaring  Forties,  a  very  turbulent  part  of  the
ocean  between  the  fortieth  and  fiftieth  degrees  of  latitude.  Even  at  this  early
date  the  men  began  to  murmur  and  show  signs  of  discontent.  They  showed  by
their  behavior  that  they  took  no  stock  in  all  the  wild  dreams  of  their  Admiral.
They  accused  him  of  being  a  hungry  adventurer  who  was  only  thinking  of  himself.
