* On one of these, Dr Chanca, writer of the preceding letter, departed.

† The letter carried by de Torres in fact made a great number of demands by the Admiral both for himself and for the benefit of others. Most of these were fulfilled, but the general effect must have been somewhat disconcerting to the sovereigns, for in fact there was less news of the expedition and its achievements than demands for payments and concessions.

* Columbus had summoned this younger brother (born 1468) from Italy on his return from the first voyage.

† A crossbow could shoot about 300 yards.

* A purgative oil produced by a quite different plant in Asia Minor.

* There were no goldfields in Cibao and very little gold. Ojeda had reported goldfields, and Dr Chanca, although generally a careful witness, took this report on trust. Columbus also believed it and on this legendary gold of Cibao the whole belief in the riches of Hispaniola was founded. Nevertheless, Hernando repeats his father’s original optimistic tales about the wealth of Cibao. In fact, Hispaniola was rich in nothing but potential slaves and it was on the slave trade that Columbus, despite the disapproval of the Catholic sovereigns, founded his hopes. He had already made a proposal in the letter that he entrusted to Antonio de Torres for the importation of slaves captured in war.

† He is said to have chosen this name in order to confute the doubting Thomases who (more or less rightly) said there was no gold in Cibao.

* On his first voyage, Columbus had accepted the natives’ statement that Cuba was a very large island. However, he was most anxious to identify Hispaniola with Chipangu or Japan, as described by Marco Polo. So if Hispaniola were indeed Japan, then in defiance of all probability - for he had sailed some distance along its north and south coasts-Cuba must be the mainland of Asia. As will be seen, Columbus clung to this belief as long as he could.

* A kind of edible rat.

* On the fourth voyage.

* This was probably true. The original inhabitants of the island were Siboney, who were related to the Indians of Florida and they had been conquered and enslaved by the Arawaks, who were akin to various tribes of South America and would have had an entirely different language from that of their slaves.

* Morrison, in Admiral of the Ocean Sea, suggests that this is some form of nervous breakdown.

† In fact no agreement was concluded.

* Strictly the military governor of a frontier province. In fact the difference between adelantado and governor is one of tide rather than office.

* These were used by the Spaniards not only for hunting, but for bringing down Indians.

* Fray Ramón Fane or Pan, a Spanish priest otherwise unknown, who drew up a considerable report on the manners and customs of the Indians.