The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-28
America a Native Name

! instead OF the name America having
been derived from that of Anerfso YES
pucci it is now asserted that Ameriso
got his name from the continent. Much
popular displeasure always has been visit
ed upon the shade of the explorer. who
has been regarded generally as having
robbed Columbus OF his Observation-Disclosures
Intentionally or not being the chief Dains
in dispute. An new defender Of Eeseucci
Z has arisen in South America and his
| ideas have gained currency through a re-
+ vnew cf his hook, 'TradtcfoneS Pemanes. =
which mas been published IN the Revue
Scientiique. a French weekly Of wide cir
culation. The author of the book is Ri
cardo Palma. director Of the National La
brary of Lima. Peru. who has made a
special study OF the history of Spanish
America.
In the early part OF his book the Peru
Wan scholar says that he has discovered
facts that go 10 prove that the word
America is not derived at all from the
celebrated navigator, Alberic0 Vespucci.
After some deep researches in to the
question, he says. we have proved that
AmeriSa is a name from Il place IN Mia
ragua, and there resfgnates a hill OF
province OF ChanvOles. Besides. the final
ic' Gin Spanish lea ique' or 1eoO re-
ours often IN the names OF the Iidian
a.
wise in the Antilles. The word seems
TO have the significance OF grand. lofty,
or eminent, and is applied TO mountains
that are not volcanic"
Palma asserts Columbus does aot men,
ton the word Amerique IN MS letters. 70
day exceedingly rare. when ne makes
mention Of his fourth voyage IT is
more than probable" writes the Peruvian.
savant, "thatone Of his companions spread
verbally the report that the discovered
gold had come from a place called Amer
ica by the natives Of Nicaragua. 1t is
probable that this name became current
slowly in Europe. They did not have
at that time any other narrative or des-
crtption Of the Western world except that
of Alberco Vespucci. published in 1895
in Latin and in 1908 in German. So geo
graphers came TO see in the name Of
Alberico, the origin Of the name America,
which mad come 10 be given not To the To-
cality itself, but to the whole continent.
When in l522 the first map of the coun-
try, under the name OF Province d'Amer-
ique, was published IN Bale Columbus
and his companions were already dead.
There were no other persons 10 oppose
this ftlse name. On the other hand.
there was in all Europe no one. either
man or woman, named Amerigo and as
would have been obliged To call the new
world by that name il truly he had given
his first name to the land
But as a matter of fact first names
of soverigns alone We're given 10 new
discoveries, as Georgia, Louisiana Mary
land, and Philippines. while the explorers
gave them the name Of their family, as
Magellan and Vancouver. Columbo him
self has not left behind him any Christie
fla. but Colombia, Columbus. and Colon
II appears clearly" continues the Pc
Vuvian scholar. that the author Of the
map of 1922 had gained already a knowi-
edge OF the word America through one OF
the companions of Columbus, and had
taken the name of part for that Of the
whole. When this map appeared. Yes
qucci was already dead. without sus-
piciOn that the historians had already
preserved his name. According 10 the
historians, the Florentine Vespucci (died
Feb. p, at Seville) came the first time
to the new world in 1897. and the des-
cription that he made OF the country was
published in St Die Lorraine by VALID I
seemuller. 1t was this book that spread !
the error. for in an dintrnduction Il de- /
clared that the name OF America was |
derived from that of VespuccL"
The theory is that-the name America /
iN' NAAt6 ''N4A sven ~ Ltit itilt anu the D
dea having gained currency that 1t had 4
been so given in honor Of the navigator
writers began to refer always 20 Yes
Iucci as Amerigo Vesqucci. instead OF
Aiberico Nespucci, which was his real
name. Thus Vespucci obtained the name
1y which he is known in history from the
continent, instead of giving his own name
% the discovery.
Several students have written books
Turing thelasteta oishrdlucmfwy hmrdwf a
Turing the last few years 20 prove. how
sver that Nespucci was the actual dis
'overer Of America. Columbus physical I
descriptions and the maps published early
n the sixteenth century indicate that
Waiting Island was the "Iaud-faU"
|espucci. however. was the first 10 set
DOT on the mainland In 1897 King Fer
inand determined upon an expedition
o the new world on his own account. and
'espucci sailed with the fleet for Cadiz
iaking the Canaries, he was al set for
wenty-seven days. and the '1and'faU
vas probably somewhere on the coast II
honduras, in the vicinity or the place 10
which the name OF America was given (
" the natives. From there his glips I
cox a nOrtherly direction and came 10 !
THAT they called Lairiba which Thatca-
? believes TO be near Tampico fn Mex
% On HIS second voyage vespucci visit
q Paris and the north coast Of South !
Erica as FAR as the Gulf Of Maracalho.