It was gloomy in the evening, and dark clouds came over the sky. On the sea dozens of miles away in the northwest, blue-white sky fire fell, and it looked like fire trees rising from the sea. The fire was so bright, even though it was so far away, even in the
At dusk, it is still dazzling, like thunder in the storm!
However, it has no sound of thunder, but shines quietly and dazzlingly. This strange sight makes people think of the mysterious sea monsters in the deep sea, silently watching the bold ships that intrude into the territory...
“O Lord! We must leave, leave this dangerous sea!… We must return, or we will die in the fire from heaven!…”
"Diamine! Cazzo! This is not a sky fire, nor is it a sea beast!...This is...this is..."
Hearing the frightened shouts of the sailors, Columbus' eyes widened and he immediately recovered from the shock of the sky fire. He gritted his teeth hard, his face full of donkey-like stubbornness, and shouted fiercely.
"This is the blessing of the Lord! It is the magic lamp of the Lord! It is guiding us, let us continue to the west!..."
"Uh?...This is the Lord's magic lamp?..."
Hearing Columbus's words, the sailors kneeling on the deck to pray looked at each other with some doubts on their faces. This was the first time for everyone to go to sea with Columbus. At this moment, this admiral from a city-state and a civilian background
, it doesn’t have that kind of prestige to convince the sailors! But what can really convince people is...
Boatswain Bartolome thought for a while, then looked at Juan de la Cosa, the former captain and current second captain of the Santa Maria, and asked nervously.
"Boss! Columbus...is what the captain said true? Is this sky fire the guidance of the Lord?..."
"Um…"
The second captain, Dracosa, pondered for a while, looked at the dazzling sky fire in the distance, then looked at Columbus with a fierce look on his face, and said in a deep voice.
"Yes! The sky fire in the northwest should not be a sea monster... This may be the guidance of the Lord!... Dear clerk, notary Rodrigo, you were born in a church college and have always been knowledgeable... What do you think?..."
Hearing this, the clerk Rodrigo de Escobedo raised his head and stroked the mustache on his chin. He looked at the "sky fire" in the distance, thought for a long time, and suddenly his eyes lit up.
"O Lord! The sky-blue electric arc flame...I remembered, this is the 'Corposants' (Corposants), this is the 'Holy Body'!..."
"Ah? Corposants? Eucharist in Latin?"
"Yes! This is the flame given by St. Elmo, the patron saint of navigation. It is a symbol of protection and hope! The appearance of this flame really represents the blessing of the Lord and encourages us to keep moving forward!
…Laudate Dominum! Praise the Lord!…”
“Praise the Lord!…”
“So that’s it!…”
“It’s really a good sign!…”
"Captain Columbus was actually right..."
After hearing Rodrigo's precise explanation, the sailors on the ship changed their expressions, smiled excitedly, and even prayed and cheered.
This ocean voyage in search of a new sea route was too dangerous, and no priest with a distinguished status joined him. Among the 88 people on the three ships, only Rodrigo, the clerk from the royal family and the notary of the fleet, had a church membership.
The experience of the academy holds a certain degree of religious interpretation power, which can convince the crew that this sky fire is indeed a "good omen"!
"Damn it! These fools don't believe me, but believe De La Cosa and Rodrigo..."
Columbus, the outstanding commander of the expeditionary force, pursed his lips and forced a smile on his face. However, he had experienced many setbacks and would never miss an opportunity... With the help of sky fire on the seaside, Columbus tried to calm the crew for a while
, and gradually established the majesty of the fleet leader.
As the ship speeds westward, the blue and white sky fire gradually disappears in the northeastern sky. The endless night is like a girl's gauze, gently covering everyone's dreams, and falling seductively in the morning light of hope.
In the sea. And the ships never stop day and night, and in the blink of an eye it’s a new day.
"On September 15th, sailing due west, traveling 27 leagues day and night, recorded as 21 leagues, saw fire from the sky..."
"On September 16, the wind speed increased, the sky was dark and drizzly, and the climate was very mild, a bit warm..."
A light drizzle fell from the soft sky and wet everyone's clothes, but it was neither cold nor hot. The depths of the Atlantic Ocean in September felt like Andalusia in April, with a springy feel
.The sailors were all wet, adjusted the jib of the mizzen mast, and let the ship speed westward, crossing the sea that seemed to have not changed.
The second boatswain Qiachu squatted on the deck, looking eagerly at the blue sea, looking for traces of sea fish. On this ocean-going ship, the only food in stock was hard, tooth-breaking biscuits, dry and dry
, cheap cereals that are hard to spoil and taste bad, and stinky dried fish that can kill people... And if you can catch a fresh sea fish and drink a sip of fish stew, it will be a rare treat. It is the Lord.
What a delicious gift!…
"Joder! After sailing for so long, why didn't I see a single stupid fish... The fishing net dragged at the stern is as empty as my butt pocket, not even a single fish hair can be seen!..."
Chachu looked at it for a long time, then lifted the fishing net without giving up, and then stood up with a curse. From his simple and strange name, we can see that he has a humble background, and he may even have a messy bloodline.
In fact, his father was a fooling Castilian sailor, and his mother was an indigenous from the Canary Islands. He didn't know how he came to be. When he was fifteen years old, he was killed by his father's sailor accomplices.
He took him on the ship and stayed at sea for more than ten years in a daze. His strange name is actually related to the "dog-headed god" worshiped by the indigenous people of the islands, and the Latin meaning of "Canariae" is "dog."
"!
"Joder! We've reached such a deep sea, what kind of bullshit Goblin captain is he, he still wants to continue going west?... Further west, if we encounter a dog-headed monster in the sea... not even the boat and the people can swallow it!
…”
Chachu cursed in a low voice, carrying a sailor's scimitar, and walked from the stern to the bow. All the sailors he met greeted him warmly. He could slowly climb from a semi-native coolie sailor to
As the second bosun on the ship, there is no doubt that he is a real and fierce "old sea dog". With the scimitar in his hand, there are not even two people on the ship who can challenge him in a duel... And
When he just walked to the bow of the ship, a very faint yellow-green color suddenly flashed from his eyes.
"Huh? That thing in the water is green and yellow... what is it?..."
Chachu's eyes widened and he looked at the skyline to the west of the bow. Then he wiped his eyes in disbelief and shouted in surprise.
"Co?o! This is...grass?! I saw grass? There are a lot of grasses in this water! Look!..."
Hearing Chachu's shout, many sailors also gathered at the bow of the ship. Everyone looked at the sea expectantly, and then cheered in surprise!
"Lord! There are so many aquatic plants! Let me fish them up and see...it's really grass!"
"Ah! There are so many aquatic plants, the land must not be far away!..."
"Yes, the Blessing of the Holy Mother! The Holy Queen has promised that the first person to discover the land will be rewarded with a noble silk dress and an annual salary of 10,000 Malawidi copper coins per year! Ten thousand copper coins per year!
…”
"Yes! Yes! I must stay at the bow of the ship and be the first one to see land!..."
Arana, the guard chief, was excited when he saw the water plants he had picked up, and he hurried away excitedly. Soon, Columbus, the commander of the expeditionary force, came to the bow of the ship. He pinched the wet and balled water plants and thought about it.
My own navigation chart is confidently announced to everyone, as if it is telling the incomparable truth!
"God bless! There must be an island near here! ... It must be the Antilia island mentioned by Aristotle!"
This chapter has been completed!