LETTER OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
ON HIS FIRST VOYAGE TO AMERICA, 1492
Written in 1493, to the Treasurer of Aragon, Luis de St. Angel, who had provided Castile Taíno Indians his settlement La Navidad
on the north coast of present-day Haiti
SIR:
S 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 [Spanish flag] 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.1 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.2
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 [China]; and as I found no towns nor villages on
the seacoast, 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.
* National Humanities Center, 2006: nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/. Charles W. Eliot, ed., American Historical Documents, 1000-1904, Harvard
Classics, vol. 43 (New York: Collier, 1910). Some paragraphing added by NHC. Image on this page: detail from Diego Gutiérrez, Americae sive
qvartae orbis, map of the western hemisphere, 1562; courtesy of the Library of Congress. Complete image credits at
nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/amerbegin/imagecredits.htm.
1 Also Guanahani. Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas or the Turks & Caicos, north of the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the
Dominican Republic). While there is insufficient evidence to specify the island, contenders include San Salvador (formerly Watling Island) and
Samana Cay in the Bahamas.
2
Island of Santa Maria de Concepcion: Rum Cay, Bahamas. Fernandina: Long Island, Bahamas. Isabella: Crooked Island, Bahamas. Juana: Cuba.
A
Library of Congress P. Forlani, Vniversale descrittione di tvtta la terra conoscivta fin qvi, world map, Venice: 1565,
detail with approximate route of Columbus’s first voyage added
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 2
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 leagues3
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.4
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 seacoast 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 [weapons] 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
3
The Spanish league was about 2.6 miles.
4
“C de SPANOLA” on the Gutiérrez map above (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
“Hispaniola is a marvel.”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 3
Library of Congress
Taíno amulet of a crouching figure, Puerto
Rico (?), marble, AD 1000–1500
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.5 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 Highnesses and the whole Castilian nation, and help
to get 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 marvelous 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 seacoast of Juana [Cuba] 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 other, 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 eightyeight leagues from west to east. This is worth having, and must on no account be given up. I have taken
5 Blanca: Spanish copper coin. Castellano: Spanish gold coin. Arroba: Spanish unit of weight, app. 25 pounds.
“They firmly believed that I,
with my ships and men,
came from heaven”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 4
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 other,6 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.7
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 provisions 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 as 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 [equator]. 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,8
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 [West Indies], 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 a sharp stick at the end for want lack of iron,9
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.10
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 mastic11 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-aloe12 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
6 Kahn: Mongol ruler of China.
7 On the north coast of present-day Haiti.
8 Many Europeans, including Columbus, predicted that “monstrous races” existed in the unexplored world, including dog-headed men.
9
I.e., due to the lack of iron.
10 Columbus took
11 Mastic: valuable resin from a species of gum tree, used in food and medicine at the time.
12 Lign-aloe: another tree resin.
“their Highnesses will see that I can
give them as much gold as they desire”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 5
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.
ON HIS FIRST VOYAGE TO AMERICA, 1492
Written in 1493, to the Treasurer of Aragon, Luis de St. Angel, who had provided Castile Taíno Indians his settlement La Navidad
on the north coast of present-day Haiti
SIR:
S 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 [Spanish flag] 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.1 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.2
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 [China]; and as I found no towns nor villages on
the seacoast, 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.
* National Humanities Center, 2006: nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/. Charles W. Eliot, ed., American Historical Documents, 1000-1904, Harvard
Classics, vol. 43 (New York: Collier, 1910). Some paragraphing added by NHC. Image on this page: detail from Diego Gutiérrez, Americae sive
qvartae orbis, map of the western hemisphere, 1562; courtesy of the Library of Congress. Complete image credits at
nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/amerbegin/imagecredits.htm.
1 Also Guanahani. Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas or the Turks & Caicos, north of the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the
Dominican Republic). While there is insufficient evidence to specify the island, contenders include San Salvador (formerly Watling Island) and
Samana Cay in the Bahamas.
2
Island of Santa Maria de Concepcion: Rum Cay, Bahamas. Fernandina: Long Island, Bahamas. Isabella: Crooked Island, Bahamas. Juana: Cuba.
A
Library of Congress P. Forlani, Vniversale descrittione di tvtta la terra conoscivta fin qvi, world map, Venice: 1565,
detail with approximate route of Columbus’s first voyage added
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 2
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 leagues3
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.4
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 seacoast 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 [weapons] 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
3
The Spanish league was about 2.6 miles.
4
“C de SPANOLA” on the Gutiérrez map above (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
“Hispaniola is a marvel.”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 3
Library of Congress
Taíno amulet of a crouching figure, Puerto
Rico (?), marble, AD 1000–1500
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.5 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 Highnesses and the whole Castilian nation, and help
to get 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 marvelous 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 seacoast of Juana [Cuba] 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 other, 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 eightyeight leagues from west to east. This is worth having, and must on no account be given up. I have taken
5 Blanca: Spanish copper coin. Castellano: Spanish gold coin. Arroba: Spanish unit of weight, app. 25 pounds.
“They firmly believed that I,
with my ships and men,
came from heaven”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 4
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 other,6 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.7
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 provisions 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 as 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 [equator]. 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,8
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 [West Indies], 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 a sharp stick at the end for want lack of iron,9
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.10
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 mastic11 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-aloe12 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
6 Kahn: Mongol ruler of China.
7 On the north coast of present-day Haiti.
8 Many Europeans, including Columbus, predicted that “monstrous races” existed in the unexplored world, including dog-headed men.
9
I.e., due to the lack of iron.
10 Columbus took
11 Mastic: valuable resin from a species of gum tree, used in food and medicine at the time.
12 Lign-aloe: another tree resin.
“their Highnesses will see that I can
give them as much gold as they desire”
National Humanities Center Columbus’s letter on his first voyage to America, February 1493 5
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.
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