Saturday, May 10, 2014

Sights Along The Columbus Itinerary: Cuba & Jamaica: May1494: On Second Voyage

After exploring the northern part of the island Hispaniola, Columbus saw to the end the building of those life-saving mills at Isabela. Then after hearing more reports of gold there, he set out again, back into the sea to try to find more sources of the precious mineral. He appointed men to take charge in Isabela, saw to their abundance of food and pushed off, still not certain where he was going.

On April 24 he left Isabela and the sailed west along the coast. After several days they put in at the island of Tortuga which Columbus had named previously on the first voyage. Encounters with locals along the way were sometimes beneficial with leaders peacefully bearing food and sometimes they were hostile, or, at times, fearfully fleeing. But it was because of the contrary winds that kept them there, they did not reach Mole Saint-Nicolas until April 29. With better weather they began sailing west again and the next day were sailing along the southern coast of Cuba.

Columbus thought this had to be the mainland of Asia. Since he believed that Hispaniola was the island of Japan, this being how he reconciled what he saw with what he had learned from Marco Polo's writings, this new coastline had to be in his mind, the mainland of China. On the 30th of April, his son tells us they put into a large bay. This Columbus called Puerto Grande because the entrance was deep and 150 yards wide. It is now known as Guantanamo, Cuba.

"On the following day [a Thursday in his calendar], which was 1 May, he left this place and sailed along the coast, on which he found very convenient harbours, most beautiful rivers and very high wooded hills, and in the sea, ever since leaving the island of Tortuga, he found great quantities of that weed which he had met in the ocean on his way to and from Spain. As he sailed along the coast many natives of the island came out to the ships in canoes, believing that our people had come down from the sky. They brought us their bread, water and fish, which they gave us gladly, asking for nothing in return. But in order to leave them happy, the Admiral ordered that everything should be paid for and gave them glass beads, hawks' bells, little brass bells and suchlike." [pp 170-71]
The son knew it was Cuba, but the father, our translator tells us, clung to the belief that it was China as long as he could.

On 3 May, Columbus decided to go to Jamaica. The next day sailing south, he sighted it and the following day, anchored next to it. This "... seemed to him the most beautiful island of any he had ever seen in the Indies. An amazing number of natives came out in canoes great and small." There were so many though that they decided to put into a more tranquil harbor and that one Columbus named Puerto Bueno.
"And when the Indians came out from there also, and hurled their spears, the crews of the boats fired such a volley from their crossbows that the natives were compelled to retire with six or seven wounded. Once the fight was over great numbers of canoes came out very peaceably, from neighboring villages, bringing to the ships various foods and otyher articles for sale and barter." [pp 171-72]
Here repairs were made to the ships that were leaking, including the Admiral's which was bringing on water. This took the rest of the week. By Friday, 8 May, they were ready and sailed west along the north edge of Jamaica and managed to round the western end of the island higing the coast. Winds from the south and east checked their progress and after a few days, Columbus decided to return to what he thought was the mainland.
"He was resolved not to turn back until he had sailed five or six hundred leagues and make certain whether it was island or mainland.
Just as the ships were putting to sea a very young Indian came out and said he wanted to go to Castile. He was followed by many of his relatives and other people in canoes, who begged him most insistently to return to the island, but they could not deflect him from his purpose. Indeed, to avoid the tears and groans of his brothers he hid in a place where no one could see him. The Admiral was amazed at this Indian's persistence and ordered that he should be well treated." [p 172]
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quotes, pagination from: The Four Voyages, Christopher Columbus, edited, translated and with an introduction by JM Cohen, 1969 and for The Penguin Group, London, 

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