tr11_u1_colu.fm Page 47 Wednesday, September 21, 2005 12:17 !

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from 'ournal of t(e )*rst +oyage to mer*ca by ,(r*stop(er ,olumbus
Literary Analysis: Journals
-ournal *s an *nd*.*dual/s day0by0day account of e.ents. lt(oug( a -ournal pro.*des
.aluable deta*ls t(at can be suppl*ed only by a part*c*pant or an eye1*tness, *t *s not necessar*ly
an accurate record of facts. 2(e 1r*ter/s *mpress*ons may color t(e tell*ng of e.ents. )urt(ermore,
a -ournal 1r*tten for publ*cat*on3suc( as t(e -ournal of ,olumbus, 1(*c( 1as 1r*tten for (*s
*n.estors, t(e 4*ng and 5ueen of Spa*n3*s less l*4ely to be ob-ect*.e. "e.ert(eless, -ournals can
pro.*de *ns*g(ts *nto t(e 1r*ter/s personal*ty and c(aracter.
DIRECTIONS: Read each of the following excerpts from 'ournal of t(e )*rst +oyage to mer*ca.
Write what each excerpt reveals about Christopher Columbus.
1. 6 1ent as(ore, and found no (ab*tat*on sa.e a s*ngle (ouse, and t(at 1*t(out an occupant7
1e (ad no doubt t(at t(e people (ad fled *n terror at our approac(, as t(e (ouse 1as com0
pletely furn*s(ed. 6 suffered not(*ng to be touc(ed, and 1ent 1*t( my capta*ns and some of
t(e cre1 to .*e1 t(e country. ,olumbus tra.eled and sa1 many ne1 and d*fferent t(*ngs, t(at m*g(t be scary for
ot(ers, but *t d*dn/t stop (*m for go*ng for1ard.
2. 2(*s *sland e.en e8ceeds t(e ot(ers *n beauty and fert*l*ty. 9ro.es of lofty and flour*s(*ng
trees are abundant, as also large la4es, surrounded and o.er(ung by t(e fol*age, *n a most
enc(ant*ng manner. . . . 2(e melody of b*rds 1as so e85u*s*te t(at one 1as ne.er 1*ll*ng to
part from t(e spot, and t(e floc4s of parrots obscured t(e (ea.ens. 2(*s *sland 1as some 4*nd
d*fferent from ot(ers, *t/s not t(e f*rst 6sland ,olumbus (as been and not t(e tent( or t1ent*et(, (e recogn*:es t(e
d*fferences of (*s e8per*ence.
%. 6 d*sco.ered also t(e aloe tree, and am determ*ned to ta4e on board t(e s(*p tomorro1, ten
5u*ntals of *t, as 6 am told *t *s .aluable. ,olumbus 1asn/t tra.el*ng -ust for s*g(ts and e8per*ence, (e (ad
(*s 1ay to earn t(e bred also
4. Presently 1e sa1 se.eral of t(e nat*.es ad.anc*ng to1ards our party, and one of t(em came
up to us, to 1(om 1e ga.e some (a14/s bells and glass beads, 1*t( 1(*c( (e 1as del*g(ted.
We as4ed (*m *n return, for 1ater, and after 6 (ad gone on board t(e s(*p, t(e nat*.es came
do1n to t(e s(ore 1*t( t(e*r calabas(es full, and s(o1ed great pleasure *n present*ng us
1*t( *t. 6 ordered more glass beads to be g*.en t(em, and t(ey prom*sed to return t(e
ne8t day. ,ommun*cat*on *s *mportant 1(ere.er you are, ,olumbus d*dn/t (a.e a problem about *t, (e got along
1*t( t(e nat*.es, traded t(*ngs 1*t( t(em and d*dn/t -ust *ntruded t(e*r land 1*t( steal*ng purposes.
5. . . . 6 s(all depart *mmed*ately, *f t(e 1eat(er ser.e, and sa*l round t(e *sland, t*ll 6 succeed
*n meet*ng 1*t( t(e 4*ng, *n order to see *f 6 can ac5u*re any of t(e gold, 1(*c( 6 (ear (e
possesses. ,olumbus ne.er stopped, (e 1as al1ays ma4*ng plans for1ard, for (*s o1n 1elfare.
;n*t 1 <esources: 9at(er*ng of +o*ces
= Pearson >ducat*on, 6nc., publ*s(*ng as Pearson Prent*ce ?all. ll r*g(ts reser.ed.
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