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Rh men, and became an able pilot, but retired from active service and was the senior partner of the firm of Pinzon Brothers, ship-builders at Palos de Meaner. According to Francis Parkman in his " Pioneers of France in the New World," Pinzon sailed mi lioard the vessel of one Cousin, a navi- gator of Dieppe, in 1488, and they were on the coast of Africa when their vessel was forced by storms far to the southwest, where they descried an unknown land and discovered the mouth of a mighty river. On the return voyage Pinzon's con- duct became so mutinous that Cousin made com- plaint to the admiralty, and the offender was dis- missed from the maritime service of the town, communicating on his return to Spain the discovery to Columbus. The same fact is cited by Leon Guerin in "Navigatenrs Francais," and by Charles Estancelin in " Navigateurs Xormands." But other historians affirm that Pinzon had not navigated for years when, being called to Rome on business, he heard of the projects of Columbus, and made in- quiries at the holy office. There he learned of the dimes and tithes that had been paid to the holy see before the beginning of the loth century by a country named Vinland, and saw charts that had been made by the Xorman explorers, after which he resolved to trust Columbus. On his return to Spain he was consulted by Queen Isabella'saih Lsers on Columbia's schemes, and gave a favorable answer, which greatly aided the Genoese navigator, and when Columbus obtained permission to arm three ships, Pinzon provided an eighth of the ex- penses. He took command of the caravel " La I'ini.i." but I'min the first showed his desire to rival Columbus, always sailing in advance of the other ships and refusing to obey the admiral. When land was seen, Pinzon pretended to have been the first to discover it, and a Te Deum was sung on board his ship. On 21 Nov., 1492, he separated from the expedition off Cuba for the purpose of taking possession of the treasures that were to be found in that island, according to the natives. When he again met Columbus, on his return voyage in January, 1493, near Cape Monte Cristo. he attributed his parting company to stress of weather, and the admiral feigned to believe his excuses. On the homeward journey he separated from Columbus again in a storm off the Azores, and made all possible sail for the purpose of ar- riving before the admiral and claiming the dis- covery ; but he was carried by a hurricane to Galicia, where he was detained several days, and asked by letter an audience from the king. lie arrived in Palos on the evening of the same da with the admiral and set out immediately for Madrid, but was met on his way by a messenger who forbade his appearance at court. Anger, envy, and resentment shattered his health, and he died a few weeks later in Palos de Moguer. His brother, Vicente Yanez. Spanish navigator, b. in Palos de Moguer about 1460; d. there about 1524, provided a No an eighth of the expenses for the expedition of Columbus, and was appointed commander of the caravel "La Nina." 1'nlike his brother, he was always faithful to the admiral, and when the flag- ship Santa Maria " was wrecked, 24 Dec., 1492, off the coast of Hispaniola, he rescued Columbus, who embarked upon Pinzon's vessel. According to Gomara, he accompanied Columbus in his second and third voyages to the New World ; but other his- torians dispute this. In 1499. having obtained a concession for new discoveries, he armed four caravels in partnership with his nephew. Arias Martin, and sailed from Palos de Moguer, 13 Nov., 1499. Steering to the southward, he crossed the ei|uinoetial line, lost sight of the north star, and on 20 Jan., 1500, descried land, being thus the first to discover Brazil, and naming the Cape Santa Maria de la Consolacion (now Cape St. Agustinlmi. Hi 1 landed with a notary and witnesses to take pus- session of the country for the king of Spain, but, being attacked by warlike Indians, re-embarked. and. coasting to" the northwest, discovered the mouth of the Amazon, which he called Santa Maria de la Mar Uulce, and continued to explore the coast to the Gulf of Paria. He arrived in Spain on 30 Sept. after a disastrous homeward voyage, in which he lost two ships and all his fortune. In 1500 he associated himself with Juan Diaz de Solis (q. ?'.) for the discovery of a passage from the Atlantic to the Indian ocean, and after landing on the coast of Honduras, in the island of Guanaja, they entered the Gulf of Mexico and discovered Yucatan and the Bay of Cam] ieac.li y. which they called Nati vidad. On his return he was summoned to court to consult with Americo Vespucci upon new discoveries to In- made. Again, in association with Solis, he went in 1508 on a new expedition to South America, and coasted the shores of Brazil from Cape St. Agns- tinho to latitude 40" S. He quarrelled with Solis, and on their return to Seville in 1509 they were not, received with favor. Solis was imprisoned, and Pinzon escaped punishment only on account of his long services. After that time he gave up na i Ca- tion and settled in Palos de Moguer. Pinzon's descendants exist in Huelva and Moguer, and they have always been navigators. He wrote a relation of his explorations, which is preserved among the manuscripts in the archives of Simancas. Another brother, Francisco Martin, b. in Palos de, Moguer about 1462 ; d. at sea in July, 1500, served as a pilot under his brother, Martin Alonso, in the ex- pedition of 1492, and was likewise hostile to Co- lumbus. After the death of his elder brother he became the managing partner of the business firm in Mogucr. ami, having reconciled himself with his brother, Vicente Yafiez. he was attached as pilot to the expedition of 1499. During the homeward journey he commanded one of the two ships that went down in a hurricane off Hispaniola, and a- lo-t with all his crew. Their nephew. Arias Mar- tin. Spanish navigator, b. in Palos de Moguer in 14(i."i ; d. there in 1510, was the only son of an elder brother, and was already a pilot of repute at the time of the expedition of Columbus. He embarked as such on board "La Nina," was a stanch supporter of Columbus during the voyage, and often took the admiral's part against Martin Alonso, his uncle and former guardian. Arias accompanied ( 'olninbus also in his second and third voyages to America, and in 1499 obtained, with his uncle, Vicente Yanez, permission to make new discoveries. Stres-ol' weather separated him for sometime from the latter, but they joined again, toward the close of January, 1500, off Cape St. Agustinho, and they sailed in company to the mouth of the Amazon, when they parted again, Vicente steering for the Guiana coast, while Arias made sail to the south- ward along the coast of Brazil. It is probable that he advanced as far as the present Bay of Uio Janeiro. In the Gulf of Paria he fell in again with Vicente Yafiez. During the following years he established a trade between Moguer and Cuba, His- paniola, and the other American possessions, in which he made a large fortune. In 1507 and 1509 he accompanied the expeditions of his uncle, Vicente, and Solis, which proved unfortunate. Several his- torians assert that Arias Pinzon wrote a narrative of hi- travels which is preserved among the manu- scripts of the Escorial ; but this has not been proved.