Christopher Columbus' "From Letter To Ferdinand And Isabella Regarding The Fourth Voyage"

Journal #20
Posted By: Melissa Veum
12-01-09
Engl 48A

"Alone in my trouble, sick, in daily expectation of death, and encompassed about by a million savages, full of cruelty and our foes, and so separated from the holy Sacraments of Holy Church, my soul will be forgotten if it here leaves my body. Weep for me, whoever has charity, truth, and justice (Columbus, 35)."

"Tomorrow morning before we depart, I intend to land and see what can be found in the neighborhood (Columbus, wikipedia.com)."

In this passage it seems that Columbus is crying out about the hardships he is internally facing and he is asking others to have pity on him. He talks about how his soul is so separated from the Sacraments of the Holy Church that if he was to die right here and now, his soul would be forgotten and not blessed in the Holy Sacrament. He is flat out asking others who have "charity, truth, and justice" to weep for him and probably his "abandoned" soul. Columbus feels this way and it is discerning to hear anyone crying out for help in the way that he is in this letter. He sounds very afraid and sick. When your body and your soul seem separated from everything and you feel like you may not be able to go on, you should be able to look to your faith to guide you through the rough parts. In this case, Columbus feels as though he is so far from his Holy place that even his soul would be "forgotten" if he should die.

Columbus also states that he is alone and sick and thinks about death often, as if it's coming for him and he can feel it. The feeling of being sick may very well come from feeling alone and feeling like you have a faith that you believe in, but it's not anywhere around you, your soul seems lost and not guided. He talks about the hatred and cruelty surrounding him as well. Columbus' words and the way in which he uses them makes him seem very angry and small-minded. He states that he is "encompassed about by a million savages" and makes it very clear that this is not the "Holy Church" faith in which he belongs. I think he is blaming this new land and the Native Americans on the fact that he is so sick and alone. This is all new for Columbus and instead of embracing change and differences, he is acting like a scared school-boy and blaming everyone and everything else for his "misfortune".