Something is wrong with this story

I've just been reading a news article at Yahoo about Christopher Columbus' fourth trip to the New World. He was shipwrecked on Jamaica for many months. For a time the local natives were helpful, but the crew attacked the Indian village at some point, and the Indians stopped giving food and supplies to the group.

However, Columbus had an almanac that told him that three nights hence, just at sunset, there would be a total eclipse of the moon. According to the article, he went to the Indian chief and informed him that the Christian God was angry with the Indians for not providing his men with food and supplies and would show his anger by blotting out the moon just at sunset on the third night.

The eclipse occurred, and the Indians, in total fear of the Christian God, resumed supplying the ship with food.

Now, here's what I think is questionable about this story. The timing of an eclipse of the moon, whether it is a total or less than total eclipse, and indeed, even whether you can see it, depends entirely on where you are on the earth. An eclipse that can be seen at sunset in the Americas might not be seen at all in Australia, and would be seen as something less than a total eclipse and six hours later (local time) in Europe if it were seen at all.

Columbus believed himself to be in the Orient (after all, he called the people "Indians.") Hence, it's clear that neither he, nor the writer of the Almanac at the time, had any idea exactly where he was. So, how could he predict with precision the exact timing of the eclipse?

If it happened, it was pure luck, but my guess is that the story is baloney.

Lesson: Don't believe everything you believe.