vi SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I48 



I am grateful for the courtesy, enthusiasm, and information re- 

 ceived from the natives and individuals on San Salvador Island whom 

 I mention in the hody and notes of this manuscript and for the help 

 from those on Rum Cay.. Columbus's second island. Gratitude is 

 also extended to volunteers of the United States bases who, in their 

 spare time, explored with me on land and sea ; to those who sighted 

 latitudes for me on my 1959 expedition ; and especially to Capt. 

 Claude D. Stephenson, USAF. who worked out various technical 

 problems with me. It has not been easy to disentangle the confused 

 web of simple mistakes that accrued for almost 500 years. Many 

 have helped to make this assembly of facts, and, although their names 

 are not all mentioned, I remember and am grateful to those who have 

 helped from museums, libraries, and societies in America. Spain, Italy, 

 England, and the Bahamas. 



Many new discoveries have opened avenues for further research in 

 other fields on San Salvador. Xo investigator can isolate himself 

 in only the fields in which he is interested, and this paper is the 

 combined effort of many disciplines focused on the one moment 

 when Columbus thought he saw a light. Not being able to trace 

 Columbus's movements, as described in the Journal, step by step, 

 from either of the two Columbus monuments I found on San Salvador 

 in 1955, I surmised that the study of what had been written was 

 not enough; something more concrete was needed — i.e., excavations. 

 For the archeological help in this research. I wish to thank my friends 

 Dr. Cornelius Osgood and Dr. Irving Rouse of Yale Universitv. Dr. 

 Frederick Dockstadter and Mr. William Stiles of the Museum of the 

 American Indian, and the late Dr. John Goggin of the University 

 of Florida. 



I owe a great deal to Don Cristobal Colon, El Duque de Yeragua. 

 the 17th descendant of the Discoverer, for his generous and loyal sup- 

 port of my theory. He dedicated the Xew World Museum on San 

 Salvador on October 16. 1960, and prayed before the cross I had 

 erected to the memory of his ancestor. His influence later led to the 

 reconstruction of the Nina II and to its voyage to San Salvador at 

 High Cay (Colon. 1962. and Hermida, 1963). I do thank him for this. 



My gratitude also goes to Capt. Carlos Etayo of the Nina II 

 and his courageous crew. They are to be congratulated in making the 

 exact approach to our island at High Cay as we proved the landfall 

 of Columbus. 



Last but not least. I owe a great deal to my daughter, Beatrice, 

 whose enthusiastic support and cooperative work carried me through 



