Christopher Columbus discovered the New World during an expedition to India. Although he was not the first to reach America, he was the first to provide evidence of his discovery. In fact, during his four trips to the New World he wrote several letters to Luis de Santangel and to Ferdinand and Isabella (sovereign of Spain) in which he described his journey. These letters, which can be classified as an epistolary biographical work, were written in a formal tone and descriptive style; for example, in the first letter he refers to his interlocutor as “Lord” and in the last letter he states that he “prays for [their] Highnesses”. In this way, Columbus emphasized the authority of the curators and, at the same time, established the formality of his style. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first and last letters, however, differ in both content and purpose. The purpose of the first letter is descriptive; Columbus described his amazement at the great variety of greenery he encountered during his expedition, so much so that he concluded his letter by writing that “Espanola is a marvel”. He also described the success of his expedition and how he managed to subjugate the natives to his will without any opposition. From his letter it is clear that he considered the native inferior to himself and his wagon, and that he thought he had the right to conquer their land. The intent of the last letter, however, is explanatory. Although Columbus opened the letter with a concise description of the lands he had discovered by saying that they “are in a state of exhaustion,” this is the only description of the lands that can be found on that specific letter. At every other point in the letter Colombo sought to rehabilitate his name and credibility. He first placed the blame for the death of the lands on those who governed them, and then begged for mercy from the rulers..