THE CARAVELS OF COLUMBUS 



BY 

 VICTOR MARIA CONCAS 



Invited only a few days ago to take a part in this congress as 

 commander of the caravels as well as a member of the Geo- 

 graphical Society of Madrid, I am very sorry that my address 

 cannot be as important as the subject demands. Although I am 

 intimatel}^ acquainted with every detail of the history of the 

 caravels, the special mission assigned to me by the Spanish 

 government, to repeat the voyage of Columbus in the Santa 

 Maria and the many ways in which the voyage has been de- 

 scribed, make my position the more difficult. The history and 

 the serious representation of that great enterprise, you must 

 admit, are very different from the many descriptions of fancy 

 that have been written on the subject. 



You all know the history of the caravels of Columbus ; you 

 have heard of his troubles and difficulties, which have grown 

 with the last 400 years ; but history as recorded by Navarrete, 

 whom the great Humboldt calls the father of history, says that 

 Spain then approved generally the project, although while the 

 conquest of Granada was hanging in the balance the government 

 decided to undertake no new venture until that was settled. 

 This delay doubtless caused Columbus great sorrow, as he was 

 growing old; but his project was not rejected by Spain. The 

 Duke of Medinasidonia supported Columbus during two years ; 

 the other two years Father Diego Deza, professor at Salamanca, 

 afterward Archbishop of Seville, supported him ; and he was 

 always protected by the Marchioness of Moya, the best friend of 

 the Queen, which proves that even if he had difficulties he had 

 high protectors to sympathize with and encourage him. The 

 picture so often painted, depicting the learned men of the Uni- 

 versity of Salamanca scoffing at Columbus, conveys an erro- 

 neous idea, as the records of every meeting Avere kept and exist to- 

 day, and nowhere can be found recorded any such action against 

 Columbus. On the contrary. Salamanca was the scientific center 



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