Travel and Discovery

Montezuma was the leader of the Mexican tribe. He was very traditional with his customs and beliefs of the tribe. Cortez was the leader of the explorers from Spain. When reading the story, I felt sympathetic towards Montezuma because his land and idols were being destroyed. However, as the story progressed I began feeling the most sympathetic towards Cortez. He came to this land to do what he thought was right: civilize and teach these people about Christianity. In the meantime, Cortez became extremely close to Montezuma. He loved Montezuma like a brother. I can't imagine how painful it must have been for Cortez to ultiamately lose his dear friend, Montezuma. Although the destruction and chaos that Cortez and his men caused may seem unnessecary, Cortez truly believed it was his purpose. It is a shame that Montezuma died, and the two were not able to continue their friendship.


Mandeville discusses several unique natives of the lands where he had traveled. First, he describes some of the natives of Ethiopia. He says that these people have one, large foot. Amazingly, they are able to travel around quickly on their giant foot. He says that the same people are yellow when they are children, but become black when they age. Although the children may darken as the grow, I doubt that they could turn from yellow to black. The one giant foot sounds very strange to me in this day and age. However before the many advances in medicine, if a person lost a leg, they would have to learn to live with one. Nowadays, people can get prosthetic legs. Another group of natives that he discusses are from the isle of Dondun. These people kill their loved ones when the idols tell them that they will die. After they kill the sick person, they cut up the bodies and everyone eats it. This horrific act is not common in today's society. However, I'm not surprised to think that some cultures would partake in this disgusting ritual. Mandevill goes on to discuss many other natives. For example, he describes people that travel on their hands and feet like beasts. These natives also are said to leap from tree to tree. This description is realistic in my eyes. I can believe that the uncivilized cultures of Ethiopia and other countries were beast-like before the English men came to their lands. This true story is hard to imagine occurring today, but when I consider the fact that this happened hundreds of years ago, I can believe it.

Christopher Columbus desired that the new lands would give Spain many new spices and goods. He also hoped to discover gold mines in the new world, so that Spain could have more money. He believed these things were possible because of his faith and devotion to God. He says that the Lord will provide "victory over things which seem impossible" to His followers. Most importantly, Columbus expects to bring many people and nations to Christ. He hopes for the "conversion of so many peoples to our holy faith." Therefore, there is a direct correlation between Columbus' expectations and his Christianity. He is able to experience the new world with a grateful heart because he knows that God is providing for him and blessing his endeavors. He sees the natives as people who need to know about God, not as hopeless savages. His faith also impacted his experience.