Verrazano's voyage opened North America | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com

When explorer Giovanni da Verrazano was born in Florence in the late 15th century, Italian captains were among the best in the world. Having conquered the Mediterranean Sea, these bold mariners steered their ships into the Atlantic Ocean, where Christopher Columbus -- who was born in Italy but sailed for Spain -- made his electrifying voyage in 1492.

Inspired by the voyages of Columbus and other explorers, Verrazano developed into a capable navigator, and in 1524, he was commissioned by the king of France to explore the North American coast. Verrazano set sail aboard a small ship named La Dauphine and reached the Carolina coast without difficulty, but the Italian explorer prudently remained a safe distance from the beach.

Verrazano and other mariners were well-aware of the dangers of sailing in uncharted waters. On Christmas Day, 1492, the Santa Maria, the flagship of Columbus, struck a reef and sank off Hispaniola. Fortunately, Columbus had the Nina and the Pinta with him, and he was able to return to Europe safely. Verrazano had only La Dauphine, and any mishap would have left him marooned on the North American coast.

The explorer's caution, however, did not prevent him from learning more about the people of North America. At one point along the coast, Verrazano spotted a group of Native Americans on the beach and he sent a boat to investigate. As the explorer recalled, "A young sailor was attempting to swim ashore through the surf to carry them some knick-knacks ... when he came near three or four of them. He tossed the things to them and turned about to get back to the boat, but he was thrown over by the waves and so dashed by them that he lay as (he) was dead upon the beach."

The Native Americans retrieved the stunned sailor and began to carry him to a place where they had built a fire. Verrazano described what happened next. "The young man, finding himself borne off in this way uttered very laud shrieks in fear and dismay." The Europeans were convinced that the Native Americans were "were about to roast him for food."

As soon as the sailor had recovered his strength, however, the Native Americans walked him to the beach, where he boarded the boat to return to La Dauphine. With the sailor safely returned, Verrazano continued northward, where he sailed along the Delaware coast. His caution, however, kept him far from the beach, and he missed the entrance to Delaware Bay. Although he did not stop in Delaware, Verrazano's voyage opened North America to further exploration, and in the 17th century, a European colony was established in Delaware. Recently, a plaque dedicated to Verrazano was installed near the Cannonball House in Lewes.

After Verrazano filed a letter to the king, the explorer probably forgot about the incident involving the sailor and the mistaken intentions of the Native Americans. He should not have. In 1528, Verrazano was sailing in the West Indies, where he stopped near one of the islands and went ashore. According to the eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison, Verrazano was met by a group of island natives, who seized the explorer, built a fire and roasted him for food.

Michael Morgan taught high school history for 32 years and holds a master's degree in history from Morgan State University. He may be reached at spinway@aol.com.