MundoAndino Home : Andes Venezuela Guide at Mundo Andino
Pedro Alonso Nino
Pedro Alonso Nino (also Peralonso Nino) (1468 - 1505) was a Spanish explorer, also known as El Negro (the Black).
Born in Moguer, Spain, he explored the coasts of Africa, and accompanied Christopher Columbus during his third voyage that saw the discovery of Trinidad and the mouths of the Orinoco River. After returning to Spain, Nino made preparation to explore the Indies independently, looking for gold and pearls. Empowered by the Council of Castile to seek out new countries, avoiding those already found by Columbus, he committed to give 20% of his profits for the Spanish Crown. In the company of brothers Luis and Cristobal de la Guerra, respectively a rich merchant and a pilot, he left San Lucas in May, 1499 and, after twenty-three days, they arrived at Maracapana. Visiting the islands of Margarita, Coche, and Cubagua, they exchanged objects of little value for a large quantity of pearls before sailing up the coast to Punta Araya, where they discovered salt-mines. After just two months they were back in Bayona, Spain, loaded with wealth, but also accused of cheating the King out of his portion of the spoils. Arrested, and with his property confiscated, Nino died before his trial concluded.
Need more information for your travel research or homework?
Ask your questions at the forum about History of Venezuela or help others to find answers.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Pedro Alonso Nino
