The Final Voyages
Competition among the explorers was growing intense. Portugal had sent Vasco da Gama on an expedition in 1497. He reached India the next year. It's thought that this provided the impetus for the sovereigns to approve a third journey for the admiral.
Columbus sailed away on his third voyage to the New World in 1498. On this journey, he uncovered Venezuela and the islands of Trinidad and Margarita, and again visited Hispaniola, only to find revolts against his brother's rule. In 1500, in an effort to restore order and peace, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand sent another governor to Hispaniola. Columbus was arrested and sent back to Spain. Somehow he managed to finagle authorization to undertake a fourth voyage.
The trip in 1502 was the fastest Columbus ever sailed. He organized the entire fleet in roughly four weeks, with the goal of circumnavigating the world. He left on May 9, 1502, only three months after the new “Governor of the Indies” had been sent off, but he was forbidden to return to Hispaniola.
Columbus explored the Central American coast for nearly six months in search of the westward passage that remained elusive. He attempted to establish a gold-mining camp in Panama. The natives thwarted these plans, however. He and his men explored Martinique briefly and were shipwrecked off Jamaica, where they remained for a year awaiting rescue.
Finally a ship sent from Hispaniola rescued them. Columbus then set sail for Spain, where he arrived in poor health. During his audience with King Ferdinand (the queen had passed on), he was rebuffed; the king revoked the admiral's rights and titles. On May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died, still hanging on to the notion that he'd reached Asia.
