Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 2 (of 8): Spanish Explorations and Settlements in America from the Fifteenth to the Seventeenth Century
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 2 (of 8): Spanish Explorations and Settlements in America from the Fifteenth to the Seventeenth Century
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
This follows an engraving given in John G. Shea’s “Where are the
Remains of Columbus?” in _Magazine of American History_, January, 1883,
and separately. There are other engravings in Tejera, pp. 28, 29, and
after a photograph in the _Informe de la Real Academia_, p. 197. The
case is 16⅝ x 8½ x 8⅛ inches.]
Just a century later, in 1783, Moreau de Saint-Méry, prefacing his
_Description topographique_ of Santo Domingo,[313] sought more
explicit information, and learned that, shortly before his inquiry,
the floor of the chancel had been raised so as to conceal the top of
the vault, which was “a case of stone” (containing the leaden coffin),
on the “Gospel side of the sanctuary.” This case had been discovered
during the repairs, and, though “without inscription, was known from
uninterrupted and invariable tradition to contain the remains of
Columbus;” and the Dean of the Chapter, in certifying to this effect,
speaks of the “leaden urn as a little damaged, and containing several
human bones;” while he had also, some years earlier, found on “the
Epistle side” of the altar a similar stone case, which, according to
tradition, contained the bones of the Admiral’s brother.[314]
A few years later the treaty of Basle, July 22, 1795, gave to France
the half of Santo Domingo still remaining to Spain; and at the cost
of the Duke of Veraguas, and with the concurrence of the Chapter of
the Cathedral, the Spanish General, Gabriel de Aristazabal, somewhat
hurriedly opened a vault on the left of the altar, and, with due
ceremony and notarial record,[315] took from it fragments of a leaden
case and some human bones, which were unattested by any inscription
found with them. The relics were placed in a gilt leaden case, and
borne with military honors to Havana.[316] It is now claimed that these
remains were of Diego, the son, and that the vault then opened is still
empty in the Cathedral, while the genuine remains of Columbus were left
undisturbed.
In 1877, in making some changes about the chancel, on the right of the
altar, the workmen opened a vault, and found a leaden case containing
human bones, with an inscription showing them to be those of Luis, the
grandson. This led to a search on the opposite, or “Gospel, side” of
the chancel, where they found an empty vault, supposed to be the one
from which the remains were taken to Havana. Between this and the side
wall of the building, and separated from the empty vault by a six-inch
wall, was found another cavity, and in it a leaden case. There seem to
have been suitable precautions taken to avoid occasion for imputations
of deceit, and with witnesses the case was examined.[317] In it were
found some bones and dust, a leaden bullet,[318] two iron screws, which
fitted the holes in a small silver plate found beneath the mould in the
bottom of the case.[319] This casket bore on the outside, on the front,
and two ends—one letter on each surface—the letters C. C. A. On the top
was an inscription here reduced:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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