The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, October 22, 2021
history
COLUMBUS
The statue of Columbus
I
write this on October 12, 2021. Exactly 529 years ago today, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina dropped anchor at San Salvador and, as they say, the rest is history. Whatever your reaction to the use of the word ‘discovered’, no one disputes the achievement of the captains and crews in opening ‘the New World’ to European awareness. In 1492, that world was totally different to what we have today, but to blame Columbus for all the sins that followed defies logic. Is he, for instance, responsible for all that took place in what is now Haiti? As a French colony, Haiti was the envy of the world. Does one blame Columbus for what Haiti has become? My father was considered an authority on Bahamian geography and history, and I heard him say over and over again that Governor James CarmichaelSmyth bought the statue (with
his own money) and placed it where it has stood for almost 200 years. He also explained that once finished, the person(s) who commissioned the statue could not afford to pay for it, so Carmichael-Smyth picked it up at a good price and called it Columbus. In the early 16th century, men did not dress the way the statue is dressed. It reminds me of one of the Three Musketeers. See the photo accompanying this article to see how Columbus would have been dressed. Columbus and ‘his’ statue are priceless tourist attractions and we Bahamians are missing out on a lot of prosperity by not capitalising on it. It is generally accepted that San Salvador is an island in the Bahamas. Columbus Day is celebrated far and wide, and were we a part of the United States, every true-blooded American would want to see where ‘the Admiral of the Ocean Sea’ came ashore. San Salvador
PAUL C ARANHA
FORGOTTEN FACTS needs more infrastructure and deserves daily flights from Nassau so visitors can get to and from the island. If it were decided that the statue is no longer needed in front of Government House, it should not be vandalised or destroyed. It could become the ‘meeter and greeter’ about 200 miles from Government House - a short hop for the man who criss-crossed the Atlantic Ocean. • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
THE DAMAGED statue at Government House
