COSMOS, VOL. II - World eBook Library

OCEANIC DISCOVERIES. 679
portant influence on the political institutions, the ideas and
Agricola from Vienna, in 1512; and yet the person to whom widelycirculated
writings in Germany, France, and Italy, attributed a voyage
of discovery in 1497, to the tierra firme of Paria, was neither cited by the
fiscal as a witness in the lawsuit which had been begun in 1508, and was
continued during nineteen years, nor was he even spoken of as the
predecessor or the opponent of Columbus. Why, after the death of
Amerigo Vespucci (22nd Feb. 1512, in Seville), was not his nephew,
Juan Vespucci, called upon to show (as Martin Alonso, Vicente Yanez
Pinzon, Juan dela Cosa and Alonso de Hojedahad done) that the coast
of Paria, which did not derive its importance from its being "part of the
main land of Asia," but on account of the productive pearl fishery in its
vicinity, had been already reached by Amerigo, before Columbus landed
there on the 1st of August 1498. The disregard of this most important
testimony is inexplicable if Amerigo Vespucci had ever boasted of
having made a voyage of discovery in 1497, or if any serious import had
heen attached at that time to the confused dates and mistakes in the printing
of the " Quatuor Navigationes." The great and still unprintcd work
of a friend of Columbus, Fra Bartholome" de las Casas (the Historia
general de las Indias), was written, as we know with certainty, at
very different periods. It was not begun until fifteen years after the
death of Amerigo in 1527, and was finished in 1559, seven years before
the death of the aged author, in his 92nd year. Praise and bitter blame
are strangely mingled in it. We see that dislike and suspicion of fraud
augmented in proportion as the fame of the Florentine navigator spread.
In the preface (Prologo} which was written first, Las Casas says;
'Amerigo relates what he did in two voyages to our Indies, but he
appears to have passed over many circumstances, whether designedly (d
saviendas) or because he did not attend to them. This circumstance has
led some to attribute to him that which is due to others, and which
ought not to be taken from them." The judgment pronounced in the
1st book (chap. 140) is equally moderate: "Here I must speak of the
injustice which Amerigo, or perhaps those who printed (6 los que imprimieron}
the Quatuor Navigationes, appear to have committed towards
the Admiral. To Amerigo alone, without naming any other,, the discovery
of the continent is ascribed. He is also said to have placed the
name of America in maps, thus sinfully failing towards the admiral. As
Amerigo was learned and had the power of writing eloquently (era,
latino y eloquente), he represented himself in the letter to King
Rene as the leader of Hojeda's expedition; yet he was only one of the
seamen, although experienced in seamanship and learned in cosmography
(hombre entendido en las cosas de la mar y docto en Cos-
mograpliia) . , In the world the belief prevails
that he was the first
to set foot on the mainland. If he purposely gave currency to this
belief, it was great wickedness ; and if it was not done intentionally it
looks like it (dara pareze la falsedad : y si fue de industria hecha
maldadgrandefue; yyaque no lofueae,almenosparezelo). . . Amerigo