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
It was in the year 1507 that a certain Hylacolymus, whose real name
was Martin Waldtzemuller, first proposed to give the name of America
to the new part of the world. He did so in a book printed at Saint
Die and called _Cosmographia introductio_. In 1509 a small
geographical treatise appeared at Strasburg adopting the proposal of
Hylacolymus; and in 1520 an edition of Pomponius Mela was printed at
Basle, giving a map of the New World with the name of America. From
this time the number of works employing the denomination proposed by
Waldtzemuller increased perpetually.
Some years later, when Waldtzemuller was better informed as to the
real discoverer of America and of the value to be placed upon the
voyages of Vespucius, he eliminated from his book all that related
to the latter, and substituted everywhere the name of Columbus for
that of Vespucius, but it was too late, the same error has prevailed
ever since.
As to Vespucius himself, it seems very unlikely that he was at all
aware of the excitement which prevailed in Europe, nor of what was
passing at St. Die. The testimony that has been unanimously borne to
his honourable and upright conduct should surely clear him from the
unmerited accusations which have for too long a time clouded his
memory.
Three other expeditions left Spain almost at the same time as that
of Hojeda. The first of these, consisting of but one vessel, sailed
from Barra Saltez in June 1499. Pier Alonzo Nino, who had served
under Columbus in his two last voyages, was its commander, and he
was accompanied by Christoval Guerra, a merchant of Seville, who
probably defrayed the expenses of the expedition. This voyage to the
coast of Paria seems to have been dictated more by the hope of
lucrative commerce than by the interests of science. No new
discoveries were made, but the two voyagers returned to Spain in
April, 1500, bringing with them so large a quantity of valuable
pearls as to excite the cupidity of their countrymen, who became
anxious to try their own fortunes in the same direction.
The second expedition was commanded by Vincent Yanez Pinzon, the
younger brother of Alonzo Pinzon who had been captain of the _Pinta_
and had shown so much jealousy of Columbus, even adopting the
following mendacious device:--
_A Castilla, y a Leon
Nuevo Mundo dio Pinzon_.
Yanez Pinzon, whose devotion to the admiral equalled his brother's
jealousy, had advanced an eighth part of the funds required for the
expedition of 1492, and had on that occasion been in command of the
_Nina_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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