ABSTRACT
Columbus acquired the navigational ability that was to stand him in good stead during his famous expedition. His personal experiences have helped shape his behavior and expectations when he departed on his famous voyage. Columbus depended on his navigational skill and on divine help, but he was also lucky. After three months in the Caribbean, the voyage back with the two remaining caravels was quick and uneventful; Columbus was highly honored on his return to Spain and made Governor of the Indies. He had made exploration of the Americas a family concern, bringing over his brothers, Bartholomew and Diego, and his two sons, Fernando and Diego, the latter of whom achieved the post of Governor of the Indies in 1509. In the meantime, the Portuguese continued to combine control over the eastward route to Asia, sending out Vasco da Gama's expedition in 1497, by which time Columbus had already returned from his second voyage to the Americas.
