Part 1

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ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY

REPRODUCED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

GENERAL EDITOR, J. FRANKLIN JAMESON, PH.D., LL.D. DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON

THE NORTHMEN, COLUMBUS, AND CABOT 985-1503

_ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY_

THE NORTHMEN COLUMBUS AND CABOT 985-1503

THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN EDITED BY JULIUS E. OLSON PROFESSOR OF THE SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS AND OF JOHN CABOT EDITED BY EDWARD GAYLORD BOURNE, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN YALE UNIVERSITY

_WITH MAPS AND A FACSIMILE REPRODUCTION_

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

Printed in the United States of America

_All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons_

GENERAL PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY

At its annual meeting in December, 1902, the American Historical Association approved and adopted the plan of the present series, and the undersigned was chosen as its general editor. The purpose of the series was to provide individual readers of history, and the libraries of schools and colleges, with a comprehensive and well-rounded collection of those classical narratives on which the early history of the United States is founded, or of those narratives which, if not precisely classical, hold the most important place as sources of American history anterior to 1700. The reasons for undertaking such a project are for the most part obvious. No modern history, however excellent, can give the reader all that he can get from the _ipsissima verba_ of the first narrators, Argonauts or eyewitnesses, vivacious explorers or captains courageous. There are many cases in which secondary narrators have quite hidden from view these first authorities, whom it is therefore a duty to restore to their rightful position. In a still greater number of instances, the primitive narrations have become so scarce and expensive that no ordinary library can hope to possess anything like a complete set of the classics of early American history.

The series is to consist of such volumes as will illustrate the early history of all the chief parts of the country, with an additional volume of general index. The plan contemplates, not a body of extracts, but in general the publication or republication of whole works or distinct parts of works. In the case of narratives originally issued in some other language than English, the best available translations will be used, or fresh versions made. In a few instances, important narratives hitherto unprinted will be inserted. The English texts will be taken from the earliest editions, or those having the highest historical value, and will be reproduced with literal exactness. The maps will be such as will give real help toward understanding the events narrated in the volume. The special editors of the individual works will supply introductions, setting forth briefly the author's career and opportunities, when known, the status of the work in the literature of American history, and its value as a source, and indicating previous editions; and they will furnish such annotations, scholarly but simple, as will enable the intelligent reader to understand and to estimate rightly the statements of the text. The effort has been made to secure for each text the most competent editor.

The results of all these endeavors will be laid before the public in the confident hope that they will be widely useful in making more real and more vivid the apprehension of early American history. The general editor would not have undertaken the serious labors of preparation and supervision if he had not felt sure that it was a genuine benefit to American historical knowledge and American patriotism to make accessible, in one collection, so large a body of pioneer narrative. No subsequent sources can have quite the intellectual interest, none quite the sentimental value, which attaches to these early narrations, springing direct from the brains and hearts of the nation's founders.

_Sacra recognosces annalibus eruta priscis._

J. FRANKLIN JAMESON.

CARNEGIE INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

NOTE

Special acknowledgments and thanks are due to the representatives of the late Arthur Middleton Reeves, who have kindly permitted the use of his translations of the Vinland sagas, originally printed in his _Finding of Wineland the Good_, published in London by the Clarendon Press in 1890; to the President and Council of the Hakluyt Society, for permission to use Sir Clements Markham's translation of the Journal of Columbus's first voyage, printed in Vol. LXXXVI. of the publications of that Society (London, 1893), and that of Dr. Chanca's letter and of the letter of Columbus respecting his fourth voyage, by the late Mr. R.H. Major, in their second and forty-third volumes, _Select Letters of Columbus_ (London, 1847, 1870); to the Honorable John Boyd Thacher, of Albany, for permission to use his version of Las Casas's narrative of the third voyage, as printed by him in his _Christopher Columbus_ (New York, 1904), published by Messrs. G.P. Putnam's Sons; to Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin and Company for permission to use, out of the third volume of Winsor's _Narrative and Critical History of America_, the late Dr. Charles Deane's translation, revised by Professor Bennet H. Nash, of the second letter of Raimondo de Soncino respecting John Cabot's expedition; and to George Philip and Son, Limited, of London, for permission to use the map in Markham's _Life of Christopher Columbus_ as the basis for the map in the present volume, showing the routes of Columbus's four voyages.

CONTENTS

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN EDITED BY PROFESSOR JULIUS E. OLSON

PAGE INTRODUCTION 3

THE SAGA OF ERIC THE RED 14 The Ancestry of Gudrid 14 The Colonization of Greenland 15 Gudrid's Father emigrates to Greenland 20 The Sibyl and the Famine in Greenland 21 Leif the Lucky and the Discovery of Vinland 23 Thorstein's Attempt to find Vinland 26 The Marriage of Gudrid to Thorstein 27 The Ancestry of Thorfinn Karlsefni; his Marriage with Gudrid 30 Karlsefni's Voyage to Vinland 31 The First Winter in Vinland 34 Description of Vinland and the Natives 36 The Uniped; Snorri; the Captured Natives 40 Biarni Grimolfson's Self-sacrifice 42 Karlsefni and Gudrid's Issue 43

THE VINLAND HISTORY OF THE FLAT ISLAND BOOK 45 Eric the Red and the Colonization of Greenland 45 Leif Ericson's Baptism in Norway 47 Biarni Herjulfson sights New Land 48 Biarni's visit to Norway 50 Leif's Voyage of Exploration 50 The Discovery of Grapes 52 Thorvald's Expedition to Vinland 54 Thorfinn Karlsefni's Expedition to Vinland 59 The Expedition of Freydis and her Companions 62 Karlsefni and Gudrid return to Iceland 65

FROM ADAM OF BREMEN'S DESCRIPTIO INSULARUM AQUILONIS 67

FROM THE ICELANDIC ANNALS 69 Annales Regii 69 From the Elder Skalholt Annals 69

PAPAL LETTERS CONCERNING THE BISHOPRIC OF GARDAR IN GREENLAND DURING THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY 70 Letter of Nicholas V. 70 Letter of Alexander VI. 73

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS EDITED BY PROFESSOR EDWARD G. BOURNE

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LORDS, THE CATHOLIC SOVEREIGNS, AND CHRISTOBAL COLON 77 Columbus appointed Admiral and Viceroy of such Mainland and Islands as he should Discover 77

TITLE GRANTED BY THE CATHOLIC SOVEREIGNS TO CHRISTOBAL COLON OF ADMIRAL, VICEROY, AND GOVERNOR OF THE ISLANDS AND MAINLAND THAT MAY BE DISCOVERED 81 The Powers and Privileges of the Office of Admiral 82

JOURNAL OF THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 85

INTRODUCTION 87 The Voyage to the Canaries; repairs on the _Pinta_ 91 The Double Reckoning of the Distances 94 Traces of the Nearness of Land 96 The Fears of the Sailors 99 The Chart 100 The Declination of the Compass 103 The Course changed from West to West-southwest 107 The Light on Shore 109 The Island of Guanahani 110 The Natives 111 The Islands of Santa Maria and Fernandina 115 Description of the Natives of Fernandina 121 The Island of Isabella 123 Reports of the Island of Cuba; Columbus takes it to be Cipango 126 Products of the Islands 127 Arrival at Cuba 130 Columbus thinks it to be Cathay 134 He sends an Embassy to the Gran Can 137 Return of the Messengers; their Report 140 Products of Cuba 144 Planting the Cross 149 Martin Alonso Pinzon sails away with the _Pinta_ 152 Columbus returns to Cuba 153 Signs of Gold 154 Rumors of a Monstrous People 156 The Eastern End of Cuba 158 Columbus outlines a Colonial Policy 159 The Natives. A Large Canoe 162 An Interview with the Natives 163 Discovery of Hayti 167 First View of Hayti 168 Further Description of the Island 171 Columbus names it Espanola 173 The Products of the Island 174 Visit to a Native Village 176 The Life of the People 177 Another Village Visited 180 Description of an Indian Cacique 183 The Cacique visits the Ship of Columbus 185 Columbus anchors in the Bay of Acul 188 Description of Native Life 190 Trading with the Natives 194 A Large Village 196 Character of the Natives 198 Wreck of the _Santa Maria_ 199 Helpfulness of the Indians 201 The Cacique dines on Shipboard 202 Columbus plans to have a Garrison 204 Inquiries after the Source of the Gold 206 Preparations to return to Spain 208 Spices and Pepper 209 The Garrison left at Navidad 210 The Return Voyage Begun 211 Columbus concludes that Cipango is in Espanola 212 News of the _Pinta_ 213 Return of Martin Pinzon with the _Pinta_ 214 Comment on the Pinzons 216 The Harbor where Pinzon had Tarried 219 Samana Bay Discovered 221 The Caribs. Indians with Long Hair 223 Matinino, an Island inhabited by Women Only 226 Columbus takes the Direct Course for Spain 228 Varieties of Sea Life 230 Continued Fine Weather 234 Finding their Position 235 A Terrible Storm 238 Columbus's Reflections 240 Prepares a Brief Report which is fastened in a Barrel 241 The Storm Abates 242 Arrival at Santa Maria in the Azores 244 Suspicions and Hostility of the Governor 245 Columbus hampered by the Detention of Part of his Crew 247 The Sailors are Restored 249 Violent Gale off Portugal 251 Columbus at Lisbon 252 Interview with the King of Portugal 254 Columbus leaves Lisbon 257 Arrival at Palos 257

LETTER FROM COLUMBUS TO LUIS DE SANTANGEL 259

INTRODUCTION 261 The New Islands Discovered 263 Description of their People and Products 265 Description of Espanola 268 Value of the Discoveries to Spain 268 A Fort built and Garrisoned 269 The Customs of the Inhabitants 270

LETTER FROM COLUMBUS TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA CONCERNING THE COLONIZATION AND COMMERCE OF ESPANOLA 273 The Regulations proposed for Settlements 274 The Regulations for Mining 275 The Regulations for Commerce 276

LETTER OF DR. CHANCA ON THE SECOND VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 279

INTRODUCTION 281 The Outward Voyage. Stopping at the Canary Islands 283 First Impressions of the Lesser Antilles 285 Intercourse with the Inhabitants 285 Their Cabins; their Arts 286 The Caribbees 287 Indications of Cannibalism 288 Customs of the Caribbees. They Eat their Captives 289 Return of Diego Marquez who had been Lost 291 A Clash with the Caribbees 293 Discovery and Description of Porto Rico 294 Arrival at Espanola 295 Following the Coast 297 Suspicious Circumstances; Fears for the Spaniards left at Navidad 298 Navidad in Ruins and the Garrison All Dead 300 Vestiges of the Settlement 301 Fixing upon the Site for a New Settlement 302 Columbus visits the Cacique Guacamari 304 Examining Guacamari's Wound 305 Guacamari's Amazement at seeing Horses 305 The Site selected for the New Settlement named Isabella 307 The Food and Clothing of the Natives 308 The Products of the Country 310 Columbus sends out Exploring Parties to Cibao and Niti 312 Conclusion 313

NARRATIVE OF THE THIRD VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS AS CONTAINED IN LAS CASAS'S HISTORY 315

INTRODUCTION 317 The Start. Arrival at Madeira 319 Three Ships despatched direct to Espanola 320 Columbus goes to the Canary Islands 323 The Lepers' Colony on the Island of Boavista, one of the Cape Verde Islands 324 Columbus at the Island of Santiago 325 He sails Southwest from the Cape Verdes. Intense Heat 327 Signs of Land 327 The Course is changed to the West 328 Discovery of Trinidad 331 August 1, 1498, the Mainland of South America Sighted 332 The Dangers of the Serpent's Mouth 334 Intercourse with Indians of the Mainland 335 Their Appearance and Arms 336 Fauna and Flora 338 Exploring the Gulf of Paria 340 Trading with the Indians 343 Columbus retains Six Indians as Captives 343 Nuggets and Ornaments of Gold 345 Indian Cabins 346 Exploring the Western End of the Gulf 347 Columbus's Reflections upon his Discoveries 348 The Terrors and Perils of the Boca del Drago 354 The Northern Coast of Paria 355 Columbus suffers from Inflammation of the Eyes 357 Columbus begins to believe the Land is Mainland 358 His Reasons for not Exploring It 360 Observations of the Declination of the Needle 363 The Products of the Country 364 Arrival at Santo Domingo, August 31, 1498 366

LETTER OF COLUMBUS TO THE NURSE OF PRINCE JOHN 367

INTRODUCTION 369 The Injustice of the Treatment accorded to Columbus 371 Conditions in Espanola upon his Arrival 373 The Rebellion of Adrian de Muxica 374 The Conduct of the Commander Bobadilla 375 His Unwise Concessions to the Colonists 376 Bad Character of Some of the Colonists 378 Bobadilla's Seizure of the Gold set apart by Columbus 380 The Proper Standards by which Columbus should be Judged 381 Richness of the Mines in Espanola 382 Seizure of Columbus's Papers 383

LETTERS OF COLUMBUS ON THE FOURTH VOYAGE 385

INTRODUCTION 387 Voyage to Espanola 389 A Terrible Storm 390 Storms on the Coast of Central America 391 Anxieties and Misfortunes of Columbus 392 Arrival at Veragua 394 Evidence that Columbus had reached the Extremity of Asia 395 Marinus's Views of the Extent of the Earth Confirmed 396 Exploring the Coast of Veragua 398 Recurrences of Storms 399 Excursion into the Interior of Veragua 401 Difficulties with the Natives 402 Columbus's Vision 403 Decides to return to Spain 405 Columbus arrives at Jamaica 406 No one else knows where to find Veragua 407 Some Features of the Country 408 The Arts of the Natives 409 The Gold brought to Solomon from the Far East 412 The Recovery of Jerusalem 413 Retrospect. Columbus's Justification 415 His Distressing Plight in Jamaica 418

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF THE VOYAGES OF JOHN CABOT EDITED BY PROFESSOR EDWARD G. BOURNE

INTRODUCTION 421

LETTER OF LORENZO PASQUALIGO TO HIS BROTHERS ALVISE AND FRANCESCO, MERCHANTS IN VENICE 423

THE FIRST LETTER OF RAIMONDO DE SONCINO, AGENT OF THE DUKE OF MILAN, TO THE DUKE 424

THE SECOND LETTER OF RAIMONDO DE SONCINO TO THE DUKE OF MILAN 425

DESPATCH TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA FROM PEDRO DE AYALA, JUNIOR AMBASSADOR AT THE COURT OF ENGLAND, JULY 25, 1498 429

MAPS AND FACSIMILE REPRODUCTION

PAGE 1. MAP SHOWING THE ROUTES, OUTWARD AND RETURN, OF THE FOUR VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS 88

2. FACSIMILE OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE FOLIO (FIRST) EDITION OF THE SPANISH TEXT OF COLUMBUS'S LETTER, DATED FEBRUARY 15, 1493, TO SANTANGEL, DESCRIBING HIS FIRST VOYAGE. From the original (unique) in the New York Public Library (Lenox Building) 262

3. THE NEW WORLD IN THE CANTINO CHART OF 1502, SHOWING THE STATE OF GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME OF THE DEATH OF COLUMBUS 418

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN

INTRODUCTION

The important documents from Norse sources that may be classed as "Original Narratives of Early American History" are the Icelandic sagas (prose narratives) that tell of the voyages of Northmen to Vinland. There are two sagas that deal mainly with these voyages, while in other Icelandic sagas and annals there are a number of references to Vinland and adjacent regions. These two sagas are the "Saga of Eric the Red" and another, which, for the lack of a better name, we may call the "Vinland History of the Flat Island Book," but which might well bear the same name as the other. This last history is composed of two disjointed accounts found in a fine vellum manuscript known as the Flat Island Book (Flateyjar-bok), so-called because it was long owned by a family that lived on Flat Island in Broad Firth, on the northwestern coast of Iceland. Bishop Brynjolf, an enthusiastic collector, got possession of this vellum, "the most extensive and most perfect of Icelandic manuscripts," and sent it, in 1662, with other vellums, as a gift to King Frederick III. of Denmark, where it still is one of the great treasures of the Royal Library.

On account of the beauty of the Flat Island vellum, and the number of sagas that it contained (when printed it made 1700 octavo pages), it early attracted the attention of Old Norse collectors and scholars, and hence the narrative relating to Vinland that it contained came to be better known than the vellum called Hauk's Book, containing the "Saga of Eric the Red," and was the only account of Vinland that received any particular attention from the scholars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries The Flat Island Book narrative was also given first place in Rafn's _Antiquitates Americanae_ (Copenhagen, 1837). This ponderous volume contained all the original sources, but it has given rise to much needless controversy on the Norse voyages, for many of the author's conclusions were soon found to be untenable. He failed to winnow the sound historical material from that which was unsubstantiated or improbable. And so far as the original sources are concerned, it was particularly unfortunate that he followed in the footsteps of seventeenth and eighteenth century scholars and gave precedence to the Flat Island Book narrative. In various important respects this saga does not agree with the account given in the "Saga of Eric the Red," which modern scholarship has pronounced the better and more reliable version, for reasons that we shall consider later.

The Flat Island Book consists of transcripts of various sagas made by the Icelandic priests Jon Thordsson and Magnus Thorhallsson. Very little of their lives is known, but there is evidence to show that the most important portion of the copying was completed about 1380. There is, however, no information concerning the original from which the transcripts were made. From internal evidence, however, Dr. Storm of the University of Christiania thinks that this original account was a late production, possibly of the fourteenth century.[4-1] It is, moreover, evident that this original account was quite different from the one from which the existing "Saga of Eric the Red" was made, so that we have two distinct accounts of the same set of events, both separately derived from oral tradition, a fact which, on account of the lack of harmony in details, has been the source of much confusion, but which nevertheless gives strong testimony concerning the verity of the Vinland tradition in its general outlines.

The saga which has best stood the test of modern criticism, namely the "Saga of Eric the Red," has beyond this fact the additional advantage of having come down to us in two different vellums. The one is found in Hauk's Book, No. 544 of the Arne-Magnaean Collection in Copenhagen, and the other is in No. 557 of the same collection. These two narratives (in vellums 544 and 557) tell the same story. They are so closely allied that the translation which appears in this volume has been made from a collation of both texts, that of Hauk's Book (544) having been more closely followed.[5-1] The Hauk's Book text is clearly legible; No. 557 is not in such good condition.

Many facts in the life of Hauk Erlendsson, who with the assistance of two secretaries made Hauk's Book, are known. He was in 1294 made a "lawman" in Iceland, and died in Norway in 1334. There are reasons for believing that the vellum bearing his name was written a number of years before his death, probably during the period 1310-1320. Hauk was particularly interested in the "Saga of Eric the Red," as he was descended from Thorfinn Karlsefni, the principal character of the saga, a fact that perhaps lends a certain authority to this version as against that of the Flat Island Book. Hauk brings the genealogical data of the saga down to his own time, which is not done in No. 557, one fact among others which shows that 557 is not a copy of 544.

The early history of AM. 557 is not known. The orthography and hand indicate that it was made later than Hauk's Book, probably in the early part of the fifteenth century. Vigfusson considered it a better text than the Hauk's Book version, though rougher and less carefully written.[5-2] Other critics (Jonsson and Gering) consider 544 the safer text.

In regard to the date of composition of the archetype, it may be remarked that both 544 and 557 speak of Bishop Brand "the Elder," which presupposes a knowledge of the second Bishop Brand, whose accession occurred in 1263. Before this date, therefore, the originals used in making 544 and 557 could not have been written. But this mention of Bishop Brand "the Elder" does not, we think, give an adequate basis for fixing the date of the _composition_ of the saga, as Dr. Storm believes, who places it somewhere between 1263 and 1300, with an inclination toward the earlier date. Dr. Finnur Jonsson,[6-1] who accepts Dr. Storm's opinion in other respects, says on this point: "The classic form of the saga and its vivid and excellent tradition surely carry it back to about 1200.... To assume that the saga was first written down about 1270 or after, I consider to be almost an impossibility." Nor does this conservative opinion by Dr. Jonsson preclude the possibility, or even probability, that written accounts of the Vinland voyages existed before this date. John Fiske's[6-2] well-considered opinion of this same saga (544 and 557) has weight: "Its general accuracy in the statement and grouping of so many remote details is proof that its statements were controlled by an exceedingly strong and steady tradition,--altogether too strong and steady, in my opinion, to have been maintained simply by word of mouth." And Vigfusson,[6-3] in speaking of the sagas in general, says: "We believe that when once the first saga was written down, the others were in quick succession committed to parchment, some still keeping their original form through a succession of copies, others changed. The saga time was short and transitory, as has been the case with the highest literary periods of every nation, whether we look at the age of Pericles in Athens, or of our own Elizabeth in England, and that which was not written down quickly, in due time, was lost and forgotten forever."

The absence of contemporary record has caused some American historians to view the narratives of the Vinland voyages as ordinary hearsay. But it is important to remember that before the age of writing in Iceland there was a saga-telling age, a most remarkable period of intellectual activity, by means of which the deeds and events of the seething life of the heroic age were carried over into the age of writing.[7-1] The general trustworthiness of this saga-telling period has been attested in numerous ways from foreign records. Thus Snorri Sturlason's "The Sagas of the Kings of Norway," one of the great history books of the world, written in Iceland in the thirteenth century, was based primarily on early tradition, brought over the sea to Iceland. Yet the exactness of its descriptions and the reliability of its statements have been verified in countless cases by modern Norwegian historians.[7-2]