Read the passage.
This edition of the Columbus letter, printed in Basel in 1494, is illustrated. The five woodcuts, which supposedly illustrate Columbus’s voyage and the New World, are in fact mostly imaginary, and were probably adapted drawings of Mediterranean places. This widely published report made Columbus famous throughout Europe. It earned him the title of Admiral, secured him continued royal patronage, and enabled him to make three more trips to the Caribbean, which he firmly believed to the end was a part of Asia. Seventeen editions of the letter were published between 1493 and 1497. Only eight copies of all the editions are extant.
–"Columbus’s Voyage and the New World,” Library of Congress
Which statement best describes the viewpoint expressed in the passage?
The contents of the letter are corroborated by the illustrations of the voyages.
The fame that Columbus gained from his voyages is based on unreliable sources.
The illustrations of Columbus’s voyages are direct evidence of his accomplishments.
The trips that Columbus took allowed him to make important discoveries about the world.