|
Top
Top
Top
Top
Top
|
|
Introduction
The following letter was
written by Columbus, near the end of his return voyage, to Luis de Sant
Angel, Treasurer of Aragon, who had given him substantial help in fitting
out his expedition. This announcement of his discovery of the West Indies
was evidently intended for the eyes of Ferdinand and Isabella. The
text of his present translation is taken from American History Leaflets,
edited by Professors Hart and Channing.
To Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery of the Indies [the
Americas]
Sir:
As I know you will be rejoiced at the glorious
success that our Lord has given me in my voyage, I write this to tell you
how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the
illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a
great many islands, inhabited by numberless people; and of all I have
taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the
Royal Standard without opposition. To the first island I discovered I gave
the name of San Salvador, in commemoration of His Divine Majesty, who has
wonderfully granted all this. The Indians call it Guanaham. The second I
named the Island of Santa Maria de Concepcion; the third, Fernandina; the
fourth, Isabella; the fifth, Juana; and thus to each one I gave a new
name. When I came to Juana, I followed the coast of that isle toward the
west, and found it so extensive that I thought it might be the mainland,
the province of Cathay; and as I found no towns nor villages on the
sea-coast, except a few small settlements, where it was impossible to
speak to the people, because they fled at once, I continued the said
route, thinking I could not fail to see some great cities or towns; and
finding at the end of many leagues that nothing new appeared, and that the
coast led northward, contrary to my wish, because the winter had already
set in, I decided to make for the south, and as the wind also was against
my proceeding, I determined not to wait there longer, and turned back to a
certain harbor whence I sent two men to find out whether there was any
king or large city. They explored for three days, and found countless
small communities and people, without number, but with no kind of
government, so they returned.
I heard from other Indians I had already taken that this land was an
island, and thus followed the eastern coast for one hundred and seven
leagues, until I came to the end of it. From that point I saw another isle
to the eastward, at eighteen leagues' distance, to which I gave the name
of Hispaniola. I went thither and followed its northern coast to the east,
as I had done in Juana, one hundred and seventy-eight leagues eastward, as
in Juana. This island, like all the others, is most extensive. It has many
ports along the sea-coast excelling any in Christendom--and many fine,
large, flowing rivers. The land there is elevated, with many mountains and
peaks incomparably higher than in the centre isle. They are most
beautiful, of a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of
endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky, and I have
been told that they never lose their foliage. I saw them as green and
lovely as trees are in Spain in the month of May. Some of them were
covered with blossoms, some with fruit, and some in other conditions,
according to their kind. The nightingale and other small birds of a
thousand kinds were singing in the month of November when I was there.
There were palm trees of six or eight varieties, the graceful
peculiarities of each one of them being worthy of admiration as are the
other trees, fruits and grasses. There are wonderful pine woods, and very
extensive ranges of meadow land. There is honey, and there are many kinds
of birds, and a great variety of fruits. Inland there are numerous mines
of metals and innumerable people. Hispaniola is a marvel. Its hills and
mountains, fine plains and open country, are rich and fertile for planting
and for pasturage, and for building towns and villages. The seaports there
are incredibly fine, as also the magnificent rivers, most of which bear
gold. The trees, fruits and grasses differ widely from those in Juana.
There are many spices and vast mines of gold and other metals in this
island. They have no iron, nor steel, nor weapons, nor are they fit for
them, because although they are well-made men of commanding stature, they
appear extraordinarily timid. The only arms they have are sticks of cane,
cut when in seed, with a sharpened stick at the end, and they are afraid
to use these. Often I have sent two or three men ashore to some town to
converse with them, and the natives came out in great numbers, and as soon
as they saw our men arrive, fled without a moment's delay although I
protected them from all injury.
At every point where I landed, and succeeded in talking to them, I gave
them some of everything I had--cloth and many other things--without
receiving anything in return, but they are a hopelessly timid people. It
is true that since they have gained more confidence and are losing this
fear, they are so unsuspicious and so generous with what they possess,
that no one who had not seen it would believe it. They never refuse
anything that is asked for. They even offer it themselves, and show so
much love that they would give their very hearts. Whether it be anything
of great or small value, with any trifle of whatever kind, they are
satisfied. I forbade worthless things being given to them, such as bits of
broken bowls, pieces of glass, and old straps, although they were as much
pleased to get them as if they were the finest jewels in the world. One
sailor was found to have got for a leathern strap, gold of the weight of
two and a half castellanos, and others for even more worthless things much
more; while for a new blancas they would give all they had, were it two or
three castellanos of pure gold or an arroba or two of spun cotton. Even
bits of the broken hoops of wine casks they accepted, and gave in return
what they had, like fools, and it seemed wrong to me. I forbade it, and
gave a thousand good and pretty things that I had to win their love, and
to induce them to become Christians, and to love and serve their
Highnesses and the whole Castilian nation, and help to get for us things
they have in abundance, which are necessary to us. They have no religion,
nor idolatry, except that they all believe power and goodness to be in
heaven. They firmly believed that I, with my ships and men, came from
heaven, and with this idea I have been received everywhere, since they
lost fear of me. They are, however, far from being ignorant. They are most
ingenious men, and navigate these seas in a wonderful way, and describe
everything well, but they never before saw people wearing clothes, nor
vessels like ours. Directly I reached the Indies in the first isle I
discovered, I took by force some of the natives, that from them we might
gain some information of what there was in these parts; and so it was that
we immediately understood each other, either by words or signs. They are
still with me and still believe that I come from heaven. They were the
first to declare this wherever I went, and the others ran from house to
house, and to the towns around, crying out, "Come ! come! and see the man
from heaven!" Then all, both men and women, as soon as they were reassured
about us, came, both small and great, all bringing something to eat and to
drink, which they presented with marvellous kindness. In these isles there
are a great many canoes, something like rowing boats, of all sizes, and
most of them are larger than an eighteen-oared galley. They are not so
broad, as they are made of a single plank, but a galley could not keep up
with them in rowing, because they go with incredible speed, and with these
they row about among all these islands, which are innumerable, and carry
on their commerce. I have seen some of these canoes with seventy and
eighty men in them, and each had an oar. In all the islands I observed
little difference in the appearance of the people, or in their habits and
language, except that they understand each other, which is remarkable.
Therefore I hope that their Highnesses will decide upon the conversion of
these people to our holy faith, to which they seem much inclined. I have
already stated how I sailed one hundred and seven leagues along the
sea-coast of Juana, in a straight line from west to east. I can therefore
assert that this island is larger than England and Scotland together,
since beyond these one hundred and seven leagues there remained at the
west point two provinces where I did not go, one of which they call Avan,
the home of men with tails. These provinces are computed to be fifty or
sixty leagues in length, as far as can be gathered from the Indians with
me, who are acquainted with all these islands. This other, Hispaniola, is
larger in circumference than all Spain from Catalonia to Fuentarabia in
Biscay, since upon one of its four sides I sailed one hundred and
eighty-eight leagues from west to east. This is worth having, and must on
no account be given up. I have taken possession of all these islands, for
their Highnesses, and all may be more extensive than I know, or can say,
and I hold them for their Highnesses, who can command them as absolutely
as the kingdoms of Castile. In Hispaniola, in the most convenient place,
most accessible for the gold mines and all commerce with the mainland on
this side or with that of the great Khan, on the other, with which there
would be great trade and profit, I have taken possession of a large town,
which I have named the City of Navidad. I began fortifications there which
should be completed by this time, and I have left in it men enough to hold
it, with arms, artillery, and provisions for more than a year; and a boat
with a master seaman skilled in the arts necessary to make others; I am so
friendly with the king of that country that he was proud to call me his
brother and hold me as such. Even should he change his mind and wish to
quarrel with my men, neither he nor his subjects know what arms are, nor
wear clothes, as I have said. They are the most timid people in the world,
so that only the men remaining there could destroy the whole region, and
run no risk if they know how to behave themselves properly. In all these
islands the men seem to be satisfied with one wife except they allow as
many as twenty to their chief or men. The women appear to me to work
harder than the men, and so far as I can hear they have nothing of their
own, for I think I perceived that what one had others shared, especially
food. In the islands so far, I have found no monsters, as some expected,
but, on the contrary, they are people of very handsome appearance. They
are not black as in Guinea, though their hair is straight and coarse, as
it does not grow where the sun's rays are too ardent. And in truth the sun
has extreme power here, since it is within twenty-six degrees of the
equinoctial line. In these islands there are mountains where the cold this
winter was very severe, but the people endure it from habit, and with the
aid of the meat they eat with very hot spices.
As for monsters, I have found not trace of them except at the point in the
second isle as one enters the Indies, which is inhabited by a people
considered in all the isles as most ferocious, who eat human flesh. They
possess many canoes, with which they overrun all the isles of India,
stealing and seizing all they can. They are not worse looking than the
others, except that they wear their hair long like women, and use bows and
arrows of the same cane, with a sharp stick at the end for want of iron,
of which they have none. They are ferocious compared to these other races,
who are extremely cowardly; but I only hear this from the others. They are
said to make treaties of marriage with the women in the first isle to be
met with coming from Spain to the Indies, where there are no men. These
women have no feminine occupation, but use bows and arrows of cane like
those before mentioned, and cover and arm themselves with plates of
copper, of which they have a great quantity. Another island, I am told, is
larger than Hispaniola, where the natives have no hair, and where there is
countless gold; and from them all I bring Indians to testify to this. To
speak, in conclusion, only of what has been done during this hurried
voyage, their Highnesses will see that I can give them as much gold as
they desire, if they will give me a little assistance, spices, cotton, as
much as their Highnesses may command to be shipped, and mastic as much as
their Highnesses choose to send for, which until now has only been found
in Greece, in the isle of Chios, and the Signoria can get its own price
for it; as much lign-aloe as they command to be shipped, and as many
slaves as they choose to send for, all heathens. I think I have found
rhubarb and cinnamon. Many other things of value will be discovered by the
men I left behind me, as I stayed nowhere when the wind allowed me to
pursue my voyage, except in the City of Navidad, which I left fortified
and safe. Indeed, I might have accomplished much more, had the crews
served me as they ought to have done. The eternal and almighty God, our
Lord, it is Who gives to all who walk in His way, victory over things
apparently impossible, and in this case signally so, because although
these lands had been imagined and talked of before they were seen, most
men listened incredulously to what was thought to be but an idle tale. But
our Redeemer has given victory to our most illustrious King and Queen, and
to their kingdoms rendered famous by this glorious event, at which all
Christendom should rejoice, celebrating it with great festivities and
solemn Thanksgivings to the Holy Trinity, with fervent prayers for the
high distinction that will accrue to them from turning so many peoples to
our holy faith; and also from the temporal benefits that not only Spain
but all Christian nations will obtain. Thus I record what has happened in
a brief note written on board the Caravel, off the Canary Isles, on
the 15th of February, 1493.
Yours to command,
-THE ADMIRAL
Postscript within the letter.
Since writing the above, being in the Sea of Castile, so much wind arose
south southeast, that I was forced to lighten the vessels, to run into
this port of Lisbon today which was the most extraordinary thing in the
world, from whence I resolved to write to their Highnesses. In all the
Indies I always found the temperature like that of May. Where I went in
thirty-three days I returned in twenty-eight, except that these gales have
detained me fourteen days, knocking about in this sea, Here all seamen say
that there has never been so rough a winter, nor so many vessels lost.
Done the 14th day of March.
This letter Columbus sent to the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, from the Islands discovered in the Indies, enclosed in
another to their Highnesses.
Back |
Top
Spread-the-Word Ministries |