In May, the Caribbean Sea stood at that season when the rainy days were drawing near but had not yet fully broken open. The sky often carried a damp brightness, clouds hanging low like sail-shadows not yet furled, while the sea wind swept over the boundless waters, raising streaks of sheen where deep blue and emerald green crossed. Sunlight poured down through gaps in the clouds, making the wave crests churn like shattered silver, and the reflecting islands lay scattered like stars.
At this time, the west wind had not yet settled firm, and the Northeast Trade Winds rose and fell by turns. Caravels with lateen sails could sail in every direction, but none could sail too fast. And when the long wind blew across the whole Caribbean Sea, the course of every sail could be known.
Three medium Caravels of the Kingdom of Castile, carrying seventy sailors and thirty-seven kingdom veterans, once again set out on an unknown voyage. Under Columbus's command, this fleet swiftly left Barbados and headed straight south to explore, escaping the slaughter in the northern Caribbean. With the help of the Northeast Trade Winds around the Windward Islands, the exploration fleet's speed southward remained very steady. In only six days, they had sailed more than nine hundred li, from 13 degrees north latitude to 9 degrees north latitude!
All the way south, they encountered no other islands midway, nor did they run into the troublesome Caribbean barbarians. After that, the incomparably vast and tranquil South American mainland, like a green horizon line, gave their voyage a bottom to rest upon. They sailed three or four hundred li along the coast and found no end to this "island," but instead saw a matchlessly mighty great river!
"Lord above! This? What is this?! How can there be