Story Of Christopher Columbus, The

every merchant knows what Marko told him if his visit to Pope annual a distant island were they King about the mighty palace all route with finest gold and the wooden woes of the palace are decorated with gold and the floors even the floors are paved with the precious stuff to finger stick two fingers thick Christopher did you hear me two fingers speak well Christopher when are you going to grow up so that you can sail to the ends of the earth and cioth wonders are you going to sail clear to cafe or to the Indies or you'll fall off the end of it never see your mother or father again or home even Jinora look boy we've no more time offered you now there's wall to be called Christopher my boy from the trees of Seville a sailing man gave it to me if the earth is flat white or not the oceans are not the side as one of the fingers Christopher my boy the earth is flat as this orange but this light is Russian so is the earth some people don't think so but we who know the sea you're sure the earth is wrong of course it has yet to be proven why with all our ships and men who sail you are a curious boy perhaps it is because there is not yet been a sailor with your curiosity and the courage to see it through run along now but come back soon and so curious boy grew into manhood Genoa and his father's house were but a memory he went to see first is a youth and in a few years he knew more about ships than most men twice his age but there were still things to be learned mathematics thus follow me the knowledge of charted waters and the fear of waters untie all of us brother here it is my new trade route to Calais and to certain death brother you know what you've done you've shown a Western cottage but it's impossible do you remember when we were children and we traveled to Milano yes and you cried because you were afraid it did not cry now if we were to go to Milano of course not but we're not children any longer then act as children only when they don't know where they're going I am sure that by sailing west I will find a shorter route from Europe to Asia and such a route has been badly needed since the Turks have captured Constantinople dear brother but human risked his money or his life to make good secretary a letter for Christopher Columbus thank you it is from dr. tuskin le great scholar an astrologer yes he agrees with me Tuscan le says I am right the earth is round and he will help me to prove it you ask me who at risk his life and fortune ha ha it'll be my life and the money of Don John King of Portugal [Music] patience brother patient to say haven't we waited six weeks for Don Jon's decision captain Columbus yes we have made our decision yes you were asking his grace Don Jon to risk the kingdom's gold and the lives of his subjects on a very uncertain voyage the answer is no I cannot accept your decision until I see Don Jon himself but your majesty all this has been going on for months I need only your permission Columbus you have a very ambitious plan but why gamble on a new route we already have a sea route part way to the Indies over the Mediterranean but the pirating by the Turks sire the distance my men are stout Columbus they have no fear of pirates besides we can sail our ships southerly around Africa but the Cape of Good Hope thence northerly to the land of East we waste time sailing westward to reach the Indies had become the sole purpose of light to Columbus years of waiting at the doors of Kings had stripped him of everything except his faith in a dream and a son Ferdinand there remained only one country to which he could turn perhaps he retired the Beast to must rest we have a long journey my son well I thought we must be gone already not comfortable it's Saturday and the king and queen your friends do they not ask this day to be sure they listen to our plans with one ear while with the other they were listening to their generals no my son so long as Spain is at war with them or our only hope is France [Music] greetings my son reading father have you journeyed far all the way from Santa Fe come rest the ma Mystere Blair Abita welcomes you no father we are on route to France and time does not permit us to wait time caution man if we do not think of yourself there's his child she will reach the mountains by sundown come your belief is strong my son I want your father that mine is a dream so vast that even you would mock me no no my son I will consult a friend Garcia Hernandez who knows much about these things and if he thinks you're right then I will take it upon myself to go to their Majesties Ferdinand and Queen Isabella you Father but what better audience could you receive and I will be in their court the past six years in addition to my activities here as prior of Lara vida captain Columbus I have also tutored the sons of Ferdinand for seven years past Christopher Columbus thought I had got rid of this fellow Columbus so you had but father Perez uses his influence where others cannot we have decided to hear again your proposal having driven the last of the moors from Spanish soil we're now free to plan the greater glory of Spain but your highness the wall was costly our treasury is almost empty how dare we even consider new expenditure how true your highness the facts the good man had a scheme to make gold instead of to waste it your majesty yes would you have a portably treasurer of Aragon if you had taught me a wasteful man indeed I would not and you still have faith in my opinion the short trade route west would keep our ships out of the hands of the theoretical Turks and bring the wealth of the Indies to the crown of Spain what short trade route I have heard of none there's no such thing who actually knows that and if there is ours will become the greatest land of the earth and our king and queen the most glorious rulers in all history or would you prefer that Columbus take his plan to the kings of France or England what would you need enough to equip three ships and for yourself if I fail nothing and if you succeed then my queen I would ask to be Admiral of the ocean sea and ruler of all the land I discover there on with the privileges of this office and that I be named Viceroy of these new lands to rule them in the name of the king and queen for the rest of my natural life I would naturally become a Don of Spain my family to rank thereafter were the houses of Aragon and Castile and I would require one tenth of all gold and jewels spices are stuff I say unless the captain had forgotten something perhaps the throne of Spain and I wondered why they called you a dreamer [Laughter] Columbus was again and route to France he was certain that his pleadings with Isabella and Ferdinand had failed leaving his disappointments behind he hoped it soon very soon he would set sail under the banner of another king you are Christopher Columbus I am Her Royal Highness Queen Isabella has ordered your return to Santa Fe and so the miracle had happened Queen Isabella had convinced the court and the dream of Columbus had come true the days that followed were busy ones Queen Isabella had authorized three ships to be built the Pinta Vanina and the Admirals flagship the Santa Maria every beam was set every plank talked under the Admirals supervision these were stout little ships small to be sure by modern day comparison but they were built to withstand the strongest winds and seas and the crews were strong handpicked a thousand stories have been told of the men who joined this most daring of all expeditions some say there were cut ropes some released convicts and still others have said they were noblemen in search of riches and adventure whatever their past they had in common a spark of the same fire that inspired their leader go under set fail and it wasn't long before his expert listen navigation was the talk and admiration of the crew steering southward he caught good east winds that carried him westward who was to say that the master mariner had not plotted his course well as for stories of falling off the end of the sea these were men not easily frightened but suddenly trouble began the printer had lost its rudder fortunately the Canary Islands were only three days away more waiting more delays first the rudder then rewritten de Nina the cruise became less certain they were leaving the last known land what lay ahead no one knew days passed the vast unknown still lay before Columbus expected land any day they had traveled in line at least 2,000 miles the men were growing more restless for the our home began to look better to them than strange lands safety more glorious than riches they begged Columbus to return somewhat like babies 20 days of passes and still no trace of land but there has been seaweed grass it's your signs of land barge yeah we must turn back he would thinks differently is a fool Columbus still unshaken in his faith kept his ships on their course but the decks were the scene of constant plot some men's auto Luton a some wanted to stop but there were others who couldn't be stopped here were twigs and leaves sure signs that land was near our Oh Gregory look lamb must be nearby he former crew was self Koch - the man who first sights land and the Sun came up on the morning of October 12 1492 to reveal a new land all doubts and fears were gone now the men were happy excited finally realizing that their captain was right and when Columbus knelt to give thanks for his good fortune they listened reverently imagine the joy of men who believed themselves doomed to die discovering a new Shore and you hope never knowing what dangers might be lurking there in the name of King Ferdinand and Isabella Columbus took the island he named it San Salvador for the holy Savior and he planted his sword in the name of Spain as he grasped the sand the soil of his new country Columbus thanked his men in his queen but most of all he thanked God for had he not the faith to go where others failed he would never have fulfilled his mission the riches of this virgin land were within a hand grasp each man had his dream to fulfill there was gold to be brought home promises to be kept since these were the Indies these must be Indians fortunately Columbus had made preparations for this meeting and with beads and trinkets the friendship of the savages were soon won truly there must be riches in this land riches which could not be imagined in the Admirals wildest dreams but though he made three additional trips to the new land he failed to bring back the riches expected no gold no diamonds no spices and when Queen Isabella died Columbus lost his most important friend in court his enemies made sport of it and he died not knowing he had discovered a new work or America [Applause]