Note 173-1 — JOURNAL OF THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS (continued 2)

I.e., Spanish Isle, not “Little Spain,” which is sometimes erroneously given in explanation of the Latin Hispaniola. This last is a Latinized form of Española and not a diminutive. Las Casas, I. 367, in the corresponding passage, has “Seeing the greatness and beauty of this island and its resemblance to Spain although much superior and that they had caught fish in it like the fish of Castile and for other similar reasons he decided on December 9 when in the harbor of Concepcion to name this island Spanish Island.”

At a period some time later than his first voyage Columbus decided that Española and Cipango were the same and also identical with the Ophir of the Bible. Cf. his marginal note to Landino’s Italian translation of Pliny’s Natural History, “la isola de Feyti, vel de Ofir, vel de Cipango, a la quale habio posto nome Spagnola.” Raccolta Colombiana, pt. I., vol. II., p. 472.