A letter of Christopher Columbus, to whom our age is greatly indebted, respecting the islands of India lately found beyond the Ganges. In search of which he was sent eight months ago under the auspices and at the expense of the most invincible Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of Spain. Sent to the magnificent lord, Gabriel Sanchez, treasurer of the same most serene king, and which the noble and learned man, Leander de Cosco, translated from the Spanish idiom into Latin. The third day of the calends of May, 1493. Pontificate of Alexander VI., first year. [173] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. xlii. [174] Tratado, que compōs o nobre & notauel capitão Antonio Galuão. [175] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. xlvi. [176] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. xlvi, xlvii. [177] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. l. [178] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. li. [179] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. liii-lviii. [180] “_Que esta tierra de Cuba fuesa la tierra firme al comienzo de las Indias y fin á quien en estas partes quisiere venir de España por tierra._” [181] Informacion del escribano publico. Fernando Perez de Luna. Coleccion de los viages y descubrimientos de los Espagñoles. tom. ii. pp. 143, 149. [182] In August, 1495, Peter Martyr, writing to Cardinal Bernardino, says: “Columbus asserts that this region is the continent of the Ganges of India,—_Indiæ Gangetidis continentem eam esse plagam contendit Colonus_.”—Opvs, epistolaru Petri Martyris Anglerii Mediolanēsis Protonotarij Aplici atque a cōsilijs reru Indicaru: nuc pmu et natu y mediocri cura excursum: quod q dē preterstili venustatē, nostroru quoque tēporum histori loco esse poterit. Cōpluti Anno dni MDXXX. [183] Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo. cap. lviii-lxiv.