Luis de Torres

Luis de Torres ( perhaps originally ben Joseph ha -Levi Haivri; * in the 15th century in Spain, † 1493 in La Navidad ) was a Spanish Judeoconverso. He accompanied Christopher Columbus in 1492 as an interpreter for his first voyage of discovery to America.

Life

Luis de Torres was the governor of Murcia as an interpreter. Because of his language skills he was taken as a member of the crew of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus to America by 1492. Torres spoke Spanish as well as Portuguese, Hebrew, Aramaic, and some Arabic. It should be used in discussions with the Great Khan. Torres was baptized shortly before departure. Contrary to earlier opinion, he was probably the only member of the crew of Jewish origin.

When Columbus landed on Cuba, he supposed to have found the home of the Great Khan. On November 2, 1492 he sent Torres along with Rodrigo de Jerez and two Indians inland from to make inquiries and to make connections. Torres and his companions returned after four days. They reported that they had been received by the local population who lived in big houses, friendly. Gold they found none, but they received indications of spices. Next they told that the locals rolled dry leaves in their hands, " to be fumigating their customs in accordance with ". Torres and Rodrigo de Jerez thus were the first Europeans who had observed tobacco smoking.

Luis de Torres was probably one of the 39 men who remained with Columbus' return to Spain to Hispaniola and the fortress of La Navidad founded. The first Spanish settlers in America came soon with each other and with the Indians in dispute. When Columbus landed on his second voyage to America in November 1493 on Hispaniola, he found the settlement destroyed. All Spaniards, including probably Torres, had been killed.