Frenchcreoles.com

Dedicated to Mr Gilbert Martin , Author of the Creole Chronology

SAILING INTO HISTORY

Source

Columbus sailed from Palos de la Frontera on 3 August, 1492. His flagship, the Santa Maria had 52 men aboard while his other two ships, the Nina and Pinta each held 18 men. The expedition made a stop at the Canary Islands and on 6 September 1492 sailed westward.

Let us look at the first voyage and the victuals embarked on the three vessels, the Nina, Pinta andSanta Maria. The first problem was to obtain supplies of food, wine and water. At the Canary islands

they picked up fresh water, wood and the famous Gomera goat cheese.

Columbus' first voyage had the best victuals (and enough to last a year), not the case in his other voyages.

The menu for Spanish seamen consisted of water, vinegar, wine, olive oil, molasses, cheese, honey, raisins,rice, garlic, almonds, sea biscuits (hardtack), dry legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, salted and barreledsardines, anchovies, dry salt cod and pickled or salted meats (beef and pork), salted flour.

The olive oil andperhaps olives were stored in earthenware jugs. All other provisions were stored in wooden casks which,according to some reports, were of cheap and faulty construction permitting the preserving brine to leak outof the meat casks and moisture to invade the casks of dry provisions.

All were stored in the hold, the driestsection of which was normally reserved for those casks carrying dry provisions. A cooper (barrel maker) wasresponsible for keeping the casks tight, an almost impossible challenge.

Food, mostly boiled, was served in a large communal wooden bowl. It consisted of poorly cooked meat withbones in it, the sailors attacking it with fervor, picking it with their fingers as they had no forks or spoons. Thelarger pieces of meat were cut with the knife each sailor carried.

At the time of Columbus, the only means of cooking was an open firebox called "Fogon." It was equipped with

SAILING INTO HISTORY

Columbus sailed from Palos de la Frontera on 3 August, 1492. His flagship, the Santa Maria had 52 men aboard while his other two ships, the Nina and Pinta each held 18 men. The expedition made a stop at the Canary Islands and on 6 September 1492 sailed westward.

Let us look at the first voyage and the victuals embarked on the three vessels, the Nina, Pinta andSanta Maria. The first problem was to obtain supplies of food, wine and water. At the Canary islands

they picked up fresh water, wood and the famous Gomera goat cheese.

Columbus' first voyage had the best victuals (and enough to last a year), not the case in his other voyages.

The olive oil andperhaps olives were stored in earthenware jugs. All other provisions were stored in wooden casks which,according to some reports, were of cheap and faulty construction permitting the preserving brine to leak outof the meat casks and moisture to invade the casks of dry provisions.

All were stored in the hold, the driestsection of which was normally reserved for those casks carrying dry provisions. A cooper (barrel maker) wasresponsible for keeping the casks tight, an almost impossible challenge.

Food, mostly boiled, was served in a large communal wooden bowl. It consisted of poorly cooked meat withbones in it, the sailors attacking it with fervor, picking it with their fingers as they had no forks or spoons. Thelarger pieces of meat were cut with the knife each sailor carried.

At the time of Columbus, the only means of cooking was an open firebox called "Fogon." It was equipped with

a back to screen it from the wind. Sand was spread on the floor of the box and a wood fire built on it. Of course,all this was obliterated in stormy weather.Later on, portable ovens were made available to set up ashore whenthe opportunity arose.

The wines while rich in character were not fortified at that time. Fortificationcame much later. During the days of calm at sea, the sailors would fish and then cook their catch.

Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus - Anglo revisionism), captain-general

Juan de la Cosa, owner and master (no surname)

Diego de Arana, master-at-arms (no surname)

Pedro de Gutierrez, royal steward (no surname)

Rodrigo de Escobedo, secretary of the fleet (no surname)

Rodrigo Sanchez, comptroller

Diego de Salcedo, servant of Columbus (no surname)

Luis de Torres, interpreter (no surname)

Pero Nino, pilot - some say he was Pedro Alonso Nino, a Black man nicknamed "EL NEGRO".

Pedro de Terreros, cabin boy (no surname)

Rodrigo de Jerez (no surname)

Alonso Chocero

Alonso Clavijo

Andres de Yruenes (no surname) Portuguese?

Antonia de Cuellar, carpenter (no surname)

Bartolome Biues

Bartolome de Torres (no surname)

Bartolome Garcia, boatswain

Chachu, boatswain (no surname)

Cristobal Caro, goldsmith

Diego Bermudez

Diego Perez, painter

Domingo de Lequeitio (no surname)

Domingo Vizcaino, cooper

Gonzalo Franco

Jacomel Rico

Juan, servant (no surname)

Juan de Jerez (no surname)

Juan de la Placa (no surname) Portuguese?

Juan Martines de Acoque

Juan de Medina (no surname)

Juan de Moguer (no surname)

Juan Ruiz de la Pena (no surname)

Juan Sanchez, physician

Lope, joiner (no surname)

Maestre Juan

Marin de Urtubia (no surname)

Pedro Yzquierdo

Pedro de Lepe (no surname)

Rodrigo Gallego, servant

Pero Sanches

Rodrigo Monge

Sancho Ruiz, pilot