According to a correspondence between Behem and his uncle discovered of late years by De Murr, it appears that the early part of his life was devoted to commerce.
"The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (Vol. II)"
Washington Irving
De Murr assures us that they are not to be found in the German translation of the book by George Alt, which was finished the 5th October, 1493. But even if they were, they relate merely to the discovery which Diego Cam made of the southern hemisphere, previously unknown, and of the coast of Africa beyond the equator, all which appeared like a new world, and as such was talked of at the time.
"The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (Vol. II)"
Washington Irving