In introducing these letters for the first time to the English reader, it will perhaps be necessary to forewarn him that he is not to expect to find in them a detailed history of all the events that occurred in the four important voyages to which they refer. The inducement to translate them has been, that though falling far short of a complete history, they are yet filled with a most interesting series of incidents, described by the pens of those to whom these incidents occurred; while at the same time they present us, from Columbus's own mouth as it were, with a clear view of his opinions and conjectures upon many remarkable and important subjects; and of the magnanimity with which he endured an accumulated burthen of unmerited affliction.

The translated documents are seven in number. Five of them are letters from the hand of Columbus himself, describing respectively his first, third, and fourth voyages. Another, descriptive of the second voyage, is by Dr. Chanca, the physician to the fleet during that expedition; and the seventh document is an extract from the will of Diego Mendez, one of Coluinbus's officers during the fourth voyage, who gives a detailed account of many most interesting adventures undertaken by himself, but left undescribed by Columbus.

It will be requisite, however, for the satisfaction of the reader, to enter more minutely into the history of each of these documents individually.