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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Christopher Columbus Biography COLUMBUS, Christopher, eminent navigator, born near Genoa, Italy, about1436; died in Spain, May 20, 1506. He became a sailor at the early age of fourteen years. His father was a wool-comber and sent him to Pavia to secure an education, where he developed a taste for astronomy and geography. He settled in Lisbon in 1470 and married the daughter of an Italian named Palestrello. Obtaining some charts and assistance from his father-in-law, he studied and constructed many maps. His first voyages were to the Azores, the Canaries, and the coast of Guinea. In1482 he laid his plan before John II. of Portugal with the view of securing assistance and making an extended voyage of discovery, but was refused after the latter had submitted the plans to a body of nautical and scientific men. He next proceeded to Genoa for the same purpose, and, again failing: sailed for Spain, where he received assistance after laboring seven years at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. The conditions requested by Columbus were that he should be appointed governor-general and viceroy over the lands that he might discover, with an allowance of one-tenth of the products. He set sail on Aug. 3, 1492, with 120 men and three small vessels called the Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina. The voyager started from Palos, took a westerly course, and reached land in the Bahama group Oct. 12, 1492; the land discovered is thought to have been Watling's or Samaria Island. He next discovered Cuba and Hayti, planted colonies on them, and returned home in March, 1493. He made a second voyage the following autumn, taking with him a larger expedition, this being possible because of much interest manifested by the people of the Old World. He remained in the West Indies until 1496. His third voyage was made in 1498, when he discovered the mainland of South America at the mouth of the Orinoco, thinking he had found a continent, but supposing himself to be on the eastern coast of Asia. His fourth voyage extended from 1502 to 1504, when he explored the coast of Central America. His voyages were attended with more or less dissatisfaction and insubordination of his sailors. He was imprisoned on the third voyage by his enemies and sent in chains to Spain, but was soon released. He survived Queen Isabella a short time, dying at Valladolid. At his request his remains were taken to San Domingo, but when Hispaniola came into the possession of the French, they were removed, in 1796, to the cathedral of Havana in Cuba. When Spain lost Cuba in 1898, the remains were removed to Spain. The Teachers' and Pupils' Cyclopædia, Vol. I (Kansas City: Bufton Book Co., 1909) 393. |