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HOW AND WHEN DISCOVERED.

PART I.

tion.

the church, increasing its treasures, and bringing within Introducits sacred pale the benighted and degraded people of unknown and heathen lands.

prise.

to

This was the moment of all others the most opportune, and the appeal was not idly or ineffectually made. Isabella ordered Columbus to be recalled, declared that Isabella he should be employed on his own terms, and entered pledges so enthusiastically into his speculations, that, on Ferdi- the enternand's suggesting the almost exhausted condition of the treasury, she replied, "I will assume the undertaking for my own crown of Castile, and am ready to pawn my jewels to defray the expense of it, if the funds of the treasury should be found inadequate."* * Prescott, With this she magnanimously stript her jewels from her person and extended them to St. Angel, who was so overjoyed at the enthusiasm of the Queer that he seized and kissed her hand, and engaged on his own responsibility to advance the monies required, rather than that such an enterprise should be lost or frustrated.

vol. 2.

receives

While these scenes were enacting at the court of Spain, Columbus was proceeding on his way towards England wholly ignorant of the efforts which his friends Columbus were making in his behalf. When the courier of the the patronQueen overtook him and announced the resolution in age of Isabella, his favor, he was completely overpowered by the unex-1492. pected intelligence. He repaired at once to Santa Fe where he soon forgot the wrongs and indignities he had suffered during eight tedious years of fruitless negociation for patronage, in the prospect of and preparations for his splendid enterprise.

The terms and conditions for the adventure were concluded on the seventeenth day of April, 1492, as follows:

I. Ferdinand and Isabella, as sovereigns of the ocean, Terms of appointed Columbus high-admiral in all the seas, islands the first enterprise and continents which he might discover and conquer, of Columguaranteeing the office to him and his heirs forever, with the privilege of prefixing to their names the

bus.

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Introduc- titles of dons, admirals, viceroys, governors, with the

tion.

Terms of the enterprise.

age, 1492.

like prerogatives possessed and enjoyed by the highadmiral of Castile, within the limits of his jurisdiction.

II. If for the better administration of affairs in any such islands or territories, it should be necessary to establish a separate authority, Columbus should have the privilege of naming three persons, and the crown to appoint one of the three nominated, to the office of governor or viceroy thereof.

III. The tenth part of all minerals, and of the free profits accruing from the productions or commerce of or with such countries, was given to Columbus and his heirs forever.

IV. If any controversy, or law-suit, should arise with regard to any mercantile transaction, in any such country, it should be determined by the sole authority of Columbus, or by judges appointed by him.

V. Columbus to be entitled to an additional oneeighth part of the profits as aforesaid, provided he advanced an eighth part of the cost of the expedition.

Columbus' Under these favorable auspices Christopher Columfirst voy bus embarked, on the third day of August, 1492, on the bosom of that hitherto unmeasured ocean which stretched off from the shores of the old world into the unexplored regions lying towards the setting of the sun, pledging himself to his patrons, by sailing in that directhis expe- tion, to discover another Continent in the Western Hemisphere, or else to disclose a new and more expeditious route to the Indian Ocean.

Aim of

dition.

The re

I do not propose to enter into a detail of his advensults of his tures. It is sufficient for my purpose to remark, that

explorations.

the astonishing results of his explorations disclosed to mankind the existence of a country and tribes of men hitherto unknown to civilized society, and awakened among the rival powers of Europe a bolder spirit of enterprise and adventure: Each became ambitious to extend its dominions, to develope its resources, and to

HOW AND WHEN DISCOVERED,

PART I.

enrich its treasury; and each fitted out its expeditions Introducfor exploration and discovery.

tion.

England in. origi

sals of Co

how re

The application of Columbus, by his brother Bartholo-Interest of mew, to Henry VII., though it gained him no patronage, America was not without its beneficial effects. When it was pro-how o posed to him the sagacious monarch comprehended at once the magnificent project,* and entered warmly into * Robertthe designs of its author. The subject became a topic son. of free conversation and frequent discussion in his The propoCourt, the attention of scientific men was directed lumbus to towards it, and a spirit of research and inquiry was Henry VII. awakened and cultivated. The return of Columbus, ceived. the triumphant and successful issue of his voyage, the discovery of a new and inhabited region beyond the Effect of sea, and his descriptions of the countries in it which he these exhad visited-which even in reality seemed far to surpass the brightest visions of the imagination† and the pres-† See Irving's Coence of a few of the strange natives vouching the vera-lumbus. city of his statements, roused the attention of the whole of Europe, and the Crown of England eagerly assented to the application of some of its subjects to embark in a similar enterprise.

plorations.

Naval Sci-

But her attainments in the art of navigation were not now such as to enable her own subjects to carry out these purposes of exploration. For the space of two centuries, while commerce and the mechanic arts State of were making a steady progress in the north and the ence in south of Europe, England had remained almost insen-England. sible to the advantages of her position, and looked with indifference on those projects and arts which have since become her boast, her pride, and her power. While other nations had been busily promoting the interests of trade and navigation, she had remained inactive, unaltered, and unimproved: Her own ships and seamen had not ventured out of sight of her coasts, while her mariners and her merchants were hardly acquainted with the distant ports of Europe.*

* Bigland.

Such being her condition, it became necessary, in Robertson.

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Introduc-order to carry on the proposed enterprise of explora

tion.

tion, to look to other countries for experienced marin

ers and navigators. Henry accordingly invested GioCommis- vanni Gabot, or John Cabot, a venetian adventurer, then at Bristol, with the chief command of the expedition. A commission was given to him and three of his March 5th, sons, Lewis, Sebastian, and Sanctius, empowering them

sion to John Cabot and

sons,

1495.

to sail under the flag of England, in any direction, to discover countries as yet unknown to any Christian nation, and to take possession of the same in the name of the Crown of England. This commission was dated

March fifth, 1495, but Cabot did not set sail on the Sailing of enterprise contemplated until the fourth of May, 1497; the Expe- when he embarked at Bristol, with his son, Sebastian, dition, May 4, on board of a vessel which was furnished by the Crown, accompanied by a squadron of smaller vessels prepared and furnished by a company of merchants of that city. Aim of the The more immediate aim of this expedition was to enterprise. discover a new route to the East Indies, which, accord

1497.

Course of the voyage.

Expedi

tions of

ing to the theory of Columbus, it was now generally believed, could be accomplished by sailing directly westward. The countries which he had already discovered were supposed to be adjacent to the Continent of Asia, and to form a part of the "long chain of Indian Islands," hence they were called the West Indies, and the inhabitants received the name of Indians.

In accordance with this opinion Cabot directed his course due West. After sailing to that point for several weeks they discovered the Island of Newfoundland. A few days afterwards they reached the Island of St.

Johns. They landed at each of them, made cursory John and observations on the nature of the soil and the climate, Sebastian took possession of them in the name of the Crown of der Henry England, and taking with them three of the natives, VII., 1497 -1498. embarked on their return voyage, eager to announce

Cabot un

the result of the enterprise before attempting any further exploration.

The success of this expedition encouraged the par

HOW AND WHEN DISCOVERED.

PART I.

tion.

of the Con

ties who had patronized it to fit out a second adventure. IntroducCabot and his son Sebastian were the commanders in this new enterprise, whose aim still was to discover a Second Expedipassage to India. Holding his course to the westward, tion, 1698. he reached the continent of North America, and sailed Discovery along the coast from 56° to 38° N. L., from Labrador to tinent of Virginia. Discovering no inlet which seemed to prom-Northica. ise a communication with the Southern or Indian Ocean, and being short of provisions, he returned again to England without having yet made any advances towards a conquest or settlement of the country.*

* See Wilson's U. S.

Thus much of these incidents in history, by way of Bigland. introduction, to show how it was that this great Conti-Robertson, nent was first brought to the knowledge of mankind, and first attracted the interest and the regard of that powerful parent of The United States of America, The Kingdom of Great Britain.

In this age of the world, it was generally conceded Title to the newly dis by the nations of Europe that the Supreme title to all covered pagan countries was vested in the Pope of Rome, as the country. Vicar of Christ on earth; and that it was competent for "His Holiness" to dispose of all regions "wherein no Christian Nation was dwelling or abiding" to any Christian Potentate. Accordingly, on the return of Columbus from his first voyage, Ferdinand and Isabella applied to the Pope for a confirmation of their title to the countries which he had discovered.

to Ferdinand and

D.

The Pontifical Chair was at this time filled by Alex-Grant of Pope Alexander VI, "a man who although degraded by unre-ander VI. strained indulgence of the most sordid appetites, was endowed by nature with singular acuteness, as well as Isabella, energy of character."** He issued three several Bulls, 1493. in quick succession, conferring upon Ferdinand and * Prescott. Isabella and their successors, the Sovereign title to all "Regiones et Insulas, Novi Orbis, in Oceano Occidente, Hispanorum Navigationibus repertas;" and also to all Islands and Countries, which they might thereafter discover, to the west of a supposed line drawn from pole

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