By April 11, Columbus and six Taínos departed Seville for Barcelona, traveling by mule on a route through Córdoba, Murcia, and Valencia, as shown in red superimposed on the map contained in Encounters Unforeseen:
Crowds gathered as Columbus passed through to observe the “Indians” and their nakedness and gold jewelry.
The six Taínos likely discovered hunger in the destitute that waited for alms at churches where they stayed, and probably elsewhere in the cities and towns en route. Columbus had observed and noted in the Letter to Santángel (see February 10) that Taínos treated food as common property. Similarly, the six likely observed that Europeans treated food as private property and some hungered.
The six probably also observed that European society resembled their own in that it was divided into a ruling or noble class and commoners and/or workers. But, from Lisbon to Barcelona, they would have continued to witness the shackles of slavery, in addition to class, in daily life, likely stoking their fear that Europeans intended the same for the Taíno people.