A wag has described Christopher Columbus as a man who did not know where he was going; nor where he was when he got there; nor what he was seeing while he was there; nor where he’d been when he got back; and that he did it all on someone else’s money. And surely his aphorism has a basis of fact, though it is a harsh accusation to make against a man who had the fortitude to push an idea for two decades against the overwhelming odds and opposition of man and elements. And certainly, whether he knew it or not, his efforts completely changed the trends of the whole world. Yet he died in neglect and disgrace, and it is a great pity he might not have had an inkling of “where he’d been when he got hack.” His imagination caused him to attribute to the territory of the Grand Khan and other Eastern potentates the indefinite stories he heard in Santo Domingo, Cuba, and Panama of the cultures and riches of the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico; so he’d even missed knowing the possibilities for sack and loot so dear to the heart of the Spaniard of that day.
A jovial thinker claims that if the ancients had had shower baths, civilization and culture would never have been disseminated; that the so-called trade instincts of pioneer travelers to the East were based on their greed for the high Prices in Europe for perfumes. His logic is intriguing; certainly it is a fact that milady and milord in European society were in heavy competition with strong-scented court favorites—and the transportation costs were high. Yet the perfumes just must be had. History does not record that Columbus was knowingly motivated by society’s need of perfumes; but one must suspect that his keen- minded backer, Queen Isabella, risking her money, jewels, and reputation for good sense, had secret hopes of cheaper court fragrance, silks, myrrhs, and incenses. What lady would not have such laudable ambitions?
There is an odd though rough parallelism between the theories and activities of the Great Discoverer and Buneau Varilla, the French Panama Canal engineer, diplomat, editor, lecturer, and soldier, of four centuries after Columbus’ time. I he Frenchman spent long years trying to prove the necessity of a true “Straits of Panama” (and certainly he did wonders in helping President Roosevelt get the Canal started in 1903). The comparative difference between the two is that the Frenchman tried to make his straits whereas the Genoese tried to find his, ready-made. But they chose the self-same locality in which to work out their ideas—the very locale through which ships are now daily transiting from ocean to ocean.
In 1502-03 Columbus spent a year of his last voyage intensively exploring the vicinities of the eastern entrances to the proposed Nicaraguan and now existing Panama Canals. His presence is evidenced today by the geographical names that he gave, or that have since been given in his honor, such as: the Republic of Colombia, the Province of Veraguas (Columbus was given the rank of the Duke of Veraguas), the cities of Colon and Cristobal, the villages of Puerto Bello and Nombre de Dios (Beautiful Port and Name of God), the Bahia de Elmirante (Admiral Bay), Cabo Gracias a Dios (Cape Thanks to God), etc. But fate and time were set against Columbus, his coveted straits did not exist; certainly there is a jinx on a man who lived 400 years too early for there to be a way through (the Panama Canal), and at least two geological eras too late for finding the natural straits the geologists assure us once were there.
Let us examine what Columbus saw and did around Panama. During the preceding decade in his three other voyages the Great Discoverer had run the gamut from being a fanatic that made good, a man universally honored, a colonizer and governor of Santo Domingo (where he had introduced the first Indian and African slavery and failed badly as an administrator), and a disgraced man brought back to Spain in chains. Then because of his services, his sovereigns forgave him; Isabella had great faith in his powers as a navigator even above Ferdinand’s assurance of his failure as a governor. So the old and sick Admiral was given a last chance.
He was refused permission to take supplies at Santo Domingo, the greatest Spanish American colony, he had too many enemies there. So he set out on May 11, 1502, from Cadiz with 150 men (including his brother Diego and 14-year-old son Fernando) with four boats, the caravels Capitana and Santiago de Palos and the vessels Gallego and Vizcaino, the smallest being under 50 tons. By a roundabout way he arrived at the forbidden Santo Homingo, under the excuse that he hoped to trade one of his ships for another that handled better. His enemy, the new Governor, about to sail to Spain with considerable property belonging to Columbus, refused him any consideration. Noting adverse weather signs and knowing something of West Indian hurricanes, Columbus begged the Governor to have his 30 ships seek shelter, meanwhile doing the same himself. Putting out to sea the haughty Governor was caught and lost everything except one ship, including his own life and Columbus’ property, whereas Columbus came through with slight damage.
Sailing westerly, Columbus, after fearful trouble with his ships and men, reached the mainland of Honduras within a month. His vessels were strained, seams opened, sails and rigging rent, food spoiled, men sick; his troubles are evidenced by the name he gave a protecting cape he passed, Cape Thanks to God (Cabo Gracias a Hios). He lost a boat with all hands at the bar of the Rio Desastre (Disaster River). Nevertheless he made repairs, took on fresh water, wood and supplies, and continued skirting the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua, ever looking for the sought-for straits.
A map, showing the track of Columbus’ route on the American coast, indicates his Wanderings clearly. On September 25 he rested all hands ashore for some time in the mouth of the San Juan River; in past geological ages there had been a natural strait here that would have allowed sailing to Asia. He traded with the Indians, seized two for guides, and went on southerly, calling the country Costa Rica (Rich Coast), it being the best lands he had seen.
Wednesday, October 5, he entered Elmirante Bay, Panama, now the seat of one of the United Fruit Company holdings. The large Chiriqui Lagoon excited hopes that he had found the straits. He found gold among the Talamanca Indians there and a few masonry houses. Continuing along the coast he made further repairs in the Rio Veraguas, and found gold among the Indians. From here the more or less east-west coast is nearly always rough; the trades were contrary to his course as were the currents, the ships were in a terrible condition from storms and teredos, everyone was ill including the Admiral, morale was at low ebb. Their condition might be considered an earnest of the terrible things that were to happen in those regions during the next 350 years—for he was now along and near the mouth of the Chagres and the future entrance of the Panama Canal. On October 27 he got into Porto Bello, a wonderfully pretty place with deep water right up to the shore line and well protected from the sea. It is the site of the later Isthmian Canal Commission village and stone quarry from whence came all rock in the Gatun Locks and Spillway Dam; it is also the watery grave of Sir Francis Drake, of about a century later. Columbus spent a pleasant week in trading with Indians and in recuperation and repairs. Again to the easterly (along that coast so well remembered by the later employees of the Panama Canal construction days, passing by there on tugs and sand barges to and from Nombre de Dios), his sailing ships were so sorely tried he was glad to put into Bastimentos (Port of Provisions), which Columbus shortly renamed Nombre de Dios; his trading and repairs here culminated in a battle with the Indians so that he hurriedly put out and shortly landed further east at the inelegantly-named Port El Retrete (now called Escribanos), where he stayed 15 days.
Despairing of finding the straits and recalling the pleasant Rio Veraguas with its considerable gold, he put about on December 5; his stops at Porto Bello and Limon Bay were nominal—with no Colon Breakwaters in place, the Atlantic entrance to the present Panama Canal must have looked uninvitingly rough. One account says the sea biscuit were so spoiled (any Canal Zone housewife will assure you her bread often molds within two days, even now) and filled with worms “most of the men ate them after dark.” On January 6, 1503, the four ships were again off the Rio Belen (Bethlehem River), a better place than the Rio Veraguas, 4 miles away. There followed much exploration of the interior and trading with the Indians. It is odd that this locale wherein Columbus spent so much time is now about the least known part of the Republic of Panama. Perhaps he was correct in his idea that there was considerable gold there; at any rate the only element of civilization now in that vicinity is a Canadian company which is said to be shipping gold in sufficient amounts barely to pay expenses.
On January 10 the Gallego was damaged by a flood that suddenly came down the river; it was beached and made into a storehouse for a settlement of 80 men that was then established—the first European Continental American settlement. The other ships were kept outside the bar at the river mouth thereafter; they had been prevented from getting outside before, due to the lowered water over the bar during the dry season. Further exploration of the interior and the taking of more gold thoroughly alarmed the Indian inhabitants, and the killing of several men and the capture of their boat ensued. A battle at the settlement then occurred and the settlement was abandoned, with the loss of all supplies ashore, the Gallego, and several men, on April 15. To the east again the Vizcaino had to be abandoned at Porto Bello; the expedition was now in sore straits. Indians along the whole coast were aroused and would not furnish further supplies. Columbus began beating his way easterly to find a current and winds that would allow him to set a course for home.
At the Gulf of San Bias he had more Indian trouble; reaching about where Patterson (the founder of the Bank of England) was later to establish an unsuccessful colony of Scots at Bahia Escoces (Scotch Bay) and which later was the rendezvous of the English and French pirates (that were to prey on and finally destroy the gold trade and commerce of the Spaniard in the New World), Columbus and his brother figured the currents and trade winds would carry his ships to Santo Domingo for help. On May 15 he turned north, with but two of his four ships and they un seaworthy.
In 12 days they neared Jamaica; in a storm the weakened Capitana collided with the Santiago de Palos, and both were thereafter completely unseaworthy. Columbus lashed them together and beached them in the lee of a cape. Appeals for help were sent out, and meanwhile trading with the Indians took place. A long delay ensued and Captain Porras of the Santiago de Palos headed a revolt against Columbus’ authority; he was defeated in a pitched battle and his band became marauding bandits on the Indian farms and villages. Eventually on June 28, 1504, two boats were secured from Santo Domingo, the rebels were picked up in amity, and the starved, wretched survivors taken to that port, finally landing in Spain November 7, 1504.
What was the outcome of the trip for poor Columbus? He had been on and off the American coast from July 30, 1502, to May 15, 1503. From his standpoint, and Isabella’s secret desires for cheaper perfumes, it was just another of Columbus’ failures. Isabella and Columbus both died shortly afterward, so neither of them knew that the trip was the basis for Spain’s later claim and possession of the whole of Central America. Furthermore Panama became the base for all subsequent conquest, colonization, and occupation of the whole Pacific coast of North and South America, most of which Spain held and exploited for over 300 years. That is, until the series of revolutions in the 1820’s by which Spain lost nearly all her holdings in the New World.