To the Edge of the World by Michele Torrey

To the Edge of the World

Michele Torrey

Published 2003

⭐⭐⭐

For starters, this book is juvenile historical fiction. It is the story of Magellan's circumnavigational trek of the globe narrated through the life of a young orphan, Mateo, who was hired as cabin boy for the voyage. At first, he does not know very much, other than what he hears from his peers -- that Magellan is a coward, there will be a mutiny, and when they get to the Spice Islands, they will all be rich. 

I was really interested in this book because I had just finished Over the Edge of the World by Bergreen, which was ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, and I was open to reliving the experience again. Crazy, I know! WHY would I want to relive violence, terror, horror, mistreatment, injustice, depression, starvation, chaos, and demise? Bergreen did a fascinating job -- nothing will top it for me. Since I had gleaned much from Over the Edge, I thought it would be a breeze to get through this juvenile fiction.

Well, it was a breeze, and I was pleasantly surprised that Torrey kept very close to the true facts. The only fabrications were the main character, Mateo, and conversation that can only be assumed. However, for a juvenile book, I thought this was possibly too graphic, especially the romance between Mateo and the native girl he had met. I had read other accounts, in addition to Over the Edge, that relationships were made between Europeans and natives in South America. Some native women even cried when the men embarked. Maybe Torrey wanted to include the truth of these relationships through her main character, a 14-year old boy. It was unnecessary, I think, for juvenile reading. Maybe I am a little prudish? (shrug)

The violence was definitely graphic; though, when it comes to history, I am more forgiving. However, it may be too much for some young sensitive readers, especially moms. But it was a violent voyage, and Torrey did not really water that down. She even included the exposure of homosexuality and the punishment of the one party and the demise of the other. A very sad case. 

Some of the themes in this version include friendship, loyalty, and the difference between truth and rumors or hearsay. A very important lesson. 

I gave this three stars because of the loyalty to the truth, but I am not a super fan of historical fiction. The story works, and it was agreeable. 

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen

Over the Edge of the World: 

Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe

Laurence Bergreen     

Published 2004  

Exploration    

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Well written, thoroughly researched, historically informative, and absolutely shocking! 

My goodness! What in the world?

When I finished reading this book, I told my husband that I felt like this was basically an extreme and belabored grocery trip around the world just to pick up a few pounds of coveted cloves. CLOVES! Move valuable than gold.

Of course, it was more than just about cloves. It was an anxious search for the strait that would direct Spanish explorers from the Atlantic Ocean through South America to the Pacific Ocean. And the voyage had a political end: to disrupt the Portuguese monopoly on the Spice Islands and capture it for Spain. 

Another navigator, like Columbus, with an outlandish idea to reach the Spice Islands in the Indian Ocean by taking a westerly direction, hoped to win over the Portuguese monarchy. The explorer was a Portuguese nobleman named Fernāo Magalhāes.  Three times he sought permission and aid from the Portuguese king, Manuel I, and three times he was denied. The rejection sent him to Spain, where the Spanish king, Charles I, eventually granted Ferdinand Magellan (his new Spanish name) five vessels and 260 sailors.

The voyage began August 1519, while the insufferable King Manuel threw a hissy fit!

The natural challenges, burdens, and difficulties of such a voyage were endless (they lost one ship in a storm before they reached the strait); imagine, however, the added strains of human sin. WOW! That compounded everything. 

The conflict between Portugal and Spain continued aboard and throughout the long voyage, as this was a mixed venture between a few Portuguese loyalists to Magellan and many Spanish sailors who resented the ex-patriot captain general.

There was mutiny, murder, and sodomy, which was met with Magellan's swift, harsh, inhumane justice of torture, death, and even marooning. Before they sailed the entire strait, the crew of one vessel, San Antonio, which carried most of the provisions, decided to ditch Magellan and return to Spain.

Author Bergreen stated that Magellan's navigational skills through hundreds of miles of unmapped archipelagos of the strait are the "single greatest feat in maritime history." It took almost a month to pass through.

Unfortunately, after reaching the Pacific Ocean at the other end of the strait, it was more than three months before they spotted the first Pacific island: Guam. By now they had lost thirty sailors to scurvy and starvation.

In the Polynesian Islands, the Europeans had a little conflict with the Natives. It was not until they landed in the Philippines that they met with a friendly king who gave them gold and ginger. Magellan demonstrated great showmanship that dazzled the king. The Europeans celebrated Easter on the island, which also impressed the king. Magellan committed to strengthening the island's loyalty to Spain by fighting the king's enemies, which was not a directive of Spain. 

Next, they visited the neighboring island of Cebu. Magellan attempted to convert the natives to Christ and had them baptized. In turn, they treated the Captain General as a god, and it went to his head. He truly thought he was divinely inspired. The christening ceremonies got out of hand when Magellan  insisted on baptizing those who did not want to be, and he had to threaten them to do so. In the end, over 2000 men and women were baptized, and Magellan claimed the Philippines for Spain.

By the time they came to another neighboring island, Magellan was on his own personal crusade, and he continued to threaten those who defied him. But the natives challenged Magellan, and the Europeans were out smarted; here, Magellan lost his life.

Bergreen said that "the only battle Magellan could not survive was the greatest of all: himself."

Relieved to be rid of Magellan, the remaining sailors elected a new captain general, or two. And yet they abused Magellan's slave, Enrique, and threatened to whip him if he did not obey. That proved to be a bad decision because the next stop was a bloody disaster. Enrique conspired with the natives and they surprise-attacked the Europeans after inviting them to dinner. Twenty-seven sailors died, and Enrique stayed behind rather than return to Spain. 

Meanwhile, remember the San Antonio? They just reached Spain, and they did not exactly tell the truth about what had happened. But it worked in their favor, and they were free. Unfortunately, Magellan was in major trouble, when and if he returned. Yet, in truth, everyone thought they were lost forever and did not expect anyone to return, let alone Magellan.

But they were wrong. 

At this point, one ship was so infested that they burned it after moving everything they could to the last two remaining vessels.

And one man remained who was most loyal to Magellan: Antonio Pigafeta, a young adventurer who only wanted to go on this voyage because he was so admiring of the Captain General. It is through his words that we even have this story at all.

Continuing on, they went from island to island, finding food and material goods, meeting all kinds of wealthy and civilized natives, some influenced by the Chinese culture and many who were just like the Europeans in their lifestyle.

At one point they were in the middle of a battle between two tribes, but because they did not understand what was going on, the Europeans went on the defensive and took hostages, including women. Pigafeta knew that Magellan would have never done this because it was divisive and what pirates did. He longed for Magellan's sense of duty.

After that debacle, the sailors changed captains again. One of the ships ran aground and needed repairs. Many mistakes were made that would have been avoided had Magellan been alive. Out of desperation, the Europeans captured smaller native vessels and threatened them for food and directions to the Spice Islands. They even killed some of their captives in the interim. Pigafeta was so desensitized by death, he hardly wrote much about it. The morale of the men was beat, and they had lost sense of their mission.

Twenty-seven months into the voyage and they finally stumble into the Spice Islands. The emissary was a Muslim named Almanzor already familiar with the Portuguese, whom he did not like. It did not take long to convince Al that King Charles I was a better master, and he easily pledged allegiance to Spain. Great! Now could they please have all the spices so they could get the heck home?

But it's such a small world because a friend of a friend (a European) who lived on the island said they knew all about Magellan's quest to sail around the world in search of the Spice Islands. The Portuguese had been by to say they were looking for the fleet to stop them. Remember the tantrum King Manuel threw when he heard Magellan set out on his mission? He was determined to stop Magellan. So hurry up with those spices because the Spaniards are in Portuguese territory and this could end up in a war.

So Al said he'd get the cloves, which ran the world's economy -- they were used for medicinal purposes and flavoring -- and Al came through and produced over 1400 lbs. of cloves. He also asked the Europeans to promise to return. He really preferred the Spaniards to the Portuguese, and as a gift, he gave them a slave to give to the King of Spain.

On the day they meant to leave, one vessel had a leak, which would not have happened had Magellan been alive because he was so meticulous about these details. Al said he'd help fix the leak and take care of the sailors left behind. Meanwhile the other vessel, the Victoria, would begin its trek back to Spain, while the flagship, Trinidad, would follow after its repairs were complete.

Sixty survivors aboard the Victoria headed home without their fierce leader. "They had their spices but they lost their soul." All that mattered was survival.

And after three months, the Trinidad was ready to roll with fifty tons of cloves, more than enough to justify this desperate voyage. Apparently all we know is that many men died of scurvy, some were left behind, and it spent seven more months at sea going in the wrong direction until it returned to the Islands. By then, the Portuguese had arrived again looking for Magellan, imprisoned the sailors left behind, and showed no mercy to the emaciated crew aboard the Trinidad. Even Al turned on Spain and blamed them for his loyalty.

The Portuguese destroyed the Trinidad after stripping her of its precious cargo, including Magellan's logbook, which showed all he had done -- as well as providing proof that he was in territory belonging to Portugal. It is safe to say that no one survived from the flagship.

Back to the Victoria rounding the Cape of Good Hope, Pigafeta wrote that the survivors were not bold but humbled and grateful to God to be alive. But more scurvy took more men, and they still had to avoid the Portuguese.

On September 1522, 18 survivors sailed into Seville, Spain. They had enough cloves to turn a profit, which went directly to the crown and the financier of the expedition.

The end result: the world was larger, not smaller than thought: seven thousand miles were added; no more reason for superstitious ideas; and a new understanding: that man existed in a variety of ways -- all at a cost of over 200 lives.

King Charles did not care about the lost lives, or Magellan, or the Spice Islands. He only cared about the cloves. Later the survivors were given rewards and coat of arms. Magellan's name was still defiled because he defected from Portugal and sailed for the King of Spain, who did not care about him anyway.

Yet Pigafeta, who initially was ignored, pleaded for Magellan's valor and loyalty to Spain and the Church. He gave King Charles his journals. Bergreen states that it is "the most authoritative and eloquent chronicle of the voyage."

But Spain did not care, and Portugal was still embittered. Do you know who cared the most? England. They wanted men to copy Magellan's feat. And guess what? Fifty-eight years later, Sir Francis Drake completed the circumnavigation of the world for England.

In my opinion, Magellan, who called himself a Christian, had a warped understanding of the religion and faith. He baptized for the Catholic Church, not Jesus. Baptism is a public profession of faith after one comes to understand their need of a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. That individual desires forgiveness, seeks repentance and reconciliation with God, and believes that Jesus Christ died for his/her sins. Only then can they understand what baptism means and why they should do it. Magellan forced people to be baptized, and that didn't make one Christian, but rather a servant of the Catholic Church. 

Too bad they did not have FACT-CHECKERS in Sixteenth Century Europe. But do you remember what was happening in Germany while Magellan was circumnavigating the globe? Martin Luther was setting things right against the Catholic Church! Earlier, in 1517, he nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door of Wittenberg, and in January 1521 he was excommunicated from the Church in Rome, three months before Magellan lost his life with the point of a spear. The truth was about to set the Church and royalty on fire, and the world was about to change. No more of these useless baptisms. 

Whew! I cannot explain why I am this fascinated by explorers and their adventures. It's a strange attraction of mine. This book was well written and yet so many things I did not share, some of it R-rated. So if you like non-fiction, history, exploration, biographies, and well written chronicles, do not miss this one. 

The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus

The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus  

(by his son Hernando Colon and other historians) 

Edited and translated by J.M. Cohen

Originally, I thought this would be a translation of Christopher Columbus’ logbook, covering his four voyages to “the New World,” but it is actually a rewritten account of the logbook, given by Columbus’ son, Hernando Colon.  The original document is missing or lost forever.

The translation was an easy read, and I learned a few things.  For example, given that Columbus was insistent that he had found a new way to the Asiatic continent, how aesthetically picturesque the environment was, and given its high point on the earth, he was confident that the Paradise Garden must be located somewhere in the proximity; after all, the Bible cited it to be “in the East.”  Columbus believed that the earth was actually a pear in shape; that is why he referred to the area as “high” on the earth or closest to the sun.

A speculative idea was that these Caribbean islands had been discovered by Spain, prior to Columbus, and that he, Columbus, would only be restoring them to Spain’s governance once he arrived and Christianize the natives and brought them under obedience to the King and Queen.  

It is difficult for me to leave off my opinion as to why Columbus instigated this voyage because it was more than just a quest for land, power, and riches.  It took profound courage and superior knowledge to take on this dangerous enterprise; he was a master navigator of the sea and sky.  It also took seven discouraging years to convince anyone to support his outlandish claim that he could find a more direct and less dangerous route to the Indies by going west into “unchartered waters.”  

Eventually, King Ferdinand, but mostly Queen Isabella, agreed to equip Columbus with what he needed to explore.  They promised him titles, wealth, and rewards for his accomplishments, and according to Columbus, the Monarchs’ first priority was to spread the Christian (Catholic) faith.

The first voyage to the Caribbean was two months, and he lied to his crew that they did not go as many leagues as they truly did so that they would not panic about being so far away from the Spain.  The first contact with natives was peaceful; the natives believed they came from the sky.  Columbus suggested, in his logbook, he could remove all of the natives to Castile to be slaves, to demonstrate how docile the people were.  In fact, several were peaceably taken on the return voyage, like samples.

During the first visit, Columbus learned of the Caribs, the neighboring tribes who often attacked the docile natives, abducted their women, kept their men and boys for slaves, and committed cannibalism.  These docile tribes hoped that Columbus’ men would help them make war against and defeat their enemies.  

Columbus left many crewmembers behind in order to return to Spain to give an account of his first contact, and then to return quickly with more men and supplies. 

The Monarch was well pleased with the results thus far, and Columbus was appointed captain-general and granted powers to appoint whomever he chose to lead the government of the islands.  This...second expedition was designed to relieve the men who had remained there, to settle more colonists and to conquer the island...   

But on reaching the place where the Christians were settled, they were all missing.  The natives told different stories about what had happened, but it was obvious by some evidence that the men were dead, probably murdered.   In addition, five of the natives taken to Spain, died on the way back to the Indies.

Events turn worse for Columbus when part of the crew plotted against him.  Many of these men were Spanish criminals released early from prison because they agreed to go on the expedition.  Most of them were not sailors and many just wanted to get rich easily and go home.  Unfortunately, the work was difficult, supplies were always low, and conditions were treacherous.   There was always tension, and Columbus may not have been the best people-manager.

The Spaniards who revolted caused so many extra hardships and also complicated the situation with the natives, who no longer trusted the Christians.  Columbus had to use arms against the natives to defend his men.  Several Christians and natives were killed.  It was amazing that anyone even stayed behind to hold a settlement, but Columbus believed that he had defeated the natives back into submission.  Then he returned to Spain again.

On this third return with supplies to Hispaniola, which was thirty months later, the condition of the settlement was in ruin and rebellion; most men were dead or suffering from syphilis.  One Spaniard led the remaining men in a revolt against Columbus and his brothers.  This conflict became a main focus for Columbus, and he could no longer explore the islands as he had wished because he was always negotiating with this relentless renegade.

Then Columbus had to deal with another explorer, Ojeda, who was returning from Brazil and Venezuela, when he stopped in Hispaniola and harassed Columbus, joining forces with the above-aforementioned renegade.  Interestingly, traveling with Ojeda was an Italian clerk named Amerigo Vespucci, whose name would later be used to identify the continent.  

And finally, the Spanish Monarchy sent a judge, Francisco de Bobadilla, to Hispaniola to oversee the uprising, and was given instruction to take position as governor if he believed Columbus to be unfit.  Long story short, Columbus and one of his brothers ended up in chains on the long voyage home, while Bobadilla took control as governor.  

Why Columbus wanted to return a fourth time is beyond my understanding.  After the Monarch rejected the harsh report from Bobadilla, Columbus had most of his dignity restored to him; and he went again to the Indies.  But the voyage was so disastrous – if I did not know any better, I would say that God’s wrath was upon the whole idea of Spain returning to the islands.  They were met with violent storms and utter destruction.  It was all about survival.  Even so, there was never any gold – ever.  The closest he ever came to it was right before he was arrested.  After that, the gold disappeared and the Monarchs never saw it.  

If Columbus had to explore the islands himself, he probably would have been more productive and well-off.  It seems most of his energy was used in dealing with greedy, selfish, whiny men who were not interested in exploring or hard work.  They complained when work was dangerous, and rebelled when they did not have supplies.  They obeyed only their selfish lusts for women and riches, and when they could not get what they wanted quickly, they revolted.  Columbus went days and weeks without sleeping and spent a lot of time babysitting and pacifying the crew.  

After his final voyage, he was exhausted, sick, and senseless.  Due to his mental incapacities, the King and Queen were adamant about not fulfilling any of their promises for titles, riches, or power.  He died eighteen months later.  

The Four Voyages by Christopher Columbus

The Four Voyages

Christopher Columbus

Published 1847

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Analysis of The Four Voyages by Christopher Columbus

For a review of The Four Voyages, go HERE.

This title counts toward my History Reading Challenge hosted by Fanda @ Fanda Classiclit, and she has posted some great questions for consideration. 

Who is the story about?  

This story is about Cristoforo Columbo and his quest, zeal, and perseverance to explore and prove his ideas about a better route to the Indies, for spices, gold, and riches (to be presented to the Monarchy of Spain) and to spread the Christian (Catholic) faith.

What challenges did he face, and who or what caused them?  

Violent storms of nature; lack of supplies because of distance from Spain; sinful men with prideful, lustful, violent hearts; rotting ships; inability to communicate with natives due to language barrier; and the usual hunger, sickness, and death, were the challenges Columbus faced. 

What does it mean to be human?  

I think this story demonstrates man’s persistence and determination to explore, discover, and prove himself right.  Maybe it was pride that motivated Columbus because he was overly confident that he had found a new way to the coveted Indies.

Why do things go wrong?  

Like I said in my review, if I did not know any better, I would argue that God was against any more exploration of the islands by Spain because of sinfulness.  By the fourth voyage, long and violent storms made the passage to the islands so difficult, that the only thing Columbus could do was try to survive. 

The immorality of the men was rampant: some men disobeyed Columbus and committed crimes against the natives, causing a loss of trust, especially after Columbus used caution to establish trust; some men rebelled against Columbus because they were tired, sick, and hungry and wanted to return to Spain immediately; or other men were desirous of riches or power and stirred up wickedness against Columbus to take control of the expedition.  All of these events worked against the Admiral.

What is the end of the history? 

In the beginning, before finding favor with Queen Isabella, Columbus was regarded as a madman with outlandish claims; but after his first voyage, other nations were regretful of rejecting him and were more willing now to grant supplies to anyone asking to explore new lands.

In the end, Columbus was deserted and rejected as a madman; he never found a quicker, less dangerous route to the Indies, although it may have been believed that he did reach Asia.  And he did not return with shiploads of gold and spices, as promised.  But while he died sickly, exhausted, and dejected, he is still regarded as an important man in history.

Because of Columbus

Columbus initiated and inspired vigorous exploration of the West.  He complained about governments being overly zealous to give anyone, without experience or knowledge, permission to explore unchartered territories by sea.  

Because of Columbus, Spain dominated exploration and conquered South America.  Hence, that entire continent is connected to Spain – its history, language, and culture.  Meanwhile, Britain and France focused on North America, and the United States and Canada can draw its roots to those nations.  

Today, countries in the Americas celebrate Columbus, and Italians think of Columbus Day as an Italian holiday because of his Italian heritage.  

Unfortunately, the world has an agenda

Unfortunately, his memory is being defiled by lies and hate because some people are eager to make a point; but they have no idea what they are arguing.  Those who control the media, textbooks, and what is taught in schools are more concerned with pushing a social agenda instead of learning to thoroughly examine the truth.  

My soapbox

God permitted Europe to discover, influence, and populate the Americas.  This is the way of the world under God's Hand, and He commanded man to spread out and populate the earth. By the way, He set the boundaries of the nations, long before any of us were here.  

But man is sinful; even the aggressive native tribes abused, raped, stole, enslaved, and wiped out whole weaker populations before Columbus even sailed. The problem is not a European problem brought to the Americas by Columbus; the problem is man and his sinful heart.  It always is, and it will always be.

Post Script

Have you seen Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto," about the declining Mayan civilization in Guatemala? The Mayans were the cause of their own annihilation.  Upper-class, wealthy, powerful Mayans enslaved and sacrificed the poor, lower masses; they waged war, destroyed villages, and ravaged the environment.  

In the final three minutes of the film, the main character, a poor Mayan, has escaped typical tribal sacrifice, and he is running for his life.  The two aggressive, pursuing men are trying to capture and kill him.  As they come to the beach, they witness the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors.  Because the Mayans were destroying themselves from the inside, their civilization was vulnerable to and ripe for conquest from the outside.   

War, murder, rape, theft, greed, oppression, conquest, slavery, etc. have always existed in every civilization; but some have a romantic view of native people and are determined to perpetuate this untruth, even if they have to spread lies and hate about one single man. But even after they destroy Columbus, they will never be satisfied because Columbus is not really the issue; and the real problem - man's sinful heart - will still remain.

Friday, March 14, 2014

The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus  (by his son Hernando Colon and other historians) Edited and translated by J.M. Cohen

This is a rewritten account of the logbook, given by Columbus’ son, Hernando Colon.  The original document is missing.

It was an easy read, and I learned a few things.  For example, given that Columbus was insistent that he had found a new way to the Asiatic continent, how aesthetically picturesque the environment was, and that it was at a high point on the earth, he was confident that the Garden of Paradise must have been located in the proximity; after all, the Bible cited the Garden to be “in the East.”  Columbus believed that the earth was actually a pear shape; that is why he referred to the area as “high” on the earth, or closest to the sun.

Another speculative idea was that these Caribbean islands had been discovered by Spain, prior to Columbus, and that he would only be restoring them to Spain’s governance once he arrived, Christianized the natives, and brought them under obedience of the King and Queen. 

It is difficult to believe that Columbus instigated this voyage for land, power, and riches.  It took profound courage and superior knowledge to take on this dangerous enterprise; he was a master navigator of the sea and sky.  It cost him seven discouraging years to convince anyone to support his outlandish claim, that he could find a more direct and less dangerous route to the Indies by going west into “unchartered waters.” 

Eventually, King Ferdinand - but mostly Queen Isabella - agreed to equip Columbus with what he needed to explore.  They promised him titles, wealth, and rewards for his accomplishments; and according to Columbus, the Monarchs’ first priority was to spread the Christian (Catholic) faith.

The First Voyage

The first voyage to the Caribbean was two months long, and he lied to his crew that they did not go as many leagues as they truly did, so they would not panic about being so far from Spain.  The first contact with natives was peaceful; the natives believed they came from the sky.  Columbus suggested, in his logbook, he could remove all of the natives to Castile to be slaves, to demonstrate how docile the people were.  In fact, several were peaceably taken on the return voyage, like samples.

During the first visit, Columbus learned of the Caribs, the neighboring tribes who often attacked the docile natives, abducted their women, kept their men and boys for slaves, and practiced cannibalism.  These docile tribes hoped that Columbus’ men would help them make war against and defeat their enemies.  

Columbus left many men behind in order to return to Spain to give an account of his first contact, and then to return quickly with more men and supplies.

The Second Voyage

The Monarch was well pleased with the results, thus far, and Columbus was appointed captain-general and granted powers to appoint whomever he chose to lead the government of the islands.  This "...second expedition was designed to relieve the men who had remained there, to settle more colonists and to conquer the island..."  

But upon reaching the place where the Christians were settled, they were all missing.  The natives told inconsistent stories about what had happened, but it was obvious, by evidence, that the men were dead, probably murdered.   In addition, five of the natives taken to Spain died on the way back to the Indies.

Events grew worse for Columbus when some of the crew plotted against him. Many of these men were Spanish criminals released early from prison because they agreed to go on the expedition.  They were not sailors and many just wanted to get rich easily and go home.  Unfortunately, the work was difficult, supplies were always low, and conditions were treacherous.   There was always tension, and Columbus may not have been the best people-manager.

The rebelling Spaniards caused extra hardships and complicated the situation with the natives, who no longer trusted the Christians.  Columbus had to use arms against the natives to defend his men.  Several Christians and natives were killed. It was amazing that anyone even stayed behind at the settlement, but Columbus believed that he had defeated the natives back into submission.  Then he returned to Spain again.

The Third Voyage

On this third return with supplies to Hispaniola, which was thirty months later, the condition of the settlement was in ruin and rebellion; most men were dead or suffering from syphilis. One Spaniard led the remaining men in a revolt against Columbus and his brothers.  This conflict became a main focus for Columbus, and he could no longer explore the islands as he had wished because he was always negotiating with this relentless renegade.

Then Columbus had to deal with another explorer, Ojeda, who stopped at Hispaniola on his return from Brazil and Venezuela, He harassed Columbus and joined forces with the above-aforementioned renegade.  Interestingly, traveling with Ojeda was an Italian clerk named Amerigo Vespucci, whose name would later be used to identify the continent.  

And finally, the Spanish Monarchy sent a judge, Francisco de Bobadilla, to Hispaniola to oversee the uprising, and was given instruction to take position as governor if he believed Columbus to be unfit.  Long story short, Columbus and one of his brothers ended up in chains on the long voyage home, while Bobadilla took control as governor. 

The Fourth Voyage

Why Columbus wanted to return a fourth time is beyond my understanding.  After the Monarch rejected the harsh report from Bobadilla, Columbus had most of his dignity restored to him; and he went again to the Indies.  But the voyage was so disastrous – if I did not know any better, I would say that God’s wrath was upon the whole idea of Spain returning to the islands.  They were met with violent storms and utter destruction.  It was all about survival.  Even so, there was never any gold – ever.  The closest he ever came to it was right before he was arrested.  After that, Columbus said that the gold disappeared; hence, the Monarchs never saw shiploads of gold he promised them. 

If Columbus had to explore the islands alone, he probably would have been more productive and better-off. Most of his energy was used in dealing with greedy, selfish, whiny men who were not interested in hard work or exploring.  They complained when work was dangerous, and rebelled when they did not have supplies.  They obeyed only their selfish lusts for women and riches, and when they could not get what they wanted quickly, they revolted.  Columbus went days and weeks without sleeping and spent a lot of time babysitting and pacifying the crew. 

After his final voyage, he was exhausted, sick, and senseless.  Due to his mental incapacities, the King and Queen were adamant about not fulfilling any of their promises for titles, riches, or power.  He died eighteen months later.  

This title counts towards my History Reading Challenge.