warlike by their neighbors. These eat human flesh. The said people have
many kinds of row-boats, in which they cross over to all the other Indian
islands, and seize and carry away everything that they can. They differ
in no way from the others, only that they wear long hair like the women.
They use bows and darts made of reeds, with sharpened shafts fastened to
the larger end, as we have described. On this account they are considered
warlike, wherefore the other Indians are afflicted with continual fear,
but I regard them as of no more account than the others. These are
the people who visit certain women, who alone inhabit the island
Mateunin[15], which is the first in passing from Hispana to India. These
women, moreover, perform no kind of work of their sex, for they use bows
and darts, like those I have described of their husbands; they protect
themselves with sheets of copper, of which there is great abundance among
them.
They tell me of another island, greater than the aforesaid Hispana, whose
inhabitants are without hair, and which abounds in gold above all the
others. I am bringing with me men of this island and of the others that I
have seen, who give proof of the things that I have described.
Finally, that I may compress in few words the brief account of our
departure and quick return, and the gain, I promise this, that if I am
supported by our most invincible sovereigns with a little of their help,
as much gold can be supplied as they will need, indeed as much of spices,
of cotton, of chewing-gum (which is only found in Chios), also as much of
aloes-wood, and as many slaves for the navy, as their majesties will wish
to demand. Likewise rhubarb and other kinds of spices, which I suppose
these men whom I left in the said fort have already found, and will
continue to find; since I remained in no place longer than the winds
forced me, except in the town of the Nativity, while I provided for the
building of the fort and for the safety of all. Which things, although
they are very great and remarkable, yet they would have been much greater
if I had been aided by as many ships as the occasion required.
Truly great and wonderful is this, and not corresponding to our merits,
but to the holy Christian religion, and to the piety and religion of our
sovereigns, because what the human understanding could not attain, that
the divine will has granted to human efforts. For God is wont to listen
to his servants who love his precepts, even in impossibilities, as has
happened to us on the present occasion, who have attained that which
hitherto mortal men have never reached. For if anyone has written or
said anything about these islands, it was all with obscurities and
conjectures; no one claims that he had seen them; from which they seemed
like fables. Therefore let the King and Queen, the princes and their most
fortunate kingdoms, and all other countries of Christendom, give thanks
to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has bestowed upon us so great
a victory and gift. Let religious processions be solemnized; let sacred
festivals be given; let the churches be covered with festive garlands.
Let Christ rejoice on earth, as he rejoices in heaven, when he foresees
coming to salvation so many souls of people hitherto lost. Let us be glad
also, as well on account of the exaltation of our faith as on account
of the increase of our temporal affairs, of which not only Spain, but
universal Christendom, will be partaker. These things that have been done
are thus briefly related. Farewell. Lisbon, the day before the ides of
March.[16]
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, Admiral of the Ocean Fleet.
Epigram of R. L. de Corbaria, Bishop of Monte Peloso
"To THE MOST INVINCIBLE KING OF SPAIN
"No region now can add to Spain's great deeds: To such men all the world
is yet too small. An Orient land, found far beyond the waves, Will add,
great Betica, to thy renown. Then to Columbus, the true finder, give Due
thanks; but greater still to God on high, Who makes new kingdoms for
himself and thee: Both firm and pious let thy conduct be."
FERDINAND COLUMBUS
All the conditions which the admiral demanded being conceded by their
Catholic majesties, he set out from Granada on May 21, 1492, for Palos,
where he was to fit out the ships for his intended expedition. That town
was bound to serve the crown for three months with two caravels, which
were ordered to be given to Columbus; and he fitted out these and a third
vessel with all care and diligence. The ship in which he personally
embarked was called the Santa Maria; the second vessel, named the Pinta,
was commanded by Martin Alonso Pinzon; and the third, named the Nina,
which had square sails, was under the command of Vincent Yanez Pinzon,
the brother of Alonso, both of whom were inhabitants of Palos. Being
furnished with all necessaries, and having ninety men to navigate the
three vessels, Columbus set sail from Palos on August 3, 1492, shaping
his course directly for the Canaries.
During this voyage, and indeed in all the _four_ voyages which he made
from Spain to the West Indies, the admiral was very careful to keep an
exact journal of every occurrence which took place; always specifying
what winds blew, how far he sailed with each particular wind, what
currents were found, and everything that was seen by the way, whether
birds, fishes, or any other thing. Although to note all these particulars
with a minute relation of everything that happened, showing what
impressions and effects answered to the course and aspect of the stars,
and the differences between the seas which he sailed and those of our
countries, might all be useful; yet, as I conceive that the relation of
these particulars might now be tiresome to the reader, I shall only give
an account of what appears to me necessary and convenient to be known.
On Saturday, August 4th, the next day after sailing from Palos, the
rudder of the Pinta broke loose. The admiral strongly suspected that
it was occasioned by the contrivance of the master on purpose to avoid
proceeding on the voyage, which he had endeavored to do before they left
Spain, and he therefore ranged up alongside of the disabled vessel to
give every assistance in his power, but the wind blew so hard that he was
unable to afford any aid. Pinzon, however, being an experienced seaman,
soon made a temporary repair by means of ropes, and they proceeded on
their voyage. But on the following Tuesday, the weather becoming rough
and boisterous, the fastenings gave way, and the squadron was obliged to
lay to for some time to renew the repairs. From this misfortune of twice
breaking the rudder, a superstitious person might have foreboded the
future disobedience of Pinzon to the admiral; as through his malice the
Pinta twice separated from the squadron, as shall be afterward related.
Having applied the best remedy they could to the disabled state of the
rudder, the squadron continued its voyage, and came in sight of the
Canaries at daybreak of Thursday, August 9th; but owing to contrary
winds, they were unable to come to anchor at Gran Canaria until the 12th.
The admiral left Pinzon at Gran Canaria to endeavor to procure another
vessel instead of that which was disabled, and went himself with the Niña
on the same errand to Gomera.
The admiral arrived at Gomera on Sunday, August 12th, and sent a boat on
shore to inquire if any vessel could be procured there for his purpose.
The boat returned next morning, and brought intelligence that no vessel
was then at that island, but that Doña Beatrix de Bobadilla, the
proprietrix of the island, was then at Gran Canaria in a hired vessel of
forty tons belonging to one Gradeuna of Seville, which would probably
suit his purpose and might perhaps be got. He therefore determined to
await the arrival of that vessel at Gomera, believing that Pinzon might
have secured a vessel for himself at Gran Canaria, if he had not been
able to repair his own. After waiting two days, he despatched one of his
people in a bark which was bound from Gomera to Gran Canaria, to acquaint
Pinzon where he lay, and to assist him in repairing and fixing the
rudder. Having waited a considerable time for an answer to his letter, he
sailed with the two vessels from Gomera on August 23d for Gran Canaria,
and fell in with the bark on the following day, which had been detained
all that time on its voyage by contrary winds. He now took his man from
the bark, and, sailing in the night past the island of Teneriffe, the
people were much astonished at observing flames bursting out of the lofty
mountain called El Pico (or the Peak of Teneriffe). On this occasion the
admiral was at great pains to explain the nature of this phenomenon to
the people by instancing the example of Aetna and several other known
volcanoes.
Passing by Teneriffe, they arrived at Gran Canaria on Saturday, August
25th, and found that Pinzon had only got in there the day before. From
him the admiral was informed that Doña Beatrix had sailed for Gomera on
the 20th with the vessel which he was so anxious to obtain. His officers
were much troubled at the disappointment; but he, who always endeavored
to make the best of every occurrence, observed to them that since it had
not pleased God that they should get this vessel it was perhaps better
for them, as they might have encountered much opposition in pressing it
into the service, and might have lost a great deal of time in shipping
and unshipping the goods. Wherefore, lest he might again miss it if he
returned to Gomera, he resolved to make a new rudder for the Pinta at
Gran Canaria, and ordered the square sails of the Nina to be changed to
_round_ ones, like those of the other two vessels, that she might be able
to accompany them with less danger and agitation.
The vessels being all refitted, the admiral weighed anchor from Gran
Canaria on Saturday, September 1st, and arrived next day at Gomera, where
four days were employed in completing their stores of provisions and
of wood and water. On the morning of Thursday, September 6, 1492,
the admiral took his departure from Gomera, and commenced his great
undertaking by standing directly westward, but made very slow progress at
first on account of calms. On Sunday, September 9th, about daybreak, they
were nine leagues west of the island of Ferro. Now, losing sight of
land and stretching out into utterly unknown seas, many of the people
expressed their anxiety and fear that it might be long before they should
see land again; but the admiral used every endeavor to comfort them with
the assurance of soon finding the land he was in search of, and raised
their hopes of acquiring wealth and honor by the discovery. To lessen the
fear which they entertained of the length of way they had to sail, he
gave out that they had only proceeded fifteen leagues that day, when the
actual distance sailed was eighteen; and, to induce the people to believe
that they were not so far from Spain as they really were, he resolved to
keep considerably short in his reckoning during the whole voyage, though
he carefully recorded the true reckoning every day in private.
On Wednesday, September 12th, having got to about one hundred fifty
leagues west of Ferro, they discovered a large trunk of a tree,
sufficient to have been the mast of a vessel of one hundred twenty tons,
and which seemed to have been a long time in the water. At this distance
from Ferro, and for somewhat farther on, the current was found to set
strongly to the northeast. Next day, when they had run fifty leagues
farther westward, the needle was observed to vary half a point to the
eastward of north, and next morning the variation was a whole point
east. This variation of the compass had never been before observed, and
therefore the admiral was much surprised at the phenomenon, and concluded
that the needle did not actually point toward the polar star, but to some
other fixed point. Three days afterward, when almost one hundred leagues
farther west, he was still more astonished at the irregularity of the
variation; for, having observed the needle to vary a whole point to the
eastward at night, it pointed directly northward in the morning.
On the night of Saturday, September isth, being then almost three
hundred leagues west of Ferro, they saw a prodigious flash of light,
or fire-ball, drop from the sky into the sea, at four or five leagues'
distance from the ships, toward the southwest. The weather was then quite
fair and serene like April, the sea perfectly calm, the wind favorable
from the northeast, and the current setting to the northeast. The people
in the Nina told the admiral that they had seen the day before a heron,
and another bird which they called _rabo-de-junco._ These were the first
birds which had been seen during the voyage, and were considered as
indications of approaching land. But they were more agreeably surprised
next day, Sunday, September 16th, by seeing great abundance of yellowish
green sea-weeds, which appeared as if newly washed away from some rock
or island. Next day the seaweed was seen in much greater quantity, and a
small live lobster was observed among the weeds; from this circumstance
many affirmed that they were certainly near the land.
The sea-water was afterward noticed to be only half so salt as before;
and great numbers of tunny-fish were seen swimming about, some of which
came so near the vessel that one was killed by a bearded iron. Being now
three hundred sixty leagues west from Ferro, another of the birds called
rabo-de-junco was seen. On Tuesday, September 18th, Martin Alonso Pinzon,
who had gone ahead of the admiral, in the Pinta, which was an excellent
sailer, lay to for the admiral to come up, and told him that he had seen
a great number of birds fly away westward, for which reason he was in
great hopes to see land that night;
Pinzon even thought that he saw land that night about fifteen leagues
distant to the northward, which appeared very black and covered with
clouds. All the people would have persuaded the admiral to try for land
in that direction; but, being certainly assured that it was not land,
and having not yet reached the distance at which he expected to find the
land, he would not consent to lose time in altering his course in that
direction. But as the wind now freshened, he gave orders to take in the
topsails at night, having now sailed eleven days before the wind due
westward with all their sails up.
All the people in the squadron being utterly unacquainted with the seas
they now traversed, fearful of their danger at such unusual distance from
any relief, and seeing nothing around but sky and water, began to mutter
among themselves, and anxiously observed every appearance. On September
19th a kind of sea-gull called _alcatras_ flew over the admiral's ship,
and several others were seen in the afternoon of that day, and, as the
admiral conceived that these birds would not fly far from land, he
entertained hopes of soon seeing what he was in quest of. He therefore
ordered a line of two hundred fathoms to be tried, but without finding
any bottom. The current was now found to set to the southwest.
On Thursday, September 20th, two alcatrases came near the ship about two
hours before noon, and soon afterward a third. On this day likewise they
took a bird resembling a heron, of a black color with a white tuft on its
head, and having webbed feet like a duck. Abundance of weeds were seen
floating in the sea, and one small fish was taken. About evening three
land birds settled on the rigging of the ship and began to sing. These
flew away at daybreak, which was considered a strong indication of
approaching the land, as these little birds could not have come from any
far distant country; whereas the other large fowls, being used to water,
might much better go far from land. The same day an alcatras was seen.
Friday, the 21st, another alcatras and a rabo-de-junco were seen, and
vast quantities of weeds as far as the eye could carry toward the north.
These appearances were sometimes a comfort to the people, giving them
hopes of nearing the wished-for land; while at other times the weeds were
so thick as in some measure to impede the progress of the vessels, and
to occasion terror lest what is fabulously reported of St. Amaro in the
frozen sea might happen to them, that they might be so enveloped in the
weeds as to be unable to move backward or forward; wherefore they steered
away from those shoals of weeds as much as they could.
Next day, being Saturday, September 22d, they saw a whale and several
small birds. The wind now veered to the southwest, sometimes more and
sometimes less to the westward; and though this was adverse to the
direction of their proposed voyage, the admiral, to comfort the people,
alleged that this was a favorable circumstance; because, among other
causes of fear, they had formerly said they should never have a wind to
carry them back to Spain, as it had always blown from the east ever since
they left Ferro. They still continued, however, to murmur, alleging that
this southwest wind was by no means a settled one, and, as it never blew
strong enough to swell the sea, it would not serve to carry them back
again through so great an extent of sea as they had now passed over.
In spite of every argument used by the admiral, assuring them that the
alterations in the wind were occasioned by the vicinity of the land, by
which likewise the waves were prevented from rising to any height, they
were still dissatisfied and terrified.
On Sunday, September 23d, a brisk gale sprung up west-northwest, with a
rolling sea, such as the people had wished for. Three hours before noon
a turtle-dove was observed to fly over the ship; toward evening an
alcatras, a river fowl, and several white birds were seen flying about,
and some crabs were observed among the weeds. Next day another alcatras
was seen and several small birds which came from the west. Numbers of
small fishes were seen swimming about, some of which were struck with
harpoons, as they would not bite at the hook.
The more that the tokens mentioned above were observed, and found not
to be followed by the so anxiously looked-for land, the more the people
became fearful of the event and entered into cabals against the admiral,
who they said was desirous to make himself a great lord at the expense
of their danger. They represented that they had already sufficiently
performed their duty in adventuring farther from land and all possibility
of succor than had ever been done before, and that they ought not to
proceed on the voyage to their manifest destruction. If they did they
would soon have reason to repent their temerity, as provisions would soon
fall short, the ships were already faulty and would soon fail, and it
would be extremely difficult to get back so far as they had already gone.
None could condemn them in their own opinion for now turning back,
but all must consider them as brave men for having gone upon such an
enterprise and venturing so far. That the admiral was a foreigner who
had no favor at court; and as so many wise and learned men had already
condemned his opinions and enterprise as visionary and impossible, there
would be none to favor or defend him, and they were sure to find more
credit if they accused him of ignorance and mismanagement than he would
do, whatsoever he might now say for himself against them.
Some even proceeded so far as to propose, in case the admiral should
refuse to acquiesce in their proposals, that they might make a short end
of all disputes by throwing him overboard; after which they could give
out that he had fallen over while making his observations, and no one
would ever think of inquiring into the truth. They thus went on day after
day, muttering, complaining, and consulting together; and though the
admiral was not fully aware of the extent of their cabals, he was not
entirely without apprehensions of their inconstancy in the present trying
situation, and of their evil intentions toward him. He therefore exerted
himself to the utmost to quiet their apprehensions and to suppress
their evil design, sometimes using fair words, and at other times fully
resolved to expose his life rather than abandon the enterprise; he put
them in mind of the due punishment they would subject themselves to if
they obstructed the voyage. To confirm their hopes, he recapitulated
all the favorable signs and indications which had been lately observed,
assuring them that they might soon expect to see the land. But they, who
were ever attentive to these tokens, thought every hour a year in their
anxiety to see the wished-for land.
On Tuesday, September 25th, near sunset, as the admiral was discoursing
with Pinzon, whose ship was then very near, Pinzon suddenly called out,
"Land! land, sir! let not my good news miscarry," and pointed out a large
mass in the southwest, about twenty-five leagues distant, which seemed
very like an island. This was so pleasing to the people that they
returned thanks to God for the pleasing discovery; and, although the
admiral was by no means satisfied of the truth of Pinzon's observation,
yet to please the men, and that they might not obstruct the voyage, he
altered his course and stood in that direction a great part of the night.
Next morning, the 26th, they had the mortification to find the supposed
land was only composed of clouds, which often put on the appearance of
distant land; and, to their great dissatisfaction, the stems of the ships
were again turned directly westward, as they always were unless when
hindered by the wind. Continuing their course, and still attentively
watching for signs of land, they saw this day an alcatras, a
rabo-de-junco, and other birds as formerly mentioned.
On Thursday, September 27th, they saw another alcatras coming from the
westward and flying toward the east, and great numbers of fish were seen
with gilt backs, one of which they struck with a harpoon. A rabo-de-junco
likewise flew past; the currents for some of the last days were not so
regular as before but changed with the tide, and the weeds were not
nearly so abundant.
On Friday, the 28th, all the vessels took some of the fishes with gilt
backs; and on Saturday, the 29th, they saw a rabo-de-junco, which,
although a sea-fowl, never rests on the waves, but always flies in the
air, pursuing the alcatrases. Many of these birds are said to frequent
the Cape de Verd Islands. They soon afterward saw two other alcatrases
and great numbers of flying-fishes. These last are about a span long, and
have two little membranous wings like those of a bat, by means of which
they fly about a pike-length high from the water and a musket-shot in
length, and sometimes drop upon the ships. In the afternoon of this day
they saw abundance of weeds lying in length north and south, and three
alcatrases pursued by a rabo-de-junco.
On the morning of Sunday, September 30th, four rabo-de-juncos came to the
ship; and from so many of them coming together it was thought the land
could not be far distant, especially as four alcatrases followed soon
afterward. Great quantities of weeds were seen in a line stretching from
west-north-west to east-north-east, and a great number of the fishes
which are called _emperadores_, which have a very hard skin and are not
fit to eat. Though the admiral paid every attention to these indications,
he never neglected those in the heavens, and carefully observed the
course of the stars. He was now greatly surprised to notice at this time
that Charles' Wain, or the Ursa Major constellation, appeared at night
in the west, and was north-east in the morning. He thence concluded that
their whole night's course was only nine hours, or so many parts in
twenty four of a great circle; and this he observed to be the case
regularly every night. It was likewise noticed that the compass varied
a whole point to the northwest at nightfall, and came due north every
morning at daybreak. As this unheard-of circumstance confounded and
perplexed the pilots, who apprehended danger in these strange regions and
at such unusual distance from home, the admiral endeavored to calm their
fears by assigning a cause for this wonderful phenomenon. He alleged that
it was occasioned by the polar star making a circuit round the pole, by
which they were not a little satisfied.