COLUMBUS DAY: Christopher Columbus, commanding three ships of the Navy of Spain, “discovers America,” landing on an island (San Salvador?), in the Bahamas.  Believing that he has arrived in the Indonesian Archipelago, he calls the inhabitants “Indians.”  He writes of the Arawak in his journal:

       They … brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells.  They willingly traded everything they owned. … They were well built, with good bodies and handsome features. … They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance.  They have no iron.  Their spears are made of cane. … They would make fine servants. … With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.

       Postscript: Columbus left behind a contingent that did just that.  They tasked each Arawak with a monthly quota of gold that if not met would suffer the loss of a hand. 

       NOTE: Columbus ignored the best evidence of the day that the Earth was 25,000 miles in circumference.  Instead he believed that distance to be only 18,000 miles, and could make the venture in a few weeks, as opposed to many months for the actual voyage.  Given the size of the ships at the time and the distances involved, it was logistically impossible for Columbus to take enough provisions with him.

       [restored 5/23/2021]