[1]The largest of the Canary Islands, traversed by mountains and containing the famous peak. The capital of the group, Santa Cruz de Santiago, is located there.
[2]The Guanches were a variety of the Berbers, and of Arab descent.
[3]Henry, surnamed “The Navigator,” was born March 4, 1394, and died Nov. 13, 1460. He was distinguished for his encouragement and patronage of discoverers.
[4]Dias, after sailing south in the open sea for thirteen days, sought land to the eastward and, not finding it, turned northward along the coast east of the Cape of Good Hope and reached a point beyond Algoa Bay.
[5]Cabral was the successor of Vasco da Gama in Portuguese exploration.
[6]Columbus’ name in Italian was Cristoforo Colombo; in Spanish, Cristoval Colon; in French, Christophe Colomb; in Latin, Christophorus Columbus.
[7]Other authorities assigned 1446 as the year of his birth. Some place it as early as 1436.
[8]Diego accompanied his brother on his second voyage. He became a priest in 1500.
[9]These dukes were Medina Sidonia and Medina Celi, both of whom favored the scheme at first, but eventually rejected it.
[10]A maritime town in Andalusia.
[11]The Monastery of La Rabida.
[12]Other authorities state that the crew of the Santa Maria, commanded by Columbus, numbered fifty men; that of the Pinta, under Martin Pinzon, thirty men; and that of the Nina, under Vicente Pinzon, twenty-four; and that the total number of the adventurers was one hundred and twenty.
[13]The astrolabe, an obsolete instrument, was used for taking the altitude of the sun and stars. It was superseded by Hadley’s quadrant and sextant.
[14]The Sea of Sargasso is so named for the sea-weed, Sargassum bacciferum, which covers it. It is situated in the North Atlantic Ocean and is similar in shape to an egg, the large end being toward Florida. It reaches from longitude 70 to longitude 40, being about 600 miles southwest of the Azores. Its width lies between latitude 20 and latitude 35. The Bermuda Islands are the only body of land within its area, they being near its northwest edge. It is estimated to be about 130,000 square miles in extent.
[15]This island has been variously stated as Turk’s Island, Cat Island, Mayaquanna, and Watling. The best authorities have decided in favor of Watling.
[16]Cibao is a mountainous region in the central part of San Domingo. Columbus supposed it to be the Japan of Marco Polo.
[17]The Caribs occupied Guiana and the region of the Orinoco and conquered the Caribbean Islands. Their descendants live in Honduras and Nicaragua. Our word “cannibal” is a corruption of “Carib.”
[18]The cassava is a plant about four feet high with broad leaves and a thick stem. The root is shaped like a turnip and is about six inches thick. Eaten raw it is insipid and unhealthy but when cooked is very palatable.
[19]Other authorities say the tenth of March.
[20]Ponce de Leon, born in Arragon in 1460, a Spanish soldier, conqueror of Porto Rico and discoverer of Florida.
[21]Velasquez accompanied Columbus to EspaÑola in 1493.
