Columbus departed from Island IV at midnight on October 24, sailing west-southwest. His point of departure was Cabo del Isleo, at the northern end of the island. He sailed for six hours under very light winds, with all sails set, even the sail on the ship's boat. At dawn, the wind died completely, and he was adrift until noon, when the wind rose again. The distance made good that night was not recorded, probably because the ship's speed was too slow for a complete record to be made.
At sunset on the 24th, Columbus reported that he was seven leagues southeast of Cabo Verde on Island III. (He had not mentioned this cape previously, but he says now that Cabo Verde is in "the western part of the southern part" of Island III.)
From this point, he sails seven leagues (continuing WSW), then turns west and sails another eleven leagues. At this point, he sights six or seven islands in a north-south line, at a distance of five leagues. He names these islands Las Islas de Arena (the islands of sand). These islands are now generally acknowledged as the Ragged Islands in the Bahamas. Columbus anchored five leagues off the southern part of the islands, where the water was still shallow enough for an anchor cable to reach.
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