The Letter of Columbus on the Discovery of America

by Wilberforce Eames

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Read For School, Classics

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Wilberforce Eames was an American bibliographer and librarian, known as the 'Dean of American bibliographers'.

Reviews

[Owlseyes]

Well, well-beyond all the polemics on slavery and diseases brought along into the continent of America, these letters have a beautiful side. I mean, those descriptions of nature, even the natives.

It is well known Columbus held for truth he was neighboring Japan, when in fact he was approaching the Bahamas, in the Caribbean. In fact, by 21st October 1493, he sighted one of the Bahamas. And on 28th October he was setting foot on an island he named Joana; one which became later known as Cuba.

Back to flora descriptions, I took a sample; he’d seen many kinds of palm trees, and trees “whose leaves are never shed”. He was pleased with his endeavors “because my undertakings have attained success” and “all these islands are very beautiful”.

As to the humans, he saw them this way: “”naked people and full of fear”...yet with “greater love for all others than themselves”.



Setting aside all the tragedies that ensued with the other three trips to America, and his own demise as a former Admiral of the Ocean fleet, this set of letters trace the profile of a very humane Christian man, indebted to the Catholic, Spanish crown, yet grateful “…to the most invincible King of Spain”.

[Can Urla]

Account of discovery and brutal way of reflecting the otherness by commenting on the people already living where he 'discovered'.

"The people of this island, and of all the other islands which I have found
and of which I have information, all go naked, men and women, as their
mothers bore them, although some women cover a single place with the leaf of
a plant or with a net of cotton which they make for the purpose. They have no
iron or steel or weapons, nor are they "tted to use them, not because they are
not well built men and of handsome stature, but because they are very marvellously
timorous. They have no other arms than weapons made of canes, cut in
seeding time, to the ends of which they "x a small sharpened stick." (Norton)

[Robyn]

A very important historical read, that really helps to give an understanding of the European and in particular Spanish mindset of the time period.

There are some rather beautiful descriptions of nature. And yet this entire letter is like an admission of the horrors that Columbus bestowed on the people who lived on these islands. I am also not over the fact that he does not know what an evergreen tree is, when they can literally be found in Spain.
Was not the most enjoyable read, I spent a lot of it just awestruck at some of the stuff he wrote down, and not at all in a positive sense. Loved the scenery descriptions, did not love much else.

[Катерина Майковська]

Super interesting to see he world with this colonizer's eyes. The assurance with which he steals. The confidence that his religion is the right one. At the same time the curiosity and unarguable talent of this man in navigating and exploring the world.

A really interesting parallel with a brilliant short story I read recently about a possible futuristic colonization - "Down in the Dim Kingdoms" by Tobias Buckell.

[zeph]

an important historical read, there are beautiful depictions of nature and the land that he "discovered", and many places to make sarcastic comments at just how dumb of a person he is, and many places that made my stomach hurt at how horrible he was to those who lived here before he arrived.

[Purnama]

Indigenous Peoples Day FTW

[lucy]

lo he tenido que leer para la carrera. sin más

[Duo]

Una carta interesante sobre el comienzo del imperialismo moderno.

[Nicole ♥]

I don't like the forced possession of a country just to establish power over people who have been living peacefully in a beautiful land.

[Lis Molina]

Es extraño leer los pensamientos que surgieron ante el descubrimiento de una nueva tierra creo que hemos escuchado la historia muchas veces a lo largo de nuestra carrera estudiantil pero leerlo de verdad que se siente diferente.

[Fernando]

Excellent translation. Columbus was looking for gold and trade. Then seeing, so many free men, he realized that he could get also slaves.