Lesson 4
Christopher Columbus (Concluded)
1912
 3. Christopher Columber (Continued) 5. The Cabots 
LESSON 4
Christopher Columbus (Concluded)

Indī Columbum amābant; isque, cum ad Hispānīam reditūrus esset[1], in īnsulā quādam colōniam parvam relīquit. Colōnī tamen iniūriās mox Indīs fēcērunt ac brevī[2] ad ūnum[3] ab eīs interfectī sunt.

Interim Columbus ipse domum properābat; subitō autem, cum laetus[4] per mare nāvigāret, tempestāte maximā coortā, nāvēs fluctibus paene complētae sunt. Tum ille scrīpsit litterās, quās in dōlia[5] conditās[6] in mare iēcit; crēdēbat enim nūllam iam esse spem, putābatque dōlia posse ad lītus ventīs ferrī, cīvēsque suōs ita certiōrēs fieri[7] dē eīs īnsulīs, quās ipse invēnerat. Sed maris violentiam[8] nāvēs sustinuērunt, et Columbus in Hispāniam incolumis[9] pervēnit; ubi[10] rēx et rēgīna eius rēbus gestīs[11] gaudēbant, cumque fēcērunt insulārum praefectum.[12]

Posteā ad Americam Columbus semel atque iterum nāvigāvit. Rem autem haud fēlīciter gessit, inopsque[13] postrēmō mortuus est. Etiam tum terrās, quās invēnerat, Asiae partem esse crēdēbat.


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  1. redītūrus esset: was about to return
  2. brevī: i.e. mox.
  3. ad ūnum: to a man.
  4. laetus: cf. p. 2, l. 16.
  5. dōlia: dōlium, -ī, n., cask
  6. conditās: freely, he placed ... (and); lit. what?
  7. certiōrēs fierī: be informed, or learn, lit. be made more certain. Supply posse with this clause.
  8. violentiam: violentia, -ae, f., force.
  9. incolumis: for rendering, cf. laetus, l. 8.
  10. ubi: there.
  11. eius rēbus gestīs: in his exploits.
  12. praefectum: cf. the predicate accusative (Indōs) with appellāvit, l. 2
  13. inops (-opis, adj.): in poverty.