The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-04-02
COLUMBUS FLEET.
Recent Investigation Concerning
the DISCOVERIES Ships
Interesting Particulars of tho Great
voyager's Equipment Cleaned from
Ancient Documents Found
in Spain.

other at the present time in presenting
to the world interesting facts, CLEANED
from researches in connection with
Christopher Columbus and the discovery
Of this country, the commemoration OF
which is soon to be celebrated. The
Austrian Maritime Review has recently
published a very interesting illustrated
article, the result of Investigations that
have been made, particularly in Spain,
In order to ascertain beyond doubt the
exact type and maritime value of the
three ships that brought the great ex-
plorer to the boundaries of a new conti-
aent- These ships, as we already know,
were called s'caravelles," but only the
latest researches have gained for us the
knowledge that this name did not apply
to anv particular class of vessel.
The Spaniards used the word ''Cara-
bella" which they borrowed from the
Franconian tongue, and which has it's
root in the Greek word ''Karati," to
designate ships that bore not the slight
est resemblance to each other, either in
construction or capacity.
The Investigators gathered all posi-
BILE proofs that could be furnished
either by the admiral's diary, particu-
larly the log book, and the sketches
which Columbus published through
Juan de la Cosa, his pilot besides many
ancient documents pertaining to this
subject. This thoroughness on the
part of the investigators has enabled
the1A to furnish to the marine painter
Rafael Manlcon the means for execut-
ing an aquarell, representing the fleet
of Columbus.
The three vessels were the Santa
Maria, the Nina and the Pinta. The
dimensions Of the Santa Maria were aa
follows: Length Of keel. fifty eight
feet; between perpe ndiculars, seventy
feet; displacement of tonnage, from
one hundred and twenty to one hun
dred and thirty. The crew numbered
no more than ninety men at any time,
and the ship was able to carry suffi-
Gent water and provisions for them.
The admirals diary speaks of the size
of his lifeboat, but treats the anna.
nent only specifically. 1t mentions
tor example, that December 26 the ad-
niral caused to be fred luna Lom-
barda y una Espingarda. The latter
of these arms is very well known, while
the former is a cannon OF small caliber
used in Lombardy. The tackelage of
the Santa Maria was that of small
threc-master with five single sails. The
nainmast had scuttle, which the
sketches show to have been round, like
basket. The general form of the hull
was that which was common to the
round vessels of that age. In the stern
the ship carried large cabin-house,
with small one in the bow.
The seaworthiness of the Santa
Maria was excellent. The adrniral's
diary speaks thus of it: "The vessel be-
haved splendid)y in b d weather; it
travelled with the swiftness Of a good
flyer" It was the same with the other
ships, and the log records often fifteen
italian miles an hour, which is equal to
eleven nautical miles, a speed that was
very good for the vessels of that age
The dimensions of the other two YES
sells are not recorded, but the sketches
and designs describe them as of smaller
size. The Nina resembled the Santa
Maria; the Pinta carried triangular
sails, which were replaced with square
ones after the first stop at the Canaries
Each vessel carried the Castillian flag
on it's mainmast and the flag of the adj
miral on it's mizzenmast. The Aragon
ian arms were excluded by order of the
queen, because Aragonia refused to
participate in defraying the expenses of
the expedition. The admiral's flag was
white standard with green cross be-
tween two crowned letters, F. and L.,
the initials of Ferdinand and Isabella.
A cross was also painted on every sail
Of the ships, custom adopted by the
Spaniarels and Portuguese to distinguish
their fleets from those of the infdels
A canvas, found in the museum OF
Madrid, representing the landing OF the
admiral's feet at San Salvador, and ex-
ecuted by the painter Brugada, corre-
spends fully with the descriptions set
forth by the Australian Maritime Re-
view.
CAPE .COLONY'S PLAN.