Alonzo  Pinzou  and  other  eminent  navigators  at


name  implied  it — "Christ- bearer;"  and  hear-
ing that  the  Sultan  of  Egypt  intended  to  de-
stroy the  sepulchre  of  JesuS,  he  recorded  a  vow
that  he  would  devote  the  proceeds  of  his  ex-
plorations to  the  rescue  of  that  holy  place  from
destruction.  He  urged  his  suit  with  eloquence,
but  the  queen's  confessor  opposed  the  demands
of  Columbus,  and  he  left  Granada— just  con-
quered from  the  Moors — ^for  France.  A  more
enlightened  civil  officer  at  court  remonstrated,
and  the  qneen  sent  for  him  to  return.  Ferdi-
nand said  their  wars  had  so  exhausted  the  treas-
ury that  money  could  not  be  spared  for  the  en-


COLUMBUS


276


COLUMBUS


terprbe.  .The  queen  declared  that  she  would
pledge  her  crowu  jewels,  if  necessary,  to  supply
the  money,  and  would  uiulurtake  tlie  enterprise
for  her  own  crown  of  Castile.  (See  Isabella.)
An  agreement  was  signed  by  their  majesties
and  Columbus  at  Santa  F^,  April  17,  1492,  by
which  he  and  his  heirs  should  forever  have  the
office  of  admiral  over  all  lauds  be  might  discov-
er, with  bouors  equal  to  those  of  Grand  Admiral
of  Castile ;  that  he  should  be  viceroy  and  gov-
ernor-general over  the  same ;  that  he  should  re-
ceive one  tenth  of  all  mineral  and  other  prod-
ucts that  might  be  obtained ;  that  he  and  his
lieutenants  should  be  the  sole  judges  in  all  dis-
put«s  that  might  arise  between  his  jurisdiction
and  Spain,  and  that  he  might  advance  one


LA^^DiNG  OP  COLCMBUS.     {From  an  Ancient  itanuscript)

eighth  ill  any  venture,  and  receive  it  corre-
sponding share  of  the  profits.  He  was  also
anthorized  to  enjoy  the  title  of  Don,  or  noble.
