The Atlantic Crossing Christopher Columbus ( - ) was a self-taught man who sought adventure and glory. Believing in prophecies, he was convinced that his destiny lay in discovering a route to the East (the ‘Indies’) by sailing westwards. He was inspired by reading Imago Mundi (a work on astronomy and geography) by Cardinal Pierre d’Ailly written in . He submitted his plans to the Portuguese Crown, only to have them turned down.
He had better luck with the Spanish authorities who sanctioned a modest expedition that set sail from the port of Palos on August . Nothing, however, prepared Columbus and his crew for the long Atlantic crossing that they embarked upon, or for the destination that awaited them. The fleet was small, consisting of a small nao called Santa Maria , and two caravels (small light ships) named Pinta and Nina . Columbus himself commanded the Santa Maria along with capable sailors.
The outward journey enjoyed fair trade winds but was long. For days, the fleet sailed without sight of anything but sea and sky. By this time, the crew became restive and some of them demanded that they turn back. On October , they sighted land; they had reached what Columbus thought was India, but which was the island of Guanahani in the Bahamas.
(It is said that this name was given by Columbus, who described the Islands as surrounded by shallow seas, baja mar in Spanish.) They were welcomed by the Arawaks, who were happy to share their food and provisions; in fact, their generosity made a deep impression upon Columbus. As he wrote in his log-book, ‘They are so ingenuous and free with all they have, that no one would believe it who has not seen of it, anything they possess, if it be asked of them, they never say no, on the contrary, they invite you to share it and show as much love as if their hearts went with it’. Columbus planted a Spanish flag in Guanahani (which he renamed San Salvador), held a prayer service and, without consulting the local