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voyage¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡east£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡Lisbon¡¡pilots¡¡who¡¡understood

the¡¡importance¡¡of¡¡this¡¡discovery¡¡in¡¡their¡¡quest¡¡for¡¡the¡¡India

water¡¡route£»¡¡changed¡¡the¡¡name¡¡into¡¡that¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Cape¡¡of¡¡Good

Hope¡£



One¡¡year¡¡later£»¡¡Pedro¡¡de¡¡Covilham£»¡¡provided¡¡with¡¡letters

of¡¡credit¡¡on¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡Medici£»¡¡started¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡similar¡¡mission

by¡¡land¡£¡¡He¡¡crossed¡¡the¡¡Mediterranean¡¡and¡¡after¡¡leaving

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few¡¡white¡¡men¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡since¡¡the¡¡days¡¡of¡¡Alexander¡¡the¡¡Great£»

eighteen¡¡centuries¡¡before£»¡¡he¡¡visited¡¡Goa¡¡and¡¡Calicut¡¡on¡¡the

coast¡¡of¡¡India¡¡where¡¡he¡¡got¡¡a¡¡great¡¡deal¡¡of¡¡news¡¡about¡¡the

island¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Moon¡¡£¨Madagascar£©¡¡which¡¡was¡¡supposed¡¡to¡¡lie

halfway¡¡between¡¡Africa¡¡and¡¡India¡£¡¡Then¡¡he¡¡returned£»¡¡paid

a¡¡secret¡¡visit¡¡to¡¡Mecca¡¡and¡¡to¡¡Medina£»¡¡crossed¡¡the¡¡Red¡¡Sea

once¡¡more¡¡and¡¡in¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1490¡¡he¡¡discovered¡¡the¡¡realm¡¡of

Prester¡¡John£»¡¡who¡¡was¡¡no¡¡one¡¡less¡¡than¡¡the¡¡Black¡¡Negus¡¡£¨or

King£©¡¡of¡¡Abyssinia£»¡¡whose¡¡ancestors¡¡had¡¡adopted¡¡Christianity

in¡¡the¡¡fourth¡¡century£»¡¡seven¡¡hundred¡¡years¡¡before¡¡the¡¡Christian

missionaries¡¡had¡¡found¡¡their¡¡way¡¡to¡¡Scandinavia¡£



These¡¡many¡¡voyages¡¡had¡¡convinced¡¡the¡¡Portuguese¡¡geographers

and¡¡cartographers¡¡that¡¡while¡¡the¡¡voyage¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Indies

by¡¡an¡¡eastern¡¡sea¡­route¡¡was¡¡possible£»¡¡it¡¡was¡¡by¡¡no¡¡means¡¡easy¡£

Then¡¡there¡¡arose¡¡a¡¡great¡¡debate¡£¡¡Some¡¡people¡¡wanted¡¡to¡¡continue

the¡¡explorations¡¡east¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Cape¡¡of¡¡Good¡¡Hope¡£¡¡Others

said£»¡¡¡®¡®No£»¡¡we¡¡must¡¡sail¡¡west¡¡across¡¡the¡¡Atlantic¡¡and¡¡then¡¡we

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Let¡¡us¡¡state¡¡right¡¡here¡¡that¡¡most¡¡intelligent¡¡people¡¡of¡¡that

day¡¡were¡¡firmly¡¡convinced¡¡that¡¡the¡¡earth¡¡was¡¡not¡¡as¡¡flat¡¡as¡¡a

pancake¡¡but¡¡was¡¡round¡£¡¡The¡¡Ptolemean¡¡system¡¡of¡¡the¡¡universe£»

invented¡¡and¡¡duly¡¡described¡¡by¡¡Claudius¡¡Ptolemy£»¡¡the¡¡great

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our¡¡era£»¡¡which¡¡had¡¡served¡¡the¡¡simple¡¡needs¡¡of¡¡the¡¡men¡¡of¡¡the

Middle¡¡Ages£»¡¡had¡¡long¡¡been¡¡discarded¡¡by¡¡the¡¡scientists¡¡of¡¡the

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mathematician£»¡¡Nicolaus¡¡Copernicus£»¡¡whose¡¡studies¡¡had¡¡con¡­

vinced¡¡him¡¡that¡¡the¡¡earth¡¡was¡¡one¡¡of¡¡a¡¡number¡¡of¡¡round¡¡planets

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to¡¡publish¡¡for¡¡thirty¡­six¡¡years¡¡£¨it¡¡was¡¡printed¡¡in¡¡1548£»

the¡¡year¡¡of¡¡his¡¡death£©¡¡from¡¡fear¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Holy¡¡Inquisition£»¡¡a

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in¡¡France¡¡and¡¡in¡¡Italy¡¡£¨very¡¡mild¡¡heresies¡¡of¡¡devoutly¡¡pious

people¡¡who¡¡did¡¡not¡¡believe¡¡in¡¡private¡¡property¡¡and¡¡preferred

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roundness¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earth¡¡was¡¡common¡¡among¡¡the¡¡nautical¡¡experts

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advantages¡¡of¡¡the¡¡eastern¡¡and¡¡the¡¡western¡¡routes¡£



Among¡¡the¡¡advocates¡¡of¡¡the¡¡western¡¡route¡¡was¡¡a¡¡Genoese

mariner¡¡by¡¡the¡¡name¡¡of¡¡Cristoforo¡¡Colombo¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡the¡¡son

of¡¡a¡¡wool¡¡merchant¡£¡¡He¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡have¡¡been¡¡a¡¡student¡¡at¡¡the

University¡¡of¡¡Pavia¡¡where¡¡he¡¡specialised¡¡in¡¡mathematics¡¡and

geometry¡£¡¡Then¡¡he¡¡took¡¡up¡¡his¡¡father's¡¡trade¡¡but¡¡soon¡¡we¡¡find

him¡¡in¡¡Chios¡¡in¡¡the¡¡eastern¡¡Mediterranean¡¡travelling¡¡on¡¡business¡£

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he¡¡went¡¡north¡¡in¡¡search¡¡of¡¡wool¡¡or¡¡as¡¡the¡¡captain¡¡of¡¡a¡¡ship¡¡we

do¡¡not¡¡know¡£¡¡In¡¡February¡¡of¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1477£»¡¡Colombo¡¡£¨if¡¡we

are¡¡to¡¡believe¡¡his¡¡own¡¡words£©¡¡visited¡¡Iceland£»¡¡but¡¡very¡¡likely

he¡¡only¡¡got¡¡as¡¡far¡¡as¡¡the¡¡Faroe¡¡Islands¡¡which¡¡are¡¡cold¡¡enough

in¡¡February¡¡to¡¡be¡¡mistaken¡¡for¡¡Iceland¡¡by¡¡any¡¡one¡£¡¡Here

Colombo¡¡met¡¡the¡¡descendants¡¡of¡¡those¡¡brave¡¡Norsemen¡¡who

in¡¡the¡¡tenth¡¡century¡¡had¡¡settled¡¡in¡¡Greenland¡¡and¡¡who¡¡had

visited¡¡America¡¡in¡¡the¡¡eleventh¡¡century£»¡¡when¡¡Leif's¡¡vessel

had¡¡been¡¡blown¡¡to¡¡the¡¡coast¡¡of¡¡Vineland£»¡¡or¡¡Labrador¡£



What¡¡had¡¡become¡¡of¡¡those¡¡far¡¡western¡¡colonies¡¡no¡¡one

knew¡£¡¡The¡¡American¡¡colony¡¡of¡¡Thorfinn¡¡Karlsefne£»¡¡the¡¡husband

of¡¡the¡¡widow¡¡of¡¡Leif's¡¡brother¡¡Thorstein£»¡¡founded¡¡in¡¡the

year¡¡1003£»¡¡had¡¡been¡¡discontinued¡¡three¡¡years¡¡later¡¡on¡¡account

of¡¡the¡¡hostility¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Esquimaux¡£¡¡As¡¡for¡¡Greenland£»¡¡not¡¡a

word¡¡had¡¡been¡¡heard¡¡from¡¡the¡¡settlers¡¡since¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1440¡£

Very¡¡likely¡¡the¡¡Greenlanders¡¡had¡¡all¡¡died¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Black¡¡Death¡£

which¡¡had¡¡just¡¡killed¡¡half¡¡the¡¡people¡¡of¡¡Norway¡£¡¡However

that¡¡might¡¡be£»¡¡the¡¡tradition¡¡of¡¡a¡¡¡®¡®vast¡¡land¡¡in¡¡the¡¡distant¡¡west''

still¡¡survived¡¡among¡¡the¡¡people¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Faroe¡¡and¡¡Iceland£»¡¡and

Colombo¡¡must¡¡have¡¡heard¡¡of¡¡it¡£¡¡He¡¡gathered¡¡further¡¡information

among¡¡the¡¡fishermen¡¡of¡¡the¡¡northern¡¡Scottish¡¡islands¡¡and

then¡¡went¡¡to¡¡Portugal¡¡where¡¡he¡¡married¡¡the¡¡daughter¡¡of¡¡one

of¡¡the¡¡captains¡¡who¡¡had¡¡served¡¡under¡¡Prince¡¡Henry¡¡the

Navigator¡£



From¡¡that¡¡moment¡¡on¡¡£¨the¡¡year¡¡1478£©¡¡he¡¡devoted¡¡himself

to¡¡the¡¡quest¡¡of¡¡the¡¡western¡¡route¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Indies¡£¡¡He¡¡sent¡¡his

plans¡¡for¡¡such¡¡a¡¡voyage¡¡to¡¡the¡¡courts¡¡of¡¡Portugal¡¡and¡¡Spain¡£

The¡¡Portuguese£»¡¡who¡¡felt¡¡certain¡¡that¡¡they¡¡possessed¡¡a¡¡monop¡­

oly¡¡of¡¡the¡¡eastern¡¡route£»¡¡would¡¡not¡¡listen¡¡to¡¡his¡¡plans¡£¡¡In

Spain£»¡¡Ferdinand¡¡of¡¡Aragon¡¡and¡¡Isabella¡¡of¡¡Castile£»¡¡whose

marriage¡¡in¡¡1469¡¡had¡¡made¡¡Spain¡¡into¡¡a¡¡single¡¡kingdom£»¡¡were

busy¡¡driving¡¡the¡¡Moors¡¡from¡¡their¡¡last¡¡stronghold£»¡¡Granada¡£

They¡¡had¡¡no¡¡money¡¡for¡¡risky¡¡expeditions¡£¡¡They¡¡needed¡¡every

peseta¡¡for¡¡their¡¡soldiers¡£



Few¡¡people¡¡were¡¡ever¡¡forced¡¡to¡¡fight¡¡as¡¡desperately¡¡for

their¡¡ideas¡¡as¡¡this¡¡brave¡¡Italian¡£¡¡But¡¡the¡¡story¡¡of¡¡Colombo

£¨or¡¡Colon¡¡or¡¡Columbus£»¡¡as¡¡we¡¡call¡¡him£»£©¡¡is¡¡too¡¡well¡¡known¡¡to

bear¡¡repeating¡£¡¡The¡¡Moors¡¡surrendered¡¡Granada¡¡on¡¡the¡¡second

of¡¡January¡¡of¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1492¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡month¡¡of¡¡April¡¡of¡¡the

same¡¡year£»¡¡Columbus¡¡signed¡¡a¡¡contract¡¡with¡¡the¡¡King¡¡and

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were¡¡criminals¡¡who¡¡had¡¡been¡¡offered¡¡indemnity¡¡of¡¡punishment

if¡¡they¡¡joined¡¡the¡¡expedition¡£¡¡At¡¡two¡¡o'clock¡¡in¡¡the¡¡morning

of¡¡Friday£»¡¡the¡¡12th¡¡of¡¡October£»¡¡Columbus¡¡discovered¡¡land¡£¡¡On

the¡¡fourth¡¡of¡¡January¡¡of¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1493£»¡¡Columbus¡¡waved¡¡farewell

to¡¡the¡¡44¡¡men¡¡of¡¡the¡¡little¡¡fortress¡¡of¡¡La¡¡Navidad¡¡£¨none

of¡¡whom¡¡was¡¡ever¡¡again¡¡seen¡¡alive£©¡¡and¡¡returned¡¡homeward¡£

By¡¡the¡¡middle¡¡of¡¡February¡¡he¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡Azores¡¡where¡¡the

Portuguese¡¡threatened¡¡to¡¡throw¡¡him¡¡into¡¡gaol¡£¡¡On¡¡the¡¡fifteenth

of¡¡March£»¡¡1493£»¡¡the¡¡admiral¡¡reached¡¡Palos¡¡and¡¡together¡¡with

his¡¡Indians¡¡£¨for¡¡he¡¡was¡¡convinced¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡discovered¡¡some

outlying¡¡islands¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Indies¡¡and¡¡called¡¡the¡¡natives¡¡red

Indians£©¡¡he¡¡hastened¡¡to¡¡Barcelona¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡his¡¡faithful¡¡patrons

that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡successful¡¡and¡¡that¡¡the¡¡road¡¡to¡¡the¡¡gold¡¡and

the¡¡silver¡¡of¡¡Cathay¡¡and¡¡Zipangu¡¡was¡¡at¡¡the¡¡disposal¡¡of¡¡their

most¡¡Catholic¡¡Majesties¡£



Alas£»¡¡Columbus¡¡never¡¡knew¡¡the¡¡truth¡£¡¡Towards¡¡the¡¡end

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of¡¡South¡¡America£»¡¡he¡¡may¡¡have¡¡suspected¡¡that¡¡all¡¡was

not¡¡well¡¡with¡¡his¡¡discovery¡£¡¡But¡¡he¡¡died¡¡in¡¡the¡¡firm¡¡belief

that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡solid¡¡continent¡¡between¡¡Europe¡¡and¡¡Asia

and¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡found¡¡the¡¡direct¡¡route¡¡to¡¡China¡£



Meanwhile£»¡¡the¡¡Portuguese£»¡¡sticking¡¡to¡¡their¡¡eastern¡¡route£»

had¡¡been¡¡more¡¡fortunate¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1498£»¡¡Vasco¡¡da¡¡Gama

had¡¡been¡¡able¡¡to¡¡reach¡¡the¡¡coast¡¡of¡¡Malabar¡¡and¡¡return¡¡safely

to¡¡Lisbon¡¡with¡¡a¡¡cargo¡¡of¡¡spice¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1502¡¡he¡¡had

repeated¡¡the¡¡visit¡£¡¡But¡¡along¡¡the¡¡western¡¡route£»¡¡the¡¡work¡¡of

exploration¡¡had¡¡been¡¡most¡¡disappointing¡£¡¡In¡¡1497¡¡and¡¡1498

John¡¡and¡¡Sebastian¡¡Cabot¡¡had¡¡tried¡¡to¡¡find¡¡a¡¡passage¡¡to¡¡Japan

but¡¡they¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡nothing¡¡but¡¡the¡¡snowbound¡¡coasts¡¡and¡¡the

rocks¡¡of¡¡Newfoundland£»¡¡which¡¡had¡¡first¡¡been¡¡sighted¡¡by¡¡the

Northmen£»¡¡five¡¡centuries¡¡before¡£¡¡Amerigo¡¡Vespucci£»¡¡a¡¡Florentine

who¡¡became¡¡the¡¡Pilot¡¡Major¡¡of¡¡Spain£»¡¡and¡¡who¡¡gave¡¡his

name¡¡to¡¡our¡¡continent£»¡¡had¡¡explored¡¡the¡¡coast¡¡of¡¡Brazil£»¡¡but

had¡¡found¡¡not¡¡a¡¡trace¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Indies¡£



In¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1513£»¡¡seven¡¡years¡¡after¡¡the¡¡death¡¡of¡¡Columbus£»

the¡¡truth¡¡at¡¡last¡¡began¡¡to¡¡dawn¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡geographers¡¡of

Europe¡£¡¡Vasco¡¡Nunez¡¡de¡¡Balboa¡¡had¡¡crossed¡¡the¡¡Isthmus¡¡of

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looked¡¡down¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡vast¡¡expanse¡¡of¡¡water¡¡which¡¡seemed¡¡to

suggest¡¡the¡¡existence¡¡of¡¡another¡¡ocean¡£



Finally¡¡in¡¡the¡¡year¡¡1519¡¡a¡¡fleet¡¡of¡¡five¡¡small¡¡Spanish¡¡ships

under¡¡command¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Portuguese¡¡navigator£»¡¡Ferdinand¡¡de

Magellan£»¡¡sailed¡¡westward¡¡£¨and¡¡not¡¡eastward¡¡since¡¡that¡¡route£»

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the¡¡Fire¡¡Island¡¡£¨so¡¡named¡¡on¡¡account¡¡of¡¡a¡¡fire£»¡¡the¡¡only¡¡sign¡¡of

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straits¡£¡¡A¡¡mutiny¡¡broke¡¡out¡¡among¡¡the¡¡sailors¡£¡¡Magellan

suppressed¡¡it¡¡with¡¡terrible¡¡severity¡¡and¡¡sent¡¡two¡¡of¡¡his¡¡men

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