The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-02
All Proeresso Italo-Americano,

contained IN lCS lateSI ISSUE cu0 AoA
lowing remarkable letter, which is
here printed with tie Italian editor 8
predatory note:
Christopher Columbus, destitute,
sick and starving at the place where
now is Kingston, Jamaica. wrote to
his king aud queen that the new world
BY him gained to Spain would bring
ruin to the latter and thus average
che wrongs and cruel treatment that
the nation had caused him. His
words came true Cuba is the last
nail in the coffin of dead Spain. That
letter never reached Spain. It is in
the records of the council house Of
Jamaica, and it follows:
Jamaica, 15O4.-Diego Mendez and
she papers that I send through him
will show your highness that I dis
covered in Veragua some rich gold
mines, and as / intended to leave my
brother at the River Belin, had not
heavens decree and the greatest mis-
fortune of the world prevented me
from carrying out my plan. However,
it's enough that your highness, as
well as your successors, should have
the glory and advantage Of all, and
that the completion of discovery and
The colonization should be reserved to
more fortunate people .han the un-
lucky Columbus.
s'H God grants me to have Mandez
reach Spain, / have no doubt that he
will convince your highness, my high
lady, that this will not be only a
Castillo and Leon, but the discovery
Of q world Of people, Of lands Of
wealth, greater than the most bound
less human fancy could desire, but
not by me, nor by this paper, nor by
any mortal tongue could be described
the anxiety and the sorrows of my
body and"mind, and the destitution
and dangers of my son, of my brother
and of my friends.
Ten years already we are bound to
this place, lodged on the uncovered
decks Of our ships thrown ashore, one
against the other; those of my men
who were healthy have deserted me
under the Porrasi of Sevilla; my
friends, who remained true to me, are
mostly sick CT dying; we have con-
sumed all food supplies of the In
dians, and these have left US now.
So we are all exposed to starve, and
these misfortunes are accompanied by
the worst circumstances, that make
ME the most unfortunate victim Of
fate that this world have ever seen.
It seems like Gods anger has favored
the envy of Satan, that would punish,
as criminal deeds, the undertakings
and discoveries that the past ages
would have recognized as grand and
worthy.
'sIt,is evident that one resorts to
every means to cut the thread which
is about to break, since / am in my
old age, oppressed and afflicted with
unbearable pains of .gout, and I am
now languishing and dying of this and
other sickness among the savages,
where / cannot find any medicines,
nor proper food for the body, nor a
priest, nor sacraments for the soul.
Ny men are rebelling against me;
my brother, my son and those who
remained faithful to me are sick,
hungry, dying; the Indians have for
saken US. The governor Of San Do
mingo sent to see whether / was dead
rather than help US, or to bring me
away alive from here, for his boat did
not bring US any letter, nor has com
municated with us, nor did they want
to receive anything from us. I con
clude, therefore, that the officers oi
your highness intend that here mus,
end my travels and my life.
"Oh, holy Mother Of God, who has
pity on the oppressed, why did moi
Bobadilla's knife kill me when he de-
priyed me and my brother Of the golc
earned in such hard manner, and sem
US back to Spain without any trial
without any crime, without even {
shadow Of bad conduct?
'sLet the whole world and every
justice and mercy-loving soul weep fol
me. And you, glorious saints o.
God, you who know of my innocence
and who see all my sufferings, have
mercy on me. Because, although tht
present generation is envious anl
hard-hearted, surely the future agel
will pity poor Christopher Columbus
when they will learn that he, riskinl
his own life and that of his brother
With verv little or mn exnense to th,