# The Indians on Hispaniola couldn't see Christopher Columbus' ships **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872 "2010-10-21T11:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/41 "2010-10-22T06:40:56Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I highly doubt that there was anything else going on of such monumental importance at the same time that the natives of Hispaniola would have been distracted from paying attention to enormous floating islands of trees. Hence my inclusion of the word _“different”_ in reference to the process as it relates to those natives, whom I doubt had difficulty seeing Columbus’ ships in the first place. Although, perhaps the Hispaniola natives were in the habit of counting waves while peering out onto the oceanic horizon, who knows. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/42 "2010-10-22T07:07:23Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Honestly, I think the story just comes from a misunderstanding of perceptual blindness, which is basically the fact that people don’t notice things that they’re not looking for. Check out this link for more information: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo) > [@Tibbytoes](#): > > However, a different, but related process, [selective](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention) [attention](http://www.csun.edu/%7Evcpsy00h/students/arousal.htm)(as a psychological theory), does illustrate how, under certain circumstances, our perceptions may be profoundly confounded by the environment. For those of you unfamiliar with this [selective attention test](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo) video, give it a try. The irony! It burns! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/43 "2010-10-22T08:47:15Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Very true. I challenge anyone to find Indian-shot footage of the original landings. There’s a lot of it available. However, the idea that native Americans in the late 15th century had film cameras just blows our mind to the extent that we can’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/44 "2010-10-22T09:07:26Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > There’s a lot of it available. However, the idea that native Americans in the late 15th century had film cameras just blows our mind to the extent that we can’t see it. Score. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/45 "2010-10-22T11:29:15Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > If I shipped my iPad back to 1968, and showed it to the bigwigs at IBM, they would not immediately grasp that the computer I held in my hand was many times more powerful than their vaunted [System/360 Model 25](http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_2423PH2025.html). > The further revelation that the absurdly advanced device was dedicated primarily to _entertainment_ purposes would boggle their minds. But, they would be able to see it, wouldn’t they??? hh ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/46 "2010-10-22T11:37:17Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I highly doubt that there was anything else going on of such monumental importance at the same time that the natives of Hispaniola would have been distracted from paying attention to enormous floating islands of trees. That was the last time the stars were right, and they were distracted by Great Cthulhu rising from the depths. Happens more often than you might think. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/47 "2010-10-22T12:44:53Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > The irony! It burns! > 😛 …has anyone seen my car keys, I swear they were right here a minute ago? ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/48 "2010-10-22T17:22:23Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Very true. I challenge anyone to find Indian-shot footage of the original landings. I’m now imagining a 15th-century Bart Sibrel confronting Columbus, demanding that he admit the so-called ‘New World landings’ were faked. Followed, of course, by Columbus cold-cocking the twerp. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/49 "2010-10-22T17:46:55Z")
Columbus makes no mention of any such thing happening in his [letter to King Ferdinand](http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/garden/columbus.html) about the voyage, nor anywhere else. Since the Indians left no accounts, I have to wonder what the source of the information is supposed to be. Columbus’s account of his initial encounters with the Taino: > [@](#): > > As soon as I arrived in the Indies, in the first island which I found, I took some of the natives by force, in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts. And so it was that they soon understood us, and we them, either by speech or by signs, and they have been very serviceable. At present, those I bring with me are still of the opinion that I come from Heaven, for all the intercourse which they have had with me. They were the first to announce this wherever I went, and the others went running from house to house, and to the neighbouring towns, with loud cries of, “Come! Come! See the men from Heaven!” So all came, men and women alike, when their minds were set at rest concerning us, not one, small or great, remaining behind, and they all brought something to eat and drink, which they gave with extraordinary affection. > > In all the islands, they have very many canoes, which are like rowing fustas, some larger and some smaller; some are greater than a fusta of eighteen benches. They are not so broad, because they are made of a single log of wood, but a fusta would not keep up with them in rowing, since their speed is an incredible thing. In these they navigate among all those islands, which are innumerable, and carry their goods. I have seen one of these canoes with seventy or eighty men in it, each one with his paddle. Now the Indians were evidently quite impressed with Columbus and his men. But even his flagship the Santa Maria only had a crew of 40; the Indians had canoes that held double that. I’ve read many accounts of the first encounters between Europeans and native peoples; I’ve never heard of any incident like that mentioned in the OP. Basically it’s just made up out of whole cloth. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/50 "2010-10-22T17:56:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Columbus makes no mention of any such thing happening in his [letter to King Ferdinand](http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/garden/columbus.html) about the voyage, nor anywhere else. Since the Indians left no accounts, I have to wonder what the source of the information is supposed to be. IIRC, I first heard this bit of nonsense back in the 70’s. It could have been Erich von Däniken, Carlos Castaneda, Timothy Leary, Baba Ram Dass or even L. Ron Hubbard who first introduced the anecdote. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872/51 "2010-10-22T18:47:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s also … and I’m a little embarrassed to bring in this PC-sounding element, but I think it fits … very Eurocentrically biased. Come on now. The Spanish were so much more advanced than the natives that the natives couldn’t even _see_ their ships? Their minds were so throughly blown they couldn’t even see large wooden boats? It’s a preposterous idea. Specifically, there’s been a pretty common trope of finding various bizarre things to claim about just how differently those primitive/backwards (or alternatively, mystical/spiritual/noble-savage) Aboriginal North Americans’ minds work. This is just more of the same. I affectionately remember [this admirable and concise take-down](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5397190#post5397190) of similar foolishness: > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > One of the Jurors, a Navajo, said that that language didn’t have a distinct word for dog but used the term “shit eating horse.” It gave me a new appreciation for why the marine code talkers in WWII were so effective. > > The Navajo word for “dog” is “lha-cha-eh”, meaning “dog”. The Navajo word for “horse” is “lin”, meaning “horse”. > > Like most people, Navajo (and other Native Americans) are in fact capable of distinguishing between different animals and coming up with unique words for them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-indians-on-hispaniola-couldnt-see-christopher-columbus-ships/557872.md?page=2)