The Life of Columbus

The Life of Columbus, by Arthur Helps

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Title: The Life of Columbus
Author: Arthur Helps
Release Date: March 12, 2005 [EBook #15336]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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Produced by Don Kostuch

Transcribers Notes:
Several non-English proper names have been rendered in ASCI, omitting the proper accents.
Page headers have been moved to the beginning of the appropriate paragraph and several very long paragraphs have been split to correspond to the page headers. See the DOC or PDF versions for the original pagination and map images.
The following glossary provides references and definitions of unfamiliar (to me) terms and names.
Adelantado Governor or commander. Refers to Don Bartholomew Columbus (brother of Christopher) in this volume.
Angelic Doctor: Thomas Aquinas
Arroba In Spanish-speaking countries, a weight of about 25 pounds. In Portuguese-speaking countries, about 32 pounds.
Aught Anything whatever.
Bartholomew Columbus Brother of Christopher Columbus.
Cacique Title for an Indian chief in the Spanish West Indies.
Ca da Mosto or Cadamosto Alvise Ca' da Mosto, (1432-1488) Venetian explorer and trader who wrote early accounts of western African exploration.
Caonabo Cacique (chief) who destroyed Columbus's first garrison at La Navidad.
Cave of Adullam About 13 miles west of Bethlehem where David gathered "every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented" (1 Sam. 22:2).
Cipango Japan.
Compeer Person of equal status; a peer.
Contumely Contempt arising from arrogance; insolence.
Cosmography Study of the universe, including geography and astronomy.
Diego Columbus Son of Columbus and Donna Felipa
Don Diego Columbus Brother of Columbus
Donna Felipa Munnis Perestrelo Wife of Christopher Columbus. Daughter of the first governor of Porto Santo. Only issue was Diego.
Dragon's blood Thick red liquid from a palm (Daemonorops draco) in tropical Asia; formerly used in varnishes and lacquers.
Encomienda A grant entitling Spaniards to land plus the Native American inhabitants of that land. The land and its inhabitants.
Fernando Columbus Son of Christopher Columbus and Beatrice.
Friesland Located in Europe on the North Sea between the Scheldt and Weser rivers. Now a province of the northern Netherlands.
Galliot Light, swift galley.
Gyve Shackle for the leg.
Las Casas Bartlome de las Casas is the chief source of information about the islands after Columbus arrived. Other historians overlooked the Indian slave trade, begun by Columbus; Las Casas denounced it as "among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind."
Machiavelli: Nicolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Political philosopher, author of The Prince, that focuses on problems of a monarch, the foundation of political authority and how to retain power, rather than pursue ideals.
Maravedis Spanish currency. One million Maravedis (one cuentos) in 1490 is equivalent to about 308 English Pounds in 1860, or US$ 48,000 in 2005.
Martyr, Peter Peter Martyr d'Anghera wrote early accounts of Columbus, Ojeda, Cortes, and other Spanish explorers. An Italian humanist from Florence. Served as tutor in the Spanish court and had direct access to Columbus. Author of "De Orbe Novo" describing the first European contacts with native Americans.
Moors Arabs
Provence Province of southeast France bordering on the Mediterranean.
Pinzon, Martin Alonzo Chief shipowner of Palos. Accompanied Columbus as a captain.
Paria, Gulf of Between Trinidad and Venezuela.
Repartimiento Spanish, from repartir, to divide. Distribution of slaves or assessment of taxes.
Tagus River on the Iberian Peninsula flowing westward through central Portugal into the Atlantic.
Ultima Thule Ancient name for northern-most region of the habitable world.
End of Transcribers Note

The Life of Columbus

GEORGE BELL & SONS, LONDON: YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN NEW YORK: 66, FIFTH AVENUE, AND BOMBAY: 53, ESPLANADE ROAD CAMBRIDGE: DEIGHTON, BELL & CO.
THE LIFE OF COLUMBUS
CHIEFLY BY SIR ARTHUR HELPS K.C.B. AUTHOR OF "THE SPANISH CONQUEST IN AMERICA" "FRIENDS IN COUNCIL" ETC.
LONDON GEORGE BELL AND SONS 1897

First published 1868. Reprinted 1869, 1873, 1874, 1877, 1878, 1881, 1883, 1887, 1890, 1892. Included in Bohn's Standard Library, 1896, Reprinted 1897.

TO WILLIAM HENRY STONE, THIS LIFE OF COLUMBUS IS DEDICATED WITH SINCERE ESTEEM AND REGARD BY HIS AFFECTIONATE. FRIEND, ARTHUR HELPS. London, October, 1868

PREFACE.
This Life of Columbus is one of a series of biographies prepared under my superintendence, and for the most part taken verbatim from my "History of the Spanish Conquest in America."
That work was written chiefly with a view to illustrate the history of slavery, and not to give full accounts of the deeds of the discoverers and conquerors of the New World, much less to give a condensed memoir of each of them.
It has, therefore, been necessary to rearrange and add considerably to these materials, and for this assistance I am indebted to the skill and research of Mr. Herbert Preston Thomas.
Perhaps there are few of the great personages in