And Columbus' last European port was Galway, Ireland where he picked up an Irish navigator who had already been to the "New World". The Irishman turned out to have been the first one to reach and step on the shore with the landing party.
And, I don't want to hear that he was just looking for a pub!
Back to the topic, I know all that stuff about the Chinaman is true because I saw it in the Prince Valiant comic strip a year or two ago.