Christopher Columbus, Mariner, by Samuel Eliot Morison

Christopher Columbus was born in the port city of Genoa, Italy in 1451. His father

was a wool weaver named Domenico Columbo. As a boy, Christopher had no schooling. He

and his younger brother Bartholomew helped their father by carding raw wool. Christopher

grew up to be a tall, red-haired, quiet and deeply religious man. He worked for his father until

he was 22. He went out with the sardine fishing fleets, as other Genoese boys did and he sailed

along the coast to Corsica on business for his father. Genoese traders had their own schooners as

did Christopher Columbus’ father. He made at least one trip to the North African coast. On

long trips such as these, Christopher learned the elements of seamanship.

In 1476, Columbus sailed as a common seaman aboard a Genoese merchant ship

that was headed for Lisbon, England and Flanders. Since the Mediterranean nations were at war

at the time, the ship Columbus was on was attacked and went down. Luckily, Columbus was

able to swim to shore and make his way to Lisbon where he settled.

At this time Portugal was the world’s greatest seafaring nation. Many Genoese had

become rich and had prospered in Lisbon and Columbus saw his chance to do the same by

becoming sea captain under the Portuguese flag. First, however, he had to educate himself. He

learned to speak Portuguese and Castilian which was the official language of Spain at the time.

He also mastered Latin so that he may be able to read scholarly books on geography.

To earn his living, Columbus became a chart maker. He also made voyages as an

agent for a Genoese merchant in Lisbon. In 1479 he married ...

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...ion. Without then one would lose track of all the island

Columbus visited and named.

In conclusion Christopher Columbus, Mariner is a good book written about a great

man. It takes an extraordinary and courageous man to travel thousands of miles into an

unexplored ocean. Even though everyone was against him he was being persistent and was

determined to travel westward. There were so many sailors and explorers at that time. Many of

them contemplated on doing what Columbus did but most thought it impossible. Many thought

it foolish. The only man who pulled off the impossible and discovered the other half of the

world, was Christopher Columbus.

Bibliography:

Morison, Samuel Eliot. Christopher Columbus, Mariner. New York: Meridian, 1983.

Encyclopedia Britannica. Fifteenth Edition. Chicago, 1993