[263-1] Guanahani in the Journal; see entry covering October 11 and 12.
[263-2] The original text has Isla bella, which was a misprint for
Isabella. _Cf._ Journal, October 20.
[264-1] _Cf._ Journal, November 2 and 6.
[264-2] _Cf._ Journal, November 1, for Columbus's strong inclination to
regard Cuba as mainland.
[264-3] _Cf._ Journal, December 9.
[264-4] _Cf._ Journal, December 20 and note.
[265-1] The prevalent Spanish, estimate of the population of Espanola at
the time of the first colonization was 1,100,000. The modern ethnologist
and critical historian, Oscar Peschel, placed it at less than 300,000 and
more than 200,000. The estimates of Indian population by the early
writers were almost invariably greatly exaggerated. _Cf._ Bourne, _Spain
in America_, pp. 213-214. and notes.
[266-1] _Cabos de agugetas._ Rather the metallic tips of lacings or
straps. _Agugeta_ is a leather lacing or strap. The contemporary Latin
translator used _bingulae_, shoe-straps, shoe-latchets.
[266-2] The _castellano_ was one-sixth of an ounce of gold.
[266-3] _Blancas_ were little coins worth about one-third of a cent.
[266-4] The _arroba_ was 25 pounds.
[267-1] The first appearance of this West Indian word in Europe.
[267-2] _Fustas de remo._
[268-1] _Cf._ Journal, December 23, and note. The reader will observe the
tone of exaggeration in the letter as compared with the Journal.
[268-2] Marco Polo reported that in the kingdom of Lambri in Sumatra
"there are men who have tails like dogs, larger than a palm, and who are
covered with hair." Marco Polo, pt. III., ch. XIV. See Yule's note on the
legend of men with tails, Yule's _Marco Polo_, II. 284. The name Avan
(Anan in the Latin letter) does not occur in the Journal. Bernaldez,
_Historia de las Reyes Catolicos_,[TN-5] II. 19, gives Albao as one of
the provinces of Espanola. As this name is not found in his chief source,
Dr. Chanca's letter, he may have got it from Columbus and through a lapse
of memory transferred it from Cuba to Espanola.
[268-3] The area of Spain is about 191,000 square miles; that of Espanola
or Hayti is 28,000. The extreme length of Hayti is 407 miles.
[268-4] That is, with the mainland of Europe on this side of the Atlantic
and with the mainland on that side of the ocean belonging to the Great
Can, _i.e._, China.
[268-5] _I.e._, Nativity, Christmas, because the wreck occurred on that
day. _Cf._ Journal, December 25 and January 4, and note to entry of
December 28.
[269-1] Columbus had read in the _Imago Mundi_ of Pierre d'Ailly and
noted in the margin the passage which says that in the ends of the earth
there "were monsters of such a horrid aspect that it were hard to say
whether they were men or beasts." _Raccolta Colombiana_, pt. I., vol.
II., p. 468. _Cf._ also the stories in the _Book of Sir John Mandeville_,
chs. XXVII. and XXVIII.
[269-2] Columbus apparently revised his estimate of the latitude on the
return, without, however, correcting his Journal; _cf._ entries for
October 30 and November 21.
[270-1] See Journal, January 15, and note. The island is identified with
Martinique.
[270-2] See Journal, November 12, and note. The Seignory was the
government of Genoa to which Chios [Scio] belonged at this time.
[271-1] Such writers, for example, as Pierre d'Ailly, Marco Polo, and the
author of the _Book of Sir John Mandeville_, from whom Columbus had
derived most of his preconceptions which often biassed or misled him in
interpreting the signs of the natives.
[271-2] According to the Journal, Columbus thought he was off the Azores,
February 15.
[272-1] The storm of March 3d; see Journal.
[272-2] The time of the return voyage, like that of the outgoing voyage,
is reckoned as that consumed in making the Atlantic passage from the last
island left on one side to the first one reached on the other. Just how
the twenty-three days is to be explained is not altogether clear. The
editor of Quaritch's _The Spanish Letter of Columbus_ supposed Columbus
to refer to the time which elapsed from February 16, when he arrived at
the Azores, to March 13, when he left Lisbon.
[272-3] Columbus arrived at Lisbon March 4, and he is supposed by R.H.
Major to have written the postscript there, but not to have despatched
the letter until he reached Seville, March 15, when he redated it March
14.
[272-4] The _Escrivano de Racion_ in the kingdom of Aragon was the high
steward or controller of the king's household expenditures. In Castile
the corresponding official was the _contador mayor_, chief auditor or
steward. Navarrete, I. 167.
[272-5] No longer extant. These lines are a memorandum appended to the
text by Santangel or the printer, and might have been used as a title, as
the similar memorandum was used in the publication of the Latin letter.
The Admiral's name is spelled as in the Articles of Agreement "Colom."
LETTER FROM COLUMBUS TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA CONCERNING THE
COLONIZATION AND COMMERCE OF ESPANOLA[273-1]
MOST HIGH AND POWERFUL LORDS: In obedience to what your Highnesses
command me, I shall state what occurs to me for the peopling and
management of the Spanish Island[273-2] and of all others, whether
already discovered or hereafter to be discovered, submitting myself,
however, to any better opinion.
In the first place, in regard to the Spanish Island: that there should go
there settlers up to the number of two thousand[274-1] who may want to go
so as to render the possession of the country safer and cause it to be
more profitable and helpful in the intercourse and traffic with the
neighboring islands.
Likewise, that in the said island three or four towns be founded at
convenient places, and the settlers be properly distributed among said
places and towns.
Likewise, in order to secure the better and prompter settlement of the
said island, that the privilege of getting gold be granted exclusively to
those who actually settle and build dwelling-houses in the settlement
where they may be, in order that all may live close to each other and
more safely.
Likewise, that in each place and settlement there be a mayor[274-2] or
mayors and a clerk[274-3] according to the use and custom of Castile.
Likewise, that a church be built, and that priests or friars be sent
there for the administration of the sacraments, and for divine worship
and the conversion of the Indians.
Likewise, that no settler be allowed to go and gather gold unless with a
permit from the governor or mayor of the town in which he lives, to be
given only upon his promising under oath to return to the place of his
residence and faithfully report all the gold which he may have gathered,
this to be done once a month, or once a week, as the time may be assigned
to him, the said report to be entered on the proper registry by the clerk
of the town in the presence of the mayor, and if so deemed advisable, in
the presence of a friar or priest selected for the purpose.
Likewise, that all the gold so gathered be melted forthwith, and stamped
with such a stamp as the town may have devised and selected, and that it
be weighed and that the share of that gold which belongs to your
Highnesses be given and delivered to the mayor of the town, the proper
record thereof being made by the clerk and by the priest or friar, so
that it may not pass through only one hand and may so render the
concealing of the truth impossible.
Likewise, that all the gold which may be found without the mark or seal
aforesaid in the possession of any one who formerly had reported once as
aforesaid, be forfeited and divided by halves, one for the informer and
the other for your Highnesses.
Likewise, that one per cent. of all the gold gathered be set apart and
appropriated for building churches, and providing for their proper
furnishing and ornamentation, and to the support of the priests or friars
having them in their charge, and, if so deemed advisable, for the payment
of some compensation to the mayors and clerks of the respective towns, so
as to cause them to fulfil their duties faithfully, and that the balance
be delivered to the governor and treasurer sent there by your Highnesses.
Likewise, in regard to the division of the gold and of the share which
belongs to your Highnesses, I am of the opinion that it should be
entrusted to the said governor and treasurer, because the amount of the
gold found may sometimes be large and sometimes small, and, if so deemed
advisable, that the share of your Highnesses be established for one year
to be one-half, the other half going to the gatherers, reserving for a
future time to make some other and better provision, if necessary.
Likewise, that if the mayors and clerks commit any fraud or consent to
it, the proper punishment be inflicted upon them, and that a penalty be
likewise imposed upon those settlers who do not report in full the whole
amount of the gold which is in their possession.
Likewise, that there be a treasurer[275-1] in the said island, who shall
receive all the gold belonging to your Highnesses, and shall have a clerk
to make and keep the proper record of the receipts, and that the mayors
and clerks of the respective towns be given the proper vouchers for
everything which they may deliver to the said treasurer.
Likewise, that whereas the extreme anxiety of the colonists to gather
gold may induce them to neglect all other business and occupations, it
seems to me that prohibition should be made to them to engage in the
search of gold during some season of the year, so as to give all other
business, profitable to the island, an opportunity to be established and
carried on.
Likewise, that as far as the business of discovering other lands is
concerned,[276-1] it is my opinion that permission to do so should be
given to everyone who desires to embark in it, and that some liberality
should be shown in reducing the fifth to be given away, so as to
encourage as many as possible for entering into such undertakings.
And now I shall set forth my opinion as to the manner of sending vessels
to the said Spanish Island, and the regulation of this subject which must
be made, which is as follows: That no vessels should be allowed to unload
their cargoes except at one or two ports designated for that purpose, and
that a record should be made of all that they carry and unload; and that
no vessels should be allowed either to leave the island except from the
same ports, after a record has been made also of all that they have taken
on board, so that nothing can be concealed.
Likewise, in regard to the gold to be brought from the island to Castile,
that the whole of it, whether belonging to your Highnesses or to some
private individual, must be kept in a chest, with two keys, one to be
kept by the master of the vessel and the other by some person chosen by
the governor and the treasurer, and that an official record must be made
of everything put in the said chest, in order that each one may have
what is his, and that any other gold, much or little, found outside of
the said chest in any manner be forfeited to the benefit of your
Highnesses, so as to cause the transaction to be made faithfully.
Likewise, that all vessels coming from the said island must come to
unload to the port of Cadiz, and that no person shall be allowed to leave
the vessels or get in them until such person or persons of the said city
as may be appointed for this purpose by your Highnesses go on board the
same vessels, to whom the masters must declare all that they have
brought, and show the statement of everything they have in the cargoes,
so that it may be seen and proved whether the said ships have brought
anything hidden and not declared in the manifests at the time of
shipment.
Likewise, that in the presence of the Justice of the said city of Cadiz
and of whosoever may be deputed for the purpose by your Highnesses, the
said chest shall be opened in which the gold is to be brought and that to
each one be given what belongs to him.[277-1]
May your Highnesses keep me in their minds, while I, on my part, shall
ever pray to God our Lord to preserve the lives of your Highnesses and
enlarge their dominions.
S.
S.A.S.
X.M.Y.
XPO FERENS.[277-2]
Sent by the admiral.