Samuel E. Morison's Columbus Expedition Reaches United States After Five Months of Following Explorer's Courses

For the first time since they sailed last August, Samuel E. Morison '07 professor of History, and his Columbus Expedition set foot on the soil of the United States. They docked in New York this morning aboard the United Fruit liner Veragua.

Sailing with the avowed intent to evaluate the discoverer Christopher Columbus as a navigator and sailor, the expedition for the last five months has been following his exploring courses into the Carribbean Sea and along the coast of South and Central America.

Expedition Sailed in August

The expedition started last August 28, as the eight members of the expedition and four others sailed aboard the Capitana, 147 foot ketch named after Columbus's ship on his third voyage of discovery. Horta in the Azores and Lisbon, Portugal were the first ports of call. In Lisbon the party met the second ship of the expedition, the Mary Otis, a 45 foot ketch and sailed on to Cadiz and Madeira.

It was then that the expedition turned toward the American shores and followed the route taken by Columbus. The sources of information for this route were old manuscripts and records of his voyages. After a visit to the Canary Islands, the ships headed toward Triuidad. Then they followed the coast of South and Central America according to the courses, mapped out by the old records, when they left the island of Triuidad which they reached on December 15.

Expedition Members

Besides Professor Morison, the members of the expedition were: his wife Captain John W. McElroy, Herbert F. Hossmer, Jr., Richard S. Colley, Dr. Clifton W. Anderson, Kenneth R. Spear and Richard Spear.