The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-10-02

POPULAR PICTURE OF CoLUMBUs-No AU-
THENTIC LIKENESS EXISTS.
ed the project of opening a route to
India. After waiting on the Spanish
court for seven years, during which
time he served against the Moors, he
obtained aid from the king and queen
through Juan Perez de Marchena, su-
perior Of the convent Of La Rabida.
Columbus Memorable Voyage.
Columbus sailed from Palos Aug. 3,
1852. His flagship, the Santa Maria,
was ninety foot keel and less than 100
tons burden, with four masts, two
square and two lateen rugged. 1t was
dpcked over and carried guns. The
Pinta and the Nina were smaller and
unlocked. Martin AOnZO PinBon and
Francisco Martin pinzOn commanded
one, Vincente Yanez Pnzon the other.
The expedition numbered l2O souls
and carried provisions for year. The
whole cost of the discovery of America
was 1.2S2,J maravedis, or about $50,
600.
On Friday, Oct. II, l402, seventy-one
days out from pulos, Rodrigo Triana
sighted land. BY Columbus reckoning
and description it is now thought to he
Waiting island. one of the Bahama
group Columbus called it San Saliva.
dor (Holy Saviour. He discovered also
Conception, EXuma, lSla Lorga, Haiti
and Cuba, which last he took ut first
for Zipango Oapan and later for the
mainland of India. He thought Haiti
was Solomon's Ophir He left thirty
nine men there in Il fort built from the
timberS Of the Santa Maria, which was
wrecked
On March 10, 1893, he returned to
palos. He was created don and ad-
miral of Spain and accorded signal
honors from the crown.
He made three more voyages, but the
jealousy of the nobility toward him,
as a foreigner. and the apathy of the
court to his discovery. because it lack.
ed the wealth anticipated, resulted in
a series of mlSfortunes, which ended
only with his life Columbus died at
ValladoIid May 90. 150G, in want
Portraits From Hearsay.
in view OF all the conflict Of evi
dence regarding his birthplace, citizen
ship and creed. 1t is small wonder tina.
we have a hazy and possibly false idea
Of the personality of Columbus.
The portraits which are so numerous
today can nearly all be traced back to
an engraving called the Paulus Jovius
cut, made from a painting that has
been lost And another factor Of mac
curacy. the lost painting was not an
original work, but was executed upon
what the lawyers term "hearsay evil
dence." 1t was painted early in the
sixteenth century by the direction of a
Spanish nn6leman. who at that time
was collecting gallery pOrtraying ia
nous Spaniards.
The accepted likeness Of the admiral
is that of a strong. clean shaven face
from which deep, expressive eyes look
out under broad brow. The heavy
] llltS lIOll Tue ubSC W thC WI hClo VI
the mouth are also characteristic of
the popular portraits. But this is nc
picture of the man who discovered
America.
Columbus had red hair. Also, as was
the almost universal custom of the
sailors of that period. he wore beard
On this point is the evidence of Las
Casas, his shipmate and historian. He
states that The admiral was a man OF
sturdy stature. rather above the aver
age height. Of very ruddy complex
ion. with freckles and red hair when
he was young. The latter soon turned
white. which was also the color of his
beard"
Book Was His Inspiration.
Unquestionably Columbus was Q