The Pinta had not reappeared—perhaps it was gone forever. The remaining men were too many to fit on the Niña, the smallest of the three. So he told himself it was God’s will that the Santa María had gone aground, because he was destined to build a fortress there and make the place a European colony. He would leave a contingent of men behind on the island, and because it was Christmas, he named the new settlement La Navidad.
