1493 - The Return to Europe from the Voyage of Discovery
Green Group
Date of Article: 1991
Headline: 1493 The Return Voyage
Author: Lorenzo Camusso
Source of the Article: The Voyages of Columbus
Three Vocabulary Words:
1. Pilgrimage: A pilgrim's journey
2. Abate: Cause to be come smaller or less intense
3. Penitential: Relating to or expressing penitence of penance
Summary: Before they began their journey back, the stopped in Samana Bay (Haiti). A native with his face painted black and hair tied back with parrot feathers had been seen on shore. Columbus had heard stories about and was convinced that this person was just “one of those Caribs who eat people.” Later, seven sailors went ashore with the “Carib” and was met with 50 of his other tribesmen, who were all armed. Columbus’ men began to negotiate a trade. They were able to purchase two bows before the fighting began. The natives went to attack, but the sailors had injured at least two natives already. On January 16, the voyage back home finally began. On February 3rd, Columbus observed the height of the North Star and saw that they were on the same parallel as Cape St. Vincent in Portugal. He set an easterly course. He did this to pass south of the Azores, because he preferred to not stop at these islands under Portuguese rule. The weather had cooperated until February 12th. The night of February 13th, Columbus wrote that he found himself in a storm. Unable to hold its course, the Pinta disappeared for the second time. The morning of February 15th, land was spotted. The next three days were spent struggling through harsh winds, and searching for a sheltered harbor. At last, the morning of February 18th, the crew stopped off of the island of Santa Maria in the Azores. The next morning, half of the Niña’s crew went ashore, but were arrested by the Portuguese islanders, who believed the Spanish were up to something. Columbus, who was still on board the Niña, was outraged by this news. However, after a couple of days of negotiation, Columbus managed to have his crew released. They then resumed their journey back on February 24th. On March 4th, the Niña struggled but got to the Tagus estuary and anchored a few miles from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
I believe that we should change the name of “Columbus Day” to “Indigenous People Day.” This is for a few different reasons. Columbus came to a group of islands that he believed was Asia. When they got there, they conquered the island claiming it as property of Spain. Now, we know the holiday as “Columbus Day” and think that he discovered these islands. But the reality is that, they were already discovered. The Indigenous People deserve some respect for already basically discovering it.