Dr. Cleveland W. Eneas Sr. addressed the Rotary Club of East Nassau October 1989. His Discovery Day remarks follow. INTRODUCTION Prof. Leo Wiener: The news is easily captured the Moorish CAPE OF GOOD Africa and the Dis- confirmed by Chris- stronghold of Ceuta HOPE This weekend is covery of America, topher Columbus in North Africa, and a holiday weekend, which was published - because on his sec- this inspired them With the knowl- and we are having more than a half cen- ond voyage to the to go further south edge of what was in a public holiday on tury ago. I quote Americas, the natives along the coast of the East and espe- Monday to celebrate Sertima: “Profes- described repeat- Africa finding peo- cially what was in Discovery Day. It is sor Wiener had been edly to him the black pled settlements all India, this achieve- also called Colum- working on a gram- men who traded with along the way. ment of the Portug- bus Day, and is cele- mar of American lan- them, and whose ese, spurred them on brated in many parts guages in the early spears were tipped of the Western world, years of this century, with gold.” including the United when he stumbled He went on with States. Almost 500 upon a body of lin- well documented years ago, a cele- guistic phenomena notes and references brated Genoese sailor that indicated clearly to describe some named Christopher to him the presence of the possible evi- Columbus happened of an African and dences as to the like- upon an island in our Arabic influence on lihood of all this. archipelago, which DR. CLEVELAND some medieval Mexi- This is not pertinent none of his peers W. ENEAS can and South Ameri- to this Discovery Day knew was there. can languages before talk but I brought In the western the European contact it up as a matter About the author part of this globe period.” of interest related we now know about This English to the discovery of Cleveland W. Eneas Sr. is a some time them, but the Euro- author then went into America. Our talk is practising dentist who is employed part pean of the 15th cen- a serious search for about Columbus and time by his older son, Dr. Cleveland W. tury had no positive evidences to prove the effect his discov- Eneas Jr. He is a Bahamian-Bahamian, knowledge that they such a theory, and ery had on the world. having been born in the middle of Bain existed. Town, in the middle of the summer of 1915. came up with some The people of In spite of the fact that most people believe I have told you, startling revelations Europe and Asia that he is the oldest man in Nassau, he’s the last time I talked about “the secret had written histo- still in the youth of old age. to you on this sub- route from Guinea”. ries, many centuries ject, about a study For this discussion before the 15th. They He is the son of the late Bishop W. V. by an English author allow me to quote had gone through Eneas of the Church of God. He was edu- named Ivan Van Ser- briefly from Sertima centuries of develop- cated in the schools of Nassau, and then tima entitled They one evidence that he ment and recorded his father sent him to Tuskegee Institute, Came Before Colum- came up with: “Chris- their achievements where he finished high school in 1933, and bus in topher so that the people of earned a B. Sc. degree in 1937. He and his which he, Colum- Europe, Asia Minor, wife Muriel, a retired headmistress of St. in a very bus is at and North America Anne’s High-School, have just returned scholarly dinner, had certain knowl- from Tuskegee University, where he cele- manner, intriguing edge in common. brated his 15th class reunion. discusses with Don Marco Polo in the He is a graduate of Meharry Medical the Afri- Juan, the 13th century had College in Nashville, Tenn., in the class of can pres- king of travelled to the East 1941. Upon graduation, he taught gross ence in Portugal, and described graph- anatomy and oral surgery for six years at ancient who first ically the kingdom Meharry. America. tells him of Prester John, the He has practiced general dentistry in Ivan Van of a secret empire of the Grand Nassau since 1947. He is in partnership Sertima trade Khan and the gold with his son, whom he describes as “a very was prodded to make route that Africans and silver of Java and benevolent boss.” His other children are: Dr. this study after dis- have been travelling India. The Portugese Judson F. Eneas, who is practising internal covering the work of to the New World. in 1415 attacked and medicine and nephrology in Nassau, and a Harvard Linguist, to the desire to round the far East by mak- what Portugal had Dr. Agreta Eneas, who is practising family the Cape of Good ing a western voyage. done in Africa with medicine at the Princess Margaret Hospi- Hope, like Vasco da In the 13th century, colonies and free tal. Gama, to get these Roger Bacon’s sci- labour. Dr. Eneas is a charter member of the treasures. Europe’s entific methods led The Crusades had first Kiwanis club to be formed outside of dreams and ambi- him to speculate that failed but the zeal the continental U.S.A. and Canada – the tions in the 15th there was land and that was built up Kiwanis Club of Nassau – and is still an century consisted ocean distribution for the propagation active member in that club. He has served mostly of reaching all over the globe and of the faith and the in many positions in Kiwanis, from chair- India and the East. by sailing west from saving of the Holy ing programme committees, president in To reach the riches Spain for a few days Land for the Chris- 1969-1970; Lt. Governor in 1974 for which of the East was nec- one would arrive in tians was still pres- he received a distinguished Pin. essary for them, for western Asia. ent. This zeal had to His hobbies are many, but chiefly golf as the Estates Gen- Columbus of have an outlet some- and writing, in which pursuits he is ably eral of France com- Genoa was a sailor where and so dis- assisted by his wife. It is said that he is plained in 1484: two and navigator of covering new lands a very good golfer, but never learned how Popes had drained great learning, espe- and expanding their to make good scores. He has written and France of more than cially of things per- overseas possessions published three books: Bain Town, Let the two million in gold. taining to geography ensured most of this, Church Roll on and his latest, Tuskegee, Other countries must and mathematics. As especially in Spain Ra! Ra! have suffered the a youth, he studied and England. Dr. Eneas has been the chairman of the same fate and needed all that was available There were two Bahamas Golf Federation for a number of a bolstering of their in these faculties and economic factors years. He is the chairman of the boards economies. made “Marco Polo’s that also spurred the of trustees for both the Southern Public It never occurred accounts of China interest in Columbus’ Library and the Nassau Public Library. to the Europeans almost his bible.” He, venture. First, the that the riches of the therefore, planned a European in the Med- He is a Presbyterian elder, and superin- East belonged to the voyage to put to the iterranean area had tendent of the Sunday school at the Kirk in people of the East test Bacon’s spec- learned from India Nassau. and were not theirs ulations, and was how to process sugar, In the 1989 New Year’s honours he was to take. To them, the assured by the great and had their facto- made an Officer of the British Empire. world was theirs. The Italian geographer, ries and plantations Pope had divided the Pablo Toscanelli that in Sicily and Cyprus. GREAT CONTRO- team through the aid world up between his intention was Second, Europeans VERSY of computers, found Spain and Portugal in sound. had learned from that Columbus did 1455 and France and AN INDEPEN- the Portugese and The certainty land in The Bahamas Britain and the other DENT PORTUGAL the Moors how to as to where he first but not at San Sal- countries of Europe tap colonial labour. landed is still a mat- vador, but at a place assumed their own- Political and When Columbus left ter of great contro- called either Savan- ership later and took economic changes Spain on August 3rd, versy. Historians nah Cay or Samana the Pope’s gesture as brought about much 1492 (exactly 500 have come to the Cay. a joke. unrest in Europe. years to the day I was arbitrary conclusion At this point, I Europe was burst- The nation state was married - in 1992 that it was an island wish to quote from ing at the seams with on the rise and the I would have been in The Bahamas that the thesis of a Baha- people and its econ- shape of Europe was married 50 years) he we now call San Sal- mian student, Karen omy was being dev- drastically altered. was equipped with vador. The natives Stewart, which she astated.