Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/185

SECOND VOYAGE. 161 1492. Oct. 12. The great navigator had succeeded, as is well chapter ° ° , . XVIII. known, after a vovage the natural difficulties of •^ " , Discovery of which had been much augmented by the distrust jfj^jg^^"' and mutinous spirit of his followers, in descrying land on Friday, the 12th of October, 1492. After some months spent in exploring the delightful re- gions, now for the first time thrown open to the eyes of a European, he embarked in the month of January, 1493, for Spain. One of his vessels had previously foundered, and another had deserted him ; so that he was left alone to retrace his course across the Atlantic. After a most tempestuous voyage, he was compelled to take shelter in the Tagus, sorely against his inclination. ^ He experi- enced, however, the most honorable reception from the Portuguese monarch, John the Second, who did ample justice to the great qualities of Columbus, although he had failed to profit by them. ^ After a to all Christendom." See Primer Viage de Colon, apud Navarrete, Coleccion de Viages, torn. i. 6Herrera, Indias Occidentales, torn. i. dec. 1, lib. 2, cap. 2. — Primer Viage de Colon, apud Na- varrete, Coleccion de Viages, torn. i. — Fernando Colon, Hist, del Almirante, cap. 39. The Portuguese historian, Faria y Sousa, appears to be nettled at the prosperous issue of the voy- age ; for he testily remarks, that ' the admiral entered Lisbon with a vainglorious exultation, in order to make Portugal feel, by display- ing the tokens of his discovery, how much she had erred in not acceding to his propositions." Eu- ropa Portuguesa, tom. ii. pp. 462, 463. 7 My learned friend, Mr. John Pickering, has pointed out to me a passage in a Portuguese author, giving some particulars of Colum- bus's visit to Portugal. The pas- sage, which I have not seen noticed by any writer, is extremely inter- esting, coming, as it does, from a person high in the royal confidence, and an eyewitness of what he re- lates. "In the year 1493, on the sixth day of March, arrived in Lisbon Christopher Columbus, an Itahan, who came from the discov- ery, made under the authority of the sovereigns of Castile, of the islands of Cipango and Antilia ; from which countries he brought with him the first specimens of the people, as well as of the gold and other things to he found there ; and he was entitled admiral of them. The king, being forthwith inform- VOL. II. 21