islands. On his arrival at Lisbon, he boasted of this discovery; on which the Portuguese set sail immediately and took possession of them, which they still retain. They were called in general the Azores, from the great number of hawks and falcons found among them. All these islands enjoy a very clear and serene sky, with a salubrious air, but are exposed to violent earthquakes, from which they have frequently suffered; and also by inundations of the surrounding waves. They are, however, extremely fertile in corn, wine, and a variety of fruits, also cattle, fowl, and fish. It is said that no poisonous or noxious animal breeds on the Azores, and that, if carried thither, they will expire in a few hours.

St. Michael, which is the largest, being near 100 miles in circumference, and containing 50,000 inhabitants, was twice invaded and plundered by the English in the reign of queen Elizabeth. Tercera is the most important of these islands, on account of its harbour, which is spacious and has good anchorage; but it is exposed to the south-east winds. Its capital town, Angra, contains a cathedral and five churches, and is the residence of the governor of these islands, as well as of the bishop.

AMERICA.

ITS DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST.

WE are now to treat of a country of vast extent and fertility, and which, though little cultivated by the hand of art, owes in many respects more to that of nature than any other division of the globe. The particular circumstances of this country require that we should in some measure vary our plan, and, before describing its present state, afford such information with regard to its discovery as is most necessary for satisfying our readers.

Towards the close of the 15th century, Venice and Genoa were the only powers in Europe who owed their support to commerce. An interference of interests inspired a mutual rivalship; but in traffic Venice was much superior. She engrossed the whole commerce of India, then, and indeed always, the most valuable in the world, but hitherto entirely carried on through the inland parts of Asia, or by the way of Egypt and the Red Sea. In this state of affairs, Columbus, a native of Genoa, whose knowledge of the true figure of the earth, however attained, was much superior to the general notions of the age in which he lived, conceived a project of sailing to the Indies by a bold and unknown route, and of opening to his country a new source of opulence and power. But this proposal of sailing westward to the Indies was rejected by the Genoese as chimerical, and the principles on which it was founded were condemned as absurd. Stung with disappointment and indignation, Columbus retired from his country, and laid his scheme before the court of France; where his reception was still more mortifying, and where, according to the practice of that people, he was laughed at and ridiculed. Henry VII. of England was his next resort; but the cautious politics of that prince were the most opposite imaginable to a great but uncertain design. In Portugal, where the spirit of adventure and discovery about this time began to operate, he had reason to expect

ing along the coast of Africa, and discovering one cape afte they had no notion of venturing boldly into the open sea. peated disappointments would have broken the spirit of any Columbus. The expedition required expence, and he had defray it. His mind, however, still remained firm; he becam intent on his design, the more difficulty he found in accomp and was inspired with that noble enthusiasm which always an adventurous and original genius. Spain was now his only and there, after eight years attendance, he succeeded, a through the interest of queen Isabelle. Columbus now set 1492, with a fleet of three ships, upon the most adventurou ever undertaken by man, and in the fate of which the inha two worlds were interested. In this voyage he had a thousan ties to contend with; the most striking was the variation of pass, then first observed, and which seemed to threaten that of nature were altered in an unknown ocean, and that the o he had left was ready to forsake him. His sailors, always disc now broke out into open mutiny, threatening to throw h board, and insisted on their return. But the firmness of the con and much more the discovery of land, after a voyage of 33 day end to the commotion. Columbus first landed on one of the islands; but here, to his surprise and sorrow, discovered, from verty of the inhabitants, that these could not be the Indies h quest of. In steering southward, however, he found the islan Hispaniola, abounding in all the necessaries of life, inhabited, mane and hospitable people, and, what was of still greater conse as it ensured his favourable reception at home, promising, fro samples he received, considerable quantities of gold. This islan fore he proposed to make the centre of his discoveries; and, ha upon it a few of his companions, as the ground-word of a colony, ed to Spain to procure the necessary reinforcements.

The court was then at Barcelona: Columbus travelled thithe Seville, amidst the acclamations of the people, attended by some inhabitants, the gold, the arms, the utensils, and ornaments country he had discovered. This entry into Barcelona was a of triumph more glorious than that of conquerors, more unco and more innocent. In this voyage he had acquired a general ledge of all the islands in the great sea which divides North and America; but he had no idea that there was an ocean between h China. The countries which he had discovered were considere part of India. Even after the error which gave rise to this opinio detected, and the true position of the new world was ascertaine name has remained, and the appellation of the West Indies is given the people of Europe to the country, and that of Indians to its tants. Thus were the West Indies discovered by seeking a passa the East; and, even after the discovery, still conceived to be ap the Eastern hemisphere. The present success of Columbus, his f disappointments, and the glory attending so unexpected a disco

rendered the court of Spain as eager to forward his designs now, had been dilatory before. A fleet of seventeen sail was immed

prepared: all the necessaries for conquest or discovery

1500 men, among whom were several of high rank and fortune pared to accompany Columbus, now appointed governor with most ample authority. It is impossible to determine whether t

of this great man, in first conceiving the idea of these

his sagacity in the execution of the plan he had conceived, most deserves our admiration. Instead of hurrying from sea to sea, and from one island to another, which, considering the ordinary motives to action among mankind, was naturally to be expected, Columbus, with such a field before him, unable to turn on either hand without finding new objects of his curiosity and his pride, determined rather to turn to the advantage of the court of Spain the discoveries he had already made, than to acquire for himself the unavailing applause of visiting a number of unknown countries, from which he reaped no other benefit but the pleasure of seeing them. With this view he made for Hispaniola, where he established, a colony, and erected forts in the most advantageous grounds for securing the dependence of the natives. Having spent a considerable time in this employment, and laboured for establishing this colony, with as much zeal and assiduity as if his views had extended no further, he next proceeded to ascertain the importance of his other discoveries, and to examine what advantages were most likely to be derived from them. He had already touched at Cuba, which, from some specimens, seemed a rich discovery; but whether it was an island, or a part of some great continent, he was altogether uncertain. To ascertain this point was the present object of his attention. In coasting along the southern shore of Cuba, Columbus was entangled in a multitude of islands, of which he reckoned 160 in one day. These islands, which were well inhabited, and abounding in all the necessaries of life, gave him an opportunity of reflecting on this fertility of nature where the world expected nothing but the barren ocean; he called them Jardin de la Reina, or the Queen's Garden, in gratitude to his royal benefactress, who was always uppermost in his memory. In the same voyage, Jamaica was discovered. But to so many difficulties was Columbus exposed, on an unknown sea, among rocks, shelves, and sands, that he returned to Hispaniola without learning any thing more certain with regard to Cuba, the main object of this enterprise.

By the first success of this great man, the public diffidence was turned into admiration; but, by a continuance of the same success, admiration degenerated into envy. His enemies in Spain set every spring in motion against him; and there is no difficulty in finding specious grounds of accusation against such as are employed in the execution of an extensive and complicated plan. An officer was dispatched from Spain, fitted by his character to act the part of a spy and informer, and whose presence plainly demonstrated to Columbus the necessity of returning to Europe, in order to obviate the objections or calumny of his enemnies.

It was not without great difficulty that he was enabled to set out on a third expedition, still more famous than any he had hitherto undertaken. He designed to stand to the southward of the Canaries until he came under the equinoctial line, and then to proceed directly westward, that he might discover what opening that might afford to India, or what new islands, or what continent, might reward his labour. In this navigation, after being long buried in a thick fog, and suffering numberless inconveniences from the excessive heats and rains between the tropics, they were at length favoured with a smart gale, and went before it seventeen days to the westward. At the end of this time, a seaman saw land, which was an island, on the coast of Guiana, now called Trinidad. Having passed this island, and two others which lie in the mouth of the great river Oronoco, the admiral was surprised with an

of the waves, occasioned by a conflict between the tide o and the rapid current of the immense river Oronoco. But, s ward, he plainly discovered that they were in fresh water; ar rightly that it was improbable any island should supply so vas he began to suspect he had discovered the continent; but wh the river, and found that the land continued on the westward : way, he was convinced of it. Satisfied with this discovery, I to the uneasiness and distresses of his crew, and bore away for E In the course of this discovery, Columbus landed at several plac in a friendly manner, he traded with the inhabitants, and found pearl in tolerable plenty.

About this time the spirit of discovery spread itself widely, i adventurers all over Europe wished to acquire the reputation of bus, without possessing his abilities. The Portuguese discov sil, which makes at present the most valuable part of their pos Cabot, a native of Bristol, discovered the north-east coasts, wh wards composed the British empire in North America: and Ame puccio, a merchant of Florence, sailed to the southern con America, and, being a man of address. had the honour of g name to half the globe. But no one is now imposed on by the all the world knows that Columbus was the first discoverer. T deprived of the honour of giving name to the new world, was of smallest mortifications to which this great man was compelled to For, such were the clamours of his enemies, and the ingratitud court of Spain, that, after discovering the continent, and mak tlements in the islands of America, he was treated like a trail carried over to Europe in irons. He enjoyed, however, the rendering the one-half of the world known to the other; a much the more precious, as it was untainted by cruelty or f which disfigured all the exploits of those who came after him complished the execution of his plan. He fully vindicated hin court, was restored to favour, and undertook another voyage, it be suffered great fatigues. He returned to Spain, and died at V lid, in 1506, in the 59th year of his age. The succeeding go of Cuba and Hispaniola endeavoured to purchase the same adva by the blood of the natives, which Columbus had obtained by hi sense and humanity. These islands contained mines of gold. T dians ouly knew where they were situated; and the extreme ava the Spaniards, too furious to work by the gentle means of perst hurried them to acts of the most shocking violence and cruelty a those unhappy men, who, they believed, concealed from them their treasure. The slaughter once begun, they set no bounds to fury; in a few years they depopulated Hispaniola, which cont three millions of inhabitants; and Cuba, that had about 600,000. tholomew de las Casas, a witness of those barbarous depopulations, that the Spaniards went out with their dogs to hunt after men. unhappy savages, almost naked and unarmed, were pursued like into the forests, devoured by dogs, killed with gun-shot, or surp and burnt in their habitations.

The Spaniards had hitherto only visited the continent: from they saw with their eyes, or learned by report, they conjectured that part of the new world would afford a still more valuable conq Fernando Cortez was dispatched from Cuba with 600 men, 18 ho and a small number of field-pieces. With this inconsiderable force proposed to subdue the most powerful state on the continent of Amer

his was the empire of Mexico, rich, powerful, and inhabited by millions of Indians passionately fond of war, and then headed by Montezuma, whose fame in arms struck terror into the neighbouring nations. Never history, to be true, was more improbable and romantic than that of this war. The empire of Mexico had subsisted for ages; its inhabitants, it is said, were not rude and barbarous, every thing announced a polished and intelligent people. They knew, like the Egyptians of old, whose wisdom is still admired in this particular, that the year consisted nearly of 365 days. Their superiority in military, affairs was the object of admiration and terror over all the continent; and their government, founded on the sure basis of laws combined with religion, seemed to bid defiance to time itself. Mexico, the capital of the empire, situated in the middle of a spacious lake, was the noblest monu-. ment of American industry. It communicated with the continent by immense causeways, which were carried through the lake. The city was admired for its buildings, all of stone, its squares and marketplaces, the shops which glittered with gold and silver, and the sumptuous palaces of Montezuma, some erected on columns of jasper, and containing whatever was most rare, curious, or useful. But all the grandeur of this empire could not defend it against the Spaniards. Cortez, in his march, met with a feeble opposition from the nations along the coast of Mexico, who were terrified at their first appearance: the warlike animals on which the Spanish officers were mounted, the artificial thunder which issued from their hands, the wooden castles, which had wafted them over the ocean, struck a panic into the natives, from which they did not recover until it was too late. Wherever the Spaniards marched, they spared neither age nor sex, nothing sacred or profane. At last, the inhabitants of Tlascala, and some other states upon the coast, despairing of being able to oppose them, entered into their alliance, and joined arms with those terrible, and, as they believed, invincible conquerors. Cortez, thus reinforced, marched onward to Mexico; and, in his progress, discovered a volcano of sulphur and saltpetre, whence he could supply himself with powder. Montezuma heard of his progress without daring to oppose it. This sovereign is reported, by the boasting Spaniards, to have commanded thirty vassals, of whom each could appear at the head of 100,000 combatants armed with bows and arrows; and yet he dared not resist a handful of Spaniards, aided by a few Americans, whose allegiance would be shaken by the first reverse of fortune. Such was the difference between the inhabitants of the two worlds, and the fame of the Spanish victories, which always marched before them.

By sending a rich present of gold, which only excited the Spanish avarice, Montezuma hastened the approach of the enemy. No opposition was made to their entry into his capital. A palace was set apart for Cortez and his companions, who were already treated as the masters of the new world. He had good reason, however, to distrust the affected politeness of this emperor, under which he suspected some plot for his destruction to be concealed: but he had no pretence for violence; Montezuma loaded him with kindness, and with gold in greater quantities than he demanded, and his palace was surrounded with artillery, the most terrible of all engines to the Americans. At last a circumstance took place which afforded Cortez a pretext for beginning hostilities. In order to secure a communication by sea, to receive the necessary reinforcements, he erected a fort, and left a small garrison behind him, at Vera Cruz, which has since become an emporium