Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER LVII THE JOURNAL OF THE FIRST VOYAGE It is intended that the narration of the first voyage shall flow from the account of the voyage and of the discovery written by Columbus himself. We find the expedition starting from Palos on Friday, August 3, 1492, and immediately the prudent navigator, realising that he was to compile the most momentous log-book ever touched by hand of sailor, began to enter the object of his voyage, the lofty purpose of his Sovereigns, their distinguished favour to himself, and to record, day by day and almost hour by hour, the occurrences and events which met him on his way. Friar Bartolome' de las Casas had in his possession, among many other of Christopher Columbus's papers, his original holograph Journal. Regarding it as more or less discursive and voluminous, he made an abridged copy of this Journal, sometimes quoting the exact words of Columbus, but for the most part describing the daily events in the third person. It is this abridged Journal, consisting of seventy-six closely written folios, which Martin Fernandez de Navarrete published in 1825, and which was imperfectly translated into English and published in Boston in 1827. But when Las Casas wrote his Historia he frequently incorporated more matter from the original Journal than appears in the abridged Journal. In some instances the fuller account is of grave importance. We have followed the abridged Journal and when Las Casas has inserted added matter, we have placed it in a note.1 1 "Having perfected all his preparations, Thursday, August 2, 1492, Christopher Columbus ordered all his people to embark, and the next day, Friday, which was the 3rd of the same month of August, half an hour before sunrise, he ordered the sails raised and went out of...
