Moreover, he protested, as indeed he had been doing for years, because
other navigators were imploring the monarchs to break their contract
giving _him_ a monopoly of western exploration, and to allow them
to undertake voyages, asking no government assistance whatsoever. Now
was the time for him to say, "It is to Spain's interest that she send as
many explorers as possible over to these new lands, in order that we may
quickly determine how many islands there really are, and whether what I
last visited was the mainland; only, pray let me hasten back free from
every responsibility except that of a navigator; so that I, who so
justly deserve the first chance of exploring the new lands, may get
there ahead of these others who are clamoring to go."
Had Columbus been businesslike enough to make this proposition to the
monarchs, he need not have died in ignorance of the prodigious fact that
he had discovered a great continent undreamed-of by Europeans. But,
instead of renouncing his monopoly, he complained that licenses had been
granted to others to sail west in violation of the agreement that he
alone, and his descendants after him, should sail among the new lands.
This attitude annoyed King Ferdinand exceedingly.
For Columbus to hope to keep this monopoly in his own family was
madness; as by this time other countries, having heard of his opening up
the way, had sent out explorers to plant their standards.
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