n tenderly attached to Beatriz, who survived
him many years. See Harrisse, tom. ii. pp. 353-357.]

[Footnote 493: The authority for Bartholomew Columbus having
sailed to the Cape of Good Hope with Dias is a manuscript note
of his own in Christopher's copy of the _Imago Mundi_: "Nota
quod hoc anno de 88 [it should be 87] in mense decembri appulit
in Ulixbona Bartholomeus Didacus capitaneus trium carabelarum
quem miserat serenissimus rex Portugalie in Guineam ad
tentandum terrain. Et renunciavit ipse serenissimo regi prout
navigaverat ultra jam navigata leuchas 600, videlicet 450 ad
austrum et 150 ad aquilonem usque montem per ipsum nominatum
_Cabo de boa esperanca_ quem in Agesimba estimamus. Qui quidem
in eo loco invenit se distare per astrolabium ultra lineam
equinoctialem gradus 35. Quem viagium pictavit et scripsit de
leucha in leucham in una carta navigationis ut oculi visum
ostenderet ipso serenissimo regi. In quibus omnibus interfui."
M. Varnhagen has examined this note and thinks it is in the
handwriting of Christopher Columbus (_Bulletin de Geographie_,
janvier, 1858, tom. xv. p. 71); and M. d'Avezac (_Canevas
chronologique_, p. 58), accepting this opinion, thinks that the
words _in quibus omnibus interfui_, "in all of which I took
part," only mean that Christopher was present in Lisbon when
the expedition returned, and heard the whole story! With all
possible respect for such great scholars as MM. d'Avezac and
Varnhagen, I submit that the opinion of Las Casas, who first
called attention to this note, must be much better than theirs
on such a point as the handwriting of the two brothers. When
Las Casas found the note he wondered whether it was meant for
Bartholomew or Christopher, i. e. wondered which of the two was
meant to be described as having "taken part;" but at all
events, says Las Casas, the handwriting is
Bartholomew's:--"Estas son palabras escritas de la mano de
Bartolome Colon, no se si las escribio de si o de su letra por
su hermano Cristobal Colon." Under these circumstances it seems
idle to suppose that Las Casas could have been mistaken about
the handwriting; he evidently put his mind on t