Final answer:
The sailors with Columbus had differing expectations, but Columbus himself firmly believed he reached Asia, a belief he maintained until his death. The realization that they had found a 'New World' only came later, through other explorers like Magellan.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sailors who journeyed with Christopher Columbus during his expedition to what they thought were the shores of the East Indies, or Asia, had various expectations and understandings of what they encountered at sea. Columbus himself, due to his erroneous views and the underestimation of the earth’s size, was convinced until his death that he had reached Asia. Many of the sailors were motivated by the potential for adventure and glory, while some, such as prisoners, sought a life better than imprisonment. Upon arrival in the Bahamas and then on Hispaniola, Columbus described the Taínos he met as "Indios," giving rise to the term "Indian" for the native peoples of the New World. Nonetheless, his misunderstanding of geography was not clarified until Ferdinand Magellan's fleet circumnavigated the globe, confirming the existence of a so-called "New World" distinct from Asia.