Columbus Tries To Stay Adrift: On Second Voyage, May-June 1494

Columbus was lost. He and his ships kept getting stuck in shallows through both May and June. The weather was unhelpful. The Admiral had been sick for over a week and when he recovered, they still did not know where they were, had not found any gold, and had to ask the locals where the best way lay, in order to leave.

On 19 May Columbus said he had been severely ill and had suffered eight sleepless nights. There were many islands. On 20 May he said they counted seventy-one and then many more toward sunset.

"These islands and shallows are very dangerous on account of their numbers, for they appear on all sides, but even more so because of the thick mist which rises every evening and muffles the eastern sky. This mist appears to threaten a heavy hailstorm and is accompanied by severe thunder and lightning, but when the moon rises it all vanishes, partially breaking up in rain and wind." [p. 175]

This happened according to Columbus every night. His son agrees this was so when he toured the area in 1503, during the fourth voyage. On May 22, still on the south side of Cuba, they found Santa Marta, or Cayo Largo del Sur. This lay at the eastern end of what is now the Cannareos Archipelago which stretch eastward leading away from Isla de Juventad. There at what they called Santa Marta, they found a village but no inhabitants. They deduced that the locals ate fish and left.

What was it like for the captain in these days? This quick description might capture much of the farntic sense of busy peril.

"The Admiral was much exhausted by having to steer among all these islands and shallows, for no sooner did he make course for the west than he had to veer either north or south according to the disposition of the channels. Despite all his care and precautions in sounding the bottoms and keeping a look-out in the rigging to observe the depth, the ship very often ran aground, which was unavoidable since there were so many shoals everywhere." [p. 176]

At last they made land and on Cuba in order to take on fresh water. Sailors were sent ashore as scouts and they encountered some locals, described as wearing white and, spectacularly, "All three were as white as ourselves." It's not clear if this refers to the pigment of their skin, or indeed, their clothing. But the Spaniards clothing by this time had to be something less than white, away at sea as long as they had been. But the locals they saw ran away before any further encounter could be made. [p. 177]

Ten leagues farther there were more locals who came out in canoes and offered water and food. Columbus ordered one be 'seized' after these victuals were 'paid for'. They questioned him (who the son says, was 'quite content with this') and he explained that Cuba was an island, and that the king of the western part spoke only to his people through signs. He also said there were many islands there and that the water would be shallow for a great distance.

This encounter may have happened on 10 June, as the son wrote. [p. 178] For these sorts of details we have to believe this information came from Columbus' own notes, as the son says they do, and which are now long since lost. There is no other authority.
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quotes, pagination from: The Four Voyages, Christopher Columbus, edited, translated and with an introduction by JM Cohen, The Penguin Group, London, 1969