We have all encountered the common misconception that Columbus’ crew was afraid of sailing off the edge of the earth, as if the explorer’s view of a round world were something new.
Columbus’ crew may have been fearful and unruly, but not because of any fear of an edge to the earth. They were concerned because they were sailing south – into the “torrid zone” – where they thought the heat might evaporate the water to render the seas too shallow for their ships. They also may have been concerned that a westward voyage to reach the Indies was impossible because they didn’t have enough food and water to cover such a distance (and they were correct – they didn’t have enough provisions for a voyage to Asia and would in fact have died had they not bumped into the Americas).
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