The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-23

Christopher Columbus was educated at
the normal school in Pavia where he stood
well in mathematics, and especially in
trigonometry. or the science of trigs.
Antonio de Terzago was his tutor, it is
said. De Terzago was the originator of
the mathematical discovery that in addi-
tion a great saving of time and also greater
accuracy may be secured by setting down
the right-hand figures and carrying the
tens to the next column.
At the age of 10 Columbus became .
sailor and began sitting for his picture.
There were three sons in the Columbus
family and one daughter, who married a
butcher. Her brother, it is said. on his
first voyage brought with him from Amer
lea a dozen softsheIl crabs and a diamond
back terrapin for his sisters husband, but
no one would purchase them, and they
persisted on his hands. This brother-in-
law afterward wrote piece for the paper
stating that reciprocity with America was
not what it had been cracked up to be.
Another biographer says that Columbus
went to sea at the age of Ia, but this NAV
be because of the conflict regarding the
year of his birth.
Columbus was soon placed in command
of a cruiser and visited the archipelago.
He also went to Iceland, hoping to find an
open polar sea. This is not generally
known, but / get it pretty straight and
have no reason to doubt it.
He visited what was then called Fries
land, or Ultima Thule, from the Latin
tongue, and signitying the jumping off
place. 1t was what Is now called Iceland,
and Columbus was one of the earliest nav
igators to penetrate to the region of the
pole and leave pantaloons button on the
axle of the world. On his return he said
that the only thing in favor of that coun-
try as home was that there were neither
mosquitoes nor malaria there. He staked
off town, but the claim was jumped by a
polar bear and reverted to the original
owners.
Las Casas describes Columbus as having
long face rudy in places; an aquiiine
nose, clear gray eyes, qulck, commanding
glance and light hair, which had begun to
grow gray at %.
He fell in love with and married Filipa
| Monis de Pa!estrello, who was in the con-
vent where he used 10 pray of "A morning.
Her father was very poor, being governor
| of Porto Santo and trying 10 live on his
salary. This had never been tried before
and has not been attempted since. He
died leaving little except chart OF the
world, together with what was supposed
then to be an accurate drawing OF the
underpinning upon winch II rested.
Not long after this Columbus contided
in Paoo Tascareli his belief that it
would now be q good time to discover
America.
Tascarelli was physician and cosmog-
| rapher of that place and man rather in
| advance of his time, rs was Columbus.
| Tascarelh lived on his practice As physi-
| cIan and relied very little on what he
| could make as q cOsmographer.
| lie was the first physician to discover
| that the tiv of Spain, If collected in large
| Quantities and placed on the human skin,
| would make blister. Let rs not, then.
| in our enthusiasm over Columbus, forget
| the man who discovered the blister and
| perfected it.
Columbus and Tascarelli were great
| friends, and one day the former said TO
| Tascarelh:
Doc. feel. almost certain that l. too.
/ am going TO discover something. gu
| now feel of course elated over The dis
| cOvery OF the blister. but the day viii come
/ when |. too. shall be looked up 10, and
/ people will come tor miles 10 eat their
| luncheons over my grave.
| Little DID he know then that his ashes
| would be shipped back and forth between
| Spa.ne and the West Indies every time
! there was revolution III CuOa for hall a
| century. >,
| /, was now settled that Colunbu should
| undertake the discovery OF America, but
| he needed CAPITAL He must Cooperate
| with some one who had means. He first
| apDroached the senate of Genoa. His sp-
| rucation was referred 10 the committee
on Indian affairs. The paper vas read as
| follows:
/ To the Honorable senate of Genoa- Gentlemen:
Il nae occurred 10 ne that IL We ate going 10 ts-
| cover America il - h!ga time Ne shoGld 60
| aroutit II We delay England Wal % II and
| get her name 10 the paTers. At the presSut i!tnt
| / am out OF employment and could 20 ii had
| the means have a chart cit rae by my Isthsi'
! in-!ayg which am snre VIII al ne IL discover
| ing America ana faaGlug Il Il "A roFUlar resort
| for sporadic eho,erA aud any oyerproiGctlou OF
| leprosy O. crime which may e seeking al out
! let IN a new country.
IL Won should aol see 81 Ia aid ne IN opening
/ M new world when Will hold IT. exposition
in Chicago, | hope, I sGai have 70 Apply !.
JohG II, " no las already partially pfonisSd u