The History of Rubber: Christopher Columbus. During his second voyage, Christopher Columbus saw that the indigenous Haitians played with rubber balls. (Liebig Collectible Cards. Series: 'Caoutchouc' ('India Rubber '). No.1. CC: Explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. c. 31 October 1451 20 May 1506. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
