"Stood off and on during the night, determining not to come to anchor till morning, fearing to meet with shoals; continued our course in the morning; and as the island was found to be six or seven leagues distant, and the tide was against us, it was noon when we arrived there"
- Christopher Columbus
About this Quote
The quote from Christopher Columbus describes a mindful method taken by the explorer and his team during a nighttime maritime maneuver. In this context, "stood off and on throughout the night" recommends that Columbus and his crew kept a range from the coastline or a specific point of interest, likely the island pointed out, as they sailed backward and forward through the night. The primary reason for this caution was to prevent the threats of running aground on shoals, which are shallow areas of the sea that position a considerable hazard to ships' navigation. Anchoring in unknown waters during nighttime would have been risky, due to the restricted exposure and potential for mistakes in judgment, hence the decision to wait till daylight to make additional progress.
The next part of the quote, "continued our course in the morning," suggests that at daybreak, the team resumed their journey with a restored orientation and confidence. The mention of the island being "six or seven leagues remote" supplies a rough estimate of the remaining distance to their destination. A league, being approximately three nautical miles, suggests that they were still quite a way off from the island.
The text also notes that "the tide protested us," highlighting the natural maritime obstacle the crew faced. Without contemporary propulsion technology, navigating a ship against the tide needed considerable manual effort or beneficial winds, which would have slowed their progress.
Finally, the reference that "it was noon when we got here there" indicates that despite the obstacles of distance and tide, the team handled to reach the island by midday. This declaration captures the combination of strategic decision-making, environmental aspects, and perseverance that was often associated with oceanic exploration during Columbus's era. The passage highlights the blend of caution and decision that defined much of the early seafaring explorations, showing a deep respect for the unpredictable nature of the sea.
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