Logbook of the First Voyage

Logbook of the first voyage

Because, most Christian, most high, most excellent and most mighty Princes, King and Queen of the Spains and of the islands of the sea, our Sovereigns, in this present year of 1492, after Your Highnesses had brought to an end the war against the Moors who reigned in Europe, and had concluded the war in the very great city of Granada, where in this present year, on the second day of the month of January, by force of arms I saw the royal banners of Your Highnesses raised on the towers of the Alhambra, which is the fortress of that city, and I saw the Moorish king come out to the gates of the city and kiss the royal hands of Your Highnesses and of the Prince my Lord.

Then, in that same month, on the information I had given Your Highnesses about the lands of India and about a Prince called the Great Khan (which in our language means King of Kings), and how many times he and his predecessors had sent to Rome to ask for doctors of our holy faith to instruct him in it, and the Holy Father had never provided them, Your Highnesses decided to send me, Christopher Columbus, to those lands of India. The aim was to see those princes, their peoples and lands, and to find the way to convert them to our holy faith.

Preparations for the voyage

Your Highnesses ordered that I should not go to the East by land, but by the western route, by which to this day we do not know for certain that anyone has passed. And so, after having expelled the Jews from your kingdoms and dominions in the month of January, you commanded that I should set out for those lands of India with a sufficient fleet. You granted me great favours, ennobling me with the title of Don, and appointed me Grand Admiral of the Ocean Sea...

Friday, 3 August

We set out on Friday, the third day of August 1492, from the bar of Saltés, at eight o'clock. We sailed with a strong sea breeze until sunset sixty miles southward, which is fifteen leagues; then to the south-west and south by west, which was the course for the Canaries.

Saturday, 4 August

They sailed south-west by south.

Sunday, 5 August

They kept their course, covering more than forty leagues between day and night.

Monday, 6 August

The rudder of the caravel Pinta, commanded by Martín Alonso Pinzón, jumped or came loose. It was believed and suspected that this was the doing of one Gómez Rascón and Cristóbal Quintero, who owned the caravel, because they were unhappy about making the voyage; and the Admiral says that before they set out these men had been found engaged in certain objections and quarrels, as they say. The Admiral was greatly troubled at being unable to help the caravel without danger to himself, and he says that some of his worry eased on knowing that Martín Alonso Pinzón was a brave and resourceful man.

Tuesday, 7 August

The Pinta's rudder came loose again; they repaired it and sailed in search of the island of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, covering twenty-five leagues between day and night.

Wednesday, 8 August

The pilots of the three caravels held differing opinions about where they were, and the Admiral proved the most accurate. He wished to go to Gran Canaria to leave the caravel Pinta there, because her rudder was in poor condition and she was taking on water, and he wanted to obtain another ship there if he could find one. They could not reach it that day.

Thursday, 9 August

Until Sunday night the Admiral was unable to reach La Gomera, and Martín Alonso stayed off the coast of Gran Canaria by order of the Admiral, because he could not sail. Afterwards the Admiral returned to Gran Canaria, and they repaired the Pinta very well, with much effort and diligence on the part of the Admiral, Martín Alonso and the others; and in the end they came to La Gomera.

Thursday, 6 September

That morning he left the port of La Gomera and set course to continue his voyage. And the Admiral learned from a caravel coming from the island of El Hierro that three Portuguese caravels were sailing in those waters to capture him: it must have been the envy the King felt because he had gone over to Castile. He was becalmed all that day and night, and in the morning he found himself between La Gomera and Tenerife.

Friday, 7 September

All Friday and Saturday, until three hours after nightfall, he was becalmed.

Saturday, 8 September

Three hours after nightfall on Saturday a north-easterly wind began to blow, and he set his course westward. He had a heavy head sea, which hindered his progress; and that day and night he would have covered nine leagues.

The rest of the logbook

This English version covers the prologue and the entries from 3 August to 8 September 1492. The full logbook, with every entry up to Columbus's return to Palos on 15 March 1493, is available in Spanish: Diario de a bordo del primer viaje.