tered with zeal into the great idea of Columbus, and was of essential service in fitting out the armament. In the whole course of the voyage out he acted with spirit and loyalty, seconding and encouraging the admiral, when harassed by the murmurs and menaces of his crew. It was only after land had been discovered, and when the prospect of immediate treasures were held out, that the cupidity of Pinzon became aroused, that he forgot the subordination so indispensable to the success of every enterprize, and of such vital importance in an expedition of this extraordinary and critical nature. No. XI. RUMOUR OF THE PILOT SAID TO HAVE DIED IN THE HOUSE OF COLUMBUS. AMONG the various attempts to injure Columbus by those who were envious of his fame, was one intended to destroy all his merit as an original discoverer. It was said that he had received information of the existence of land in the western parts of the ocean from a tempest-tost pilot, who had been driven there by violent easterly winds, and who, on his return to Europe, had died in the house of Columbus, leaving in his possession the chart and journal of his voyage, by which he was guided to his discovery. This story was first noticed by Oviedo, a contemporary of Columbus, in his history of the Indias, published in 1535. He mentions it as a rumour circulating among the vulgar, without foundation in truth. Fernando Lopez de Gomara first brought it forward against Columbus. In his history of the Indias, published in 1552, he repeats the rumour in the vaguest terms, manifestly from Oviedo, but without the contradiction given to it by that author. He says that the name and country of this pilot were unknown; some terming him an Andalusian, sailing between the Canaries and Madeira; others a Biscayan, trading to England and France; and others a Portuguese, voyaging between Lisbon and Mina, on the coast of Guinea. He expresses equal uncertainty whether the pilot brought the caravel to Portugal, to Madeira, or to one of the Azores. The only point on which the circulators of the rumour agreed was, that he died in the house of Columbus. Gomara adds, that by this event Columbus was led to undertake his voyage to the new countries*. The other early historians who mention Columbus and his voyages, and were his contemporaries, viz. Sabellicus, Martyr, Gustiniani, Bernaldez, commonly called the Curate of los Palacios, Las Casas, Fernando, the son of the admiral, and the anonymous author of a voyage of Columbus, translated from the Italian into Latin by Madrigunot, are all silent in regard to this report. - Benzoni, whose history of the new world was published in 1565, repeats the story from Gomara, with whom he was contemporary; but expresses peremptorily his opinion, that Gomara had mingled up much falsehood, with some truth, *Gomara, Hist. Ind. C. 14. † Navigatio Christophori Columbi. Madrignano Interpreti. It is contained in a collection of voyages called Novus Orbis Regionum, edition of 1555, but was originally published in Italian, as written by Montalbodo Francenzana, (or Francapano de Montebaldo,) in a collection of voyages entitled Nuovo Mundo, in Vi for the purpose of detracting from the fame of Columbus, through jealousy that any one but a Spaniard should enjoy the honour of the discovery*. Acosta notices the circumstance slightly in his history, natural and moral, of the Indias, published in 1591, and takes it evidently from Gomarat. Mariana, in his history of Spain, published in 1592, also mentions it, but expresses a doubt of its truth, and derives his information manifestly from Gomara‡. Herrera, who published his history of the Indias in 1601, takes no notice of the story. In not noticing it, he may be considered to reject it; for he is distinguished for his minuteness, and was well acquainted with Gomara's history, which he expressly contradicts on a point of considerable interest§. 66 occur Garcilaso de la Vega, a native of Cusco in Peru, revived the tale with very minute particulars, in his Commentaries of the Incas, published in 1609. He tells it roundly and smoothly and circumstantially; fixes the date of the occ rence 1484, one year more or less;" states the name of the unfortunate pilot, Alonzo Sanchez de Huelva; the destination of his vessel, from the Canaries to Madeira; and the unknown land to which they were driven, the island of Hispaniola. The pilot, he says, landed, took an altitude, and wrote an account of all he saw, and all that had occurred in the voyage. He then took in wood and water, and set out to seek his way home. He succeeded in returning, but the voyage was long and tempestuous, and twelve died of hun *Girolamo Benzoni, Hist. del Nuovo Mundo, L. 1, fo. 12. In Venetia, 1572. + Padre Joseph de Acosta, Hist. Ind. L. 1, C. 19. ger and fatigue, out of seventeen, the original number of the crew. The five survivors arrived at Tercera, where they were hospitably entertained by Columbus, but all died in his house of their fatigues, the pilot last, leaving his host heir to his papers. Columbus kept them profoundly secret, and by pursuing the route therein prescribed, obtained the credit of discovering the new world*. Such are the material points of the circumstantial relation furnished by Garcilaso de la Vega, one hundred and twenty years after the event. In regard to authority, he recollects to have heard the story when he was a child, as a subject of conversation between his father and the neighbours, and he refers to the histories of the Indias, by Acosta and Gomara, for confirmation. As the conversations to which he listened must have taken place sixty or seventy years after the date of the report, there had been sufficient time for the vague rumours to become arranged into a regular narrative, and thus we have not only the name, country and destination of the pilot, but also the name of the unknown land to which his vessel was driven. This account given by Garcilaso de la Vega, has been adopted by many old historians, who have felt a confidence in the peremptory manner in which he relates it, and in the authorities to whom he referst. These have been echoed by * Commentarios de los Incas, Lib. 1, C. 3. Names of historians who either adopted this story in detail, or the charge against Columbus, drawn from it: Bernardo Aldrete, Antiguedad de España, Lib. 4, C. 17, p. 567. Roderigo Caro, Antiguedad, Lib. 3, Cap. 76. Juan de Solorzano, Ind. Jure, Tom. 1, L. 1, C. 5. Fernando Pizarro, Varones Illust. del Nuevo Mundo, C. 2. Agostino Torniel, Annal. Sacr. T. 1, ann. Mund. 1931, No. 48. Pet. Damarez or De Mariz, Dial. 4, de Var. Hist. Cap. 4. others of more recent date; and thus a weighty charge of fraud and imposture has been accumulated against Columbus, apparently supported by a crowd of respectable accusers. The whole charge is to be traced to Gomara, who loosely repeated a vague rumour, without noticing the pointed contradiction given to it seventeen years before, by Oviedo, an ear-witness, from whose book he appears to have actually gathered the report. It is to be remarked that Gomara bears the character, among historians, of inaccuracy, and of great credulity in adopting unfounded stories*. It is unnecessary to give further refutation to this charge, especially as it is established that Columbus communicated Gregorio Garcia, Orig. de los Indios, Lib. 1, C. 4, § 1. John Baptiste Riccioli, Geograf. Reform. L. 3. To this list of old authors may be added many others of more recent date. "Francisco Lopez de Gomara, Presbitero, Sevillano, escribo con elegante estilo acerca de las cosas de las Indias, pero dexandose llevar de falsas narraciones." Hijos de Sevilla, Numero 2, p. 42, Let. F. The same is stated in Bibliotheca Hispaña Nova, Lib. 1, p. 437. "El Francisco Lopez de Gomara escrivio tantos borrones é cosas que no son verdaderas, de que ha hecho mucho daño a muchos escritores e coronistas, que despues del Gomara han escrito en las cosas de la Nueva España * * * es porque les ha hecho errar el Gomara." Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Hist. de la Conquest de la Nueva España, Fin de Cap. 18. "Tenia Gomara doctrina y estilo *** pero empleose en ordinar sin discernamiento lo que halló escrito por sus antecesores, y dió credito á patranas no solo falsos sino inverisimiles." Juan Bautista Muñoz, Hist. N. Mundo, Prologo, p. xviii. |