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But in the course of this history, as a vigilant pilot proceeds cautiously among shoals and quicksands by the help of the line, so I, in my progress to the haven of truth, shall expose the errors and misrepresentations of Gomara: Yet if I were to point out every error he has committed, the chaff would much exceed the grain.
But, at least, he does not deny that Gomara had an actual existence, that he was a veritable somebody, a reality, and not a "myth," that he was the chaplain of Cortés, that he had access to the papers of the great commander, that he wrote a history of the Conquest, and that this history is still extant. Mr.
Instead of the naivete, engaging, but childlike, of the old military chroniclers, Gomara handles his various topics with the shrewd and piquant criticism of a man of the world; while his descriptions are managed with a comprehensive brevity that forms the opposite to the long-winded and rambling paragraphs of the monkish annalist.
The only point on which the circulators of the rumor 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.
Antonio de Quinones was the captain and Francisco de Olea, the youth, according to Gomara; who says that the latter cut off at one blow the arms of the men that had seized Cortes, and was himself immediately slain by the enemy. Cortes was then rescued by Quinones. Cron. Nuev. Esp. cap., 138. I wonder where it is! There may be a great amount of it somewhere. The Yarn of the Essex, Whaler
The very earliest accounts of the Indians of Florida and Texas show that "for food, they dug roots, and that they ate spiders, ants' eggs, worms, lizards, salamanders, snakes, earth, wood, the dung of deer, and many other things." Gomara, in his "Historia de les Indias," says this loathsome diet was particular to one tribe, the Yagusces of Florida.
And I found that Franciscus Lopez de Gomara affirmeth America to be an island, and likewise Greenland; and that Greenland is distant from Lapland forty leagues, and from Terra de Labrador fifty. Moreover Alvarez Nunmius, a Spaniard, and learned cosmographer, and Jacques Cartier, who made two voyages into those parts, and sailed five hundred miles upon the north-east coasts of America.
Some historians, and notably Gomara, report that whilst the Spaniards were stirring the fire which burnt below the gridiron upon which the two victims were extended, the minister turned his head towards his master and apparently begged him to speak, in order to put an end to their tortures; but that Guatimozin reproved this single moment of weakness by these words, "And I, am I assisting at some pleasure, or am I in the bath?" an answer which has been poetically changed into, "And I, do I lie upon roses?"
When Cortés not Gomara, be it remembered computes the number of his allies at eighty thousand, Mr. Wilson says, "Let us drop the thousands, and assume eighty as the actual number. We must do so often." When Cortés writes "thirty-five thousand," Mr. Wilson prefers to say "three hundred or so." When Diaz writes "twelve thousand," Mr. Wilson suggests that we should read "five hundred."
Columbus, after many delays, fits out another squadron, and sails on his third voyage, 30th May, 1498 Touches at Gomara Retakes a prize to a French privateer Off the Cape de Verdes Sends three of his ships to Hispaniola, and steers south-west with the remainder Long becalmed Steers west and sights Trinidad Sees mainland of South America Natives come off Alarmed by music A bore threatens to destroy the ships Enters the Serpent's Mouth Sails up the Gulf of Paria Mistakes the promontory for an island Anchors at the mouth of the river Natives come off Pearls seen among them Large quantities procured Passes through the Dragon's Mouth Natives seen fishing for pearls Three pounds weight obtained His eyesight failing, steers for Hispaniola Makes the land fifty leagues more to the west than he had expected Reaches Isabella Disastrous state of the settlement Bobadilla sent out to supersede Columbus Summoned to Isabella Columbus and his brothers sent in chains to Spain Arrival Reaction in his favour Honourably received at Court Ovando sent out to supersede Bobadilla The belief of Columbus that a passage into the Indian Ocean was to be found Obtains authority to fit out another fleet.
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