Chapter IX
Columbus’ Second Journey in 1493—Several Islands Discovered—The Spaniards Find their Fort Destroyed and the Colonists Dead
Hardly had the news of Columbus’ approach reached Palos before the people rushed to the harbor to see with their own eyes whether it was true. As the vessel drew near and they recognized upon its deck, one his son, another his brother, a third his friend, and a fourth her husband, a universal outburst of joy rent the air, thousands of arms were outstretched in welcome to the loved strangers, and thousands more shed tears of joy.
As Columbus stepped ashore he was greeted by the roar of cannon, the jubilant clang of bells, and the enthusiastic shouts of the multitude. Unmoved by what would have turned the heads of ordinary men, he made it his first duty to declare that the fortunate outcome of his great undertaking was due not to himself but to God. He went immediately to the church in which he had implored the divine favor before his departure, accompanied by his sailors and all the people. After publicly acknowledging his obligations to the Almighty, he proceeded to Barcelona, a city in Catalonia, where the King and Queen of Spain were holding Court. Pinzon had arrived at another Spanish port several days before Columbus, with the intention of being the first to announce the news to the Court, but the King had ordered him not to appear except in the company of Columbus. Thereupon the conceited Pinzon was so disappointed that he fell ill and died in a few days.
At every place along his route Columbus was welcomed by extraordinary multitudes from the neighboring regions and heard his name pass admiringly from mouth to mouth. At last he reached Barcelona, where the King and Queen impatiently awaited him. The whole Court household went out to pay him honor. The streets were so densely crowded that it was almost impossible for him to make his way. The procession moved in the following order: Several Indians, in their native costumes, whom Columbus had taken with him, were in the advance; behind them, men carried the gold plates, gold-dust, and gold ornaments which he had brought; then followed others with samples of the products of the newly discovered region, such as balls of cotton yarn, chests of pepper, parrots carried upon long reeds, stuffed animals, and a multitude of other objects which had never been seen in Europe before; at last came Columbus himself, the cynosure of all eyes.
THE RETURN OF COLUMBUS FROM HIS FIRST VOYAGE
To pay especial honor to Columbus Their Majesties had caused a magnificent throne to be erected in the public square where they awaited him. As he approached them with the intention of kneeling as usual at the foot of the throne, the King extended his hand to him to be kissed and requested him to sit by his side upon a chair placed there for him. Thereupon he modestly told the story of his discoveries and displayed the proofs of them in the objects he had brought. When he had finished his story, both Their Majesties and the multitude of assembled spectators knelt and thanked God that these great discoveries, so rich in advantage to Spain, had been made in their day. Thereupon all the honors which Columbus had asked as reward were granted. He and his whole family were ennobled, and whenever the King rode out, the much-loved Admiral rode at his bridle, an honor which up to that time had been enjoyed only by princes and the royal family. But what pleased him most was the royal order that an entire fleet for a second expedition should be equipped.
In the meantime the King sent an ambassador to Rome praying the Pope that he would confirm the Spaniards in possession of the newly discovered regions and all that might yet be discovered by them in the ocean. The Pope, Alexander VI, drew upon a globe a line of demarcation from one pole to another, at a distance of a hundred miles from the Azores, and issued a bull declaring that all land discovered beyond that line should belong to Spain. At that time it was the rule that a prince could hold possession of a newly discovered country only when the Pope, as the divine representative upon earth, had confirmed it.
The fleet was fitted out so rapidly that in a short time seventeen excellent vessels waited at Cadiz in readiness to sail. The desire to secure possessions and honor induced an incredible number of men of all classes to apply for participation in the expedition, but Columbus, not being able to accommodate all of them, selected fifteen hundred and paid special attention to the provisioning of the fleet and the procuring of all articles necessary to colonization. All sorts of implements were provided, besides animals unknown in the new world, such as horses, mules, and cows, all the European species of corn, and seeds of many herbs and plants which he believed would grow in that latitude. As he still labored under the delusion that the region discovered by him was a part of India, he gave it the name of West Indies to distinguish it from the real India, because to reach it he had to sail west from Europe. The Indies lying to the eastward were at that time called the East Indies.
Everything being ready, the fleet set sail from Cadiz September 25, 1493. Columbus at first directed his course toward the Canary Islands and arrived there October 5. There he took aboard fresh water, wood, and cattle, besides some swine, and set sail again from Ferro, October 13. In twenty days, aided by favoring winds, the fleet had covered a distance of eight hundred miles. On the second of November, thirty-six days after their departure from Spain, the fleet came to anchor off an island which Columbus named Dominica, because he discovered it on the Sunday which in the later Latin was called “Dies Dominica,” or the “Day of the Lord.” Dominica is one of the Lesser Antilles or Caribbean Islands. As he could not find good anchorage there he sailed farther on and shortly discovered several other islands, some of them of considerable size, such as Marie Galante, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Porto Rico, and St. Martin.