"Here the men lost all patience, and complained of the length of the voyage, but the Admiral encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing the profits they were about to acquire, and adding that it was to no purpose to complain, having come so far, they had nothing to do but continue on to the Indies, till with the help of our Lord, they should arrive there."
After lying to the crew about the distance travelled the entire voyage, the captain and his men are given a hard time by the crew's constant complaining. They believe that they're farther along than they actually are, so the voyage seems to be taking an unreasonably long time. Naturally the crew grows impatient, but they are talked down by the captain. The captain doesn't give them a choice. Since they must stop soon for supplies somewhere, their best shot is the New World.
"Saw pardelas and a green rush near the vessel. The crew of the Pinta saw a cane and a log; they also picked up a stick which appeared to have been carved with an iron tool, a piece of cane, a plant which grows on land, and a board. The crew of the Nina saw other signs of land, and a stalk loaded with rose berries. These signs encouraged them, and they all grew cheerful."
Columbus takes great care to make his entries as exciting as possible since he's destined to present this journal to the king and queen. By noting every time a crew member spots something floating in the water, he is ensuring that his readers understand how important those sitings are. The crew are relying upon these observations for hope of their eventual landing somewhere.
"At two o'clock in the morning the land was discovered, at two leagues' distance; they took in sail and remained under the square-sail lying to till day, which was Friday, when they found themselves near a small island, one of the Lucayos, called in the Indian language Guanahani. Presently they descried people, naked, and the Admiral landed in the boat, which was armed, along with Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and Vincent Yanez his brother, captain of the Nina. The Admiral bore the royal standard, and the two captains each a banner of the Green Cross, which all the ships had carried; this contained the initials of the names of the King and Queen each side of the cross, and a crown over each letter Arrived on shore, they saw trees very green many streams of water, and diverse sorts of fruits."
The captains are cautious about landing in this unknown place, so they take their time for this very long-anticipated arrival. When word spreads that people have been spotted on shore, they decide to lead with military force. They are prepared to take this land for Spain, regardless of who may already be living here.
"When there are such lands there should be profitable things without number."
In this excerpt, Columbus aptly reveals his sole motivation for the trip. He is looking to profit from the expedition. In fact that's how he sold the idea to his funders, the monarchs of Spain. Hopeful and greedy at the sight of so much untouched land, Columbus correctly assumes that this is a place which he can exploit.
