4 
’The VOYAGES of Book I. 
in Portugal^ they came to a Refoliition nothing anfvverable 
to what he had expehled. 
Some alledging that hnce in fo many Ages as there were 
from the Creation of the World, Men fo well verfed in 
marine Affairs had known nothing of thefe Countries 
Columbus perfuaded them muft be found, it was not to 
be imagined that he could know more than all of them. 
Others, adhering more to fpeculative Reafon, urged, 
that the Vv" orld v/as fo large that there would be no 
coming to the utmofl: Extent of the Eaft in three Years, 
whither Columbus faid he intended his Voyage. And in. 
Confirmation thereof they alledged, that Seneca^ by 
way of Difpute, faid, That many difcreet Men did not 
agree upon the Qiteftion, Whether the Ocean was infinite, 
and doubted whether it could be failed ; and, fuppofing 
it to be navigable, whether there was any Country in- 
habited on the other Side, and whether it was poflible 
to go to it. They added. That no Part of this inferior 
Sphere v/as inhabited, except only a fmall Compafs, which 
was left in our Hemifphere above the Water, and that 
all the reft was Sea ; and that notwithftanding it v/as fo, 
if it were poflible to arrive at the extreme Part of the Eaft, 
it would be alfo granted, that from Spain they might go to 
the extreme Part of the Weft. There were ft ill others 
who affirmed. That if Columbus fhould fail direftiy Weft- 
ward he would not be able to return to Spain^ becaufe of 
the Roundnefs of the Globe *, fo that whoever fhould 
go beyond the Hemilphere known by Ptolemy, would fall 
down fo low that it would be impoffible ever to return, by 
reafon it would be like climbing up a Hill. And though 
Columhus fully anfwered thefe Arguments, they could not 
apprehend him, for v/hich Reafon thofe of the Aflfembly 
judged the Enterprize to be vain and impradlicable, and 
that it was not becoming the Grandeur of fuch mighty 
Princes to proceed upon fo improbable a Scheme. 
After much Delay, their Catholic Majefties ordered 
this Anfwer to be given to Columbus : That being engaged 
in feveral Wars, and particularly in the Conqueft of 
Granada, they could not enter upon frefh Expences, but 
when that was over, they would caufe further Enquiry 
to be made into his Propofal •, and fo they difmiflTed him. 
On receiving this Anfvver, Columbus went to Sevil very 
melancholy, after having been five Years at Court to no 
Effecf. He caufed the Affair to be propofed to the Duke 
de Medina Sidonia, and fome fay to the Duke de Medina 
Celi at the fame time •, and they alfo rejefling him, he 
wrote to the King of France, defigning to go over into 
England, to look for his Brother, of whom he had heard 
nothing for a long time, in cafe the French would not 
employ him. With this Defign he went to the Mo- 
naftery for his Son Don Diego, in order to leave him at 
Cordova *, and communicating his Defign to Father 
John Perez de Morchanta, he put off his Journey at his 
Reqiieft, who, to be the better informed of the Grounds 
Columbus went upon, fent for Gamci Herand.ez, a Phy- 
fician, and they three conferred together upon what Co- 
lumbus propofed, v/hich "gave Card Herandez, as being 
a Phyfician, much Satisfa&on. Whereupon Father John 
Perez, who was known to the Queen, as having con- 
feffed her fometimes, writ to her, and flie ordered him 
to come to the Court, which was then in the Town of 
Santa Fee at the Siege of Granada, and to leave Columbus 
at Palos, giving him Hopes of Succefs in his Bufinefs. 
Father John Perez having been with the Queen, fhe 
ordered 20,000 Marvedies in Florins for Columbus, by 
James Piete, an Inhabitant of Palos, for him to go to 
Court •, where he being come, the Affair began to be 
canvaffed again. But the Prior of Prado, and others 
who followed him, being of a contrary Opinion ; and 
Columbus demanding very high Terms, and, among the 
reft, to have the Title of Admiral and Vice-roy, they 
thought he demanded too much, if the Enterprize fuc- 
ceeded, and looked upon it as a Difcredit, if it did not. 
Whereupon the Treaty entirely ceafed, and Columbus re- 
folved to go away to Cordova, in order to proceed from 
thence to France, being refolved not to go to Portugal 
upon any Account, Alonfo de ^dntanilla, and Lewis de 
Santangel, a Clerk of the Revenue of the Crown of Ara- 
gon, were much concerned that this Enterprize fhould be 
difappointed •, and, at the Requeft of Father Perez^nd. 
Alonfo fpuintanilla, tlie Cardinal Don Pedro Gonzalez de 
Mendoza had heard Columbus, and looking upon him as 
a grave Man, had an Efteem for him. Befides, the ad- 
verfe Party objeding, that, as Columbus ventured nothing 
himfelf in the Difcovery, and made himfelf Admiral of 
a Fleet of their Catholic Majefties, he would not value 
being difappointed in the Enterprize. He offered, in an- 
fwer to them, to lay down the eighth Part of the Ex- 
pence, provided he fhould have his Quota of the Return v 
and yet nothing came of it. In January, 1492, he fet 
out from Santa Fee for Cordova, the City of Granada being 
then in the Poffeflion of their Catholic Majefties. 
The fame Day Lewis de Santangel told the Qiieen, He 
wondered fhe, who never wanted a Spirit for the great- 
eft Undertakings, fnould now fail v/here fo little would be 
loft, and fo much might be gained •, for, in Cafe the 
Affair fucceeded, and fell into the Hands of another, as 
Columbus affirmed it was like to do, fhe might guefs how 
prejudicial it would be to her Crown. And fince Columbus 
appeared to be a difcreet Man, and demanded no Reward 
but out of what he fhould find, and was willing to defray 
a Part of the Charge, venturing his own Perfon alfo •, the 
thing ought not to- be efteemed fo impracticable. Be- 
fides, Columbus demanded only a Million of Marvedies 
to fit out his Squadron, and, therefore, he intreated her 
not to fuffer fo fmall an Expence to difappoint fo great 
an Enterprize. The Queen, finding herfelf importuned 
on the fame Account by Alonfo de Quintanilla, who was 
in high Credit with her, thanked them for their Advice, 
and faid fhe accepted it, provided they would ftay till flie 
could a little recover the Expences of the War. How- 
ever, if they thought fit, it fhould be immediately put in 
execution ; flie would confent they fhould borrow what 
Money was requifite upon her Jewels. They kiffed her 
Hand for this Favour; and Lewis de Santangel offered 
to lend as much as was neceffary. 
Upon this the Queen ordered an Alguazil of the Couit 
to poll after Columbus, to tell him from her to return. 
The Alguazil overtook him two Leagues from Granada, 
at the Bridge of Pinos \ and, though much concerned, 
he returned to Santa Fee, where he was well received; and 
the Secretary, John Colonna, was ordered to draw up the 
Conditions, after he had fpent eight Years in foliciting the 
Enterprize, and induring in that Time many Croffes and 
Hardfliips. When Columbus and the Secretary had con- 
ferred about the Terms, they agreed upon the following 
Conditions, on the 1 7th of 1492. 
2. Firft their Highneffes conftitute Don Chrijlopher Co- 
lumbus, their Admiral, inwall thofe Hands and Continents 
that by his Induftry fhall be difcovered in the faid Ocean, 
during his Life, and after his Death, to his Heirs, and 
SucceiTors for ever, whth all the Prerogatives to that Office 
appertaining, and in the fame Manner as Don Alonfo Flen- 
riquez, their high Admiral of Caftile, and his Predeceffors 
in the faid Office enjoyed the fame within their Diftrifts. 
Item, Their Highneffes appoint the faid Don Chrijlopher 
Columbus their Viceroy and Governor General of all the 
Hands and Continents which he fhall difcover in the faid 
Ocean, and that he may chofe three Perfons for the Go- 
vernment of each of them, and that their Highneffes take 
and make choice of one as fhall be moft for their Service. 
Item, That all Commodities, whether Pearls, precious 
Stones, Gold, Silver, Spice, or other things whatfoever, 
or Merchandize of any kind, that ftiall be brought, ex- 
changed, found on, or had within, the Limits of the faffi 
Admiral’s Ship, their High Mightineffes, from this time, 
grant to the faid Don Chriftopher, That he have, and en- 
joy the tenth Part for himfelf, deducing the Charges,^ fo 
that of what ffiall remain clear and free, he have, and take 
the tenth Part for himfelf, and difpofe of it at his own 
Will ; the other nine Parts remaining for their High- 
neffes. 
Item, In Cafe that on Account of the faid Merchandize, 
v/hich he ftiall bring from the faid Hands, which ftiall be 
difcovered, or of thofe which ftiall be taken in exchange 
for them of other Merchants, any Law-fuit fnoiiid happen 
to arife in the Place where the faid Commerce ftiall be 
made and carried on ; if by Reafon of iii§ faid Office of 
Admiral, 
