(This is an assignment I (Cristian) wrote for a class. We were meant to explain the encounter with Columbus from the point of view of the native. )
(Check out the pdf attachment to read all the footnotes)
“Great Christians and most excellent and most powerful Princes, King and Queen of the regions of Spain and the isles of the sea, our lords, in this present year of 1494 I write to your majesties to inform you of my happenstance.” Columbus puts his scribing tool down and looks at his sores. He could hardly concentrate on writing and stop shaking long enough to write this short sentence. His vision seemed blurry and his body was mutilated by the countless sores that appear as tiny tomatoes under his skin trying to burst through . The tremors of his fingers and lips scarcely ceased as once more attempted to write. “I am ill of an unknown cause and I am not sure when the Lord will see fit to receive my soul. My situation is desolate and forlorn beyond measure. My crew abandoned me and probably considers me dead after our land incursion on the day of 14th of January in the year of our Lord 1494. As the Lord saw fit, our ship the Santa María to run aground and as she could not be unstuck, we used her destruction as an opportunity to build a trading post with the natives. We labored unceasingly to make use of all its goods to build what we called in honor of our Lord the settlement of the Villa de la Navidad . While the remainder of your majesty’s ships returned to our lands for supply and to bear the good news of my discovery of a new route to the Indies, I decided to show leadership and remain here until the ships return. I have thus done as your majesties commanded and read the Requerimiento to the natives, took control as the first governor of the Villa de la Navidad, and started trading with the natives. As initially our trade with the Indians did not yield much gold, I saw fit to capture some of the Indians and have them learn our language and customs. We were planning to have them translate and aid us trade with the rest of the tribes. Furthermore, in seeing that many of them wore small pieces of gold pierced to their noses, lips, or ears, we thought it necessary and just to capture them so they can lead us to their deposits of gold .” Again his hands shook, he looked confused. He seemed not to know where he was. He cried and shouted something I did not understand. He looked towards my direction and called me to him.