Columbus' Letter Miraculously Found
October 12, 2014Christopher Columbus |
Christopher Columbus
(1451-1506)
Vol. 43, pp. 21-27 of
The Harvard Classics
(Columbus Day.)
Historical
documents, now priceless, were often used as wrapping paper. Rescued
by chance was a letter of Columbus telling of his voyages - of the
amazing bargains made with timid natives - of Amazon women who fought
like men and made marriage treaties with cannibals.
The
Letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery
(1493)
[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 the present translation is taken
from American History Leaflets, edited by Professors Hart and
Channing.]
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.
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 Highness and the whole Castilian nation, and
help to got 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 men 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 there, 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 bother, 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 previsions 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 king. The women appear to me to work harder than the men,
and so far 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 no 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 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 to-day 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.
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