1494 - Exploration, Colonization

Exploration, Colonization

Christopher Columbus sets sail with three ships April 24 from La Isabela on the island of Hispaniola with a view to finding the mainland of Cathay (see 1493), reaches Cuba April 30, discovers the 4,411-square-mile island of Jamaica May 4, and names it Santiago (St. James). It will be a Spanish possession until 1655. Finding the natives on Jamaica hostile, he leaves May 13, reaches Cuba May 14, and proceeds to land on islands that will be called Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Antigua, St. Martin, and the Virgin Islands. Finding no mainland but unwilling to admit failure, he has each man in his little fleet sign a document June 13 swearing that Cuba is so large that it must be the mainland. He reaches Hispaniola August 20 after a voyage in which he has gone for 33 days with almost no sleep, lost his memory, and come close to death, but by the end of September he is seriously ill and his crew takes him back to La Isabela (see 1496).