30

EDUCATION OF COLUMBUS.

such a character, and the march of such an understanding, in the conception and accomplishment of its great undertaking, are worthy subjects of inquiry. No tale of fiction equals in interest the simple narrative of the adventures of Columbus ; and if one wishes to go farther, and retrace the steps by which he was led to the illustrious vision of a voyage to the East Indies by a western route-the vision which resulted in the discovery of a new world,—he will find himself engaged in researches of the most curious and instructive character."*

Of the early life of Columbust little is known. He was born in Genoa, in 1435 or 1436. He was sent by his father, Dominico Colombo, to Pavia, the chief seat of learning in Italy, to prosecute his studies; but these he soon broke off, to commence his naval career; not, however, before he had made extraordinary progress and imbibed a taste for literary cultivation which he preserved during his life. He surpassed his contemporaries in geometry, astronomy, and cosmography, studies which appear to have been peculiarly congenial to his enterprising character. He took part in a naval expedition, fitted out at Genoa, by John of Anjou, Duke of Calabria, in 1459, against Naples; and in 1474, was captain of several Genoese ships, in the service of Louis XI. of France. He subsequently went to Lisbon, where his brother Bartholomew found a profitable occupation in constructing sailing-charts for navigators. Portugal was at that time engaged in promoting geographical discovery; and Columbus soon embarked in an arduous voyage to the North, in which he reached the 73d degree of north latitude, or, as he expresses it, 100 degrees beyond the Thule of Ptolemy. He made several other voyages to England, and to the islands possessed by Spain and Portugal in the Western Ocean; he soon became, in consequence, the most experienced navigator of his time. By taking notes of everything he saw, comparing them with the

* Everett..

†The family name in Italian is Colombo; it was Latinized into Columbus by himself, in his earlier letters. He is better known, in Spanish history, as Christoval Colon, having altered his name when he removed to Spain.— Irving's Life of Columbus.

.COLUMBUS IN LISBON.

31

existing systems of cosmography, and by drawing maps and constructing globes, he kept his mind intently fixed on the studies in which he was destined to effect so great a revolution.

While a resident in Lisbon, he married Donna Felipa, the daughter of Bartolomeo Monis de Palestrello, an Italian cavalier, who had been one of the most distinguished navigators under Prince Henry of Portugal, and had colonized and governed the island of Porto Santo. By this marriage Columbus procured access to the charts and papers of Palestrello, and of other experienced navigators connected with his wife's family. In his conversations with the able geographers and pilots whom he found in Lisbon, he consulted them on the possibility of discovering a western passage to the countries of Cathay and Zipangu, described by Marco Polo. The theory which he had already formed on this subject received confirmation by certain facts which came to his knowledge. "Pedro Torrea, his wife's relation, had found, on the coast of Porto Santo, pieces of carved wood, evidently not cut with a knife, and which had been carried thither by strong westerly winds; other navigators had picked up in the Atlantic, canes of an extraordinary size, and many plants not apparently belonging to the Old World. The bodies of men were found, thrown by the waves on the shore of one of the Azores, who had features differing essentially from those of Africans or Europeans, and who had evidently come from the West."

Facts, such as these, gave additional force to the reasonings which Columbus founded on his thorough knowledge of the existing cosmographical science of his time; and he was finally led to attempt the discovery. Not having the means of fitting out a suitable expedition at his own expense, he obtained an audience of John II., King of Portugal,* and fully unfolded to that monarch his plan. He proposed, in case the king would furnish him with ships and men, to undertake a shorter and more direct route to India than any which had

* Mr. Irving discredits the assertion that Columbus first applied to the Government of Genoa.

32

COLUMBUS LEAVES LISBON.

been attempted, by sailing directly to the west, across the Atlantic. The king directed his councillors and men of learning to examine the project, and by the advice of some of their number, was induced in an evil hour to depart from his usual justice and generosity, and to sanction the project of secretly fitting out an expedition to undertake the discovery, without the knowledge of its projector. "A caravel was despatched, with the ostensible purpose of carrying provisions to the Cape de Verd Islands, but with private instructions to pursue the route designated in the papers of Columbus. Departing from those islands, the caravel stood westward for several days. The weather grew stormy, and the pilots having no zeal to stimulate them, and seeing nothing but an immeasurable waste of wild trembling waves, still extending before them, lost all courage to proceed. They put back to the Cape de Verd Islands, and thence to Lisbon, excusing their own want of resolution, by ridiculing the project of Columbus as extravagant and irrational.”*

Indignant at such an attempt to defraud him of his enterprise, Columbus determined to abandon a country where he had met with such treacherous and unworthy treatment, and to seek for patronage elsewhere. His domestic ties being dissolved by the death of his wife, there remained nothing to detain him; and he secretly departed from Lisbon, towards the end of the year 1484, and arrived at the port of Palos, in Spain. In this country he experienced the fate of all who are superior to their age, and failed to make himself understood by his contemporaries. The sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, being at that time engaged in the wars with the Moors, which terminated in the conquest of Granada, although they listened to Columbus's proposals, and encouraged him to a certain extent, were still too much occupied with more urgent affairs to accord him the assistance which he required for effecting his enterprise; and it was not until after the final expulsion of the Moors, that he was enabled to engage them cordially in his support. Wearied out by years of fruitless * Irving.

COLUMBUS SAILS FROM PALOS.

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solicitation, he had determined to abandon the country, and had actually left the court at Santa Fé, (Feb. 1492,) and was on his way towards France, when his friends, St. Angel and Quintanilla, by their earnest and powerful intercessions with Queen Isabella, induced her to despatch a messenger for his recall. The queen, moved by the eloquence of St. Angel, adopted the scheme with enthusiasm, and even offered to pledge her jewels to raise the necessary funds. It was an act every way worthy of her noble character. But the funds were raised without having recourse to Isabella's generosity; and arrangements were speedily entered into for fitting out the expedition.

On the 17th of April, 1492, were signed the articles of agreement, by which Columbus received from the sovereigns, the hereditary titles of admiral and viceroy, in all the seas, lands, and islands which he should discover. He was entitled also to reserve for himself, one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other articles and merchandises, in whatever manner found, bought, bartered, or gained within his admiralty, the costs being first deducted; and he was permitted to contribute an eighth part of the expense of the expedition, and to receive an eighth part of the profits.

On the 12th of May, he proceeded to the port of Palos, to fit out the armament. Three vessels were prepared for the voyage. The largest, which was decked, was called the Santa Maria, and on board of this ship Columbus hoisted his flag. The second, called the Pinta, was commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, accompanied by his brother, Francisco Martin, as pilot. The third, called the Nina, had latine sails, and was commanded by the third of the brothers, Vicente Yanes Pinzon. There were three other pilots, an inspectorgeneral of the armament, a chief alguazil, and a royal notary. The expedition was also provided with a physician and a surgeon, and was accompanied by various private adventurers, together with several servants, and ninety mariners,—making, in all, one hundred and twenty persons.

On Friday, the 3d of August, 1492, the expedition sailed.

34

INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE.

They directed their course to the Canary Islands, where they were delayed for some time in consequence of an injury done to the rudder of the Pinta. On the 6th of September, they left the Canaries; and that may be regarded as the first day of the most memorable voyage which has ever been undertaken. The winds were at first light, and little way was made; the second day, the fleet lost sight of land. The companions of Columbus, who were now advancing over the unable to conjecture the termination of their voyage, began to feel astonished at the boldness of the enterprise. Many of them shed tears and broke into loud lamentations, believing that they should never return. Columbus endeavoured to console them and inspire them with new courage.

ocean,

On the 11th of September, when they were a hundred and fifty leagues from the island of Ferro, they found the mast of a ship, which seemed to have been brought there by the current. Columbus made daily observations on the meridian altitude of the sun, and he was the first to observe the variation of the magnetic needle, a phenomenon which occasioned considerable alarm among his people, and which he found himself under the necessity of explaining by a plausible theory of his cwn, in order to calm their apprehensions. On the 15th, three hundred leagues from the island of Ferro, during a dead calm, they saw a fire-ball strike the sea, about five leagues ahead of the fleet, one of the meteors of very common occurrence in the tropical regions.

Hitherto the wind had blown constantly from the east; the seamen, observing this fact, thought that it would be impossible for them ever to return to Spain. On the following day they saw some birds, which revived their hopes, as they were supposed to be of a species that never went more than twenty leagues from the land. The sea soon after seemed covered with marine plants, which had the appearance of having been recently detached from the rocks on which they had grown; and the men were convinced that land could not be far distant. On the 18th, Alonzo Pinzon, who sailed ahead, told Columbus that he had seen a multitude of birds in the west, and that he