for his allotted residence in the valley of Purchena. At two leagues'
distance, the cavalcade, winding into the skirts of the Alpujarras,
ascended an eminence commanding the last view of Granada. As they arrived
at this spot the Moors paused involuntarily to take a farewell gaze at
their beloved city, which a few steps more would shut from their sight
forever. The Moorish cavaliers gazed with a silent agony of tenderness
and grief upon that delicious abode, the scene of their loves and
pleasures. While they yet looked, a light cloud of smoke burst forth from
the citadel, and presently a peal of artillery, faintly heard, told that
the city was taken possession of, and the throne of the Moslem kings was
lost forever.
The unhappy Boabdil was not to be consoled; his tears continued to flow.
"Allah Akbar!" exclaimed he; "when did misfortunes ever equal mine?" From
this circumstance the hill, which is not far from the Padul, took the
name of Feg Allah Akbar; but the point of view commanding the last
prospect of Granada is known among Spaniards by the name of _El ultimo
suspiro del Moro_("The last sigh of the Moor").
The sovereigns did not enter the city on this day of its surrender, but
waited until it should be fully occupied by their troops and public
tranquillity insured. In a little while every battlement glistened with
Christian helms and lances, the standard of the faith and of the realm
floated from every tower, and the thundering salvoes of the ordnance told
that the subjugation of the city was complete. The grandees and cavaliers
now knelt and kissed the hands of the King and Queen and the prince Juan,
and congratulated them on the acquisition of so great a kingdom, after
which the royal procession returned in state to Santa Fé.
It was on January 6th, the day of kings and festival of the Epiphany,
that the sovereigns made their triumphal entry. The King and Queen looked
on this occasion as more than mortal; the venerable ecclesiastics, to
whose advice and zeal this glorious conquest ought in a great measure to
be attributed, moved along with hearts swelling with holy exultation, but
with chastened and downcast looks of edifying humility; while the hardy
warriors, in tossing plumes and shining steel, seemed elevated with a
stern joy at finding themselves in possession of this object of so many
toils and perils. As the streets resounded with the tramp of steed and
swelling peals of music, the Moors buried themselves in the deepest
recesses of their dwellings. There they bewailed in secret the fallen
glory of their race, but suppressed their groans, lest they should be
heard by their enemies and increase their triumph.
The royal procession advanced to the principal mosque, which had been
consecrated as a cathedral. Here the sovereigns offered up prayers and
thanksgivings, and the choir of the royal chapel chanted a triumphant
anthem, in which they were joined by all the courtiers and cavaliers.
Nothing could exceed the thankfulness to God of the pious King Ferdinand
for having enabled him to eradicate from Spain the empire and name of
that accursed heathen race, and for the elevation of the cross in that
city wherein the impious doctrines of Mahomet had so long been cherished.
In the fervor of his spirit he supplicated from heaven a continuance
of its grace, and that this glorious triumph might be perpetuated. The
prayer of the pious monarch was responded by the people, and even his
enemies were for once convinced of his sincerity.
It had been a last request of the unfortunate Boabdil, and one which
showed how deeply he felt the transition of his fate, that no person
might be permitted to enter or depart by the gate of the Alhambra,
through which he had sallied forth to surrender his capital. His request
was granted; the portal was closed up, and remains so to the present
day--a mute memorial of that event.
The Spanish sovereigns fixed their throne in the presence chamber of
the palace, so long the seat of Moorish royalty. Hither the principal
inhabitants of Granada repaired, to pay them homage and kiss their hands
in token of vassalage; and their example was followed by deputies from
all the towns and fortresses of the Alpujarras which had not hitherto
submitted.
Thus terminated the war of Granada, after ten years of incessant
fighting; equalling the far-famed siege of Troy in duration, and ending,
like that, in the capture of the city. Thus ended also the dominion of
the Moors in Spain, having endured seven hundred seventy-eight years,
from the memorable defeat of Roderick, the last of the Goths, on the
banks of the Guadalete. This great triumph of our holy Catholic faith
took place in the beginning of January, 1492, being three thousand six
hundred fifty-five years from the population of Spain by the patriarch
Tubal; three thousand seven hundred ninety-seven from the general deluge;
five thousand four hundred fifty-three from the creation of the world,
according to Hebrew calculation; and in the month Rabic, in the eight
hundred ninety-seventh year of the Hegira, or flight of Mahomet.
[Footnote 1: Musa ben Abil Gazan, Boabdil's best cavalier--a fiery
soldier, of royal lineage.]
[Footnote 2: A mountainous region in the provinces of Granada and
Almeria.]
[Footnote 3: So say Arabian historians. According to another account,
Musa, meeting a party of Andalusian cavaliers, killed several of them,
but, being disabled by wounds, threw himself into the Xenel and was
drowned.]
COLUMBUS DISCOVERS AMERICA
A.D. 1492
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FERDINAND COLUMBUS
The year 1492, in which Columbus discovered America, is adopted by some
writers as separating the modern from the mediaeval period in history.
It marks the culmination of the wonderful achievements in discovery
for which the fifteenth century is so memorable. By 1492 the world had
advanced far beyond the ignorance of the period when Marco Polo made and
described his famous travels from Europe to the East, 1324, and when Sir
John Mandeville's extravagant account of Eastern journeys, 1357-1371, was
published. European knowledge of the Orient had been greatly increased
by the crusades, and this, together with the spread of commerce, had
quickened the desire of Western peoples for still further explorations of
the world.
During the first half of the fifteenth century the Portuguese were most
enterprising in the work of discovery, and before 1500 they had searched
the western coast of Africa, passed the equator, and seen the Cape of
Good Hope, which Vasco da Gama doubled in 1497, on his way to India.
Meanwhile Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, a famous maritime
city, was planning a route of his own for a voyage to the East
Indies--the great object, at that period, of all ambitious navigators.
As the Portuguese sought, and at last found, an ocean route by the east
around Africa, so Columbus meditated a westward voyage, and was the first
to seek India in that direction. After vainly submitting his plan to John
II of Portugal, to the Genoese Government, and to Henry VII of England,
he appealed--at first without success--to Ferdinand and Isabella of
Castile. But at the end of their war with Granada, 1492, he obtained a
better hearing, and gained the favor of Isabella, who joined the Pinzons,
merchants of Palos, in fitting out for him three small vessels, the Niña,
the Santa Maria, and the Pinta. With the concurrence of Ferdinand, she
made Columbus, for himself and his heirs, admiral in all the regions that
he should discover, and viceroy in any lands acquired by him for Spain.
When the bold mariner sailed from Saltes, an island near Palos, a small
town in the province of Huelva, Spain, he had complete confidence in his
theory of finding new lands to the west. And his unshakable faith in his
idea and in his purpose constitutes the most heroic aspect of his first
voyage.
Of recent years great interest and much historical discussion have been
aroused in connection with real or imagined pre-Columbian discoveries of
America, especially with the discovery by the Northmen. But all attempts
to diminish the glory of Columbus' achievement, by proving that the
results of previous discoveries were known to him, have, as Hubert
Howe Bancroft declares, signally failed. Columbus was not the first
to conceive the possibility of reaching the East by sailing west.
Toscanelli, the Italian astronomer, who made the map which Columbus used,
and others among his contemporaries entertained the theory; but the
Genoese sailor was the first to act upon this belief.
Supposing, as he did to his latest day, that he had found the eastern
coast of India, and not another continent, Columbus gave the name of
Indies to the islands he discovered, whose inhabitants he also called
Indians; yet he did not have the honor of giving his own name to the New
World which he made known to mankind.
In the following pages his own unstudied account of the first voyage and
discovery, and the narrative from the biography of Columbus by his son,
furnish a very complete history of the enterprise from which so large a
part of the world's later development has followed. It should be noted,
however, that both of the accounts manifest the not unnatural desire to
give full prominence to the part taken by Columbus himself. His able
coadjutors, the Pinzons, scarce receive such adequate mention as they are
given by more modern narrators.
The letter to Gabriel Sanchez appears here in a careful edition, one
of the treasured possessions of the New York Public Library--Lenox
Library--through the courtesy of whose officers it is presented in this
work. It is the first letter of Columbus, giving the earliest information
of his discovery, and is here rendered in a new translation, as contained
in the little volume published in 1892 by the trustees of the Lenox
Library, as a "tribute to the memory of the great discoverer."
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
[Letter of Christopher Columbus, to whom our age owes much, concerning
the islands recently discovered in the Indian sea[1], for the search of
which, eight months before, he was sent under the auspices and at the
cost of the most invincible Ferdinand, King of Spain[2]; addressed to
the magnificent lord Raphael Sanxis[3], treasurer of the same most
illustrious King, and which the noble and learned man Leander de Cosco
has translated from the Spanish language into Latin, on the third of the
calends of May[4], 1493, the first year of the pontificate of Alexander
VI.]
Because my undertakings have attained success, I know that it will be
pleasing to you; these I have determined to relate, so that you may be
made acquainted with everything done and discovered in this our voyage.
On the thirty-third day after I departed from Cadiz,[5] I came to the
Indian sea, where I found many islands inhabited by men without number,
of all which I took possession for our most fortunate King, with
proclaiming heralds and flying standards, no one objecting. To the first
of these I gave the name of the blessed Saviour,[6] on whose aid relying
I had reached this as well as the other islands. But the Indians call
it Guanahani. I also called each one of the others by a new name. For I
ordered one island to be called Santa Maria of the Conception,[7] another
Fernandina,[8] another Isabella,[9] another Juana,[10] and so on with the
rest.
As soon as we had arrived at that island which I have just now said
was called Juana, I proceeded along its coast toward the west for some
distance. I found it so large and without perceptible end, that I
believed it to be not an island, but the continental country of
Cathay;[11] seeing, however, no towns or cities situated on the
sea-coast, but only some villages and rude farms, with whose inhabitants
I was unable to converse, because as soon as they saw us they took
flight, I proceeded farther, thinking that I would discover some city or
large residences.
At length, perceiving that we had gone far enough, that nothing new
appeared, and that this way was leading us to the north, which I wished
to avoid, because it was winter on the land, and it was my intention to
go to the south, moreover the winds were becoming violent, I therefore
determined that no other plans were practicable, and so, going back, I
returned to a certain bay that I had noticed, from which I sent two of
our men to the land, that they might find out whether there was a king in
this country, or any cities. These men travelled for three days, and they
found people and houses without number, but they were small and without
any government, therefore they returned.
Now in the mean time I had learned from certain Indians, whom I had
seized there, that this country was indeed an island, and therefore I
proceeded toward the east, keeping all the time near the coast, for three
hundred twenty-two miles, to the extreme ends of this island. From
this place I saw another island to the east, distant from this Juana
fifty-four miles, which I called forthwith Hispana,[12] and I sailed to
it; and I steered along the northern coast, as at Juana, toward the east,
five hundred sixty-four miles. And the said Juana and the other islands
there appear very fertile. This island is surrounded by many very safe
and wide harbors, not excelled by any others that I have ever seen. Many
great and salubrious rivers flow through it. There are also many very
high mountains there.
All these islands are very beautiful, and distinguished by various
qualities; they are accessible, and full of a great variety of trees
stretching up to the stars; the leaves of which I believe are never shed,
for I saw them as green and flourishing as they are usually in Spain in
the month of May; some of them were blossoming, some were bearing fruit,
some were in other conditions; each one was thriving in its own way. The
nightingale and various other birds without number were singing in the
month of November, when I was exploring them. There are besides in the
said island Juana seven or eight kinds of palm-trees, which far excel
ours in height and beauty, just as all the other trees, herbs, and fruits
do. There are also excellent pine-trees, vast plains and meadows, a
variety of birds, a variety of honey, and a variety of metals, excepting
iron. In the one which was called Hispana, as we said above, there are
great and beautiful mountains, vast fields, groves, fertile plains, very
suitable for planting and cultivating, and for the building of houses.
The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the remarkable number
of rivers contributing to the healthfulness of man, exceed belief, unless
one has seen them. The trees, pasturage, and fruits of this island differ
greatly from those of Juana. This Hispana, moreover, abounds in different
kinds of spices, in gold, and in metals. On this island, indeed, and on
all the others which I have seen, and of which I have knowledge, the
inhabitants of both sexes go always naked, just as they came into the
world, except some of the women, who use a covering of a leaf or some
foliage, or a cotton cloth, which they make themselves for that purpose.
All these people lack, as I said above, every kind of iron; they are also
without weapons, which indeed are unknown; nor are they competent to use
them, not on account of deformity of body, for they are well formed, but
because they are timid and full of fear. They carry for weapons, however,
reeds baked in the sun, on the lower ends of which they fasten some
shafts of dried wood rubbed down to a point; and indeed they do not
venture to use these always; for it frequently happened, when I sent two
or three of my men to some of the villages, that they might speak with
the natives, a compact troop of the Indians would march out, and as soon
as they saw our men approaching they would quickly take flight, children
being pushed aside by their fathers, and fathers by their children. And
this was not because any hurt or injury had been inflicted on any one of
them, for to everyone whom I visited and with whom I was able to converse
I distributed whatever I had, cloth and many other things, no return
being made to me; but they are by nature fearful and timid. Yet when they
perceive that they are safe, putting aside all fear, they are of simple
manners and trustworthy, and very liberal with everything they have,
refusing no one who asks for anything they may possess, and even
themselves inviting us to ask for things.
They show greater love for all others than for themselves; they give
valuable things for trifles, being satisfied even with a very small
return, or with nothing; however, I forbade that things so small and of
no value should be given to them, such as pieces of plates, dishes, and
glass, likewise keys and shoe-straps; although, if they were able to
obtain these, it seemed to them like getting the most beautiful jewels
in the world. It happened, indeed, that a certain sailor obtained in
exchange for a shoe-strap as much worth of gold as would equal three
golden coins; and likewise other things for articles of very little
value, especially for new silver coins, and for some gold coins, to
obtain which they gave whatever the seller desired, as for instance an
ounce and a half and two ounces of gold, or thirty and forty pounds of
cotton, with which they were already acquainted. They also traded cotton
and gold for pieces of bows, bottles, jugs and jars, like persons without
reason, which I forbade because it was very wrong; and I gave to them
many beautiful and pleasing things that I had brought with me, no value
being taken in exchange, in order that I might the more easily make them
friendly to me, that they might be made worshippers of Christ, and that
they might be full of love toward our King, Queen, and Prince, and the
whole Spanish nation; also that they might be zealous to search out and
collect, and deliver to us, those things of which they had plenty, and
which we greatly needed.
These people practise no kind of idolatry; on the contrary they firmly
believe that all strength and power, and in fact all good things, are
in heaven, and that I had come down from thence with these ships and
sailors; and in this belief I was received there after they had put
aside fear. Nor are they slow or unskilled, but of excellent and acute
understanding; and the men who have navigated that sea give an account of
everything in an admirable manner; but they never saw people clothed, nor
these kind of ships.
As soon as I reached that sea, I seized by force several Indians on the
first island, in order that they might learn from us, and in like manner
tell us about those things in these lands of which they themselves had
knowledge; and the plan succeeded, for in a short time we understood them
and they us, sometimes by gestures and signs, sometimes by words; and
it was a great advantage to us. They are coming with me now, yet always
believing that I descended from heaven, although they have been living
with us for a long time, and are living with us today. And these men were
the first who announced it wherever we landed, continually proclaiming to
the others in a loud voice, "Come, come, and you will see the celestial
people." Whereupon both women and men, both children and adults, both
young men and old men, laying aside the fear caused a little before,
visited us eagerly, filling the road with a great crowd, some bringing
food and some drink, with great love and extraordinary good-will.
On every island there are many canoes of a single piece of wood, and,
though narrow, yet in length and shape similar to our row-boats, but
swifter in movement. They steer only by oars. Some of these boats are
large, some small, some of medium size. Yet they row many of the larger
row-boats with eighteen cross-benches, with which they cross to all those
islands, which are innumerable, and with these boats they perform their
trading, and carry on commerce among them. I saw some of these row-boats
or canoes which were carrying seventy and eighty rowers.
In all these islands there is no difference in the appearance of the
people, nor in the manners and language, but all understand each other
mutually; a fact that is very important for the end which I suppose to be
earnestly desired by our most illustrious King, that is, their conversion
to the holy religion of Christ, to which in truth, as far as I can
perceive, they are very ready and favorably inclined.
I said before how I proceeded along the island Juana in a straight line
from west to east three hundred twenty-two miles, according to which
course, and the length of the way, I am able to say that this Juana is
larger than England and Scotland together; for, besides the said three
hundred twenty-two thousand paces, there are two more provinces in that
part which lies toward the west, which I did not visit; one of these the
Indians call Anan, whose inhabitants are born with tails. They extend to
one hundred eighty miles in length, as I have learned from those Indians
I have with me, who are all acquainted with these islands. But the
circumference of Hispana is still greater than all Spain from Colonia to
Fontarabia[13]. This is easily proved, because its fourth side, which I
myself passed along in a straight line from west to east, extends five
hundred forty miles.
This island is to be desired and is very desirable, and not to be
despised; in which, although, as I have said, I solemnly took possession
of all the others for our most invincible King, and their government is
entirely committed to the said King, yet I especially took possession of
a certain large town, in a very convenient location, and adapted to all
kinds of gain and commerce, to which we give the name of our Lord of the
Nativity. And I commanded a fort to be built there forthwith, which
must be completed by this time; in which I left as many men as seemed
necessary, with all kinds of arms, and plenty of food for more than
a year. Likewise one caravel, and for the construction of others
men skilled in this trade and in other professions; and also the
extraordinary good-will and friendship of the King of this island toward
us. For those people are very amiable and kind, to such a degree that the
said King gloried in calling me his brother. And if they should change
their minds, and should wish to hurt those who remained in the fort, they
would not be able, because they lack weapons, they go naked, and are too
cowardly. For that reason those who hold the said fort are at least
able to resist easily this whole island, without any imminent danger to
themselves, so long as they do not transgress the regulations and command
which we gave.
In all these islands, as I have understood, each man is content with only
one wife, except the princes or kings, who are permitted to have twenty.
The women appear to work more than the men. I was not able to find out
surely whether they have individual property, for I saw that one man had
the duty of distributing to the others, especially refreshments, food,
and things of that kind. I found no monstrosities among them, as very
many supposed, but men of great reverence, and friendly. Nor are they
black like the Ethiopians. They have straight hair, hanging down. They do
not remain where the solar rays send out the heat, for the strength of
the sun is very great here, because it is distant from the equinoctial
line, as it seems, only twenty-six degrees. On the tops of the mountains,
too, the cold is severe, but the Indians, however, moderate it, partly
by being accustomed to the place, and partly by the help of very hot
victuals, of which they eat frequently and immoderately. And so I did not
see any monstrosity, nor did I have knowledge of them anywhere, excepting
a certain island named Charis,[14] which is the second in passing from
Hispana to India.