Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Puzzling Discovery
Lousy journal keeping, poor maps, and the
exaggerated boasts of pretentious European
explorers cloud the account of Aruba's discov-
ery. However, most historians agree that the
island was visited by Spanish-sponsored
explorers sometime in 1499.
Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda (1466-
1508), who got his start under the command of
Christopher Columbus, ventured onto the
northern coast of South America, near what is
now Venezuela, soon after leaving Spain in
May of 1499. He most likely spotted Aruba 20
miles to the north, or perhaps the visibility
was poor, and a Caiquetio chief told him about
the nearby island.
Either way, de Ojeda did not adequately document an island exploration or
leave an irrefutable marker on Aruba. He did, however, write in his log-
book, “I came... to an island of giants!” But, that remark could have been
made about any of the islands, since archeological discoveries prove that
Indians living in the Caribbean at that time were much larger than the
average European.
Tradition and oral history claim that de Ojeda named the island Oro Hubo
(Spanish for “It Had Gold” - hubo is the third person past tense of haber ,to
have). But he didn't bring any gold back to Spain on that expedition, and
no one else claimed to find gold on Aruba until more than 300 years later.
Some experts say the island's name came, not from Oro Hubo, but from the
Caiquetio word oibubai , which means “guide.”
Whether or not de Ojeda is responsible for the island's discovery or its
name, a cross standing on a hill in the Aruban village of Santa Cruz is a
modern-day tribute to him.
Who Was Alonso de Ojeda?
De Ojeda was born in Cuenca, Spain around
1466 to noble parents who had good connec-
tions, but no money. He was able to get a job
working in the household of a duke, where
he met Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, a bishop
who became the Patriarch of the Indies.
The bishop arranged for de Ojeda to join
Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the
New World in 1493. On this trip, he distin-
 
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