Authentic Letters of Columbus. 19-^ 



XXXII. 



The will of Christopher Columbus. Certified copy in the col- 

 lection OF the Duke of Veragua, Madrid. 



In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, who inspired me with the 

 idea and afterward made it perfectly clear to me, that I could navi- 

 gate and go to the f ndies from Spain, by traversing the ocean west- 

 wardly; which I communicated to the King, Don Ferdinand, and to 

 the Queen, Dona Isabella, our Sovereigns; and they were pleased to 

 furnish me the necessary equipment of men and ships, and to make 

 me their Admiral over the said ocean, in all parts lying to the west of 

 an imaginary line drawn from pole to pole, a hundred leagues west 

 of the Cape de Verde and Azore Islands, also appointing me their 

 Viceroy and Governor over all continents and islands that I might 

 discover beyond the said line westwardly; with the right of being 

 succeeded in the said offices by my eldest son and his heirs forever, 

 and a grant of the tenth part of all things found in the said jurisdic- 

 tion; and of all rents and revenues arising from it; and the eighth of 

 all the lands and everything else, together with the salary correspond- 

 ing to my rank of Admiral, Viceroy and Governor, and all other 

 emoluments accruing thereto, as is more fully expressed in the title 

 and agreement sanctioned by their Highnesses. 



And it pleased the Lord Almighty that in the year one thousand 

 fourihundred and ninety-two, I should discover the continent of the 

 Indies and many islands, among them Espaiiola, which the Indians 

 call Ayte and the Menicongos, Cipango. I then returned to Castile 

 to their Highnesses, who approved of my undertaking a second en- 

 terprise for further discoveries and settlements, and the Lord gave 

 me victory over the Island of Espaiiola, which extends six hundred 

 leagues, and I conquered it and made it tributary; and I discovered 

 many islands inhabited by cannibals, and seven hundred to the west 

 of Espanola, among which is Jamaica, which we call Santiago; and 

 three hundred and thirty-three leagues of continent from south to 

 west, besides a hundred and seven to the north, which I discovered 

 on my first voyage; together with many islands, as may more clearly, 

 be seen by my letters, memorials and maritime charts. And as we 

 hope in God that before long a good and great revenue will be derived 

 from the above islands and continent, of which, for the reason afore- 



