1492.

2

sails from

COLUMBUS, on the third day of August, set August 3. sail from Palos in Spain, with three vessels and Columbus ninety men, on a voyage the most daring and grand Spain. in its design, and the most important in its result, of any, that had ever been attempted. He, as admiral, commanded the largest ship, called Santa Maria; Martin Alonzo Pinzon was captain of the Pinta; and Vincent Yanez Pinzon, of the Nigna. When the fleet was about two hundred leagues to the west of the Canary islands, Columbus observed that the magnetic needle in the compasses did not point exactly to the polar star, but varied toward the west. This discovery made an alarming impression on his pilots and mariners; but his fer- Sept. 14. tile genius helped him to assign a plausible reason of the com for this strange appearance, and to dispel their pass excites fears, Expedients, however, at length lost their effect. The crew, with loud and insolent clamour, insisted on his return, and some of the most audacious proposed to throw him into the sea. When his invention was nearly exhausted, and his hope nearly abandoned, the only event, that could ap

pedition was to be defrayed by the crown of Castile, and Isabella reserved for her subjects of that kingdom an exclusive right to all the benefits, that should accrue from its success. Robertson, i. book ii. Throughout this transaction, the conduct of Isabella was truly magnanimous; and though she did not, like the Tyrian queen, conduct the great enterprise in person, yet she has strong claim to similar honour: Dux fœmina facti.

i He sailed from Gomera, one of the most westerly of the Canary islands, on the 6th of September, "which may be accounted the first setting out upon the voyage on the ocean." Life of Columbus, c. xviii.

2 One of these vessels had a deck; the other two, called Caravels, had none. They are thus described by Peter Martyr: " Ex regio fisco destinata sunt tria navigia: unum onerarium caveatum, alia duo levia mercatoria sine caveis, quæ ab Hispanis caravelæ vocantur." De Nov. Orb. p. 2. 3 Stow erroneously, ascribes this discovery to Sebastian Cabot, five years after this voyage of Columbus. It unquestionably was made in this first voyage. With the correction of the name and date, the remark of this venerable antiquarian is just : "Before his time, ever since the first finding of the magneticall needle, it was generallie supposed to lie precisely in place of the meridian, and crosse the equator at right angels, respecting with the points dulie north and south." Stow's Chronicle, p.811.

Variation

alarm.

1492. pease the mariners, happily occurred.

Friday, Oct. 12, land

discovered.

2

A light, seen by Columbus at ten in the night of the eleventh of October, was viewed as the harbinger of the wished for land; and early the next morning land was distinctly seen.' At sun rise, all the boats were manned and armed, and the adventurers rowed toward the shore, with warlike music, and other martial pomp. The coast, in the mean time, was covered with people, who were attracted by the novelty of the spectacle, and whose attitudes and gestures strongly expressed their astonishment. Columbus, richly dressed, and holding Columbus a naked sword in his hand, went first on shore, and goon shore. was followed by his men, who, kneeling down with him, kissed the ground with tears of joy, and returned thanks for the success of the voyage. The land was one of the islands of the New World, called by the natives, Guanahana.3 Columbus, assuming the title and authority of admiral, called it San Salvador; and, by setting up a cross, took possession of it for their Catholic majesties."

and his men

Many of the natives stood around, and gazed at the strange ceremony in silent admiration. Though shy at first through fear, they soon became familiar with the Spaniards. The admiral, perceiving that they were simple and inoffensive, gave them

1 The voyage from Gomera was 35 days; a longer time than any man had ever been known to be from the sight of land.

2 They" appeared in the simple innocence of nature, entirely naked." Robertson,

3 It is one of that cluster of the West India islands, called Bahamas, lying in the 25th. degree of north latitude, above 3000 miles to the west of Gomera. Robertson, i. book ii. Belknap Biog. i. 101. The authors of the Universal History [xli. 330, 331.] erroneously affirm this first discovered island to be the one, now called New Providence, which is another of the Bahama islands, in its neighbourhood. The island, discovered by Columbus, still retains its original Indian name, though it is also denominated in maps, Cat Island. It is remarkable for nothing, but the event

that we have recited.

4 Life of Columbus, c. ii. xvi-xxi, xxiii. Peter Martyr, 2. Herrera, i. 47. Purchas, i. 729, 730. European Settlements in America, i. 5—11. Robertson, i. 112, 128.

hawksbells, strings of glass beads, and red caps, 1492. which, though of small intrinsic worth, were by them highly valued. The reason, assigned for their peculiar estimation of these baubles, is, that, confidently believing that these visitants had come down from heaven, they ardently desired to have something left them as a memorial. They gave the Spaniards, in return, such provisions, as they had, and some cotton yarn, which was the only valuable commodity they could produce.*

Oct. 27.

Columbus, after visiting the coasts of the island, proceeded to make farther discoveries, taking with oa. 15. him several of the natives of San Salvador. He saw several islands, and touched at three of the largest of them, which he named St. Mary of the Conception, Fernandina, and Isabella. On the twenty seventh of October, he discovered the island of Cuba, which, in honour of the prince, the son of Cuba disthe Spanish king and queen, he called Juanna. covered. Entering the mouth of a large river with his squadron, he staid here to careen his ships, sending, in the mean time, some of his people, with one of the natives of San Salvador, to view the interior parts of the country. Returning to him on the fifth of Noyember, they report, that they had travelled above sixty miles from the shore; that the soil is richer and better, than any they had hitherto discovered; and that, beside many scattering cottages, they found one village of fifty houses, containing about a thousand inhabitants.3 Sailing from Cuba on the fifth of December, he arrived, the next day, at an Dec. 6. island, called by the natives Hayti, which, in hon- Hispaniola our of the kingdom, by which he was employed, he named Hispaniala. "

I "Gentem esse missam è cælo autumant." P. Martyr, p. 4.

2 Life of Columbus, c. xxiii, xxiv. Robertson, i. book ii. Herrera, i. 47. 3 Robertson, i. book ii. Herrera [i. 54.] says, " a whole generation lived in a house."

4"Ab Hispania

rera, i. 107, 158.

diminutivè Hispaniola." P. Martyr, 245. Her

discovered,

1492.

One of the

ships lost.

On the shoals of this island, through the care Dec. 24. lessness of his sailors, he lost one of his ships. The Indian cazique, or prince, Guacanahari, receiving intelligence of this loss, expressed much grief, and sent all his people with their canoes, to save what they could from the wreck. "We lost not the value of a pin," says the adiniral, "for he caused all our clothes to be laid together near his palace, where he kept them till the houses, which he had appointed for us, were emptied. He placed armed men, to keep them, who stood there all day and all night; and all the people lamented, as if our loss had concerned them much."

The port, where this misfortune happened, Columbus called Navidad [the Nativity], because he entered it on Christmas day. Resolving to leave a colony here, he obtained liberty of the cazique to Columbus erect a fort, which he accordingly built with the timber of the ship, that was wrecked; and, leaving. it in the hands of three officers and thirty eight men, prepared to return to Spain. *

builds a

fort.

Jan. 16. Columbus

returns to

Spain.

1493.

Columbus, having taken every precaution for the security of his colony, left Navidad on the fourth of January; and, after discovering and naming most of the harbours on the northern coast of His

I This title, which signifies lord or prince, is rightly applied to the princes of Hayti; for, according to Clavigero," it is derived from the Haitin tongue, which was spoken in the island of Hispaniola." But it was afterwards inaccurately applied to the nobles of Mexico, who, though divided into several classes, with appropriate titles to each, "were confounded together by the Spaniards under the general name of_caziques,”, Hist. Mexico, i. 346.

2 Life of Columbus, c. xxvii, xxx, xxxii¡, xxxvi, xxxv. Herrera, i. §1— 75, 78. Purchas, i. 730. Univ. Hist. xli. 487. Robertson, i. book ii. In the Life of Columbus, the port is said to be named Navidad; but Herrera, and Robertson after him, say, that this name was given to the fort. This fortification was finished in ten days; the poor natives unwarily helping it forward; "that simple race of men," to use the words of Dr. Robertson," labouring with inconsiderate assiduity in erecting this first mopument of their own servitude."

paniola, set sail, on the sixteenth, for Spain, taking 1493

I

with him six of the natives. On the fourteenth of February, he was overtaken by a violent tempest, and, in the extremity of danger, united with the mariners in imploring the aid of Almighty God, mingled with supplications to the Virgin Mary, and accompanied by vows of pilgrimage. That his discoveries, in case of shipwreck, might not be lost, he wrote an account of them on parchment, wrapped it in a piece of oiled cloth, and inclosed it in a cake of wax, which he put into a tight cask, and threw into the sea. Another parchment, se cured in a similar manner, he placed on the stern; that, if the ship should sink, the cask might float, and one or the other might possibly be found. But his precaution, though prudent, was fruitless; for he was providentially saved from the expected destruction, and, on the fourth of March, arrived safely at Lisbon. On his arrival at Palos on the fifteenth, he was received with the highest tokens of honour, by the king and queen,' who now con stituted him admiral of Spain.3

Columbus adhering to his opinion, that the countries, which he had discovered, were a part of those vast regions of Asia, comprehended under the name of India, and this opinion being adopted in Europe, Ferdinand and Isabella gave them the name of Indies. *

I Purchas, i, 730. Two of these natives died on their passage to Spain; the other four were presented to his Catholic majesty by Columbus, together with a quantity of gold, which had been given to him by the cazique at Hispaniola. Univ. Hist. xli. 487.

2 "Sedere illum coram se publicè, quod est maximum apud reges His panos amoris et gratitudinis, suprémique obsequii signum, fecerunt." P. Martyr, p. 8.

3 Robertson, i, book ii. Belknap Biog. i. 102. 4 Robertson, i. Book ii. Names, however improperly applied, are apt to be permanent. "Even after the error, which gave rise to this opinion, was detected, and the true position of the New World was ascertained, the name has remained, and the appellation of West Indies is given by all

Harris' Voyages, i, 6. Herrera, i, 84, 86, 93.