1493. spirits; but when they came into unknown seas, A. D. and when, for weeks together, their eyes had rested on nothing but sky and water, they became mutinous, and threatened to throw him overboard. Columbus appeased their first discontent; but afterwards it broke out again, and he was obliged to promise that, if they did not see land in three days, he would turn back. But already signs of the proximity of land had appeared; and, on the 12th of October, they landed, with unspeakable joy, on the island of Guanahami, which was very fruitful, but inhabited by naked savages, and afforded no gold. Love of gain induced the crew to proceed further; and, in order to discover the gold region, Columbus sailed first to the south, and landed on Cuba, also a very fruitful country, but still without gold. Afterwards they reached Hispaniola, or St. Domingo. Here they found a race of native princes, and heard of cannibals on the neighbouring islands. To defend St. Domingo against the cannibals, Columbus erected a fortress, and garrisoned it with thirty-eight Spaniards, who, at their own request, remained behind, while Columbus made sail for Europe, and that with all haste, for his ships were in want of repair, and his stores were also exhausted. This occurred on the 4th of January, 1493 A.D. After a rough and dangerous voyage, Columbus arrived in Spain, and was received with great and universal rejoicings. Ships and men were soon found ready to undertake A. D. another voyage, and sailed on the 25th of Sep1500.tember on this second expedition. On the 2nd of November they discovered the Caribbean Islands from Dominique to Porto Rico; but still, as yet, no gold was found. The colony left at Hispaniola had been destroyed; for the greedy Spaniards had made themselves so obnoxious to the natives, that they murdered them all. Columbus founded a second colony, and, to satisfy his crew in their quest of gold, he again set sail, and discovered Jamaica; but still no gold was found, and the little they were enabled to wring from the inhabitants by force was far from contenting them. A party, thus rendered dissatisfied, returned to Spain, heaping calumny on Columbus, who was obliged to appear at the Spanish court, in 1494 A.D., in order to refute his accusers. Still Columbus had some difficulty in obtaining another fleet. It was in the year 1496 A.D. that he again set sail, and, steering yet further to the south, discovered the island Trinidad, on the stream of the Orinoco. He now perceived that he had at length reached a large extent of land, and became eager to trace a passage to the Indies; but sickness, and the dissatisfaction of his men, compelled him to steer to Hispaniola. Here he was scarcely able to quiet the mutiny and discontent of the Spaniards. And now a party, who were offended with Columbus, made a formal complaint to the Spanish court, that he had endeavoured to make his men slaves in this new country. Accordingly, a Spa 1506. nish nobleman, named Bovadilla, was appointed to A.D. supersede Columbus in the command; and this officer actually sent the great discoverer of a new world in chains to his country, 1500 A.D. It is true that Columbus, immediately on his arrival, was set free, and Bovadilla deposed, but of all the promises so solemnly made him, not one was kept. Still Columbus was bent on another attempt to discover the passage to the Indies, and he sailed, in the year 1502 A.D., with four but indifferent vessels, and arrived at the narrowest part of the new world, near Portobello, but found no passage through the Isthmus of Darien; and, after suffering a fearful storm, he escaped with difficulty to Jamaica, 1503 A.D. And here probably he would altogether have perished, if two brave men who belonged to his crew, named Mendez and Fieschi, had not hazarded a voyage in canoes and brought back a ship from Hispaniola. This vessel, however, did not arrive till six months had elapsed, during which time Columbus had suffered severely from hunger, sickness, and the disobedience of his crew, though nothing but his prudence and management had saved them from perishing by starvation. In the year 1504 A.D. he returned to Spain. Isabella had just died, and Columbus begged in vain of Ferdinand to fulfil the conditions he had so solemnly promised. It had even come to pass that the whole discovery, now it was actually made, was regarded as a matter too easy to be meritorious. Columbus died 1506 A.D. 1506. A. D. His body was buried at Hispaniola, in the town of St. Domingo; and, according to his own express desire, the chains with which he had been fettered were laid beside him in his grave. The first perfect account given of the newly discovered country was that written by Americus; and hence this new quarter of the globe received the name of America. The islands between North and South America were called the West Indies; and, since that time, the ancient Indies, in the south-eastern part of Asia, have been called, in contradistinction, the East Indies. CHAP. LI. FURTHER DISCOVERIES -BRAZIL-PERU. 1500. A. D. ALMOST every year was now signalised by some new discovery. In the year 1500 A.D., Brazil, in South America, was discovered by Cabral during a voyage for the Cape. This possession was at first little prized by the Portuguese; but at a later period it derived great value from its gold, diamonds, and coloured woods; it also served, from the years 1808 to 1824, as a place of refuge for the royal family of Portugal. In the mean time the Spaniards continued an indefatigable search for gold countries, and because they could not 1510. succeed, they compelled the poor negroes in the A. D. West Indies to submit to the severest labours to produce them treasures. If any seemed obstinate, dogs were even set to attack them, while others were shot down or cut to pieces, and their princes were burnt to death. It was in vain that an excellent man, named Las Casas, endeavoured to restrain these acts of cruelty; in their lust for gold, and the barbarity of their nature, the Spaniards scoffed at his most touching appeals. In quest of this land of gold, a bold adventurer named Balboa penetrated far into the country ; and, after a journey beset with dangers and hardships, he discovered, 1513 A.D., that sea on the other side of the continent which Columbus had declared must exist. But a cowardly villain, who was sent out as his officer, took offence at Balboa, and put him to death, and made no further attempt to investigate this newly discovered route to India. In the year 1510 a.d. Ferdinand Cortez came to Mexico. To secure the dependence of his followers, he persuaded them to burn their ships; he then marched straight on to the capital, which he took, and soon after captured Montezuma, the king. Shortly after he succeeded in bringing over to his interests an army which the envious governor of Cuba had sent to attack him. Meanwhile a revolt had occurred in Mexico; the people had killed their own king; and Cortez was himself obliged to retire after a great loss of men. With courage still undaunted |