Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the WorldVerne, Jules
History
Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the World
Verne, Jules
Discoveries in geography; Explorers; Voyages and travels
Columbus tacked in and out along the Cuban coast; he saw the two
mountains--Cristal and Moa; he explored a harbour to which he gave
the name of Puerto del Principe, and an archipelago which he called
the Sea of Nuestra Senora. Each night the fishermen's fires were
seen upon the numerous islands, the inhabitants of which lived upon
spiders and huge worms. Several times the Spaniards landed upon
different points of the coast, and there planted the cross as a sign
of taking possession of the country. The natives often spoke to the
admiral about a certain island of Babeque, where gold abounded, and
thither Columbus resolved to go, but Martin-Alonzo Pinzon, the
captain of the _Pinta_, the best sailer of the three ships, was
beforehand with him, and at day-break on the 21st of November, he
had completely disappeared from sight. The admiral was very angry at
this separation, his feelings on the subject appearing plainly in
his narrative, where he says, "Pinzon has said and done to me many
like things." Continuing his exploration of the coast of Cuba,
Columbus discovered the Bay of Moa, the Point of Mangle, Point Vaez,
and the harbour of Barracoa, but nowhere did he meet with cannibals,
although the huts of the natives were often to be seen adorned with
human skulls, a sight which appeared to give great satisfaction to
the islanders on board the fleet. On the following days, they saw
the Boma River, and the caravels, doubling the point of Los Azules,
found themselves upon the eastern part of the island, whose coast
they had now reconnoitred for a distance of 375 miles. But Columbus
instead of continuing his route to the south turned off to the east,
and on the 5th of December perceived a large island, called by the
natives Bohio. This was Hayti, or San Domingo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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