The "Miraculous" Discovery of South America by Columbus

T I IHE third voyage of Columbus, in I498, has never been critically examined, though it was the most peculiar and ineffective of his four voyages of discovery. The source account of it is Columbus' letter to the Spanish sovereigns sent in October, I498, which seems to have been takenl from his day-by-day journal of the voyage. This journal was transcribed by Bishop Las Casas,' and all quotations in the present study are from Jane's translation2 of Las Casas. The writer has studied the original version of Las Casas and the account of this voyage given by Ferdinand Columbus3 in his life of his father, which is less detailed but otherwise does not materially differ from that given by Las Casas. Columbus set out from Sanluicar de Barrameda on May 30, I498, with six ships packed with stores and perishable foodstuffs for the hungry colonists in Espaiiola. He had spent more than a year in Spain collecting ships and arranging their finance. His intention, as Ferdinand4 makes clear, was to sail to Espafiola. Las Casas adds that Columbus had the further intention of discovering land beyond that already found, that is, west of Cuba. He stayed six days in Madeira and there took on board Pedro de Ledesma,5

Ancient history · Geography · Archaeology and Natural History · Historical Studies on Spain · History · Latin American history and culture

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