“I believe that there are many herbs and many trees that are worth much in Europe for dyes and for medicines; but I do not know, and this causes me great sorrow. Arriving at this cape, I found the smell of the trees and flowers so delicious that it seemed the pleasantest thing in the world.”
- August 25th to October 31st, 1451 – May 20th, 1506
- Born in the Republic of Genoa (now Italy)
- Explorer and navigator
- He reached the Americas on his voyage in 1492 and is known as the discoverer of the “New World.”
Quote
“I believe that there are many herbs and many trees that are worth much in Europe for dyes and for medicines; but I do not know, and this causes me great sorrow. Arriving at this cape, I found the smell of the trees and flowers so delicious that it seemed the pleasantest thing in the world.”
Explanation
In this quote, Christopher Columbus reflects on the unexplored potential of the New World’s natural resources, especially in terms of their economic value for Europe. Columbus expresses a belief that the herbs and trees he encountered could be valuable commodities in Europe, particularly for their use in dyes and medicines. The fact that he “does not know” these plants personally causes him sorrow, as he feels it is a missed opportunity for exploitation and trade. His sorrow reveals a typical colonial mindset, where the natural world was often seen as a resource to be utilized for the benefit of European powers, with little regard for the indigenous peoples who had long used these plants in ways that were integral to their cultures and livelihoods.
The second part of the quote shifts from his pragmatic concerns about commercial value to a more personal observation of the land’s natural beauty. The “delicious” smell of the trees and flowers is described as “the pleasantest thing in the world,” highlighting Columbus’s aesthetic appreciation of the environment he encountered. This sensory experience provides a brief glimpse of the wonder and awe that early explorers sometimes felt upon encountering new landscapes, but it also serves as a reminder that this beauty was often overshadowed by the colonial drive for resources. Columbus’s mixed feelings—appreciating the beauty of the land while also focusing on its economic potential—reflects the tension between personal admiration and the imperial agenda of exploration.
In modern terms, this quote underscores the complexity of colonial encounters, where European explorers simultaneously appreciated the natural beauty and resources of the lands they “discovered” while seeking to commodify them for European gain. Columbus’s sorrow at not knowing the medicinal or economic value of the plants also hints at the intellectual curiosity of explorers, but it also highlights the exploitative nature of the early colonial encounters. Today, the same plants Columbus might have sought to exploit are often the subject of bioprospecting debates, where questions of intellectual property, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable use of natural resources are at the forefront. This quote serves as a reminder of the long history of the extraction of natural resources from colonized lands, as well as the continuing global discussions about the ethics of such practices.
