Friday, September 03, 2010.
Christopher Columbus Second Voyage
Christopher Columbus had made such an incredible accomplishment from his initial journey that pushing for a second one wasn't hard. This new journey attempted a huge migration of people and animals. Christopher Columbus had the grand task of leading a 17 vessel fleet containing over 1000 men.Leaving the Canary's on October 13, 1493 they covered an enormous distance and first came to Dominica in the West Indies November 3. Over the next 14 days Christopher Columbus took the ships up from Dominica and found the Virgin Islands, the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. After continuing they landed at Hispaniola on November 22nd. Writings from people on the ships survived this voyage well and give a roundabout view of what happened. Very minute parts of Christopher Columbus journals exist from this journey.
Christopher Columbus obviously had planned to come back for his stranded men at Navidad. It was November 28 when they arrived and found the shock of a destroyed fort and to discover the remaining dead men. A friendly chief set the record straight and told of the disagreements and fighting over gold and girls from the stranded men. Apparently men in the group had deserted and made attacks and robberies on nearby native groups. They had actually taken some of their women which greatly enraged them and a strike back was inevitable. This explains the burned remains and dead men. With this news Christopher Columbus started looking for a new place to build a colony. He travelled easterly of the shoreline of Hispaniola.
Landing on December 8 at an excellent place and naming it after the Queen, La Isabela. The following days, weeks and months saw the investigation of the inside land area. Driven by the desire to reach China (apparently he was positive he was very close) Christopher Columbus on April 24, 1494 took 3 vessels. It was 6 days later when he arrived at Cuba and decided to continue along its coast and then taking a short exertion to Jamaica on a gold chase! Christopher Columbus found this path to be very dangerous. The coast is dotted with many obstacles making any movement slower than desired. He carried on for sometime but soon had to give in and admit that he couldn't find the mainland, the date was June 13. Columbus actually made his crew endorse a contract covenanting that Cuba was so sizeable it itself was the mainland.
Going back the way they had just come was truly terrible. The multitude of obstacles and a powerful wind seemed to be opposed to them. Making another diversion Christopher Columbus established that Jamaica is an island. He became chronically ill by late September of 1494 after having worked hard to reach Hispaniola on August 20 and they had continued along the coast.
Having gone back quickly to the new settlement at La Isabela Christopher Columbus left for the homeward journey on March 10, 1494 and made visual contact with the coast of Portugal on June 8. They were home!
