The Fourth Centenary of Columbus

Abstract

DURING the present year great celebrations will take place in Spain, Italy, and America, in memory of Columbus and his first adventurous voyage of 1492. Although no public commemoration is arranged for in this country, the Royal Geographical Society, fully conscious of the momentous nature of that first voyage, and of the enormous expansion of geographical science which has resulted from it, set apart last Monday evening for a special Columbus meeting. The usual exhibition of maps and pictures included a number of early charts of great beauty, and a fine photograph of a contemporary portrait of Columbus, recently made known by Mr. Markham. The paper of the evening, read by Mr. Clements Markham, C.B., F. R. S., was occupied with an account of recent discoveries with regard to Columbus, and the correction of many erroneous ideas widely enlertained until now. As a critical summary of perhaps one of the most difficult branches of research—that into the actual life of a popular hero enhaloed with centuries of tradition—this paper is of great value. An abstract of it, and of the appendices on other fifteenth century explorers, is given below.