Stranded!

Two of Columbus's worm-eaten ships

Were leaking so badly that he had to abandon them. He headed north with the remaining pair, Santiago and La Capitana, towards Hispaniola. Carried off course by easterly winds and currents, Columbus found himself off Cuba. He tried to sail east to Hispaniola, but could make no progress against the winds. The ships were dangerously low in the water, and the crews were exhausted by constant work at the pumps. Columbus was forced to land in Jamaica, where he would be stranded for over a year.

HOUSEBOATS

On 25 June 1503, the ships were beached and turned into homes. Columbus's greatest worry was that the Jamaican Tainos might attack. To avoid provoking them, he ordered his men to stay on board, allowing only a few to go inland to trade for food. Penned up for months, the crews grew increasingly frustrated. Meanwhile, Columbus lay sick in his cabin.

Fact file

•  Columbus set off on his fourth voyage with a crew of 143, including 55 boys. The large number of boys may have been due to the fact they could be paid less than grown men.

•  More than 40 of the crew died on the voyage. They perished from sickness, drowning, and in battles with the Indians and each other.

•  Only 25 of the survivors returned to Spain. The rest stayed in Hispaniola. They had done enough seafaring.

•  Diego Mendez was so proud of his rescue mission that he had a canoe carved on his grave stone.

On the decks, the men built wooden huts, thatched with palm leaves.

Sails were fixed on the canoes.

SAILING FOR HELP

On 17 July 1503, Diego Mendez, a loyal follower of Columbus, set off for Hispaniola to get help. He took two Taino canoes, manned by seven crewmen and ten Indians.

The mutineers robbed Taino villages as they rowed along the coast towards Hispaniola.

PORRAS REVOLTS

Francisco de Porras, captain of Santiago, spread a rumour that Columbus did not intend to leave Jamaica, but wanted to keep everybody there to die with him. On 2 January 1504, he convinced 48 men to join him in a mutiny. The mutineers took ten Taino canoes and headed for Hispaniola.

STRANDED!

The Tainos panicked as the Moon, turned blood-red by the eclipse, began to disappear.

Food they could find.