Famous Navigators
A tribute to the great Portuguese navigators
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa and began his career as a sailor as the Genoese were most enterprising and daring sailors. Columbus arrived in Portugal in 1471 and vainly tried to obtain support of the King of Portugal for his scheme to discover the Far East by sailing westward. Columbus with the help of his brother then tried to propose the idea to the rulers of England and France. Henry VII of England was too cautious to entertain proposals from a comparatively unknown seafarer of a foreign nation, whereas Charles VIII of France was too much involved in Italian affairs.
In 1492, Columbus was able to convince King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to finance his expedition. On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain on an expedition regarded by many as foolhardy. The fleet consisted of three ships and one hundred and twenty men. After stopping briefly at the Canary Islands, they proceeded on their voyage. After sailing for little over a month, land was sighted on October 12, 1492. They landed on an island in the Bahamas, which Columbus named San Salvador, claiming the land for Spain. They were met by a friendly local population that Columbus called Indians. After exploring the nearby islands, Columbus set sail for Spain, leaving behind thirty nine men on their newly acquired territory.
Columbus reached Spain in March 1493, and was received with due distinction. Columbus had been careful to load his ship with all manner of products of the newly discovered countries and he also took some of the natives. The prerogatives granted to him were confirmed by the King and Queen of Spain, and everything possible was done to enable him to continue his explorations. That Columbus had found a country to be rich in precious metals was of the utmost importance. Columbus made three more voyages to the New World and died in Valladolid, Spain on May 20, 1506.
Man of Genius
Christopher Columbus was unquestionably a man of genius. He was a bold, skilful navigator, better acquainted with the principles of cosmography and astronomy than the average skipper of his time, a man of original ideas, fertile in his plans, and persistent in carrying them into execution. His success in overcoming the obstacles to his expedition and surmounting the difficulties of his voyages exhibit him as a man of unusual resources and of unflinching determination. Christopher Columbus brought the news of the existence of the American continent to Europe as Early as 1493. That he believed the continent to be Eastern Asia does not diminish the importance of his discovery!