The first voyage of columbus Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The first voyage of columbus - Term Paper Example Christopher Columbus officially started his first voyage on 3rd August, 1492 with his three ships. Alongside the journey Columbus faced many challenges including bad weather that caused lack of winds to help steer the ships and also lack of supplies to maintain the ship thus could not get on the island of canary. It was on the 8th of September, when Columbus noticed that the pointer on the compass was not pointing north, but rather half of it was pointing to the Northwest, and the variation was greater as they continued with the journey. Columbus did not mention that to his crew as he knew it could cause anxiety and yet they were not sure of their final destination. This kept on for some days, but was later discovered by his pilots something that caused mixed reactions of anxiety and panic. Most of the men in ship panicked to an extent of threatening to move back to Spain. Columbus had to reason faster as to why the pointer was not pointing at the north and explained to the crew not to worry as it was due to failure in weather conditions, and as he was a well known astronomer reduced the anxiety. It took him sometimes up to early mid September to make clear sight of the Hierro Island as the wind flow remained low. First landing It was on 12th of October, when Columbus saw his first land which was earlier sighted by a sailor on Pinta ship but, Columbus dismissed him that he was the first to see the land letting him retain the prize he had made a promise to give to whoever saw it first. The island was named San Salvador, by Columbus but presently referred to as Bahamas. In Bahamas, the residents were friendly, calm and kind. At the time the island was discovered, the local residents were: the Bahamas, Galibi who was on the windward parts of the island and the kalian on the leeward part of the island (Herring 121). Columbia also did a study on the cultural and social living standards of the residents on the island. The residents of Bahamas were mostly described by Columbia as, friendly, naive, harmless and willing to learn new ideas. At this point, Columbia had the urge of finding gold as he had discovered most of the residents wearing some of them in their noses and this made him extent his stay. Second landing After landing in Bahamas on12th of October, Columbus discovered five more islands there thereafter he left for Cuba on 28th of October. He made a landing at Bariay which was at the eastern part of the island. At this point, Columbia thought that he reached China and so he decided to send two of his two men to find out if it was true, and these were Luis de Torres and Rodrigo. The two men did not succeed in what they had been sent to but instead travelled to a small village called Taino, from which they acquired a habit of tobacco smoking as they had observed the people there doing so. The two men who were sent came back after four days. It was during this time that Columbia made a discovery of the existence tobacco plant and the wild growth of cotton everywhere. It was on the 21st of November that Pinta ship travelled to the east towards the inaqua and Turk island hence being apart from the other ships (Herring 91). Pinzon was the one sailing Pinta, and he made the decision to go separate as he had the idea that he