The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-19
PHYSICIAN TO COLUMBUS
 TELLS OF FINDING AMERICA
Letter Written by Dr. Qanca of the Spanish ' Fleet, Hitherto Overlooked by Students,
 Is Published.

sThe Smithsonian Institution at Washington has just published as a part Of its miscellaneous collections a document until recently practically overlooked by students, which Is re- markable for its historical value
 Besides memorandum or two by Columbus, it is the first original de- scription of America by an actual ob- server. It is a letter by Dr. Diego AL varez Chanca, physician to the fleet or Columbus on his second voyage of dis covery to America, dated at the Port of Isabella, Santo Domingo. at the end of January 1494. The translation is by Dr. A. M. Fernandez de Ybarra. member of the New York Academy of Sciences, who is thoroughly familiar with the history of Columbus and his times. s
 pr. Chanca, the author of the letter. had been especially appointed by the Spanish monarchs to accompany that expedition, not only on account of its great political and commercial import ance. but also because among the 1,500 persons who came over from Europe to America in that fleet were several distinguished court personages and a large number of young gentlemen ba- longing to aristocratic families, rest less and daring warriors who had done
  just successfully ended against the Moors of Spain.
 Associates of Columbus.
 Mingling with the men of distinction, says Dr. Ybarra, who came over to America in that expedition, I may men, ton the following: Juan Ponce de Leon, the future conqueror of Porto Rico, and later the discoverer of Flor Ida; Alonso, de Ojeda, the future dis roverer and explorer of the north coast of South America, with the Italian Amerigo Vespucci made his first trip to the new world, named after him; Pietro Margarit, the subsequent dis coverer of the archipelago to which he gave the name of Marguerite Isles; Juan de la Cosa, the expert cosmo- grapher. author of the first map of America in existence. drawn by him in the year 1500, and now in the Royal Naval Museum at Madrid, and many other men whose names are insepar- ably connected with the very early history of America.
 The letter itself is a live narrative of personal happenings and observations told with the ready wit and quick per ception of the humorous side of events characteristic of Andalusians or the peoples of Southern Spain. He relates. with now and then a delft descriptive touch. the experiences of that venture some Dand Tn Searcns among the can nihal islands of the West Indies, for the handful of men. Columbus had left the year before.
 The expedition set sail from Cadiz September 25, 149s, and the voyage across consumed between five and six weeks.
 Extracts from Letter.
 TheS following is from pr. Chanca's letter: 9E
 Ion the first Sunday after All Saints Day, namely, the 3rd of November, about dawn. pilot of the ship Cap itana cried out The reward I see landv
 .sThe joy of the people was,so great that it was wonderful to hear their ex- clamations of pleasure; and they had good reason to be delighted, for they had so wearied of bad living, and of working the water out of the leaky ships. that all sighed most anxlously for land" t.t
 fDr. Chanca gives vivid account of their search for a harbor, of their first