These memorable words are worthy of observation, as nothing similar or any
way equivalent can be found either in the ancients or among the moderns.
It will therefore be ever had in remembrance, that he was the discoverer
of the Indies; though since then Ferdinand Cortes and Francis Pizarro have
found out many other provinces and vast kingdoms on the continent. Cortes
discovered the province of Yucutan and the empire of Mexico now called New
Spain, then possessed by the great emperor Montezuma; and Francis
Pizarro found out the kingdom of Peru which is of vast extent and full of
endless wealth, which was then under the dominion of the powerful king
Atabalipa. From these countries and kingdoms there come every year to
Spain many ships laden with gold and silver and rich commodities, as
Brazil wood, cochineal, indigo, sugar, and other articles of great value,
besides pearls and other precious stones: owing to which Spain and its
princes at this time flourish and abound in wealth beyond all other
nations.
[1] D. Ferdinand is surely mistaken here. Martinico, the island probably
indicated by the name of Matinino, is about ten leagues distant from
Dominca; but the course from the former to the latter is to the north,
with a very alight western tendency. - E.
[2] Now called Porto Rico. - E.
[3] He was formerly called Obando; and is named Nicholas de Ovando by
Herrera: Perhaps he had a commandary of the above name. - E.
[4] The historian of Columbus does not appear to have been at all
conversant in zoology. What the Saavina was cannot be conjectured from
his slight notices, unless a basking shark. The other, no way allied to
fish except by living in the water, is a real mammiferous quadruped,
the Trichechus Manati of naturalists, or the sea cow. - E.
[5] The author or his original translator, falls into a great error here.
The land first discovered in this voyage was the island of Guanaia off
Cape Casinas or Cape Honduras, therefore W.S.W. from Jamaica, not
south. Guanaia seems to be the island named Bonaea in our maps, about
ten leagues west from the isle of Ratan. - E.
[6] A blank is left here in the edition of this voyage published by
Churchill. - E.
[7] This is an obvious error, as New Spain is to the west of Cape Casinas,
off which the admiral now was. If bounds for New Spain, the canoe
must have come from the eastwards; if going with commodities from the
westwards it was bound from New Spain. - E.
[8] The papal authority for subjugating the Indians to the holy church,
prevented D. Ferdinand from perceiving either avarice or robbery in
the conduct of the Christians. - E.
[9] It would appear, though not distinctly enunciated, that Columbus had
learnt from some of the natives, perhaps from Giumbe, that a great sea
lay beyond or to the westwards of this newly discovered continent, by
which he imagined he was now in the way to accomplish the original
object of his researches, the route westwards to India. - E.
[10] Now called the Mosquito shore, inhabited by a bold race of savage
Indians, whom the Spaniards have never been able to subdue. - E.
[11] It is utterly impossible that these people could have the smallest
idea whatever of the European art of writing. But they might have
heard of the Mexican representations of people and things by a rude
painting, and of their frequent and distant excursions in quest of
human victims to sacrifice upon their savage altars. This may possibly
have been the origin of the terror evinced by the inhabitants of
Cariari at the sight of the materials of writing, conceiving that the
Spaniards were emissaries from the sanguinary Mexicans, and about to
record the measure of the tribute in human blood. - E.
[12] A more charitable construction might be put on all this. The refusal
to accept presents, perhaps proceeded from manly pride because their
own had been refused. The powder and the smoke might be marks of
honour to the strangers, like the rose water and other honorary
perfumings of the east. - E.
[13] The similitude is not obvious, but may have been intended to comprae
this mountain with the lofty sharp pinnacle on which the hermitage is
built near St Jago de Compostella in Spain. - E.
[14] This is probably the first time that Europeans had seen tobacco
chewed and the use of snuff; practices which have now become almost
necessaries of life among many millions of the inhabitants of Europe
and its colonies. - E.
[15] It is probable that the fish, here called pilchards were of one of
the kinds of flying fish, which is of the same genus with the herring
and pilchard. Voyagers ignorant of natural history are extremely apt
to name new objects after corresponding resemblances in their own
country. - E.
[16] This appears to have been near Panama, or the western point of the
Gulf of Darien in 78 deg. 40' W. long. The pilots seem to have been
extremely ignorant, and the admiral to have yielded to their
importunity. The harbour of St Domingo being in 69 deg. 50' W. long they
ought to have proceeded about nine degrees, or 180 marine leagues
farther east, to have insured their run across the trade winds and
currents of the Caribbean sea. - E.
[17] Though not mentioned in the text, this vessel would certainly bring
refreshments of various kinds, but was probably too small to bring off
the people. Mendez appears to have remained at St Domingo in order to
fit out a larger vessel, which he accordingly carried to Jamaica in
June, as will be seen in the sequel. - E.
* * * * *
CHAPTER II.
ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF AMERCIA, BY CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS; FROM
THE HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES, BY ANTONIO BE HERRERA, HISTORIOGRAPHER TO
THE KING OF SPAIN[1].
SECTION I.
