Book.^li31. OOPffilGlir DEPOSIT. 1 1 (MR 1 5TOPM ER^ (OLUMBU5. -7r^ycf ^ "T^fic ^llc^ua.^l^:: 11 c( £a o'\aGi^a. .vy r- 1-E.e Copyright 1893. Edward Brandus & Co., published 114 Fifth Avenue, New York. PMOTo e»a. CO. . n v Cm • His J H CO I ■X- npHE portrait of Columbus in the Ministry of Marine, at Xladrid, is one of the moat %videly known and most generally accepted portraits of Columbus, and has been used more than any other to illustrate biographies and volumes of history. It is asserted to be a genuine portrait painted in 1504 or 1505, at Seville, upon the return of Columbus from his fourth and last voyage and shortly before his death, but there is no really reliable evidence in support of this claim. It is believed by some critics to be a copy of the Giovio picture, probeibly made in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and that the artist took the liberty of adding age and signs of anxiety to the face of the illustrious discoverer. \ i '-> m ■h OLD SPANISH CANNON OF THE TIME OF COLUMBUS. /^^OLUMBUS -was the eldest son of Dominico Colombo and Suisanna Kontan- arossa, and -was born in Genoa in i435- His father was a wool-con-iber, who lived until two years after the memorable discovery by his illustrious son. Columbus was educated at the University of Pavia. After completing his educa- tion he worked for some months in his father's liusiness, but ^vhile still in his teens made his choice of life and became a sailor. In i47*J he Nvas wrecked at sea and iTianaged to reach the Portuguese coast on a planlc. In Hortugal he married Kelipa Muriet Herestrello, \vho died >'oung, lefl^•ine him one child— a boy who -was named Uietjo. C'oluiiibii.-' bcfc>:v: tlic Coiukm (By V. IZQUIEROO.) ^^lURING the period that Columbua wa^ urging his project before the King and Queen he was allowed, through the Grand Cardinal of .i^^fyyr-^ -J y Spain, to present his theories before a council of learned geographers tind astronomers from the University of San Esteban at Salamanca. This council, which ^vas composed mostly of ecclesiastics, was by no means unprejudiced, nor were its members disposed to abandon their pretensions to knowledge with- out a struggle. Colun^bus argued his point, but was over\vhelmed with biblical texts, with tiuotations fron^ the great divines, and with theological objections. In a word, his plans met with anything but encouragement frona this wise and distinguished council. I \ \Vi/^vvj> V<.(«o.\t> A\.'/.^\.> \n \\i>v\:>\VtV\M m^^^ A F^TKR Columbus had left the Court at Cordova, despairing of being able to secure ttie co-operation of Kerdinand and Isabella, lie went to Palos, Spain, to leave his little son with his sister-in-law. Landing on the VianUs of the Kiver Tinto, fatigued and hungry, Columbus started for F*alos. On the -vva^', he stopped at the Monastery of La Rabida and asked the monks for food and water for himself and child. It ^vaa at this monastery that Columbus met Juan ferez de Marchena, formerly confessor of Queen Isabella, who inter- ested himself greatly in Columbus' plans and wrote in urgent terms on the subject to the Queen. It Nvas this letter that brought about .. ■ » ■ -., »i ^^ „» r^ i„ Cross erected where Columbus asked another intervieNv with the Queen at Oranada. ,r „„ ., „^.,„„ *= THE Friar of the Monastery for Bread and Water. ill }>?a c'\ClGi^a N the summit of a lo^v tieadland at the junction of the Tinto and Odiel rivers, stands, picturesQue and solitary, a mon- astery erected hy the Moors in the eleventh century, and intended for a fortress. They called it La Rabida, whicVi signifies an outpost on the frontier. When the Moors were driven from Spain, it passed into the possession of the fe^ Franciscan Monks. It -^vas here that Columhus stopped to -> ;« .,< ^.^^ ask for hread and \vater. Within its ^valls he spent many ^T^- months, while preparing for his voyage of discovery. Castl£ at Santo Domingo in WHICH Columbus was Imprisoned. Colli lllGlu^ icccillc5 til 3^ateftci. (By M. CRESPO, MADRID, 1883.) li ^'^ ^^(SP^*' A KXER Columhus had presented liiniself at Granadci there -^vas ci comerence -^ ■*- at court concerniiiy his plans, ciinl it -was agciin decided to reject them. When he ^vas informed of the decision, Cohtmlius mounted his, niule and started for F*alos, intending to take his child and go to Premce \vhere he hoped to receive greater encouragement. After his departure, the Marchioness de Moja, Luis Santangel, and other friends of the Queen, prevailed upon lier to reconsider the decision. A. niessenger \Vcis sent to recall Columhus, and o\-ertooU him c»t the hridge of F»inos, two leagues from Granada. Columhus returned to court and Wcis again introduced hy Luis Santangel to the Queen, in the presence of the Marchioness de Moja. It is an interesting fact that the vo>'£ige cost the Queen of Spain 1.140,000 maravedis, and 270 maravedia is eciutil to Si.oo of the present ^ feet in tlepth. 'T^HERK lias always t>een a dispute as to the place -wjiere Columbus .^.^^ -'first landed on A.meric?m soil, but tlie Iiigbest autborities favor Watliilgs Isiljind, because it tins\vers iTl ore closely tlian finy otiier to tbe description (jiven 1>^- Colum- bLis in Iiis journal. It lies in Uititude 23^ 52' and longitude 74° 48' west froni Oreenwicli, and is one of tbe Babamas. It is 13 iriiles long, fron3 6 to 7 nilles -wide, and bas an area of about <>o ^^'^v "v sciuare nailes, about Half of wbich is covered by ■^y^^/ / lagoons. Watlincs Island. — Landing-place of Columbus. (Bv A. GISBERT.) -^*^*^^~^ Nina. Santa Maria. P'NTA. CARAVELS ON THEIR WAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. /'^OLUMBUS sailed from Palos .>n the 3CI of August, 149?, half till hour hefore sunrise. The cIeij' Nvas Friday. It was choseii by Columbus as it was the day of Redemption, and also the anniversary of the delivery- of the Holy Sepulchre by Godfrey de Bouillon. The standard of the cross was raised on the top meist of the vessel, and the image of the virgin ^vas nailed to the mainmast. Father Juan Herez de Marchenei gave Columbus his blessing and a good-bj-. J' — f"-' Anchor of Columbus in the possession of the latin AMERICAN Bureau. j£'an^iiiq o[ Col II 111 bii^. (By GABRINU TT is said that ^vhen Columbus landed on the soil of the nev\' world he pro- claimed formal possession in the name of the Sovereigns of Spain, and then, according to early writers, he knelt and offered the following prayer: "O Lord, Kternal and Almighty- Ood, hy Thy sacred ^^-ord Xhou hast created the heavens, the earth and the sea; blessed and glorified be Thy name, and praised by Thy majestj', who has deigned to use Thj' humble servant to make Thy sacred name known and pro- claimed in the other part of the world." TT is related tHat one of the first acts of Columbus after liis landing, was to Have mass celebrated b^' tlie priests accomponj-- ing liis expedition, and tlie natives looKed upon the ceremony with great a^^'e and interest. The accompan^-ing picture is bor- rowed from a very old boolt published b^- Theodore de Bry, in -which the mtory is related. FIRST MASS IN THE NEW WORLD. 1 (By R. BALACA, 1874.) TTF'ON his return to Spain after the discover^' of tlie new world, Colnmhus wa>s received by the I-Cing and Queen at Barcelona. About the middle of April he entered the city, escorted by a brilliant cavalcade that had gone out to meet him. His Indiexns, arrayed in their native costume, led the procession. Pollow- ing them were the sailors bearing trophies of the voyage, including forty parrots and other birds of gorgeous plumage, the skins of animals hitherto unltnown, and articles of gold and other ornaments secured by barter. On horseback-, surrounded by the chiv- alry of Spain, rode the great Admiral, receiving vs'ith dignified simplicity the ovations of the people. Kerdinand and Isaliella received him, seated upon thrones under a canopy of brocaded gold. A PTER Ills return, from liis first vi^y^nfG, it im reported by- some l^istorians that Coluii^ljLis -went t t r^ cE ^^ ^l\S^/^ ^ i-^l-c^ 4^^^<.i £eW«t of «2ol\titv6u> to 9ltcofo ©^et^go, SHatcfi 21, 1502. THE ORIGINAL IN THE CITY HALL. GENOA.) Sir: XUe solitude in which you have left us caiinot be described. I gave Micer Krancis de Ribarol the book containing niy deeds (or grants, or concessions) and also copies of the letters and messages sent to me; and I pray you, as a great favor to me, to \vrite to Don Diego and inform hin:i of the place in Nvhich you keep those documents, and the use you make of them. A. duplicate of all of them v\-ill be niade and sent to you in the sfinie way and through the same channel of Frtincisco. You will find there a ne\%- concession. Their Highnesses promise therein, as you will see, to give me all that belongs to me, and put Don Diego in possession thereof. I have written to Alicer Juan Luys and to NIadam Xladonti Catalina the letter I enclose. I shall start out, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity-, ^vith a good ecjuipn^ient, at the first moment of good weather. If Jerome de Santi Esteban comes, he must A.vait for me, and not to commit himself to anything, because they will tr>' to get out of him cjU that they cani cind after- wards thej- will leave him in the cold. Let him come here, and the l-Cing and Queen will entertain him until I come. May Our Lord keep you in His holy guard. Done on the 21st of March, at Seville, 1502. I am, for ^vhat you mt>y order. Your servtint, X. M. Y., Xpo ferens. 1 cH.OU^'C ill U'lucl'l Col II lllGll,^ ^icC", lI I ^^l\lUa^otl^, C^ pCl 'T^HE house in Nvhich Columtaus died at Valladolid, Spain, was at that time an inn of the lowest class, for he had no means to pay for better lodgings. In fact, in one of his letters to the King shortly before his death, he wrote that he was a beggar in the streets, \vith no money to liuy even food. No official notice was taken of the death of Columbus, and there is no record of the fact until 27 days after, when some clerk endorsed a letter from Columbus to the King with the -words: "The within Admiral is dead." pOLUMBUS was burled originally in the Cartuja Convent near Seville, liut his remains were removed to Santo Domingo In 1540. with those of his son Diego and his brother Bartholomew, and placed in the cathedral. In 1795- when Spain ceded Santo Domingo to the French, what were supposed to be the remains of the discoverer were removed to Havana. In order that they might rest in Spanish soil. In 1877, when the cathedral was repaired, there ^vere discovered t-wo coffins. One of then^ bore inscriptions which, if genuine, prove that the reixiains of some other person were transported to Havana. The bones there found are enclosed in a leaden box, -which is kept in a case made of satin wood and glass, and sealed with broad ■white ribbons. Satin Wood Case in which the Bones of Columbus ARE KEPT. Leadcn Case. .1 I '""T^HK I)tike <>!' X'ertigua iw tlie living descendant of Colunnbus, repre- senting the tenth gexneration from the discoverer through the daughter of Columhus' son Diego. His n.'iim.- ;ind titles jire: Doi^ Christopher Columhus de Ui Cerdfi, Dulce of Veragua, \Icirtjues de la Jamaica, Almirante, AdeUmtcido Mayor fie los Indias, Orcindee of Spain of tlie first cUiss, cind Senator for life in his own right. He has filled m.-iii\- prominent iJositions in Sjiain, ;ind has nicide himself famous \^y his en- teri^rise tind spirit of progress. He Ii;is ;i son ;il)<>ut eighteen >.'etirs old, who will inherit his property' luid titles. '^uhv: o| ^'i^ciaaiia.