A dominant motive of Spaniards coming to the west indies was the desire for gold and silver so that they could become rich quickly. Evidences of gold in the greater Antilles had been obtained by Columbus on his first visit to the islands, and the subsequent discovery of gold and silver ensured thatthese islands would secure maximum attention. No evidence of precious metal was obtained in the lesser Antilles.

In terms of agriculture, the small islands possessed no advantage over the large islands. Instead, the bigger acreage of the latter would easily have made them the favourite of those seeking to engage in agriculture. Besides, whatever natural products the islands produced could be obtained more easily and in greater quantities in the large than in the small islands.

Compared with the greater Antilles, the lesser Antilles were more densely wooded, the forests often extending to the shore of the islands. In addition, the small islands were comparatively more mountainous, or alternatively, had a smaller percentage of flat land than the large islands. These geographical characteristics had their corresponding disadvantages. Forests made penetration and the establishment of settlements extremely difficult while the mountainous nature of the islands posed the additional problems of easy internal transportation and communication. Forests and mountains combined made the small islands unsuitable for cattle-rearing which was an essential occupation of the early Spanish settlers.

The question of security in the lesser Antilles made the greater Antilles favourites. The small islands were infested with fierce, warlike caribs in contrast to the more peaceful and tractable arawaks of the large islands. Carib raids against settlers would have been more potent and destructive in view of the existence of mountain fastnesses: these would have facilitated the escape of the caribs and prevent their easy dislodgement.

Inter-island communication was effected by means of sailing ships. Thus the direction of prevailing winds was of importance. The geographical position of the lesser Antilles made the approach to them from spain across the atlantic ocean before the prevailing north-east trade winds comparatively easy. But Spanish colonial administration was concentration in the large islands. To sail back from the lesser Antilles to the centres of Spanish power to the north-west was difficult.

Spanish neglect of the lesser Antilles made the islands vulnerable to other European nations who desired to establish colonies in the west indies. When this was achieved in the early 17th century, the way was paved for further incursion into Spanish monopoly in the new world.

                                   Columbus set off on his first voyage in 1492. He had three small ships and a crew of 100 men. After two months at sea, he sighted land. He thought it was India, and called the people there Indians. Actually, he had landed in an island in the Bahams, which form part of a group of islands that are now called the West Indies. On his second expedition, Columbus and his crew landed in an island, which they called Hispanolia. It is now known as the Dominican Republic. Since there was no gold and enough food, he went back to Spain. On his third trip in 1502, Columbus explored the coastline of what is now Venezuela. He made one more voyage, still eager to reach Asia by travelling west. This time he landed on the coast of central America, and named it Costa Rica. Though he never set foot in what became the United States, Columbus is often viewed as a hero in that country.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India in order to trade for spices. He was fascinated by tales of the Wealth of the East. However, no living European had been to these lands during his time. In fact, the last explorer to go to these lands had been Marco Polo. Columbus was inspired by Marco’s descriptions of the grandeur of Asia, and longed to see these places for himself. Columbus knew that the world was round, so he reasoned that if he sailed west across the Atlantic, he would eventually reach Asia. With his dream in mind, he set out on his voyages of discovery.

              Columbus was not the first person to reach America. Long before Columbus, the Vikings had reached America. However, Columbus was the first person to return to Europe with the news of a land that later became known as America. Columbus himself believed that he had landed in Asia and until his death he continued to believe so!

While a document with a royal patent from the time of Henry VII reveals that the merchants from Italy, John Cabot, as the person who first discovered America. In the document it is known that Cabot sailed from Bristol England to North America in 1497.

According to Discovery News, the document explains that Cabot made three trips between 1496 to 1498. In that period, in the year 1497 known Cabot landed in Newfoundland.

It is known from a private archive of Florence, the document also calls on payment of 50 noble sterling to Chabotte Giovanni (John Cabot) from Venice. It is the capital funds required for the expedition “went and found a new world”.

As quoted by the Daily Mail, the funds came from a banking institution called Bardi. Cabot called it received funding in 1496.

Historians also mention, that the Europeans have long discovered the New World, even before Columbus and Cabot start exploring.

“Early writings open up a whole new chapter in scientific Cabot. That suggests that the way Bristol is part of a wider network of the kind funded exploration company,” says historian Francesco Guidi-Bruscoli, from the University of Florence, told Discovery News.

Confuse

Guidi Bruscoli who wrote the study in the journal “Historical Research” is then explained that the findings illustrate that “new world”, not “a new world”. “The use is clearly confusing,” he said.

The phrase is thought to explain that Cabot didanau to find a world that has been known previously.

Meanwhile, researchers from Bristol, Dr Evan Jones says the findings are stunning. “We have long known that the Italian merchants and bankers to figure behind the success of exploration that made Portugal and Spain. It looks like a British explorer has always been marginalized,” said Jones, citing the Daily Mail website.

“Now we know that the British explorer is also part of a network of merchants Italian explorer who funded the expedition to explore the world,” said Jones.

Christopher Columbus was better known as the explorers who first ‘discovered’ America. However, a data bank revealed a form of borrowing, that there was another explorer who landed in North America before Columbus discovered in 1492.

As is known, in 1492 Columbus landed in the Caribbean. New note about the year 1498 Columbus landed on the American mainland.

While a document with a royal patent from the time of Henry VII reveals that the merchants from Italy, John Cabot, as the person who first discovered America. In the document it is known that Cabot sailed from Bristol England to North America in 1497.

According to Discovery News, the document explains that Cabot made three trips between 1496 to 1498. In that period, in the year 1497 known Cabot landed in Newfoundland.

It is known from a private archive of Florence, the document also calls on payment of 50 noble sterling to Chabotte Giovanni (John Cabot) from Venice. It is the capital funds required for the expedition “went and found a new world”.

As quoted by the Daily Mail, the funds came from a banking institution called Bardi. Cabot called it received funding in 1496.

Historians also mention, that the Europeans have long discovered the New World, even before Columbus and Cabot start exploring.

“Early writings open up a whole new chapter in scientific Cabot. That suggests that the way Bristol is part of a wider network of the kind funded exploration company,” says historian Francesco Guidi-Bruscoli, from the University of Florence, told Discovery News.

Confuse

Guidi Bruscoli who wrote the study in the journal “Historical Research” is then explained that the findings illustrate that “new world”, not “a new world”. “The use is clearly confusing,” he said.

The phrase is thought to explain that Cabot didanau to find a world that has been known previously.

Meanwhile, researchers from Bristol, Dr Evan Jones says the findings are stunning. “We have long known that the Italian merchants and bankers to figure behind the success of exploration that made Portugal and Spain. It looks like a British explorer has always been marginalized,” said Jones, citing the Daily Mail website.

“Now we know that the British explorer is also part of a network of merchants Italian explorer who funded the expedition to explore the world,” said Jones.

Illustrations (photos: google)

Live Science proclaimed, Monday (05/07/2012), the investigation reveals the history of the expedition a navigator as well asItalian explorer John Cabot, could have been first to identify the European expeditions to the “New World” that precedes the Columbus expedition.

Although said to be the discoverer of the Americas, Christopher Columbus did not reach the mainland of the “New World” until 1498 when he sailed to South America.

Meanwhile, further north, Cabot became the first European to land on North American soil. In those days, he made three expeditions to the sea Henry VII of England, in the summer of 1496 and 1498. The second expedition in 1497 to make it work to discover North America via Newfoundland.

Now, a brief note on the accounting books have revealed the hidden dimensions of Cabot’s discovery. Catanan shows in April, he received financial support from an Italian bank called Bardi, in London.

The note is found among the works of historian Alwyn Ruddock mendian. In it was revealed indications that the Europeans may have discovered the New World beberaoa decades before Cabot and Columbus.

The document recording payments worth 50 nobles sterling separately Cabotte Giovanni (John Cabot) from Venice. money was intended for her to do the expedition discovered the New World.

“This short entry opens a new chapter in kecendikiawanan Cabot. This shows that the sea expedition Bristol is part of a wider network of companies who supported the exploration of Italy,” explained historian Francesco Guidi-Bruscoli from the University of Florence.

Guidi Bruscoli, detailing his findings in the journal Historical Research. He noted that the short note referring to the “new land” (il nuovo Paese in the original Italian version). Not for anew land (”un nuovo Paese”).

“The use of the definite article (’il’ – ‘the’) rather than the use of ‘a’ (’un’ in Italian) is confusing,”said Guidi Bruscoli.

The phrase implies that money given to Cabot that he could find a land whose existence was already known. The Bardi, a lot of people who are not interested, will have a sound economic reasons to pay for what is almost certainly the invention.

Because Cabot patents apply only in certain places it as the land is “not known a Christian,” it seems impossible “new lands” iswhat one called the Columbus had discovered four years earlier.

“Unfortunately, we only have a clue. While the entries showed that the Bardi believe in the prior art, we can not assume this has happened,” said Guidi-Bruscoli.

14. Explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, Italy.

13. Christopher Columbus was the eldest of five children. Christopher Columbus had two sons by different mothers.

12. Columbus was a light-eyed person having reddish hair. Ironically, there exists no authentic portrait of Christopher Columbus.

11. Columbus’ father and his mother’s family were wool merchants. In his youth, Columbus helped his father with weaving.

10. Columbus made four voyages to the Caribbean and South America between 1492 and 1504.

9. It took him five weeks to make the journey to the New World.

8. Columbus’s speculative proposal to reach the East Indies by sailing westward received the support of the Spanish crown, which saw in it a promise, of gaining the upper hand over rival powers in the contest for the lucrative spice trade with Asia.

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7. Columbus had promised a reward of gold to whoever saw land first. A sailor named Rodrigo de Triana was the first to see land on October 12, 1492. However, Rodrigo never got the reward however: Columbus kept it for himself.

6. Columbus, who was a fine explorer, turned out to be a lousy governor. He was so bad that the Spanish crown sent a new governor to Santo Domingo and Columbus was arrested and sent back to Spain in chains.

5. The names of the Ships of Christopher Columbus were The Nina, The Pinta and The Santa Maria.

4. He taught himself Latin, because that was the language in which geography books were written.

3. Columbus owned shops selling maps and charts.

2. He died of Reiter’s syndrome on May 20, 1506.

1. With the passing years, Columbus grew religious. He claimed to be hearing divine voices.

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 Genetic analysis of the bacterium that causes syphilis , is said to suggest that its closest relative is the originator of tropical skin disease that occurs exclusively in South America.

 The team , which dealt with the analysis of spirochetes , a spiral bacterium causing the disease syphilis , led Kristin Harper . According to her, ” Columbian ” theory of importing disease mariners may apply .

Theory supported by the results of extensive research
The context of the first European epidemic of syphilis with the return of Christopher Columbus’ ships have existed for a long time , but now such a conclusion supported by extensive phylogenetic research. Researchers compared the strains of Treponema bacteria that causes syphilis and other diseases in 26 locations around the world. And they came to the fact that syphilis has the highest affinity with the skin disease , which occurs only in South America.

According to Harper bacteria this skin disease after introduction into Europe, mutate , and so was syphilis , which later in the Old Continent decimated millions of people.

  Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that has previously often ended with the death of the patient. At present it is much less widespread and can be relatively easily treated with antibiotics.