Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?

Where do you think you're going, Christopher Columbus? By Jane Fritz, illustrations by Margot tomes. It was lucky that Christopher Columbus was born where he was, or he might never have gone to see. The city of Genoa saps, Mack on the West Coast of Italy, with a sea right outside its front door. Of course, some people were content to stay in general all their lives. But not Christopher Columbus. Whenever he had a chance, off he'd sail, his red stocking cap pulled down over his red hair, his gray eyes squinting to see all that he could see. Sailing, he said, made a person wish to learn the secrets of the world. And in 1451, when Columbus was born, there were still many secrets. Most people agreed that the world was round like a ball, but they didn't agree on how big the world was, or how wide the ocean. Still, they did know that far away in the east, there was a fabulous place called the endings, which was overflowing with gold and jewels and spices. They had even bought these treasures from merchants who traded with other merchants in a long overland trail that stretched over thousands of miles of mountains and deserts. Then, in 1453, when Christopher Columbus was two years old, the merchants suddenly had to stop trading. The Turks, who had been fighting the Christians for centuries, put an end to overland travel, so now there'd be no more gold or spices. Unless someone could figure out another way of getting to the Indies. Portugal was the country where people were figuring the hardest. So of course that was a good place for anyone interested in learning the secrets of the world. Christopher Columbus got there by accident. In 1476, when he was 25 years old, he was sailing past Portugal on a trading trip. When his ship was attacked by an enemy, he was wounded and flung into the sea 6 miles from shore. Christopher Columbus would have drowned, except that he was lucky. He grabbed an oar floating by and slowly kicked his way to shore. And there he was in Portugal, and there he stayed off and on for 9 years, running a store that sold maps. He stayed until he had learned what he thought he needed to know, and until he had decided what he wanted to do. He was going to beat everyone in the race to the Indies. The king of Portugal was going about it the wrong way he decided. The king was instructing his ships to sail around Africa, and then head east. But his ships kept turning back. Owen was too far the sailor's moan. And it was too scary. No one had ever sailed so far south. No one knew for Africa ended. Columbus thought all this was a big waste of time. Why not take a shortcut? Why not sail west to the Indies? Straight across the ocean scene. Why not? Well, there were plenty of people to tell him why not. It would take three years to cross the ocean sea. And how would you get back? Not with the wind. It didn't flow that way. Even if it did, how could it blow you uphill? The world was round, wasn't it? Downhill one way? Uphill the other. People laughed. That Christopher Columbus had some crazy ideas. But Columbus read books and found a few that agreed with him. If they didn't agree, he stopped reading. One writer said that a man could walk around the whole world in four years, 16 weeks and two days. Since Columbus was only going to the Indies and wouldn't be walking. He figured he didn't have far to go at all. Doctor toscanelli, a famous Italian scholar. Estimated that there were only 3000 nautical miles between the Canary Islands, southwest of Portugal and Japan. And Japan was the place in the Indies where Columbus most wanted to go. Columbus had read all about the Indies in a well-known travel book written by Marco Polo, who had gone there on the overland route about 200 years before. His stories about the riches and splendor of the great Khan's court in China were fantastic. The island of Japan gu as Marco Polo called it. Supposedly had so much gold that home palaces were built of it. So Columbus red one book was by a writer who claimed to have seen men with umbrella feet. And people whose eyes were on their shoulders. But it was not just books that finally convinced Columbus. He believed that God himself had revealed the secrets of the world to him. Indeed, God had arranged his life so that he would be the one to find a way to the Indies by sea. Nothing had been an accident. In Latin, the name Christopher means Christ there. And so obviously, he was meant to take the Christian religion across the ocean scene, and convert the people there. God had even arranged a useful marriage for him. In 1478, two years after he had landed in Portugal, he had married a young lady who came from a noble family, with friends at court. So now Christopher Columbus was not just a common seaman. There was nothing to stop him from going to the king of Portugal. And asking for shifts and money for his trip to the endings. In 1484, that is just what he did. Columbus was 33 years old now and his hair was turning gray. He was proud, so when he spoke to king John of Portugal, he spoke right out. He didn't believe he'd find a way to the Indies by going west. He knew he would. He didn't hope to bring back gold. He promised to bring it back. In the end, the king decided that Christopher Columbus was just a big talker. And his counselors agreed. So king John told Columbus no thank you. The Portuguese would stick to the African route. And that was that. The next year, Columbus went to Spain. His wife had died leaving him with a son, Diego, whom he put in the care of monks in the Spanish monastery. Then he went to see king Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He was hopeful that the queen would help him. After all, she was such an enthusiastic Christian that she insisted everyone in Spain via Christian too. At the moment she was fighting a war with the Moors of southern Spain, who had the bad luck to be my hamiltons. Columbus hoped to convince the queen led by crossing the ocean sea to the Indies, he could turn more people into Christians. The trouble was that Queen Isabella was too busy with the war to think about the endings. It was a year before Columbus could even see her. And then she didn't say yes. But she didn't say no either. She told Columbus to wait. So he waited. Weak after week. Month after month, the longer he waited the bigger he talked. Until people began laughing and making jokes about him. Naturally, this made Columbus mad and when he got mad he got red in the face and he sent by San Fernando. He never swore. After two years of waiting he decided by San Fernando heath go back to Portugal. Maybe he could change king John's mind. But in Portugal, everyone was celebrating the return of Bartholomew Diaz from Africa. He'd sailed all the way down the African coast and clear around the cape at the southern end. With such good news, king John couldn't bother with the silly schemes of Christopher Columbus. Columbus returned to Spain. It was 1489 now, and he would wait three more years until the queen finished her war and beat the Boers. Only then did she finally say yes. She would help Columbus. Please, as he was, Columbus couldn't forget the wasted years. He was 41 years old now, and he decided the Queen would have to pay well for his services. If he was successful, he must be knighted. He must be given the title of admiral of the ocean sea. Made viceroy and governor general of all the lands he discovered. And granted one tenth of the treasure brought back to Spain. The queen could hardly believe it. Who did Columbus think he was? If he was going to be so high and mighty, she said, he could just forget the whole thing. She was through with him. But she wasn't proved. At the very last minute the queen changed her mind. She would accept the terms she said. After all, what could she lose? If Columbus didn't succeed, he'd get nothing. If he did succeed, let him have his terms. It would be worth it. So the contract was signed. All Columbus had to do now was to succeed. At 8 o'clock on the morning of August 3rd, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain. He had three ships, the Nina, the pinta and the Santa Maria, on which he sailed. Approximately a hundred men, a company of cats to take care of rats that were always on shipboard. And an interpreter to speak to the people of the Indies. As for supplies, Columbus took food, such as seed biscuit, salt meat, even sardines and anchovy, water, wine, firewood, compasses, and half hour glasses. He took cannons crossbows and muskets. In case the natives of strange islands were unfriendly, and in case they were friendly, he had a large stock of bells, coins and beads to exchange for gold, or any other treasure that was handed. The ship stopped at the Canary Islands for a last minute repairs and supplies. Then on September 6th, they pulled up anchor and sailed into the unknown. Adelante forward Columbus cry. 2400 miles due west to Japan by his estimate. The sailors knew that 2400 miles meant many days without sight of land. But they hadn't known how it would feel to have that vast circle of empty ocean, settle around them for so long. It was scary to remember that they were in the unknown for anything might happen at any time. One night a meteor with a long branching tail of flight fire streaked into the sea. All it was a bad sign of sailors cried. They should have stayed home. And what did Christopher Columbus say? Just what he said. It was all he ever said. When the wind dropped so that they could scarcely move, it was. When they had sailed beyond the point where Japan was supposed to be. He repeated. It was too much. Some of his sailors decided that they were being led to their death by a crazy man. Like Columbus didn't even know enough to be afraid. At night he would stare at the sky for hours at a time. As if he were reading a love story that he couldn't put down. More than once the sailors thought. How is easy? It would be to push Columbus overboard some night. When he was standing on deck, drunk with the stars. But Columbus had ways to quiet the man. He pretended that they had not gone as far as he thought they really had. So the voyage would not seem as long. Moreover, he kept pointing out encouraging signs that land was near. One day they saw four land birds together. A great sign Columbus said, four birds wouldn't be lost. At sunset on September 25th, the captain of the Penta shouted tiara, tiara land, the land. But on September 26th, there was no sign of land anywhere. They must have seen clouds on the horizon that looked like land. On October 7th, the Nina raised a flag and fired a cannon. The signal that land had been cited. Another false alarm. Maybe they'd never find land the men grumbled. Maybe there was no land in the west. On October 10th, the men announced that they could stand at no longer. They must turn back. Well, of course they should have known what Columbus would say, and of course he said it. Adelante he had come to find the Indies and by sand Fernando he'd find them. Three days, he said, give him three days and they have lamb. Columbus watched as eagerly as everyone else. At 10 o'clock he noticed a light. Like a little wax candle wavering on the horizon. He couldn't be sure, so he asked a servant. Yes, the servant said, there did seem to be a light. But then it disappeared. At 2 o'clock in the morning, a cannon was fired from the Penta. This time there was no doubt. They had been at sea 37 days and at last they had reached land. With the first light of morning, everyone rejoiced to see a large level island so green Columbus said it was a pleasure to gaze upon. For Columbus, it was a triumph. He'd been right all along. Here he was in the endings fulfilling a plan that God had worked out for him. As soon as he had gone ashore and taken official possession of the island, the men crowded about Columbus, congratulating him, calling him admiral governor general viceroy. And begging his forgiveness for their moments of doubt. Columbus named the island San Salvador, certainly it wasn't Japan. There were no palaces and the only sign of gold was the gold rings that the natives wore in their noses. Indeed, that was all they warm. The people were as naked Columbus said as their mothers bore them, which of course was pretty naked. But if the Spaniards were surprised to see naked natives, the natives were even more surprised to see dress family. All that cloth over their body. Watch were they trying to hide? Tales, perhaps? The natives pinched the Spaniards to see if they were real. And agreed that pale as they were, they were flesh and bone. But where had they come from? They must have dropped down from the sky. So they gave the sky people what gifts they had. Cotton thread, darts, and Paris. In return they received glass beans and tiny bells that went. When they were shaken. But Columbus wanted, however, was information. There was Japan. No one understood. And in order to be a success in the eyes of the queen, Columbus had defined Japan. So it was up anchor and away again. After Japan, wherever that was, he had such a good time that falls. Sailing from island to island, naming them all, planting crosses as they went. Marveling at what he saw. Trees so tall, they scraped the sky. Fish from all colors. Flocks of parrots that blotted out the sun. Flowers, fruit, birds. Oh, it would take a thousand tongues to tell it all he said. And then, who would believe without seeing for himself? But Columbus wasn't finding Japan. Still, he knew that he had not been brought here for nothing. And when his native interpreters mentioned a place called Colbert, he saw a hard this was it. Colbert must be Marco Polo's penguin or Japan. Only the natives were not pronouncing it right. Actually they were referring to the island which we now call. Cuba. And even Columbus could see when he got there that it wasn't Japan. It didn't even look like an island, and there wasn't a gold palace in sight. In December, Columbus sailed to Haiti. Which reminded him so much of Spain that he named it la espanola. Or this panola, as it came to be called. Spanish island. The songbird sang like Spanish songbirds here, the crickets chirp like Spanish prisons and the fish tasted like Spanish fish. Only there was more of everything. Best of all, there was gold. Not a lot, but some. Small chunks which the natives gave the Spaniards. Along with parrots and bread. But Columbus knew there was a nearly enough gold to satisfy a queen. He had to find the gold mine that this gold had come from. Meanwhile the navy, the friendliest he had met in all his travels, came to the ships. Men, women and children, some swimming, salmon canoes. On December 23rd, more than 1000 natives visited the ships in one hour. Among the visitors this week were messengers from a nearby king who invited Columbus to visit him. The king had much gold, the messengers said. For he lived near the source. Said pango. The mass figures didn't send Sur. They said, said bow. A region in central Hispaniola, but surely they meant the pangu. So on December 24th, Christopher Columbus admiral of the ocean sea sailed north for the harbor closest to that part of Hispaniola that was obvious in Japan. Columbus and his crew had been so busy entertaining that they'd had no sleep for 48 hours, so of course they were worn out. Columbus went to bed at 11 o'clock and the others followed, all but the helmsman who was steering and the little ships boy who was turning the half hour glass. What the helmsman was asleep he is everyone else. And rules or no rules. He handed over the tiller to the ship's board. For one hour, everything went well. Then smoothly and quietly, the ship went aground on a coral reef. The boy gave the alarm and pell mell the entire crew turned out. Columbus shouted orders and by sand Fernando, they all stepped lively that night. Still, they couldn't get the ship off the roof. When it began to tilt on its side, Columbus knew it was the end of the Santa Maria. In order to save the property on board he would need many men and many canoes. Columbus sent to the friendly king for help, and by sunrise, not only the king, but hundreds of his subjects were on hand. While the men worked, the king tried to comfort Columbus. He gave him gold, in return, Columbus gave the king a shirt, a scarlet coat, a silver ring, and colored boots. By this time Columbus saw that the moss of the Sara Maria was no tragedy after all. Columbus would go back to Spain, leaving some of his men on the island to collect gold from the gold mines, and spices which they would surely find. Then they would return with more ships. So Columbus ordered a fort to be built for the 39 men he was leaving behind. And on January 4th, 1493, he set sail for Spain. For two weeks the Nina, with Columbus aboard, and the pinta wound among the islands. When it last they struck open seam, the men were delighted to see how well they sailed uphill. If that's what they were doing, but then they ran into bad weather. The ocean made up something terrible Columbus wrote in his report, and the waves crossed each other. The Nina and the pinta were separated. Each to pray that the other had gone down. Every one praying. What if they weren't saying? Still, on March 15th, 7 and a half months after they had left home, they did arrive back in Spain. At the last minute, the long lost picture appeared and followed the Nina into port. The news spread quickly, all across Spain, people poured out to see Columbus and his strange procession, making their way to the court at Barcelona. Columbus led the parade on horseback. He was followed by 6 natives, Indians they were called now, since it was believed that they came from the Indies. They wore aprons, gold nose plugs. These and bracelets. Then came men carrying treasures came to Paris. Baskets of curiosities plants, shells, native dark threads. And most in importance, samples are gold. Columbus big day of triumph came when he reached court. The king and queen stood to greet their admiral. Then they invited him to sit beside them. All the doubters who had laughed at Columbus had to show him respect now, no matter how big he taught. The queen was full of compliments. Columbus had shown more wisdom she said than could ever be expected of a mortal being. And Columbus had to agree what he'd done he admitted was a miracle. Perhaps because of his faith, he now began signing his name in a secret code that took the form of a pyramid. He could not know that he was then at the peak of his success. Although he made three more voyages, nothing would ever be as good for him again. Certainly Columbus had performed brave deeds. But not even he could appreciate the extent of his achievement. Until the day he died, may 20th, 1506, he refused to revise his geography. Although by this time, others were questioning it. He had gone to find the Indies, he said. And he'd found them. After his death, other explorers picked up for Columbus left off, and a true picture of the world slowly began to emerge. In 1513 Balboa crossed Panama and claimed the Pacific Ocean for Spain. In 1520, near the tip of South America, Ferdinand Magellan found the waterway that Columbus had failed to find on his fourth and last voyage. Although Magellan did not survive his expedition. One of his original 5 ships arrived in Spain in 1522. Having actually completed the first trip around the world. When Magellan's men told their story, it was obvious that the world was much bigger than any one supposed. Whereas, Columbus had figured it was 2400 miles from the Canary Islands to Japan. It was actually 10,000. Now it became increasingly clear to all that there was a new world between Europe and Asia. Previously unknown to Europeans. Columbus would have been upset to hear this. He was convinced that he knew the secrets of the world, and he didn't like to be wrong. The last thing that he had wanted to do was to discover a new world.