Kungani uChristopher Columbus acabanga ukuthi wayehambe ngomkhumbi eya e-Asia kunokuba aye eMelika? Yimaphi amamephu ayenawo?
Isizathu esenza uColumbus akholelwe ukuthi wayesefinyelele e-Asia siboniswa ebalazweni loLwandlekazi i-Atlantic lango-1474, elenziwe isazi sezibalo, isazi sezinkanyezi nomklami wendawo yonke uPaolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli waseFlorence. Le mephu kamuva yafakwa e-atlas yezincwadi nezomlando yaseMelika nguBarttholomew ngo-1884, nezindawo eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ezimakwe izifunda ezazingekho ekuqaleni ebalazweni.  UToscanelli waba yisibonelo kuColumbus, owathola incwadi evela kuye ngo-June 25, 1474. Le ncwadi yathunyelwa kumfundisi uFernam Martins eLisbon, owabuza uToscanelli egameni leNkosi u-Alfonso V ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuba afinyelele eNdiya ngomzila osentshonalanga.  Ibalazwe libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uColumbus waphefumulelwa futhi wadukiswa uhlelo lukaToscanelli, olwalubukela phansi ububanzi bomhlaba. Lokhu kubalwa okungalungile kwaholela uColumbus ekubeni akholelwe ukuthi wayesefinyelele eJapane esikhundleni sezwekazi elisha ngokuphelele nelingajwayelekile eliphakathi kweYurophu neAsia.  Icebo likaToscanelli lalihilela ukuhamba ngomkhumbi uye entshonalanga eduze nenkabazwe ukuze afike eNdiya nasemazweni acebile aseMpumalanga Asia. Ibalazwe uToscanelli alifaka, manje elahlekile, laliqukethe imingcele esentshonalanga yeYurophu ne-Afrika, kanye nemingcele esempumalanga ye-Asia, ne-Atlantic Ocean phakathi. Nokho, uToscanelli wayekholelwa ngephutha ukuthi ibanga lalingeyesithathu nje kuphela somjikelezo woMhlaba, lingaphansi kakhulu kunebanga langempela.  Encwadini, uToscanelli ubhala, phakathi kwezinye izinto:  Sengike ngakhuluma kanye ngaphambili ngomzila owela ulwandle oya ezweni lezinongo, omfushane kakhulu kunalowo amaPutukezi ayehamba ngawo eGuinea. Yingakho manje iNkosi icela ukuba nginikeze ukwaziswa ngale ndaba, noma kunalokho inikeze incazelo ecacile ukuze ngisho nabantu abangenalo ulwazi lwesayensi baqonde ukuthi kumelwe ukuba ikhona le ndlela. Nakuba ngazi ukuthi isekelwe esimweni somhlaba esiyindilinga, noma kunjalo, ukuze ngiqondwe kangcono futhi ngenze umsebenzi ube lula, nganquma ukufakazela ukuthi ikhona indlela enjalo ngokusebenzisa ibalazwe lolwandle elakhiwe ngokukhethekile. Ngakho-ke ngithumela umbusi wakhe ibalazwe engilidwebe ngokwami, lapho ngibeke khona ugu neziqhingi ezingasetshenziswa njengamaphuzu okuqala lapho umuntu ethatha uhambo olunjalo futhi kulolu hambo ugcina inkambo eqinile yasentshonalanga