His deflection therefore, to the S.W.
on the 7th October, was fortunate for the success of his great
expedition. - E.
[3] How infinitely better it had been for Columbus, and his precursors the
Portuguese, to have retained the native names, where these could be
learnt; or, otherwise, to have imposed single significant new names
like the Norwegian navigators of the ninth century, instead of these
clumsy long winded superstitious appellations. This island of St
Mary of the Conception seems to have been what is now called
Long-island, S.S.E. from St Salvador or Guanahani, now Cat-island. - E.
[4] A small Portuguese coin worth less than twopence. - Churchill.
[5] This sentence is quite inexplicable, and is assuredly erroneously
translated. It is possible the original meant, that Columbus was
misled by the opinion of Paul, to disregard the indications of the
Indians; and instead of sailing directly west, which would have led
him to the coast of Mexico, induced him to coast eastwards along Cuba,
which brought him to Hispaniola, always searching for Cipango or
Japan. - E.
[6] The author seems here not clear or well informed, as Haiti was the
real Indian name of the island now called Hispaniola or St Domingo. - E.
[7] In the original, the current is said to have made "so loud a noise
that it might have been heard a league off." This circumstance is
quite inconsistent with the careless security of the whole crew; as it
must necessarily have indicated their approach to rocks or shoals; and
is therefore omitted in the text. - E.
SECTION XI.
From the arrival of Columbus at Lisbon, till the commencement of his
second voyage to the New World.
The king of Portugal happened then to be at Valparayso, to which place
the admiral sent a letter informing the king of his arrival, and that he
had orders from their Catholic majesties to put into any of the Portuguese
harbours in case of need, that he might procure what he was in want of,
and requested permission to wait upon the king, to satisfy him that he had
not come from Guinea, but from the Indies. At this time a galeon well
stored with cannon, lay guard in the Tagus, commanded by Alvaro Daman,
who sent his master Bartholomew Diaz de Lisboa in an armed boat to the
admiral, desiring him to come on board the galeon and give an account of
himself to the kings officers. Columbus answered that he was admiral to
their Catholic majesties, and accountable to no man, and would not quit
his ship unless compelled by superior force. Diaz then desired him to send
his master; but this he likewise refused, saying that were as bad as going
himself, and that Spanish admirals were not wont to put themselves or
their men into the hands of others.
