![]() Landing of Columbus / 1847 oil on canvas by J Vanderlyn / via Commons | |
Country | Spain |
---|---|
Leader | Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n, Juan D铆az de Sol铆s |
Start |
Sanl煤car de Barrameda end March 鈥 end June 1508 / presumed |
End |
Seville 29 August 1509 |
Goal | to discover a western passage to la Especier铆a |
Ships | San Benito, La Magdalena |
Crew | ca 60 / presumed, inc Pedro de Ledesma, inc Alonso P谩ez, exc vars native Indian translators |
Achievements | First European survey of western Bay of Honduras |
The Pinz贸n鈥揝ol铆s voyage was a Spanish maritime expedition in 1508鈥1509 to the Bay of Honduras, and possibly to adjacent bodies of water, led by Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Juan D铆az de Sol铆s. It is thought to have been the earliest European reconnaissance of coasts in the western portion of the aforementioned Bay, and thus of the Caribbean shores of Belize, Guatemala, western Honduras, and possibly southern Quintana Roo, Mexico. [n 1]
Since the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain had expected but not received word of a western passage to la Especier铆a. [1] As the years wore on, the lack of progress became so glaringly obvious that on 13 March 1505 and again on 23 August 1506, Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Amerigo Vespucci were especially commissioned to redeem the frustrated record by discovery of such a passage. [2] For some reason or another, however, these commissions could not be promptly fulfilled. [2] Consequently, in March 1508, Ferdinand II of Aragon convened 'the most distinguished navigators' of the day to Burgos, to furnish him a course of action which would discover a western passage to la Especier铆a. [3] [n 2] As a result of which, on 23 March 1508, Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Juan D铆az de Sol铆s were jointly commissioned via capitulaci贸n to forthwith undertake the named venture in those seas north of Veragua, with the former given command over military matters, and the latter over maritime ones. [4] [n 3]
Pinz贸n and Sol铆s summarily headed to Seville on 25 March 1508 to enlist the carabela San Benito, Pinz贸n master, and the nao La Magdalena, Sol铆s master, for their armadilla, and 'renowned pilot' Pedro de Ledesma, and veedor and escribano Alonso P谩ez for their crew. [5] Once all had been readied, the cost of rent, wages, and provisions for the voyage is thought to have totalled almost two million maravedis. [6] [n 4]
Scarce little is known of the voyage's itinerary, and what little is known has proven contradictory. [7] Its date of departure from Sanl煤car de Barrameda, Spain, for instance, is not exactly known, though all preparations were finalised by May 1508. [8] [n 5] Its route is likewise imprecisely understood, as conflicting accounts of it exist.
Some accounts of the route, notably first-hand accounts by Ledesma and Pinz贸n, describe an itinerary which not only partly traced that of Columbus's fourth voyage from Cape Gracias a Dios west towards the Bay Islands, but further branched beyond it from the Bay Islands west towards Amatique Bay, then north towards Cape Catoche. For instance, Ledesma reported that 'they discovered, above the land of Veragua to the north, all which up to now [in 1513] has come to be known from the island of Guanaja northwards, which lands are called Chava帽in y Pintigua which they reached going north up to 23 degrees and 30 minutes.' [9] Similarly, Pinz贸n reported that they discovered '[lands] from the island of Guanaxa to the province of Camarona; going along the coast towards the east there is another province called Chaba帽in e Pintigue, which was discovered by this witness [Pinz贸n] and Juan Solis [Sol铆s], and that they similarly discovered going along the coast, a great bay which they named Gran baya [Bah铆a] de la Navidad, and from there this witness discovered the syerras [Sierras] de Carya and other lands too farther ahead, and that these provinces never the said don Crist贸bal col贸n [Columbus] nor any other ever reached.' [10] [n 6] If these accounts are to be believed, then, the voyage reconnoitred the southern and western coasts of the Bay of Honduras, that is, the Caribbean coasts of present-day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. [11]
Other accounts of the route, however, describe an itinerary which only traced that of Columbus's fourth voyage from Cape Gracias a Dios west towards the Bay Islands. For instance, Ferdinand Columbus, who had reportedly examined the voyage's route as charted by Ledesma, deemed the expedition simply a duplicate of his father's fourth voyage. [12]
In contrast to the above, a bit more is clearly known of the voyage's return. Pinz贸n and Sol铆s reached Santo Domingo in May 1509, where they watered for a few days while their ships were boarded and searched. [13] [n 7] The armadilla then took a few months crossing the Atlantic, finally arriving in Seville, Spain on 29 August 1509, where they offloaded 'diverse objects of guanines ' to be melted into ingots, and 'various' native Indians whom they had impressed, enslaved, or abducted. [14]
Route | Notes |
---|---|
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 F | cf [n 9] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 F | cf [n 10] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 Catoche 鈫 F | cf [n 11] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 Catoche 鈫 Tampico 鈫 F | cf [n 12] |
The voyage proved a failure, as it did not discover a western passage to the Spice Islands, and thereby helped to shift Spanish efforts to that end away from the Caribbean coasts of Middle America. [15] Curiously, swiftly upon disembarking, Pinz贸n accused Sol铆s of irregularities in contravention of their capitulaci贸n, leading to the latter's detainment pending further investigation. [16] Sol铆s was found not guilty, though, and awarded 34,000 maravedis in compensation, while Pinz贸n and Ledesma were awarded posts at the Casa de la Contrataci贸n. [17] [n 13]
The first print map to feature intelligence gathered by this Pinz贸n and Sol铆s voyage is thought to have been the Peter Martyr map, drafted on 4 December 1514 by Juan Rodr铆guez de Fonseca and Pietro Martire d'Anghiera for publication in reprints of the latter's 1511 Legatio Babylonica. [18] [n 14] Though the discovery of the Yucat谩n Peninsula is popularly credited to a 1517 expedition by Hern谩ndez de C贸rdoba, some scholars note the feat should properly be assigned to this Pinz贸n and Sol铆s voyage. [19] The voyage is further credited with the discovery of some 300 nautical leagues of coastline north and northwest of the Bay Islands, between 16掳 28' N to 23掳 30' N. [20] [n 15]
![]() Landing of Columbus / 1847 oil on canvas by J Vanderlyn / via Commons | |
Country | Spain |
---|---|
Leader | Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n, Juan D铆az de Sol铆s |
Start |
Sanl煤car de Barrameda end March 鈥 end June 1508 / presumed |
End |
Seville 29 August 1509 |
Goal | to discover a western passage to la Especier铆a |
Ships | San Benito, La Magdalena |
Crew | ca 60 / presumed, inc Pedro de Ledesma, inc Alonso P谩ez, exc vars native Indian translators |
Achievements | First European survey of western Bay of Honduras |
The Pinz贸n鈥揝ol铆s voyage was a Spanish maritime expedition in 1508鈥1509 to the Bay of Honduras, and possibly to adjacent bodies of water, led by Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Juan D铆az de Sol铆s. It is thought to have been the earliest European reconnaissance of coasts in the western portion of the aforementioned Bay, and thus of the Caribbean shores of Belize, Guatemala, western Honduras, and possibly southern Quintana Roo, Mexico. [n 1]
Since the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain had expected but not received word of a western passage to la Especier铆a. [1] As the years wore on, the lack of progress became so glaringly obvious that on 13 March 1505 and again on 23 August 1506, Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Amerigo Vespucci were especially commissioned to redeem the frustrated record by discovery of such a passage. [2] For some reason or another, however, these commissions could not be promptly fulfilled. [2] Consequently, in March 1508, Ferdinand II of Aragon convened 'the most distinguished navigators' of the day to Burgos, to furnish him a course of action which would discover a western passage to la Especier铆a. [3] [n 2] As a result of which, on 23 March 1508, Vicente Y谩帽ez Pinz贸n and Juan D铆az de Sol铆s were jointly commissioned via capitulaci贸n to forthwith undertake the named venture in those seas north of Veragua, with the former given command over military matters, and the latter over maritime ones. [4] [n 3]
Pinz贸n and Sol铆s summarily headed to Seville on 25 March 1508 to enlist the carabela San Benito, Pinz贸n master, and the nao La Magdalena, Sol铆s master, for their armadilla, and 'renowned pilot' Pedro de Ledesma, and veedor and escribano Alonso P谩ez for their crew. [5] Once all had been readied, the cost of rent, wages, and provisions for the voyage is thought to have totalled almost two million maravedis. [6] [n 4]
Scarce little is known of the voyage's itinerary, and what little is known has proven contradictory. [7] Its date of departure from Sanl煤car de Barrameda, Spain, for instance, is not exactly known, though all preparations were finalised by May 1508. [8] [n 5] Its route is likewise imprecisely understood, as conflicting accounts of it exist.
Some accounts of the route, notably first-hand accounts by Ledesma and Pinz贸n, describe an itinerary which not only partly traced that of Columbus's fourth voyage from Cape Gracias a Dios west towards the Bay Islands, but further branched beyond it from the Bay Islands west towards Amatique Bay, then north towards Cape Catoche. For instance, Ledesma reported that 'they discovered, above the land of Veragua to the north, all which up to now [in 1513] has come to be known from the island of Guanaja northwards, which lands are called Chava帽in y Pintigua which they reached going north up to 23 degrees and 30 minutes.' [9] Similarly, Pinz贸n reported that they discovered '[lands] from the island of Guanaxa to the province of Camarona; going along the coast towards the east there is another province called Chaba帽in e Pintigue, which was discovered by this witness [Pinz贸n] and Juan Solis [Sol铆s], and that they similarly discovered going along the coast, a great bay which they named Gran baya [Bah铆a] de la Navidad, and from there this witness discovered the syerras [Sierras] de Carya and other lands too farther ahead, and that these provinces never the said don Crist贸bal col贸n [Columbus] nor any other ever reached.' [10] [n 6] If these accounts are to be believed, then, the voyage reconnoitred the southern and western coasts of the Bay of Honduras, that is, the Caribbean coasts of present-day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. [11]
Other accounts of the route, however, describe an itinerary which only traced that of Columbus's fourth voyage from Cape Gracias a Dios west towards the Bay Islands. For instance, Ferdinand Columbus, who had reportedly examined the voyage's route as charted by Ledesma, deemed the expedition simply a duplicate of his father's fourth voyage. [12]
In contrast to the above, a bit more is clearly known of the voyage's return. Pinz贸n and Sol铆s reached Santo Domingo in May 1509, where they watered for a few days while their ships were boarded and searched. [13] [n 7] The armadilla then took a few months crossing the Atlantic, finally arriving in Seville, Spain on 29 August 1509, where they offloaded 'diverse objects of guanines ' to be melted into ingots, and 'various' native Indians whom they had impressed, enslaved, or abducted. [14]
Route | Notes |
---|---|
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 F | cf [n 9] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 F | cf [n 10] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 Catoche 鈫 F | cf [n 11] |
P 鈫 Guanaja 鈫 Izopo 鈫 Amatique 鈫 Chinchorro 鈫 Catoche 鈫 Tampico 鈫 F | cf [n 12] |
The voyage proved a failure, as it did not discover a western passage to the Spice Islands, and thereby helped to shift Spanish efforts to that end away from the Caribbean coasts of Middle America. [15] Curiously, swiftly upon disembarking, Pinz贸n accused Sol铆s of irregularities in contravention of their capitulaci贸n, leading to the latter's detainment pending further investigation. [16] Sol铆s was found not guilty, though, and awarded 34,000 maravedis in compensation, while Pinz贸n and Ledesma were awarded posts at the Casa de la Contrataci贸n. [17] [n 13]
The first print map to feature intelligence gathered by this Pinz贸n and Sol铆s voyage is thought to have been the Peter Martyr map, drafted on 4 December 1514 by Juan Rodr铆guez de Fonseca and Pietro Martire d'Anghiera for publication in reprints of the latter's 1511 Legatio Babylonica. [18] [n 14] Though the discovery of the Yucat谩n Peninsula is popularly credited to a 1517 expedition by Hern谩ndez de C贸rdoba, some scholars note the feat should properly be assigned to this Pinz贸n and Sol铆s voyage. [19] The voyage is further credited with the discovery of some 300 nautical leagues of coastline north and northwest of the Bay Islands, between 16掳 28' N to 23掳 30' N. [20] [n 15]