Log of Christopher Columbus
The logbook of Christopher Columbus ( Spanish original title: Diario de a bordo del primer viaje de Cristóbal Colón ) is the logbook that Columbus wrote on his first voyage to America in 1492 .
The original of the log book has not been preserved. Only one copy of Bartolomé de Las Casas (1474–1566) has survived.
Columbus did not write the logbook for himself, but for the Spanish ruling couple . In this way he was able to describe the world of "the India" more effectively than would have been possible in oral form. When Columbus was graciously received by Ferdinand and Isabella after his successful return , he also presented the original of his log book at the royal court. A court clerk immediately made a copy of this, which was given to Columbus before his second voyage. This copy must have fallen into the hands of the Dominican de Las Casas at some point , who had set out to write his extensive Historia de las Indias . For this purpose de Las Casas quoted the complete log book, both indirectly and directly. The decisive excerpts from the text about the actual “discovery of America” have been handed down as literal copies.
While large passages of the log book were preserved in this way, the copy in the chain of Columbus' heirs first came into the possession of the firstborn Diego Colón , until it finally got his son Luis Colón . Don Luis was very well aware of the treasures he possessed when he had access to all the documents that have survived from his grandfather as well as his father and uncle. He sold many of the writings he had inherited to the highest bidder, including the biography of Fernando Columbus , which went to Italy. There the "history" was published in an Italian version, whereby the Spanish original was lost.
Don Luis received permission to publish the log in 1554. This also marks the last date on which the copy must have existed. However, there was no pressure then or later. Presumably Don Luis sold the work to a bibliophile nobleman. While the original log was later irretrievably "lost" in the royal archives, there is still the possibility that the copy is in a private archive that has not been taken into account.
It was not until the end of the 18th century that the naval officer Martín Fernández de Navarrete was able to pull out the traditions of the discovery of America from the darkness of the Spanish archives , which until then had almost been forgotten. Among the treasures he found, he pulled out the copy of the log book and made a first copy of it, which was printed in 1826. This was the first time that Columbus' famous report on America came to life. Since then there have been numerous other transmissions (and repeated translations into numerous languages). After modern science and technology have finally dealt with the logbook, information can now be given about every single character of the copy.
literature
- Christopher Columbus: The log book: Life and journeys of the discoverer of the New World 1492. (Edition Erdmann). 2013 ( partial online view )
- The Journal of Christopher Columbus / Translated by Cecil Jane / revised and annotated by LA Vigneras / with an Appendix by RA Skelton / Ninety illustrations from prints and maps of the period / 1960 ( Hakluyt Society )