GROUP MEMBERS

Leonora EdwardsShinifa McKenzie

Makail Pitt Schekeil Rochford

FOURTH VOYAGEThis is the fourth and final journey of

Christopher Columbus to 'The New World'. His mission was to explore uncharted areas

to the west of the Caribbean, hopefully finding a passage west to the orient.

However, this end to a set of adventures is dramatic in and of itself. Christopher

Columbus was not liked at his destination of Hispaniola but he was determined by his

life-long dream to find the link between the Indies and the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately he was still way off in his calculations and

still considered the Indies as being in Asia.

Christopher Columbus was 51 years old and still fairly sickly when he departed on May

11, 1502 on his fourth and final voyage. This adventure included 4 aging ships

( Capitana, Gallega, Vizcaina and Santiago de Palos) holding about 140 men. They

landed at Santo Domingo making a plea to be let into the docking area and gain

protection from the strong weather which was on its way. It was June 29, 1502 when they arrived and Columbus waited for a

response. While awaiting an answer, he sent a recommendation to the new governor

Nicolás de Ovando to delay a fleet heading for Spain because of the oncoming weather

conditions.

In the end Christopher Columbus was not allowed entry to the harbor and his

recommendation about the weather was also ignored. Ovando forced Columbus to anchor his ships in a nearby estuary and

ignored his advice, sending the fleet of 28 ships on to Spain. A tremendous hurricane sank 24 of them: three returned and only

one – ironically, the one containing Columbus’ personal effects that he wished

to send to Spain – arrived safely. A few miles away, Columbus’ ships were badly

battered, but all of them remained afloat.

FOURTH VOYAGEOnce the hurricane had passed,

Columbus’ small fleet set out to look for a passage west. The storms

continued, and the journey was a living hell. The ships, already

damaged from the hurricane, took more abuse. Eventually, they reached

Central America, anchoring off the coast of Honduras on an island that many believe to be Guanaja. There they repaired the ships and took on

supplies.

While exploring Central America, Columbus had an encounter many

believe to be the first with one of the major inland civilizations. His fleet found a trading vessel, a very long,

wide canoe full of goods and traders believed to be Mayan from the

Yucatan. Columbus, oddly enough, decided not to investigate this

interesting trading civilization: instead of turning north when he hit Central

America, he headed south.

Columbus continued exploring to the south, along the coasts of present-day Nicaragua, Costa

Rica and Panama. He met several native cultures, observing maize being cultivated on

terraces. They saw stone structures and discovered some interesting and vital facts

(which made Columbus even surer that he had found the path he had dreamed of). They traded

also for food and gold whenever possible. In early 1503, the ships began to fail. In addition to the battering they had taken from one hurricane and several major storms, it was discovered that

they were infested with termites.

FOURTH VOYAGE

It wasn’t until January 9th 1503 that Christopher Columbus made it to Rio Belen which he then used as a base for on going exploration. Upon his

return home he moved out with three ships which meant that one of the ships was left behind at the fort.

However, on the next day 6h April the river area drastically emptied itself

thus leaving the remaining ship trapped.

A sizable group of local Indians rushed to the fort in assault. However, they were not able to continue to hold the fort due to casualties. Therefore,

Christopher Columbus made a decision to leave the ship behind. This

leaving the ships in even worst condition with many leaks.

Things got even worst another vessel had to be left behind which

left them with only two ships. Another intense weather hit them severely damaging one of the two

ships. However, the both ships were taking in more and more

water from he ocean and the crew frantically tried to keep the ships a float but it was a losing battle.

On June 25 1503, Columbus made the decision to abandon ship for Jamaica and they found themselves stranded

on St. Anne’s Bay. Christopher Columbus then arranged with one of

his captains to purchase a canoe from a native and make his way to

Hispaniola.

Upon his return, the captain Diego Mendez was immediately imprisoned for the next seven months and was denied use of any vessel to save the stranded Christopher Columbus and

the remaining crew. Christopher Columbus was therefore left stranded

on Jamaica for about another year.

Diego Mendez was finally released and he further made his way to Santo Domingo but

found no vessels existed to salvage the mission.

He finally arranged a smaller ship to get the men and it was on June 29 1504 that the

group was discovered. And on November 7 1504 that Christopher Columbus set foot on his home island again and officially finished

his last and most memorable voyage.