United States or Caribbean Netherlands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Its bearings and distance from the Mucaras coincide exactly with those run by Columbus; and its description agrees, as far as can be ascertained by charts, with the port which he visited. Oct. 29.
It would be awkward if the true distances from the fourth to the fifth islands, and from the latter to Padre, had fallen short of the "log," since it would make the unexplainable situation which occurs in Irving's course and distance from Mucaras Reef to Boca de Caravela. From end to end of the Samana track there are but three discrepancies. At the third island, two leagues ought to be two miles.
This sum of thirty leagues is about three less than the distance from the S.W. point of Fernandina or Exuma, whence Columbus took his departure, to the group of Mucaras, which lie east of Cayo Lobo on the grand bank of Bahama, and which correspond to the description of Columbus.
Columbus was in haste to return to Spain; as soon as the weather permitted, the Nina again set sail, and at mid-day on the 15th of March, she cast anchor in the port of Palos, after seven months and a half of navigation, during which Columbus had discovered the islands of San Salvador, Conception, Great Exuma, Long Island, the Mucaras, Cuba, and San Domingo.
First voyage: The Great Canary Gomera Magnetic variation Symptoms of revolt Land, land San Salvador Taking possession Conception Fernandina or Great Exuma Isabella, or Long Island The Mucaras Cuba Description of the island Archipelago of Notre-Dame Hispaniola or San Domingo Tortuga Island The cacique on board the Santa-Maria The caravel of Columbus goes aground and cannot be floated off Island of Monte-Christi Return Tempest Arrival in Spain Homage rendered to Christopher Columbus.
The course from Exuma to the Mucaras is about S.W. by W. The course followed by Columbus differs a little from this, but as it was his intention, on setting sail from Isabella, to steer W.S.W., and since he afterwards altered it to west, we may conclude that he did so in consequence of having been run out of his course to the southward, while lying to the night previous. Oct. 27.
At sunrise Columbus set sail from the isles Arenas or Mucaras, for an island called Cuba, steering S.S.W. At dark, having made seventeen leagues on that course, he saw the land, and hove his ships to until morning. On the 28th he made sail again at S.S.W., and entered a beautiful river with a fine harbor, which he named San Salvador.
On Thursday, the 25th of October, seven or eight islands lying in a straight line were sighted, these were probably the Mucaras. Columbus did not stop to visit them, and on the Sunday he came in sight of Cuba.
Word Of The Day