COLUMBUS AND MAGELLAN.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12503, 26 May 1906, Page 8

COLUMBUS AND MAGELLAN.

A courteous and well-informed correspondent, who has on several occasions contributed some interesting notes to "The Press," takes exception in a letter which we publish elsewhere, to some of our remarks last Saturday about Columbus and Magellan. The main purpose of our articlo was to place Columbue's work iv its historical ectting, end to present broadly the geographical ideas lof his time; and it was, therefore, impossible to go into details. In presenting him under a. somewhat unfavourable light we • are in accord with reoent critics, euch as E. J. Payne. Columbus, as Governor of the new Spanish possessions, was an utter failure, and the main causo of his degradation was I his revolting traffic in Indian slaves. No man in his senses would deny him the credit which belongs to hie first voyage, when everything was certainly not in his favour, but the very reverse. But what we pointed out was that the real weaknesses of his character manifested themselves when tho dream of his life had been realised, end the tension of an inspiring purpose relaxed. Magellan threw up the service of Portugal because he was irefused an increase of pay, to which his services had justly entitled him. By "striking "out for hi'm>jelf," we did not mean to convey that he had himself manned and equipped has expedition. Hβ could no more. Ihavo done what he did without a powerful patron than the early Portugucs3 navigators could have carried on without Dom Henrique. If •we had been writing oni Magellan, we should have told about his arrangements with Oharlee V., and the glowing proepects which he held out to tfiat monarch. The sentence in oar article about returning by the Cape of Good Hope must Ihave been a little loose if it conveyed the impression that Marian himself bo- returned, and we acknowledge the correction of our correspondent. It was his ship Victoria which completed the voyage, but the significance of the achievement is the same.