Despite the reports Columbus gave Ferdinand and Isabella of finding great riches, he mostly found a. timber and wool b. plants and animals c. salt and hawks bells d. wine and glass beads

Christopher Columbus, upon his arrival in the New World, did not find great riches in terms of gold and silver immediately. Instead, the most accurate option among the ones provided here would be b. plants and animals. Columbus encountered a variety of new species of flora and fauna that were unknown to Europeans at that time. Timber, which would be a significant resource, was also abundant. Columbus and his men also interacted with the indigenous peoples, trading items like glass beads and hawks bells, which were novel to the natives. However, vast quantities of gold, silver, or other stereotypical treasures were not immediately found during his early voyages.

Extra: The exploration of Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century was initially motivated by the search for new trade routes to Asia and the desire to find riches like spices, silks, and precious metals. Instead of reaching Asia, Columbus stumbled upon the Americas, which were continents unknown to Europeans at this point in history. In encounter with new lands, Columbus and subsequent explorers and colonizers found a wealth of new resources that were unknown in Europe, including new types of food like corn, potatoes, and tomatoes that would eventually have a significant impact on European diets and agriculture. Columbus thought he had found edges of Asia, hence the early reference to indigenous people as 'Indians'. However, it was only later understood that these lands were part of entirely new and separate continents. While Columbus did not find the immediate riches he had hoped for, his voyages marked the beginning of the period of European exploration and colonization that would drastically alter the course of global history.