“I saw a boy of the crew purchasing javelins of them with bits of platters and broken glass.”
- 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 saw a boy of the crew purchasing javelins of them with bits of platters and broken glass.”
Explanation
In this quote, Christopher Columbus describes a moment during his journey when he witnessed one of his crew members engaging in an exchange with indigenous people. The phrase “purchasing javelins of them” reveals the interactions between the European explorers and the native inhabitants of the lands Columbus encountered. The “boy of the crew” may have been a young or lower-ranking member of the crew who, in a moment of scarcity, resorted to using whatever he had at his disposal—”bits of platters and broken glass”—to barter for weaponry or tools. The use of broken, discarded items as currency highlights the improvisation required in situations of resource scarcity, where traditional forms of trade were not yet established.
The choice of materials such as platters and glass further underscores the cultural clash that was taking place. While the European explorers viewed items like glass and porcelain as valuable, the native people may have seen them as curiosities or novelties, giving them a different value. This also reflects the early moments of cross-cultural exchange, where both sides were still learning how to navigate and understand each other’s value systems. It was an era where barter was often the only means of acquiring goods, especially in the absence of established markets or monetary systems.
In a broader context, the quote also serves as a reflection of the resourcefulness required in times of uncertainty. It can be interpreted as a metaphor for how humans, when faced with unfamiliar challenges, often turn to creative solutions. In modern times, such exchanges or resourceful actions could be compared to how people today might use alternative currencies or barter systems in the absence of cash, especially in situations of economic instability or necessity. The idea of trading nontraditional items for needed resources remains a timeless theme in human society.
