Wednesday, 2 January 1493 (Part 3)
I have left with them all the merchandise which the Sovereigns had ordered purchased for trading, of which there is a large quantity. With this they may trade and barter for gold, together with everything the grounded ship carried. I also left them sufficient biscuits for a year and wine and much artillery. I also left the ship’s boat, since most of them are sailors, so they can go find the gold mine when they see that the time is favorable. In this manner, when I return, I might find a lot of gold waiting and a place to establish a settlement, for this harbor is not to my liking. Since the gold that is brought here comes from the east, the more they went to the east the closer to Spain they would be. I also left seeds for sowing, and I left my officers, including the secretary and the master-at-arms, and among the others a ship’s carpenter, a caulker, a good gunner who knows a great deal about machines, a cask maker, a physician, and a tailor. All these men are also seamen.
No comments:
Post a Comment