Isla Santa was a continent not an island – Columbus Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin

Today, the Columbus Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin remembers the third voyage and their discovery on August 1, 1498.

From The Life of Christopher Columbus by Francesco Tarducci published in 1891:

=====

Before leaving Spain, Columbus had made a vow to give the name of the Most Holy Trinity to the first land discovered on the third voyage. As he neared the land, he saw that the three mountains were united at the base, and formed a single mountain.

He was struck beyond measure by the wonderful harmony of his vow and the first view of that land, and looked upon it as a signal favor of God, regarding the time, the manner, and the sight of the three points as miraculous.

At the hour of compline, they reached the eastern extremity of the new land, and called it Punta de la Galera, from a rock which, seen from a distance, had the appearance of a galley at full sail.

They could see on the shore dwellings and inhabitants in large numbers, and the fertile lands as fair and verdant as the gardens of Valencia in spring-time; but they found it necessary to coast along the southern shore five leagues further before they discovered a suitable spot to lie at anchor overnight.

The next morning, the 1st of August, continuing in the same direction, in search of a harbor, to repair the ships and take in supplies, they discovered other land about twenty-five leagues off, in a southerly direction.

It was that low coast intersected by the different branches of the Orinoco. Columbus took it for another island, and named it Isla Santa, without the slightest suspicion that it was part of the continent he so ardently wished to discover.

Proceeding a few leagues further, they stopped at another cape, where they landed in small-boats, and filled a cask with water from a limpid stream they found there.

But not a living soul was seen anywhere, although on the coast they had left behind they had seen many dwellings and people; but they found some fishing implements — a certain sign that someone had fled at their approach — and many tracks of animals which they supposed were goats, but which they afterwards ascertained to be deer, with which the island abounded.

Anchoring here, they passed the night, as it was not prudent to venture in the dark along an unknown coast; and the next morning, the 2nd of August, they sailed to another point further on, which they called Punta Arenal, now known as the Point of the Icacos, the extreme south-western point of Trinidad.

Just as they approached it, a canoe put out from the shore back of them, with twenty-five young men, and took the direction of the Spanish vessels.

They were all of good stature, strong, and well-formed, and not so dark a red as the Indians they had seen further north; their hair was long and straight, cut like a Castilian’s, and they wore colored handkerchiefs around the head, and also about the loins, reaching to the knee.

They carried bows, and arrows with feathers, the point formed of a sharp bone, and they had a sort of shield on the arm — the first time the Spaniards had seen one in use by the inhabitants of the New World.

They came within a bow-shot from the ships, and then stopped, and said something in a loud voice to the Spaniards; but no one understood a syllable of their language.

Repeatedly urged by signs to come near, they seemed at times to get over their timidity and rowed a little forward; and then, changing their mind, returned to their former position.

Then some metal basins and other bright articles were shown them, in the hope of exciting their curiosity; but they only came a little nearer to obtain a better view of the dazzling objects which excited their wonder.

They continued this way more than two hours, these hoping to induce the others to approach, and those wanting to go, yet fearing to meet with misfortune.

The admiral was anxious to converse with them, and gather from their signs some information concerning those regions, and knew not how to overcome their hesitation, when he remembered the passion of the inhabitants of the New World for the dance.

He then ordered a drummer to go on the forecastle deck and beat his drum, and another to accompany him with singing, while some of the boys danced, by which amusement he hoped to draw them to him.

But at the first roll of the drum and first movement of the dance, the startled savages dropped their oars in a twinkling, and placing their shields on their arms, seized their bows and commenced shooting furiously at the dancers.

The music and dance instantly ceased, and the Spaniards replied with a few shafts from their cross-bows, at which the others turned and fled with all speed.

They afterwards discovered the cause of this strange conduct of the Indians.

When they went to battle, before beginning the fray, they took their rude instruments, and sang and danced to their accompaniment. This was a religious ceremony, by which they invoked the aid of their gods to win a victory over their enemies.

They supposed the Christians were then performing the same rite. Soon afterwards, they reappeared, but carefully avoiding the admiral’s ship, they freely approached one of the other caravels, regarding it as harmless and friendly, since it had taken no part in the music and dancing on the admiral’s vessel.

Coming close to the stern, they began a conversation, by signs, with the pilot, who boldly went into their canoe, and gave a coat and a cap to the one who seemed to be their chief, who, as well as the others, showed great delight, and gave the pilot to understand that they invited him to come on shore, where he would be treated with all kindness.

He made a sign of assent, and that they should go first, and he would follow. They started to go, but as the pilot durst not accept their invitation without the admiral’s permission, and went first to him to ascertain his pleasure, the Indians, seeing him visit the hostile ship, became suspicious, and left without waiting for him; and neither they nor any others of those islanders were seen after that.

As soon as the vessels were anchored off Point Arenal, the admiral sent the boats ashore to look for water, and to get speech of the natives; but they could find neither water nor inhabitants, the land being low and deserted.

The following day he sent men to dig in the sand for water, and they were fortunate enough to find trenches already dug, and filled with excellent water, and they judged that the trenches had been made by the fishermen.

The complexion, features, and the whole figure of those Indians, were a great surprise to Columbus, and gave him matter for much reflection.

Supposing that he was seven degrees north of the equator, though he was actually ten, he expected to find the inhabitants black, ill-shaped, and woolly-haired, like the natives of the same latitude in Africa; and instead, he found them of fine stature, with long hair, and not so dark as the Indians he had previously seen much further from the equator.

Even the climate, instead of being warmer in consequence of its closeness to the equator, was rather cool, and although it was midsummer, they required nearly as much clothing at night and in the morning as if it were winter.

This happens in many parts of the torrid zone, and especially when no wind is blowing, for then nature moistens the land at night with plentiful dew after the excessive heat of the day.

These deviations from the ordinary laws of nature caused Columbus at first much pain as well as astonishment, for they destroyed the hopes he founded on the theory of the jeweler Ferrer; but with his usual activity of imagination and sharpness of mind, he was not long in framing fresh conjectures, as we shall see, which, from a world of fair illusions, transported him to another of still fairer.

=====

The Columbus Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin shows with an artist’s image of the Admiral and his landing party meeting with natives.

Columbus Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin