Authentic Letters of Columbus. 157 



XVIII . 



Letter of Christopher Columbus to his son Diego. Written 

 AT Seville, December 2ist, 1504. Original in collection 

 of the Duke of Veragua, Madrid. 



t 



My Dearest Son: 



The Adelantado and Carbajal and your brother left here for 

 your place sixteen days ago, and I have not heard yet anything from 

 them. Don Fernando took with him 150 ducats to attend to neces- 

 sary expenses. He carried also a letter to the merchants ordering 

 them to provide you with money. By Zamora, the postman, I sent 

 you, afterwards, another of the same character, endorsed by Fran- 

 cisco de Rivarol, in which I told you not to use it if you had made 

 use of the former one. Now, as I wish you not to lack money, I send 

 you by Francisco Doria, but with the same injunction, a third letter 

 of credit. I have already explained how necessary it is for us to be 

 cautious in expending money until our affairs arc settled by Their 

 Highnesses. I also told you that in bringing these people to Castile I 

 expended 1200 castellanos, most of which His Highness owes me. I 

 wrote to His Highness on the subject, and asked for an order to set- 

 tle that account. 



I should like to have letters from you, if possible, every day. I 

 complain of Diego Mendez and of Jerome for not writing to me, and 

 also all the others, who as soon as they reach there, cease to corres- 

 pond with me. 



You must investigate whether the Queen, whom God has in His 

 glory, said something in her will about me. It is also important for 

 us to urge the Bishop of Palencia to hurry up. To him Their High- 

 nesses are indebted for having the Indies — as he was the cause of my 

 remaining in Castile, when I already had started to leave it. The 

 Lord Chamberlain of His Highness must also be hurried up. 



You must endeavor, when the opportunity arrives, that they see 

 the instrument in writing which is in the book of my privileges, 

 wherein the reason is explained, as I told you in another letter why 

 the third, and the eighth, and the tenth are due to me. 



I have written to my holy friend, the Father, because he com- 

 plained of my silence. I send you a copy of this letter. I wish the 

 King our Lord, or the Bishop of Palencia, would see this Father 

 before I send my letter, so as to avoid misrepresentation. Camacho 



