Читать книгу The Lost Diary of Christopher Columbus’s Lookout - Clive Dickinson - Страница 9

Two days ago I was really excited about the news in the Royal Proclamation.

Now I’m not so sure.

All over Palos, people are talking about it. From what I’ve heard, Captain General Cristobál Colón has been banging on about this voyage for ages. It seems that he’s come up with a brand new way of reaching the Indies – the place where all our spices come from, not to mention expensive goods like silk and precious stones. Some say that he was here in Palos several years ago. By then he’d already tried to get the King of Portugal to pay for his expedition, but Portuguese experts told the King to save his money.

Of course he isn’t the only one to have these big ideas. For a long time sailors from over the border in Portugal have been exploring down the coast of Africa. Until four years ago, all they did was keep sailing southwards. They reckon that if they keep going, they’ll find a new route to the Indies. But it wasn’t much use, because to get to the Indies you have to go eastwards. That was one of the first things I learned from Master Isaac. So I guess the Portuguese are going to be sailing forever.

But four years ago, in 1488, Bartolomeu³ Dias sailed back to Portugal with earth-shattering news. He’d discovered the bottom end of Africa, the southern tip, where the land stops and our Ocean Sea carries on round into another stretch of water, which must lead to the Indies.

If he’s right, the Portuguese have discovered how to sail to the distant lands of Asia – the Indies. But having to sail right round Africa to get there will make it an awfully long trip – and however long would it take to get back?

Captain General Colón’s idea couldn’t be more different. Perhaps that’s why so few people take him seriously. After being turned down by the King of Portugal, he took his plan to our King and Queen.

This was six years ago, in 1486. He told them that he’d worked out how he could cut down the distance to the lands of Asia by sailing westwards! The man must be mad!

It sounds daft, but he must have done some clever talking, because Their Majesties ordered a group of Spanish experts to look at the plan. But the experts turned down the idea just like the Portuguese. I heard somewhere that the Captain General had fiddled the distances to make Asia look closer to Spain than it really is.

Who’s to say who’s right? No-one knows what lies over the horizon. There are still a few people who think the earth’s flat and that you’ll fall off the edge if you sail too far in any direction! At least most people now know that’s a crazy idea.

In Master Isaac’s library I read books which describe terrible monsters out beyond the Ocean Sea. Then there are those stories about sailors from lands in the far north – where the Vikings lived back in the last millennium – that tell of sailing westwards and finding land.

I also read about a holy man from Ireland who did the same thing. St Brendan was supposed to have sailed away in a boat made of leather, to find land to the west.

Who are they trying to kid? That was over 500 years ago, and what do you hear of Vikings, St Brendan or those lands now? Nothing. I can see why so many experts don’t believe in the Captain General’s plan.

But the King and Queen must have believed him, because Colón’s got his money and his ships. This could be the change of scene that I wanted. I am going to see what more I can find out…