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"You will never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore..." (c) Columbus
Christopher Columbus ((this article is in Russian — Христофор Колумб) (Latin Columbus, the Italian Colombo, Spanish Colon) (1451-1506) — explorer, Viceroy "India" (1492), the discoverer of the Sargasso Sea and the Caribbean, the Bahamas and the Antilles, part of the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean the coastline of Central America.
In 1492-1493, Columbus led the Spanish expedition to find the shortest sea route to India, on 3 caravels ("Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina") across the Atlantic Ocean, opened the Sargasso Sea and reached the 12 October 1492 the island Samana (the official date of the discovery of America), and later - the ancient Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti. Subsequent expeditions (1493-1496, 1498-1500, 1502-1504) opened the Greater Antilles, part of the Lesser Antilles and the coast of South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Christopher Columbus was born in autumn 1451 (Between August 26 and October 31) in Genoa, Genoese origin. He was taller than average, good, okay physique. Reddish hair early in his youth turned white, making it look older than their years. On the elongated wrinkled and weathered face with a beard stood out vivid blue eyes and an aquiline nose. He was distinguished by faith in divine providence and omens, and at the same time, the practicality of a rare, painful feelings and suspicion, the passion for gold. He had a sharp mind, persuasive and versatile knowledge. C. Columbus was married twice and had a marriage of these two sons.
Among the great figures of world civilization, few can compare with Columbus on the number of publications devoted to his life and at the same time by the abundance of "white spots" in the biography. More or less it is safe to say that he is a Genoese by birth, and about 1465 he entered the Genoese fleet, after a while, was seriously wounded. Prior to 1485 Christopher sailed for the Portuguese courts, lived in Lisbon and on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, engaged in trade, mapping and self-education. It is not clear when and where he drafted the west, in his opinion, the shortest sea route from Europe to India, the project was based on the ancient doctrine of the sphericity of the Earth[ru] and on incorrect calculations of scientists of the 15th century. In 1485 after the failure of the Portuguese king to support this project, Columbus moved to Castile, where with the help of Andalusian merchants and bankers, the organization has achieved under his command governmental maritime expedition.
On 17 April 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella promised Columbus monetary support for his planned expedition to India.
The first expedition of Christopher Columbus in the years 1492-1493 90 men in three vessels - "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" - came from Palos August 3, 1492, from the Canary Islands turned west, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, opening September 16, 1492 The Sargasso sea, and reached the island in the Bahamas archipelago, called the traveler and San Salvador, where Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (the official date of the discovery of America). For a long time (1940-1882) of San Salvador was considered Watling Island. However, our contemporary American geographer J. Judge in 1986, processed on the computer all the materials collected and came to the conclusion that the first seen by Columbus American land was the island of Samana (120 km south-east of Watling).
October 14-24, Columbus came back to several Bahamas, and October 28 - December 5, opened part of the north-eastern coast of Cuba. December 6 reached the island of Haiti and moved along the northern coast. On the night of December 25 flagship "Santa Maria" sat on the reef, but the crew was saved. For the first time in the history of navigation on the order of Columbus's sailors under the bunks were fitted Indian hammocks.
Columbus to "Nine," 15 March 1499 returned to Castile. Political resonance swimming H. Columbus was the "papal meridian": the head of the Catholic Church has established a line of demarcation in the Atlantic, pointed vied Spain and Portugal different direction for the discovery of new lands.
On September 25, 1493, Christopher Columbus set out on his second expedition to the west. In total, the explorer made four voyages to the Americas. During his very first expedition, he reached what was believed to be India, after which his voyages became a focal point for two emerging colonial powers — Spain and Portugal. Period documents reveal that Columbus and his contemporaries held numerous misconceptions regarding the West Indies.
The second expedition (1493-96), headed by Admiral Columbus, in the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands consisted of 17 vessels with a crew of 1.5-2.5 million people. 3-15 November 1493 Columbus discovered the island of Dominica, Guadeloupe, and about 20 of the Lesser Antilles, 19 November island of Puerto Rico. In March 1494 in search of gold made an expedition into the interior of the island of Haiti, opened in the summer of south-eastern and southern coast of Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and Jamaica.
Jamaica was discovered by Columbus on may 3, 1469. Christopher named it after the Royal couple Ferdinand and Isabella island. The new name did not catch on and the island retained its old name — Jamaica.
Within 40 days, Columbus explored the southern coast of Haiti, the conquest of which continued in 1495. But in the spring of 1496 sailed for home, finishing second voyage on June 11 in Castile. Columbus notified about the opening of a new route to Asia. Beginning soon colonization of new lands by settlers witting cost the Spanish crown is very expensive, and the sailor offered to populate the island criminals, halving their sentence. With fire and sword, plundering and destroying the country of ancient culture, the land of the Aztecs - Mexico - were military units of Hernan Cortes, in the land of the Incas - Peru - Pizarro's troops.
On June 7, 1498, Christopher Columbus set out on his third voyage. Not much money had been raised, so only six small ships and about 300 crew members went with Columbus. Even criminals from Spanish prisons were accepted. During the third expedition, the island of Trinidad, the Orinoco River and the Gulf of Paria were discovered.
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| Routes voyages of Columbus H. |
The third expedition of Columbus (1498-1500) consisted of six ships, three of which he took across the Atlantic. July 31, 1498 opened the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco Delta and Paria Peninsula, beginning the discovery of the Americas. Coming to the Caribbean, came to the peninsula of Araya, opened on August 15 and the island of Margarita on August 31 arrived in Haiti. In 1500, after being denounced and arrested Christopher Columbus in chains (which he then kept all his life) was sent to Castile, where he was waiting for the release.
Obtain permission to continue the search for the western route to India, Columbus on four courts (fourth expedition, April 3, 1502 — 1504) amounted to 15 June 1502 the island of Martinique, July 30 - Gulf of Honduras, where he first met the representatives of the ancient Mayan civilization, but did not attach any importance to this.
From 1 August 1502 to 1 May 1503 opened the 2000 km of the Caribbean coast of Central America (to the Gulf of Uraba.) Not finding the passage to the west, he turned north and 25 June 1503 was wrecked off the coast of Jamaica. Help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. In Castile Columbus returned 7 November 1504 already seriously ill.
Christopher Columbus and his crew found themselves on the island now known as Jamaica. Initially, the natives were friendly, but after some time, Columbus's men killed several of them. Consequently, the local population became unwilling to help the crew find food, and Columbus realized that starvation was imminent.
Fortunately, the explorer had an almanac with him that contained information about an upcoming lunar[horo] eclipse. Using this knowledge, Columbus told the natives that the Christian God was displeased that the admiral and his crew had not been provided with food. He claimed that God was angry and would turn the Moon red as a result.
When this actually happened, the terrified people rushed to the crew, laden with provisions, and begged Columbus to intercede with his God on their behalf.
"These savages are called 'caniba'; everyone here is terrified of them. They are ferocious, armed to the teeth, and devour anyone who crosses their path... They are known as 'caniba,' or 'cakib' in the language of Española. They are true daredevils who roam many of the islands here, eating any people they can get their hands on...".
"I must reiterate what I have said many times before: the 'caniba' are none other than the people of the Great Khan, who dwell somewhere nearby. They possess vessels used to capture people, and since the captives never return, one can only assume they are simply eaten."
***
One day, after returning from his first voyage, Columbus was having a beer in a tavern when he overheard a group at a nearby table discussing his expedition. One young merchant was particularly vocal, shouting that he, too, could have sailed west and discovered the Indies — and that he, too, deserved to be made an admiral.
Columbus stood up, walked over to the group, and challenged them to a wager: who could stand a boiled egg upright on the table? The men spent a long time trying to find the right balance, but, naturally, none of them succeeded. Then, Columbus tapped the egg against the table, crushing the shell slightly at the tip, and the egg stood upright with ease.
"Big deal," the merchant declared. "I could do that too!"
"Of course," Columbus replied, "after I’ve done it."
Columbus's discoveries intensified the rivalry between Spain and Portugal for control over previously unknown lands. In 1494, while the explorer was on his second expedition, the two nations—mediated by the Pope—concluded the Treaty of Tordesillas, establishing a line of demarcation across the Atlantic Ocean. Lands to the east of this line were assigned to Portugal, while those to the west went to Spain.
…In order to correctly establish the aforementioned dividing line — located 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands — within the shortest possible time, the High Contracting Parties shall, within ten months of signing this treaty and agreement, order the outfitting of two or four caravels (one or two from each side). Upon the expiration of this period, these caravels are to arrive at the island of Gran Canaria, manned by pilots, astronomers, and other personnel appointed in equal numbers — by the King of Portugal for the Portuguese ships and by the King of Castile for the Castilian ships. They shall then put to sea to determine the compass bearings, winds, and degrees of latitude (north and south) and to mark out the said 370 leagues, proceeding westward from the Cape Verde Islands until intersecting the line in question. Throughout the voyage, they shall measure and tally the leagues using a method agreed upon by the appointed individuals — in a manner not prejudicial to the High Contracting Parties — and, upon reaching the location where the line is to run, they shall mark the points through which it passes (either in degrees of latitude or in leagues, whichever is deemed most suitable), draw up an official record of the proceedings, and affix their signatures thereto.
Should this line happen to cross an island or a mainland, a pillar or marker shall be erected to demarcate the territory belonging to Portugal from that assigned to Castile.
Furthermore, the High Contracting Parties declare through their representatives that, from this time forward, they will not dispatch any ships: the aforementioned King and Queen of Castile and Aragon—into the seas lying to the east of the said line and belonging to the King of Portugal; and the King of Portugal—into the seas on the other side of the line, to the west of it, which are considered to belong to the King and Queen of Castile…
| "The discovery of America (Columbus and Amerigo)» | |
| Alexey Emelyanov — "Columbus (Valery Bryusov)» |
On November 6, 1492, Christopher Columbus encountered a strange custom among the indigenous people: tobacco smoking. Accompanied by a group of sailors, he visited an indigenous village on the island of Cuba, where he first witnessed this peculiar practice.
The natives held in their mouths rolls made of a certain herb — smoldering at one end — which they called "tobacco," and from time to time, they would exhale the aromatic smoke they had inhaled through their noses. This marked the Europeans' first introduction to tobacco smoking. The spread of tobacco into Europe was facilitated by the monk Ramón Pané, who traveled to the Americas as a missionary during Columbus's second expedition. He brought tobacco seeds back to Spain and began cultivating the plant for ornamental purposes.
By 1496, the first tobacco plantations had appeared in Spain; by 1559, in Portugal; and from there, in 1560, the practice reached France. By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, smoking had spread to other continents. In Central Asia and Eastern countries, tobacco was placed under the tongue or inside the cheek, and dried leaves were processed into snuff. The fascination with tobacco was so intense that the plant was credited with medicinal properties, regarded by many as a near-panacea. For instance, Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal, presented tobacco leaves and seeds to Queen Catherine de' Medici, touting them as a source of vigor and a remedy for headaches and various ailments.
In a gesture of gratitude, the Queen named this "miraculous remedy" after her envoy — calling it "nicotine". Excessive tobacco consumption often led to severe poisoning, prompting both the authorities and the church to launch a campaign against smoking. In America, for instance, smokers were executed; in Turkey, they were impaled; and in Italy, they faced excommunication and were walled up alive. As early as 1604, King James I of England wrote in his treatise "A Counterblaste to Tobacco": "Smoking is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs."
Tobacco was introduced to Russia in the second half of the 16th century, and cultivation began in Ukraine[ru] in the 17th century. Tobacco abuse in Rus' provoked a backlash from the government. In 1683, a special royal decree was issued stipulating that smokers be punished with sixty blows of a stick to the soles of their feet, while tobacco merchants had their nostrils torn and their noses slit.
The disease, barren and painful negotiations with the King to restore the rights, lack of money undermined the recent strength of Columbus, and May 20, 1506, he died[ru] in Valladolid.
“…And it pleased Almighty God that I should discover the Indian mainland and a great multitude of islands in the year 1492, including Hispaniola—called Haiti by the Indians and Chipango by the Monicongos…”
His discoveries were accompanied by the colonization of land, the basis of the Spanish settlements, brutal enslavement and mass extermination squads conquistadors indigenous people called "Indians."
Christopher Columbus was not the discoverer of America: the islands and the coast of North America visited the Normans hundreds of years before him. However, only the discovery of Columbus had a world-historical significance. The fact that he has found a new part of the world, was finally proven swimming Magellan.
Name Kolubma are: a country in South America, the Province of Canada, the Federal District and the river in the United States, the capital of Sri Lanka, as well as many rivers, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, capes, towns, parks, squares, streets and bridges in different countries.
In Barcelona, a monument to Christopher Columbus (1882-88, architect K. Buichas, sculptors Limona H. and A. Vilanova).
Interesting historical fact:
When the expedition of Columbus discovered one of the Bahamas, travelers believed that they were located near China, India, or Japan. From the local natives, the Navigator took samples of the mysterious herb now known as tobacco.
Igor Khentov:
Madrid and Granada were left far behind,
And Columbus was rightly renowned as a skilled captain:
The ships sailed away from the land of Ferdinand
And his beloved consort, Isabella.
The «Pinta», «Niña», and «Santa María» pressed onward,
Their sails swelling steadily in the wind;
Some whispered the name of a beloved[ru], divinely given,
While others, in prayer, murmured "Amen."
The goal was logical — not the least bit strange —
And instilled confidence in his own strength,
For the blood[ru] of a «Marrano» outcast flowed
Through the toil-worn veins of Christopher Columbus.
For the stench of Inquisition pyres hung heavy
Over Málaga, León, Seville, and Toledo,
And in Jewish eyes[ru], on faces filled with alarm,
Fear and countless woes lay in wait.
The Pinzón brothers offered immediate support
With caravels, gold, and sound advice.
Life is a coin: it lands heads or tails,
Even if one has discovered the wilds of the New World.
Bowsprits stubbornly pierced the waves,
And the «Santa María» ran hard aground on a reef,
Yet the sailors survived and tasted freedom —
Like eagles spreading their wings for the first time.
Inevitably, the prism of human destiny holds
Pain, sorrow, blood[ru], and death in the heat of battle:
The Genoese was acclaimed by the Spanish crown
And remains an idol for generations to come.
Whether Columbus was a Marrano or not, the fact remains:
The USA became a promised land for the Jews,
And perhaps there is Divine providence in this —
Christopher sleeps in Seville beneath a bright star.