While reading the more recent assignments in Todorov's book, there is a clear picture behind the motivations of Hernan Cortes; he wishes to take advantage of an aloof ruler in Montezuma and aquire as much riches from the new world as possible. Cortes' motives are fueled by greed and a desire for fame. Columbus has goals but I still am uncertain what is the driving force behind his ideals.
It is to be noted that Columbus was looking for a shortcut to the wealth of the far east, and did not intend to discover the new world. His reaction to the discovery of the native peoples I believe shows Columbus for what he wishes to be portrayed as; a pious explorer who attains wealth and documents his travels for the benefit of his investors (the Spanish monarchy in this case). I cannot determine whether he was motivated by a genuine religious devotion and a desire to attain knowledge, or if he was simply telling the Spanish throne what they wanted to hear.
I suppose my best guess is that it was a combination of the two theories. Todorov's book has several third party actors referenced who vouch for Columbus' religious devotion, which I'm going to make the assumption it worked well with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, a couple of Christian zealots. However, I'm not as confident that Columbus' fantastical voyages are not as well-intentioned. Columbus set out to find the far east, and in this he failed. Fearing that future voyages would not be funded, he described rivers of gold, mythical creatures, and a wild land full of wealth and wonder. I believe that a good portion of Columbus' journal entries are delibrately made up. While others can cite a lack of scientific knowledge and harmless exageration, I believe that quite a bit of the events described were completly made up for the purpose of gaining fame and ensuring business remains good in the future.
I have thought for some time and I am still no closer to deciding whether Columbus was a pious explorer doing what he thought was right or a shrewd businessman, perhaps both. I do not believe I will ever feel like I have a definitive answer, but hopefully as I continue to read I will gain a greater understanding of Columbus.
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Your guess that Columbus is part pious and part business-oriented is, I believe, entirely in the right. Our boy Chris was a creation of European society: imperialistic, with an underlying religious mentality. Whether this psyche was truly genuine or simply a way of rationalizing such endeavors is an entirely new debate, one that is just as confusing as your own. It is interesting to note the ludicrous claims in Columbus's journal. There is no scientific validity to such claims, but his motive may have been to mislead his superiors into believing that he was solely concerned with profit, as you pointed out. Overall, Columbus was a complex individual. I don't know that we will ever figure him out.
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