On Christopher Columbus' fourth voyage to the New World in 1503, he and his crew became stranded on the island of Jamaica.  Columbus' food supply was almost gone, and his ship was too badly damaged to repair.  At first, the Jamaicans gave Columbus and his crew food and supplies.  When Columbus and his crew were not rescued after many months, the Jamaicans finally refused to give them any additional food.

Columbus did not want him or his crew to starve, so he came up with a plan.  Columbus could tell from his navigational tables that there would be a total lunar eclipse on February 29, 1504.  He decided to schedule a meeting with the Jamaicans for that night.

At the meeting, Columbus told the Jamaicans that God was not happy about how they were treating him and his crew, so God was going to take away the Moon as a sign of his unhappiness!  After Columbus told this to them, the lunar eclipse began.

This terrified the Jamaicans!  They pleaded with Columbus to bring back the Moon, and they said he could have all the food he wanted.  Columbus told them that he would have to go talk to God.  Instead, he snuck away to watch an hourglass that he had timed so he would know exactly when the eclipse would end.  Right before the lunar eclipse ended, Columbus returned and told the Jamaicans that God would give back the Moon.  And, of course, the Moon reappeared.

The Jamaicans gave food and supplies to Columbus and his crew until they were rescued and returned to Europe.

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