The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-03
AMERICAS DISCOVERY.
How the Expedition Led by Columbus was
Fitted Out.


How the Expedition Led by Columbus was
Fitted Out.
The statement is sometimes made
that Queen Isabella OF Spain pawned
her Jewels in order to provide funds for
fitting out the expedition for the dis
covery of America. This Is q very old
story, first told not long after the death
of Columbus, and though it is not true,
its origin is not difficult to discover. AS
every fact about the great voyage is OF
interest to Americans, especially now
that we are soon to celebrate its four
hundredth anniversary, we will briefly
give the facts about the raising of the
money.
Columbus went to the Spanish court
TO lay his ambitious project before the
King and Queen just as the last great
stronghold of the Moors, Granada, had
surrendered to the forces of Ferdinand
und Isabella.
In some respects it was an inoppor-
tune time. The country was exhausted
by the war which had just closed with
this splendid success, and the joint
monarchs were not inclined to embark
upon any new and uncertain adventures;
and what was moreimportant, the treas
uries of both Aragon and CASTLE were
nearly empty. Queen Isabelle, in fact.
had been obliged to pledge her jewels
to get money for the prosecution of the
war against the Moors.
The Genoese navigator pleaded his
cause in vain. Both King and Queen
listened coldly to his enthusiastic plans,
in which the recovery of the Holy Sep
ulchre from the Turks was strangely
mingled. They refused to assist his
enterprise, and Columbus in despair left
Granada, intending to make final
effort for assistance at the French court.
At his audience with the Spanish
monarchs however. there were two per-
sons who were convinced of the truth of
his daring theories. or at last of the
wisdom of attempting to prove them to
be true. They were, singularly, the
finance ministers of the two crowns, st.
Angel for Aragon and Quintanilla for
CASTLE.
st. Angel obtained an audience as
soon as possible with the Queen, and so
warm was his advocacy of the theories
of the Genoesr stranger so convincing
his arguments for assisting him, that
Isabella, fired by his enthusiasm, ex-
claimed. Il undertake the enterprise
for my own crown of CASTLE, and will
pledge my private jewels to raise the
necessary funds
The minister assured her that this
generous measure would he unnecessary.
and hastencd from the royal presence to
send a messenger after Columbus, who
- 10
rangements for the expedition were
speedily made. st. Angel supplied abou'
seventeen thousand florins from the
treasury of Aragon.
The three Pnzon Brothers, ship-build-
ers at Palos de Mogner, loaned Colum-
bus one-eighth of the necessary money,
he having assumed this share of the
expense in consideration of hisreceiving
one-eighth of the profits. They also
furnished additional money and two of
the vessels. and all three of the brothers
went upon the expedition. two as cap
tains of the caravels La Nina and La
/ Pinta, the other as pilot. The third
vessel. La Pinta, was impressed, to the
great terror of the owner and the crew.
1t may be well to add that Columbus
repaid the loan made by st. Angel with
the gold which he brought back from the
New World on his first voyage. A por-
tion of this gold was employed in gild
ing the vaults and ceilings of the royal
saloon of King Ferdinand's grand palace
at Zaragoza, or Saragossa, the Aljaferia.
where possibly it may still be visible to
the American pilgrim. Com
panion.