Part 5 (1/2)

Hojeda set out from the port of Santa Maria or of Cadiz in the month of May If Aards the day of the ards the year The date of Hojeda's departure was the 20th of May 1499, not 1497, as As to the Ad to give the world to understand that he was the first discoverer of the mainland of Paria, and not the Adhtfully due all the discovery of all these islands and mainland of the Indies, as has already been proved in chapter 140 In that chapter I endeavoured to leave it doubtful whether Americo had, with intention, tacitly denied that this discovery was iven the credit of it to hiathered fros of those times in my possession, or which I have found From these I conclude that it was aon the part of Aainst justice the honour due to the Admiral The proof of this falsehood is made clear from the evidence of Americo himself, in this way We will assume what has already been proved in chapter 140, namely:--First, the testimony of such a multitude of witnesses who knew that the Admiral was the first who discovered the mainland of Paria, and consequently no one reached any part of thealso affirmed by Peter Martyr in the third and ninth chapters of his first Decade; and Hojeda hi unable to deny it, saying that after he had seen the chart in Castille he went to discover, and found that the Adone out by the Boca del Drago Secondly, Americo ith Hojeda, either as a pilot or as one who knew so of the sea, for he is mentioned jointly with Juan de la Cosa and other pilots; or perhaps he went as an adventurer, contributing part of the expenses and having a share in the profits Thirdly, we refer to what Aation_, which is, that he reached a place called Paria by the Indian natives; also, that in a certain part or province of the coast of the mainland, or in an island where they made war, the Indians wounded twenty-two men and killed one Now this happened in 1499, as I shall presently prove What we say is this: The Admiral was the first who discovered the mainland and Paria, Hojeda was the first after the Admiral, and Americo, ith Hojeda, confesses that they arrived at Paria The Admiral left San Lucar on the 30th of May 1498; presently, Hojeda and A year, 1499 If the Admiral left San Lucar on the 30th of May, and Hojeda and Americo sailed from Cadiz on the 20th of May, and the Admiral departed first, it is clear that the departure of Hojeda and Americo could not have been in that year of 1498, but in the following year of 1499 Even if it can be said that Hojeda and Americo may have departed first on the 20th of May of the same year of 1498 that the Admiral sailed, still the statement of Americo would be false, for he said that he departed in 1497 Now there is no doubt that Hojeda and Americo neither departed in 1497 nor in 1498, but in 1499, and it is, therefore, demonstrated that it was not Americo who first discovered the mainland of Paria, nor anyone else but the Admiral This is confirmed by as shown in chapter 140, that Hojeda, in his deposition when he was called as a witness before the Fiscal, said that after he had seen the chart of the land discovered by the Ade of discovery himself, and found that the land was as it had been correctly laid down on the chart Now the Adns in the year 1498; on the 18th of October the said shi+ps left Navidad, and my father was on board one of them Afterwards Hojeda and Americo sailed on the 20th of May, as Americo hi year, 1499 This is confirmed by another reason The Admiral was informed by the Christians ere in the province of Yaquimo that Hojeda had arrived at the land called Brasil on the 5th of Septens by the shi+ps in which the Procurators of the Admiral and of Roldan went home This was in the year 1499, at the time when Francisco Roldan and his company were about to be, or had been, induced to yield obedience to the Ade that Americo made with Hojeda It is, therefore, clear that neither Hojeda nor Americo can have left Cadiz in 1497, but they e made by Hojeda and Americo in search of the mainland appears froiven by Aation_ One is, that they arrived at a land called by the natives Paria, and the other that the Indians wounded twenty-two men and killed one in a certain island This latter fact was told to Francisco Roldan by Hojeda's people when the same Roldan went on board the shi+ps of Hojeda The Admiral sent him as soon as he was informed that Hojeda had reached the land of Brasil[148]

Francisco Roldan wrote to the Ad other words which I saw in the handwriting of Francisco Roldan, his handwriting being well known to ins as follows:--”I make known to your Lordshi+p that I arrived where Hojeda was on Sunday the 29th of Septe so, my Lord, I went on board the caravels, and found in them Juan Velasquez and Juan Vizcaino,[149]

who showed me a concession ned by the Lord Bishop, by which he was granted per as he did not touch the territory of the King of Portugal, nor the territory which had been discovered by your Lordshi+p up to the year 1495 They made discoveries in the land which your Lordshi+p recently discovered He says that they sailed along the coast for 600 leagues, where they encountered people who fought with the one In soreat honour, and in others the natives would not consent to their landing”

These are the words of Francisco Roldan to the Adation_, says:--”But one of our people was killed and twenty-tounded, all recovering their health by the help of God”

The same Americo also relates that Hojeda and himself arrived at the island Espanola, as will appear presently It appears clearly froreement of his statement hat his companions told to Francisco Roldan, that they had twenty or twenty-tounded and one killed, and this was during his first voyage

It also appears from both that they went to and saw Paria, and the coast newly discovered by the Ade of Americo, and he came to this island in the year 1499, on the 5th of Septe left Cadiz on the 20th of May of the same year, 1499, as has been distinctly shown, it follows that Americo has falsely stated that he left Cadiz in the year 1497 This is also shown by what the Adns when he knew that Hojeda had sailed five months before, in May He wrote as follows:--”Hojeda arrived at the port where the brasil is, five days ago These sailors say that as the time is so short since his departure from Castille, he cannot have discovered land, but heof brasil before it could be prohibited, and as he has done, so may other interlopers” These are the words of the Ad He intended to explain that little land could have been discovered in five months, and that, if he had not sent Francisco Roldan to prohibit the shi+ps froht easily have done so and have departed, and that the saer, unless steps were taken to prevent it

All these proofs, taken from the letters of the Admiral and of Roldan, cannot be disputed, because they are most certainly authentic, and no doubt can be thrown on any of theed and brought forward, seeing that during fifty-six or fifty-seven years ritten told a different story, which was the truth, nor was there anything to conceal

But what Aive hi the discovery of the continent which belongs to the Aduiven in this chapter and in chapter 140 But besides these verbal proofs, I desire to sub es heout that things which belonged to one happened in the other He asserts that in the first voyage they were absent eighteenabsent from Castille for five months they caain to theto contrary winds and currents, except with great difficulty and after a long tie to the continent only took five months, within which time he arrived here, as has been already explained, and as Hojeda told some of the Spaniards ere here, before he left this island He thenso to the statement of Americo, they took 222 slaves, and this occurs at the end of his first _Navigation_ ”And we, following the way to Spain, at length arrived at the port of Cadiz with 222 captured persons,” etc Another statement is that certain injuries and violences done by Hojeda and his followers against the Indians and Spaniards in Xaragua in his first voyage is placed by Aation_ He there says: ”We departed, and, for the sake of obtaining s of which ere in need, we shaped a course for the island of Antiglia, being that which Christopher Coluo Here we took many supplies on board, and remained two ers and troubles from the same Christians ere in this island with Columbus I believe this was caused by envy, but, to avoid prolixity, I will refrain frouese then called this island of Espanola Antilla, and this A in Lisbon In the following chapter I will explain what these troubles from the Spaniards were, and what caused the upon in order to avoid prolixity It will then be clearly seen that they happened during his first voyage

Another point is that they arrived at this island on the 5th of Septe to him, for two months and two days--that is, all September and October, and two more days of November He there says that they left this island on the 22nd of July and arrived at the port of Cadiz on the 8th of September All this is most false The same may be said of the dates of all the years, ations_ It thus appears that he designedly wished to take the glory and renown of the discovery of the continent, even keeping silence respecting the na, as has been said, the honour and glory which belongs to the Ad in Latin, and to the King Rene of Naples, there being no one to resist or expose his clainorance I am surprised that Don Hernando Colon, son of the sa in his possession these saations_ of Americo, as I know, did not take notice of this injury and usurpation which Americo Vespucio did to his most illustrious father

CHAPTER CLXV

There remains the demonstrations, now proved in detail, of the industrious contrivance of Americo Vespucio, not at first easily conceived, as I believe, but thought out at some subsequent tireater part of that Indian world, when God had conceded that privilege to the Admiral Now it is proper to continue the history of what happened to Alonso de Hojeda, hoe He departed from the port of Cadiz with four shi+ps, in the month of May Juan de la Cosa, with all the experience acquired in his voyages with the Admiral, went as pilot, and there were other pilots and persons who had served in the said voyages Americo also embarked, as has already been mentioned in chap 140, either as ato the sea They sailed in May, according to Americo, but not, as he says, in the year 1497, the true date being 1499, as has already been sufficiently proved Their course was directed towards the west, to the Canary Islands, then southward After twenty-seven days[150] (according to the said Aht of land, which they believed to be continental, and they were not deceived Having come to the nearest land, they anchored at a distance of about a league fro on soot out the boats, put arms into them, and reached the beach, where they saw an ireat joy But the Indians looked on with astonishment, and presently ran away to the nearest forest The Christians approached thens of peace and friendshi+p, but they would not trust the strangers As the Christians had anchored in an open roadstead, and not in a port, wishi+ng to be out of danger if bad weather ca the coast to seek for a port, all the shore being croith people After two days they found a good port (_Las Casas then quotes the account of the natives given by A coation_, many of which he could not have known in two, nor three, nor in ten days that he le word of their language, as he hi to the heat of the sun they ht years; that when the woed with their husbands they create abortions; that they have no rule or order in theirnor lord nor chief in their wars; and others of the same kind Therefore we can only believe those stateht see, such as what the natives ate and drank, that they went naked, that they were of such and such colour, were great swimmers, and other external acts The rest appears to be all fiction

CHAPTER CLXVI

They left these people and proceeded along the coast, often landing and having intercourse with different tribes, until they arrived at a port where, as they entered, they saw a town built over the water like Venice Ae houses, built, like the others he had seen, in the shape of a bell, and raised on very strong piles At the doors of the houses they had drawbridges, by which, as if they were streets, they went froives the account of the encounter with the natives of this town on piles, just as it is given by Vespucci_) They ues along the coast; and this was the land of Paria discovered by the Admiral, as has already been shown Here they found another people, with very different custoot into their boats to go on shore, where they found over 4,000 natives on the beach The Indians were so frightened that they did not wait, but fled to thelanded, followed a path, and came to many huts, which they believed were those of fishermen Here they found fish of various kinds, and also one of the _iguanas_ which I have already described, and which astonished theht it was some very fierce serpent The bread eaten by these people, says Americo, was made with fish steeped in hot water, and afterwards pounded Fro very good bread, in his judgment They found , but left s from Castille in the huts, in the hope that thus the fears of the natives would be dispelled, and the Spaniards then returned to the shi+ps

(_Las Casas here inserts the account given by Vespucci of a journey inland, and of intercourse with these natives_) Americo then says that the land was populous, and also full oflike those of Spain He oats, which had a certain deformity, and were unlike ours But in truth I do not believe that he saw either lions or bears, because lions are very rare, and there cannot have been so many as that he should see them; and the same remark applies to bears No one who has been to the Indies has even seen goats there, nor can I understand how he can have seen the difference between deer and goats nor how he can have seen pigs, there being none in those parts Deer he may well have seen, as there are many on the mainland He says there are no horses, s, and here he tells the truth, although there is a kind of dog in soreat abundance of other wild animals of various kinds, but if they were not rabbits he could have little true evidence of having seen thee and species he says that he saw many; and this I believe, for there is an infinite nuion is pleasant and fertile, full of woods and great forests, which consist of evergreens, yielding fruits of many sorts; and all this is also true

He then repeats that many people came to see the whiteness and persons of the Spaniards (I do not knohether he is speaking of this same land, as it would seem, or of another, for he appears to confuse his account here hat he had said before, that they had to depart that night) He tells us that the natives asked whence the Spaniards came, and they replied that they had cos of the earth, which the Indians undoubtedly believed Here the Christians coreeable offering to God As they saw the natives so gentle, le word of what the other said, and therefore the Spaniards could not teach the Indians any doctrine, yet, says Americo, they baptized an infinite number; whence it appears how little Americo, and those ith him, appreciated the practice of the sacraments and the reverence that is due to them, nor even the disposition and frame of mind hich they should be received It isthe natives, coainst God Americo says that after they were baptized, the Indians used the word _charaybi_, which e This stateh at, for the Spaniards did not even know the Indian na the first that we learn in acquiring a language; yet during the few days they remained Americo wants us to believe that he understood that _charaybi_ signifies e Here Americo declares that the natives called this land _Paria_; and he conceals, what he must have known, that the Admiral had already been there several days, which was a reason for not re silent

CHAPTER CLXVII

They decided upon leaving this port and the sater gulf formed by the island of Trinidad and the o”, and I suspect that, as this was a place which was notoriously discovered by the Ado”

intentionally For it is certain that Hojeda and Aave evidence to that effect on oath, as well as many other witnesses also on oath, as is affirmed in the evidence taken by the Fiscal Here Ae had now lasted thirteen months, but I do not believe it Even if he tells the truth as regards the nue, which he afterwards made with the same Hojeda, as I think e, as is shown, for many reasons already set forth, and for others which will hereafter be given Finally departing froarita, an island sighted by the Adh he did not stop there Hojeda landed and walked over part of it, as he himself says, and those same witnesses ith theh they neither deny nor affirm that he landed; but there need be no doubt of it, for it is a pleasant island This, however, little affects the question It h he does not say so, for other discoverers who caarita Hojeda extended his journey to the province and gulf called Cuquibacoa in the language of the Indians, which is now nae, and thence to Cabo de la Vela, where they now fish for pearls He gave it that name of Cabo de la Vela, which it still retains; and a row of islands running east and as discovered, some of which were called the Islands of the Giants

Thus had Hojeda coasted the ues, 200 to the east of Paria, where he sighted the first land, and this was the only land that he and those with hiarita were discovered by the Adues froarita to Cabo de la Vela, for the Admiral saw the chain of , so that all this discovery is due to him For it does not follow that, in order to be the discoverer of a land or island, a navigatorthe whole of it For instance, it is clear that the island of Cuba was personally discovered by the Adone into every corner of it; and the same remark applies to Espanola and the other islands, and also to the e it may be, and however far it may extend, the Aderated when he said that in his first _Navigation_ they sailed along the coast for 860 leagues This is not true, as is proved by the confession of Hojeda, a lory and rights, for he said, as appeared in chapter 140, that he discovered 200 leagues beyond Paria, and the coast from Paria to Cuquibacoa, which is now Venezuela I have added as far as Cabo de la Vela, because I found it so deposed in the process by several witnesses who afterwards knew all that land well, had intercourse with the discoverers, and ith thee of Hojeda; but the testiiven when the events were recent, and consequently well known Hojeda himself did not mention Cabo de la Vela, because it is near the Gulf of Venezuela, and is all one land; and of the gulf and province henotable and i all this land or sea-coast traversed by Hojeda, Aold and pearls by barter and exchange, but the quantity is not known, nor the deeds they perpetrated in the land

Having left Margarita, they went to cumana and Maracapana, which are respectively seven and twenty leagues froarita There are people on the sea-shore, and before reaching cureat angle extending fourteen leagues into the land, round which there are numerous and populous tribes The first, nearly at the e river falls into the sea near the village, in which there are nuartos_, but they are nothing more than the crocodiles of the river Nile As they were under the necessity of refitting the shi+ps, they being defective for so long a voyage as a return to Spain, and also being in want of provisions, they arrived at a port which Americo calls the best in the world But he does not say where it was, nor does heto what I re been there, and over fifty years since the voyage of Hojeda, I suspect that it ues into the land, the entrance being seven leagues froarita, on the mainland near cumana Further, it occurs to me that I heard that at that tiantine in the port called Maracapana, but this, though a port, is not the best in the world