interpreter; the canoe was then allowed to continue on its way. This was the first recorded contact between Europeans and the Maya. It is likely that news of the piratical strangers in the Caribbean passed along the Maya trade routes – the first prophecies of bearded invaders sent by Kukulkan, the northern Maya feathered serpent god, were probably recorded around this time, and in due course passed into the books of Chilam Balam. Following Christopher Columbus's death in Spain in 1506, Bartholomew returned to the Antilles in 1509, accompanying his nephew Diego, but Bartholomew soon returned to Spain when King Ferdinand II of Aragon confirmed his concession involving Mona Island near Puerto Rico; the King would reclaim the appealing little island from Bartholomew's heirs after Bartholomew's death on 12 August 1514 (by which time Bartholomew had returned to Hispaniola). Bartholomew Columbus is known to have fathered a daughter out of wedlock, named Maria and born in 1508. Legacy The island of Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean was named in his honour by Christopher Columbus. References Sources English edition: External links Bartolomé Colómbo Explorers from the Republic of Genoa Bartholomew Italian explorers Italian explorers of North America Colonial governors of Santo Domingo Dominican Republic people of Italian descent 1460s births 1515 deaths Spanish West Indies