Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals. In it the trees, pasture-lands and fruits different much from those of Juana. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the excellence of the rivers, in volume and salubrity, surpass human belief, unless on should see them. In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana, there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields, most fertile both for cultivation and for pasturage, and well adapted for constructing buildings. All these island are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars. . . . Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains. It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen. The island called Juana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance. On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I have determined to write you this letter to inform you of everything that has been done and discovered in this voyage of mine. guileless and honest,” Columbus declares that the land could easily be conquered by Spain, and the natives “might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.” An English translation of this document is available. In addition to announcing his momentous discovery, Columbus’s letter also provides observations of the native people’s culture and lack of weapons, noting that “they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror.” Writing that the natives are “fearful and timid. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance,” Columbus wrote. “I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. The Latin printing of this letter announced the existence of the American continent throughout Europe. The copy shown here is the second, corrected edition of the pamphlet. Plannck mistakenly left Queen Isabella’s name out of the pamphlet’s introduction but quickly realized his error and reprinted the pamphlet a few days later. The letter was written in Spanish and sent to Rome, where it was printed in Latin by Stephan Plannck. When Columbus arrived back in Spain on March 15, 1493, he immediately wrote a letter announcing his discoveries to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had helped finance his trip. Columbus brought back small amounts of gold as well as native birds and plants to show the richness of the continent he believed to be Asia. He also kidnapped several Native Americans (between ten and twenty-five) to take back to Spain-only eight survived. He left thirty-nine men to build a settlement called La Navidad in present-day Haiti. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador the natives called it Guanahani.įor nearly five months, Columbus explored the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Juana (Cuba) and Hispaniola (Santo Domingo), before returning to Spain. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia.
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