The admiral continued his exertions to get every thing ready, and
caused many kinds of useful plants to be shipped; likewise wheat, barley,
oats, rye, and all kinds of grain and seeds; cows, bricks, lime, and other
materials for building; and an infinite number of useful articles.
[1] Almost seven months and a half; or more precisely thirty-two weeks,
being seven kalendar months and twelve days. - E.
[2] In this bull, following the vague language of Columbus, the great
discoverer, the New World is called the Indies, slightly
distinguished, in grammatical number only, from India in
south-eastern Asia. - E.
[3] In the bull, as reported by Herrera, all that should be discovered to
the west and south of the meridianal line from pole to pole is
granted to the crown of Castile and Leon. It is hard to say what
portion of the globe was conceived to be to the south of such a
demarcation. But it is obvious that in granting all to the west of
this line to Spain, and all to the east of it to Portugal, the pope
and cardinals granted the whole circumference of the globe
reciprocally to both crowns. The sacred college had not hitherto
adopted the geographical heresy of Galileo, and still entertained
vague notions of the true figure of the earth. - E.
[4] This probably alludes to the foul means then employed in Spain for
converting the Moors and Jews, by means of the holy office of the
Inquisition. - E.
[5] Perhaps this expression mean knights, or fidalgos; men of family and
substance: yet it probably means nothing more than that twenty
volunteer cavalry formed part of the military force of the
expedition. - E.
[6] I am apt to suspect the real sense of this passage ought to be,
"requiring the court of Spain not to send off Columbus for sixty
days." - E.
[7] One hundred leagues, at 17-1/2 to the degree, west from the Azores,
would fix the boundary about Long. 42 deg. W. and would include within the
Portuguese boundary a small portion of Brazil. By compact between the
two crowns, this line was afterwards extended to 370 leagues west from
the islands of Cabo Verde, giving considerably more of Brazil, then
unknown, to Portugal: But the boundaries of that colony have been
several times changed and regulated by treaties between the two crowns,
without any rigid adherence to the papal grant. - E.
[8] This negociation, which is confusedly interspersed in the original
among the transactions of Columbus, is here thrown together: But, as
very indefinitely narrated, and exceedingly uninteresting, is somewhat
compressed in this place. - E.
[9] This date is assuredly erroneous, as we afterwards learn that nothing
had been finally settled with Portugal on the fifth of September. - E.
SECTION XII.
Second Voyage of Columbus to the West Indies, and establishment of
Isabella, the first European colony in the New World.
Every thing being in readiness, the stores all shipped, and the men
embarked, the fleet set sail from the bay of Cadiz on Wednesday the 25th
of September 1493 before sunrise. The admiral directed his course to the
south-west for the Canary islands. On Wednesday the 2d October the fleet
came off the island of Gran Canaria, and on Friday the 5th came to anchor
at Gomera, where the admiral remained two days taking in wood and water,
and procuring cattle, sheep, goats, and swine, for the intended colony in
Hispaniola. Among these he purchased eight sows for 70 maravedies each,
from which all those which have since stocked the Indies have multiplied.
He likewise took on board poultry, and other creatures, and garden seeds.
At this place the admiral delivered sealed instructions to all the pilots
of the fleet, directing them how to shape their course for the territory
of Guacanagari in the island of Hispaniola; but these were on no account
to be opened, unless in case of separation from him, as he wished as much
as possible to prevent the course of the voyage from becoming known to the
king of Portugal.
Columbus departed with his fleet from Gomera on Monday the 7th of October,
and passing Hierro, the farthest of the Canaries, steered more to the
southward than he had done in his first voyage. On the 24th of the same
month, having sailed about 450 leagues in his estimation, a swallow was
seen among the ships, and they soon afterwards had heavy showers of rain,
which the admiral supposed were occasioned by some near land, for which
reason he slackened sail at night, and ordered every one to keep a sharp
look-out. On Sunday the 3d November, all the fleet saw land to the great
joy of all on board. This proved to be an island, which Columbus named
Dominica, because discovered on Sunday. Presently two other islands were
seen on the starboard, and then many others; and they began to smell the
herbs and flowers, and to see flocks of parrots, which always make a great
noise during their flight. As there seemed no convenient anchorage on the
east coast of Dominica, the admiral continued his course to the second
island, which he named Marigalante, that being the name of his own ship.
He landed here with some men, and took formal possession in presence of a
notary and witnesses. Leaving this island, he discovered another next day,
to which he gave the name of Guadaloupe, to which he sent some boats on
shore to a small town, which was found deserted by the inhabitants, who
had all fled to the mountains. In searching their houses, a piece of ship
timber which the sailors call a stern-post was found, to the great
surprise of every one, not knowing how it should have come hither, unless
either drifted from the Canaries, or perhaps it might have belonged to the
admirals ship, lost in the first voyage, and might have floated with the
currents from Hispaniola.
