Mauricio Obregon, The Col-umh-us Papers: The Barcelona Letter of1493, the Landfall Controversy, and the Indian
Guides (New York: MacmiUan, 1991), 65-69. Translation of
Document by Lucia Graves.
SIR: BECAUSE I KNOW you will take pleasure in the great victory that Our Lord has given me in my voyage, I write this letter to inform you of how in twenty days I reached the Indies with the fleet supplied to me by the most illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, and how there I discovered a great many islands inhabited by people without number: and of them all I have taken possession on behalf of Their Highnesses by proclamation and with the royal flag extended, and I was not opposed. I named the first island I found San Salvador, in commemoration of His Divine Majesty, who so wonderfully has created all this the Indians call it Guanaham. The second I named Santa Maria de Concepcion; the third Ferrandina; the fourth Isabella, the fifth Juana Island; and so to each a new name.
When I reached Juana I followed its coast westward and found it so large that I thought it might be terra firma, the province of Cathay. I did not discover in this manner any towns or villages along the coast, only small hamlets whose inhabitants I could not speak to because they all fled at our sight, but I continued on that route, not wanting to miss any great city or town. After many leagues there was still no change, and the coast was leading me north, where it was not my wish to go, because winter had set in and I wanted to avoid it and go south; moreover, I had a head wind, so I decided not to wait for better weather and turned back to a large harbor, whence I sent two men inland to find out whether there was a king or any big cities. They walked for three days and discovered an infinite number of little villages and countless people, but no such thing as a government; for which reason they returned.
It was made clear to me, by other Indians whom I had captured earlier, that this entire land was an island; so I followed its coast eastward for one hundred and seven leagues until it came to an end, and from that cape I saw another island to the east, eighteen leagues away, which I later named La Espanola, and there I went. I sailed eastward along its northern coast, as I had done in Juana, covering 178 long leagues in a straight line. This island and all the other ones are exceedingly grandiose, and this one in the extreme. There are harbors on the coastline that cannot be compared to any others I know in all Christendom, and plenty of good large rivers that are a marvel to see. Its lands are high and have a great many sierras and soaring mountains, unmatched by those of the island of Tenerife, for they are indeed all very beautiful, and of a thousand different shapes, and accessible, and full of all kinds of trees, so tall they seem to touch the sky; I have heard it said, moreover, that these trees never lose their leaves, which I can well believe, for I saw they were as green and beautiful as they are in Spain in the month of May. Some were in blossom, others with fruit, others yet at a different stage, according to variety; and I could hear nightingales and other small birds of a thousand different kinds singing in the month of November, wherever I went. There are six or eight kinds of palm tree which are a wonder to behold on account of their beautiful and unusual shapes, and the same can be said of the other trees, fruits and plants. On this island there are marvelous pine woods and vast fields; and there is honey, and many kinds of birds and a great diversity of fruits. This land also has many mines of metal, and people in uncountable number.
La Espanola is a marvel. Its sierras and mountains, its lowlands and meadows and its beautiful thick soil, are so apt for planting and sowing, for raising all kinds of cattle and for building towns and villages. As for the seaports here, seeing is believing; and so also the many big rivers of good water, most of which carry gold. The trees, fruits and plants are very different from those of Juana: in this island there are many spices and great mines of gold and other metals.
The people of this island, and of all the other islands I have found or heard about, go naked, men and women alike, just as their mothers bear them, although some women cover one single place with a leaf or with a piece of cotton which they make for this purpose. They have no iron or steel or weapons, nor are they inclined to such things. This is not from lack of vigor or handsome build, but because they are unbelievably fearful. Their only arms are canes, cut when in seed, with a sharp stick attached to the end, but they dare not use them: for it often came to pass that I would send two or three men ashore to some village to talk with its dwellers, and crowds would stream out towards them, but upon seeing our men at close quarters they would turn around and flee, parents not even waiting for their children. This was not because any harm had been done to any of them; on the contrary, in every place I have visited and have been able to talk with the people, I have given them of all I had, such as cloth and many other things, receiving nothing in return; but they are just hopelessly timorous. True it is that once they feel reassured and lose this fear they are then so guileless and generous with what they have that one would not believe it without seeing it. If you ask them for something they have, they never say no; instead, they offer it to you with such love that they would give you their very hearts. Then, whether their gift was of great or little value, they are happy to receive any little trifle in return.
I forbade that they be given such worthless things as pieces of broken bowls, or pieces of broken glass, or lace-tags, although when they could obtain any of these, they considered it the most precious jewel in the world. It happened once that a sailor received the weight of two and a half Castellanos in gold for a lace-tag; and others, for other things that were worth even less, received even more. For newly coined blancas those people would give all they had, even two or three Castellanos’ weight in gold, or a quarter or two of spun cotton. They even accepted broken hoops of wine casks, and like fools gave all they had for them. That seemed wrong to me, so I forbade it and I gave them sundry good things that I brought with me so as to gain their love and, moreover, that they might become Christians, for they are inclined to love and serve Their Highnesses and the whole of the Castilian nation; and they endeavor to gather and give us things which they have in abundance and which are necessary to us. They did not know any sect or idolatry, except that they all believe that power and goodness abide in heaven. Indeed, they believed very firmly that I with these ships and people came from heaven, and with corresponding regard they received me in every place, once they had lost their fear. And this is not because they are ignorant, for they have a very subtle ingeniousness and travel all over those seas, it being a wonder to listen to the good accounts they give of everything, but because they had never before seen people wearing clothes, or ships like ours.
When I arrived in the Indies, I took some of these people by force in the first island I found, so that they might learn our language and give me news of what existed in those parts. And so it happened, for later they understood us and we them, either by speech or by signs: and they have been very useful to us. I am bringing them with me now, and they still think I come from heaven, despite all the conversation they have had with me. These were the first to announce it wherever I went; others would run from house to house and to nearby villages shouting, “Come! Come and see the people from heaven!” Thus they all, men and women, old and young, once their hearts were sure of us, would come out, leaving no one behind, and each bringing something to eat and drink which they gave to us with wondrous good will.
In all these islands there are very many canoes, similar to longboats, some of which are large and others smaller, many being even larger than a longboat of eighteen benches;
But not as wide, for they are made of a single piece of timber. A longboat, however, could not keep up with them with oars alone, for they go with incredible speed. With these canoes they travel all over those islands, which are innumerable, and ply their merchandise. I have seen some of those canoes with 70 or 80 men aboard, and each with his oar.
In all these islands I did not see much diversity in the people’s features, or in the customs, or in their language. What is more, they all understand each other, which is a remarkable thing, and for that reason I hope that Their Highnesses will decide on the preaching to them of our Holy Faith, to which they are very well disposed.
I have already related how I traveled 107 leagues along the coast of Juana, following a straight line from west to east. Accordingly, I can say that this island is larger than England and Scotland together: for beyond those 107 leagues there are two provinces on the west side which I have not visited. One of them is called Auan, where people are born with tails. These provinces must be at least fifty or sixty leagues long, or so I understand from the Indians I have with me, who know all these islands.
This other island called Espanola has a circumference greater than the whole of Spain from Colunya all along the coastline up to Fuenterrabia, in Biscay: for I followed one of its quarters in a straight line from west to east and covered 188 long leagues. This island is to be coveted; and once seen, one would never leave it. Since I have taken possession of all these islands for Their Highnesses, and since they are all richer than I know or can say, I hold them all on behalf of Their Highnesses, who can dispose of them in the same way and just as fully as the very kingdoms of Castile. In Espanola I have taken possession of a large town, which I have named Villa de Navidad. It is situated in the most convenient spot on the island and in the best district for gold mines and for all kinds of trade with the nearest mainland as well as with the farther one of the Great Khan, where there will be much commerce and gain. In this town I have built fortifications which by now must be entirely completed, and I have left enough men there for the purpose, with arms and artillery and victuals for over a year; also a longboat and a master seaman skilled in all the arts for building more; and I have great friendship with the king of that land, to such a degree that he took pride in calling me his brother and treating me as such. But even if he were to change his mind and act against my men, neither he nor his people know anything about weapons, and go around naked, as I have said: they are the most faint-hearted people in the world, and the few men I have left behind would suffice to destroy the whole of that land. The island offers no danger to their lives as long as they know how to govern it.
In all these islands it seems to me that men are content with one woman, and they give their chief or king up to twenty. Women work more than men, it seems to me, but I have not been able to ascertain whether these people have any private belongings, for I think I saw that what one had was shared by all, especially food.
Until now I have not found any monstrous men in these islands, as many had thought. On the contrary, all these people are very good-looking: they are not black as in Guinea, but have flowing hair, and they do not make their homes in places where the rays of the sun are too strong. Indeed, the sun is very powerful there, being only twenty-six degrees distant from the equator. Where there are high mountains in these islands, it was intensely cold this winter, but they are able to endure it, by habit and with the aid of the many exceeding hot spices which they eat with their food.
So, I have found no monsters nor had any news of any, except from one island, the second one at the entrance to the Indies. It is inhabited by a people who are considered in all the other islands to be extremely fierce, and who eat human flesh. These people have many canoes with which they have the run of all the islands of the Indies; they steal and take all they can. They are no more deformed than the rest, and can only be distinguished from them because they have a habit of keeping their hair long, like women, and use bows and arrows, made of the same canes as the weapons I described earlier, with a stick on the tip instead of iron, which they do not have. They are ferocious when compared to the other islanders, who are cowardly in the extreme; but I am no more afraid of them than of the rest. These are the ones who trade with the women of Matremonio, the first island one reaches on the voyage from Spain to the Indies, and in which there lives not a single man. They are not used to feminine occupations, but carry bows and arrows, likewise made with canes, and they arm and cover themselves with plates of copper, of which they have plenty. I have been assured that there is another island larger than Espanola where the people are entirely bald. It abounds in gold, and I bring Indians with me from this and the other islands to testify to it.
In conclusion, to speak only of what has been done on this hasty voyage, Their Highnesses can see that I will give them as much gold as they may need, with but a little help from Their Highnesses. Also spices and cotton, as much as Their Highnesses order me to load; and as much mastic as they order loaded, which until now had been found only in Greece on the island of Chios and which the Seignory sell for the asking. They can also have as much aloe as they order loaded, and as many slaves as they order loaded, who will be idolaters. I also think I have found rhubarb and cinnamon, and I will find a thousand other things of substance which the people I have left behind will have discovered. For I have not tarried anywhere when the wind allowed me to sail, except in the Villa de Navidad, which I left secured and well settled. And, truly, I would have done much more if the ships had served me as it would have been reasonable to expect.
This is enough, and Eternal be God our Lord, who grants, to all those who walk in His path, victories over things that appear impossible. And indeed this was a great victory, for even though people may have spoken and written about these lands, all was conjecture, nobody actually having seen them. It amounted to this: that most of those who heard these stories listened, but judged them rather from hearsay than from the least bit of proof. Thus our Redeemer has granted victory in so great a matter to our most Illustrious King and Queen, and to their renowned kingdoms. For which the whole of Christendom should rejoice and make merry, giving solemn thanks to the Holy Trinity, with many a solemn prayer, for all the glory they will receive when so many peoples turn to our Holy Faith; as well as for the temporal benefits, which will bring renewal and gain not only to Spain but to all Christians.
This, in brief, according to the facts. Written on board the caravel, by the islands of Canary, on February 15 of the year 1493.
At your orders. The Admiral Nema that came inside the letter:
After this letter was written, being within the seas of Castile, I met with such strong south and southeast winds that I was forced to unload the ships. But today I was driven into this port of Lisbon, an event which was the greatest marvel in the world, and here I have decided to write to Their Highnesses. In all the Indies I have always found the weather to be like that of the month of May. I went there in 33 days and returned in 28, save that these storms have detained me 14 days tossing about the sea. Here all the seamen say that there was never so bad a winter nor such a great loss of ships. Written on the fourteenth day of March.
This letter Columbus sent to the Secretary of the Treasury about the Islands Discovered in the Indies. Contained in another to Their Highnesses.
World History
