Knew it. In his diaries, Columbus explains how hard it was for him to scare up even just 3 puny little ships for his expedition but studiously avoids mentioning what happened to all the other ships and what they were busy doing. This was the time of the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Only a blind man (or a covert Jew) would fail to notice the exodus that was unfolding right where he was preparing to set sail. People who didn’t notice knew it was hitting too close to home.
Another issue with Columbus was that it always seemed that, though he was multilingual, none of the languages in which he was quoted directly was fully native to him. No culture fit him comfortably. Plus, you know, a visionary, an unquiet soul, a relentless seeker.

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