Whether Columbus was a noble spirit bent on extending Christendom or merely a mercenary sailor in search of gold, slaves, and trade with China, he is still credited for bringing off an enormous gamble. To present a consecutive narrative of his voyages to the Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba, Trinidad and the mainland of America, this book combines reports and letters written by "the admiral" himself with large passages from the biography prepared by his son, chapters from Oviedo's "Official History", de las Casas' humanitarian account and other records.