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Primary sourceDiary entry1892 edition (text from 1492-1493 voyage)

Diario de Viaje

Christopher Columbus · 1892 edition (text from 1492-1493 voyage)

The Spanish-language text of Columbus's journal of his first voyage, describing his departure and the discovery of the Indies.

This is Columbus's own journal of his first voyage, a central primary record of his exploration.

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Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This is the original Spanish text of the journal kept during Columbus's first voyage, as preserved through the writings of Bartolomé de las Casas and published in an 1892 edition. It opens with an account of the voyage's purpose, written in the name of the Spanish monarchs.

Why it matters

This journal is one of the most important sources for understanding Columbus's own account of his 1492 voyage. It was transmitted through Bartolomé de las Casas, who copied and summarized Columbus's original writing, so readers are seeing Columbus's words filtered through another writer.

Look closer

  • Why might Columbus have addressed this account directly to the king and queen of Spain?
  • What does it mean that this text survives only through de las Casas's copy, not Columbus's own original pages?
  • What words or phrases stand out to you in the opening lines?

This diary entry is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Christopher Columbus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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