I reached my destination at the West Indies without any incidents. While I was there, I ventured through the Caribbean Sea, visiting a lot of its islands. That trip lasted two and a half years. I was intrigued by the New World and drew maps of the West Indies and Central America. I recommended the idea of what would later be the Panama Canal to shorten sailing time. The Panama Canal was built over 300 years later. I returned to Spain in March of 1601. I kept a journal of all my travels throughout the voyage and wanted it to be published. The book was called Narrative of a Voyage to the West Indies and Mexico in the Years 1599-1602. It was published in French first and was translated to English in the 19thcentury. The most valuable part of my book, was the amazing maps of my journey that I had created. King Henry was so impressed with my maps of Central America that he offered me an official position, a royal geographer. I returned to France in 1602.
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