Peter O. Koch - To the Ends of the Earth : The Age of the European Explorers

To the Ends of the Earth

For Abelene, Eric, Alex and Sara

Ever since his emergence on earth, man has endeavored to learn more about his immediate surroundings, and to this end he has continued to expand horizons for future generations. By various modes of transportation, he has ventured forth into the great unknown, and every step of the way he has discovered not only something new about the world around him but also learned a bit more about his own nature. In his eternal quest for answers, man has had to endure the harshest forces of nature, overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and learn to confront his fears. For those fortunate enough to have reached the journeys end there were the earthly rewards of discovering a new land, crossing an unknown body of water, or encountering the wondrous marvels of another civilization.

Beginning with the worldly vision of Prince Henry the Navigator and concluding with the Homeric odyssey of Ferdinand Magellan, this book tells of the daring exploits, the great triumphs, and the terrible tragedies that befell the many bold explorers who sought to discover a route to the splendid treasures of the Far East. Motivated by a lust for wealth, a taste for spices, and a penchant for adventure, these intrepid sailors forever changed our perception of the world around us. This is a tale that started out as a religious crusade, a blind faith quest that led to the discovery of many earthly delights. It was Muslim merchants who first introduced the European palate to a vast assortment of rare spices and other unusual and exotic items that had their origins in a mysterious region of the world commonly referred to as the Indies. The spices that reached the many markets scattered throughout Europe came in a variety of forms and had a vast array of uses, but the spices that excited European senses the most were those that enhanced the flavor of food, produced a pleasing aroma, or possessed medicinal value. A burning desire to acquire that which did not come naturally to them evolved into a unique European trait, one which, besides sowing the seeds of capitalism, instilled the widely accepted concept that conquest and colonization could be justified as part of a grand schemea manifest destiny sanctioned in the name of Christianity.

This European race to become the first to reach the legendary lands of the Indies by way of the sea pitted the tiny nation of Portugal against its much larger neighbor Spain. While the emphasis of this book is on the many voyages of discovery launched from the shores of the Iberian Peninsula, the major contributions of another European peninsula have not been overlooked. Though they may have sailed under the flags of other nations, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and John Cabot are explorers forever linked by a common heritagethey were all proud sons of Italy. These adventurous-minded foreigners had a great deal in common with visionary men such as Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan of Portugal as well as Alonso de Ojeda, Vicente and Martn Pinzn, Vasco Nez de Balboa, and Juan Sebastin del Cano of Spainin particular, a desire to discover a pathway to the treasures of the Far East.

My aim is to present this intriguing tale of discovery in as clear, concise and objective a manner as possible. This book offers a glimpse into the dreams, fears, disappointments, and triumphs of the many men who dared to face the perils of the great unknown. Together we shall stand beside Christopher Columbus at the shores of Hispaniola, sail along the virgin coast of South America with Amerigo Vespucci, march through the dense jungles of Panama with Vasco Nez de Balboa, and bravely fight alongside Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan. It is my hope that the reader will gain a better understanding of the major events and various circumstances, which, when combined, culminated in one of the most significant periods in all of history. These were the voyages of discovery that helped to tear down longstanding barriers, explode age-old myths and misconceptions, and broaden our horizons until finally, the world was made whole.

Those who have never seen themselves surrounded on all sides by the sea can never possess an idea of the world, and of their relation to it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe