In a passage on Columbus

Posted by Sphinx on October 19, 2003

At the age of twenty-four, by a lucky chance, Columbus was thrown into Lisbon, center of European oceanic enterprise. There, he conceived the great enterprise that few but a sailor would have planned, and none but a sailor could have executed. His idea was to reach "The Indias".

1.What does "thrown into" mean?
2.What does "few but", "none but" mean?

• In a passage on Columbus ESC 19/October/03
  • Few but R. Berg 19/October/03