, II. 68-78, or the account in Books II. and III. of the first
decade of Peter Martyr's _De Rebus Oceanicis_, or a literary
embellishment of some private letters like the translation into Latin by
Nicolo Syllacio of some letters he received from Guillelmo Coma who went
on the voyage. The Syllacio-Coma letter and Peter Martyr's account in its
earliest published form, the Venetian _Libretto de tutta la Navigatione
de Re de Spagna de le Isole et Terreni novamente Trovati_, are
accessible in English in Thacher, _Christopher Columbus_, II. 243-262,
489-502. These two narratives gave the European public its first
knowledge of the second voyage. The Syllacio-Coma letter was published
late in 1494 or early in 1495, and the _Libretto_ in Venice in 1504.

The translation of Dr. Chanca's letter given here is that of R.H. Major.
It has been carefully revised to bring it into closer conformity to the
original. Any noteworthy changes will be indicated. Attention may be
called to a somewhat important correction of the text on p. 304.

Of Dr. Chanca personally little or nothing is known beyond what has been
mentioned except that he devoted himself with zeal and self-sacrifice to
his duties. In the report of the Second Voyage which Columbus prepared
January 30, 1494, and sent off by Antonio de Torres February 2, he
charged Torres as follows in regard to Dr. Chanca. "You will inform their
Highnesses of the labor that Dr. Chanca is performing on account of the
many that are ill and the lack of supplies and that with all this he is
conducting himself with great diligence and kindness in everything that
concerns his duties," etc. Major, _Select Letters of Columbus_, pp. 93,
94.

E.G.B.

LETTER OF DR. CHANCA ON THE SECOND VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS

_A letter addressed to the Town Council of Seville by Dr. Chanca, a
native of that city, and physician to the fleet of Columbus, on his
second voyage to the Indies, describing the principal events which
occurred during that voyage_

_Most noble Lord_:--

Since the occurrences which I relate in private letters to other persons
are not of such general interest as those which are contained in this
epistle, I have resolved to give you a distinct narrative of the events
of our voyage, as well as to treat of the other matters which form the
subject of my petition to your Lordship. The news I have to communicate
are as follows: The expedition which their Catholic Majesties sent, by