dated from the voyages of the Spaniards to the Canary or Fortunate islands. The glory, however, of leading the way in this new course of enterprize and discovery was reserved for Portugal, one of the smallest and least powerful of the European kingdoms. The exploits of the Portuguese opened a new sphere to navigation, and roused such a spirit of curiosity and enterprize as led to the discovery of the NEW World. It was in this school that the immortal discoverer of America was trained.

The history of the illustrious name with which we commence our work, is so connected with his voyages and discoveries, that it is best delineated from them. Of the parentage and early education of COLUMBUS, little is authentically known. He was born at Genoa in 1442, and will ever be one of the most distinguished honours of that state. His father, it is supposed, was a wool-comber, and that himself was at first destined for the same occupation. Be that as it may, it appears that he studied mathematics with assiduity and success at the university of Pavia; and this study, afterwards carried into action by the practice of navigation, led him to form juster notions of the figure of the earth, than any of his contemporaries, and to extend the boundaries of knowledge and of the world.

The correct idea this great mind had conceived of the terraqueous globe gave birth to his design; but the imperfection of all the maps then to be consulted, made him mistake the object, He proposed to find a nearer passage to the Indies and China by sailing westward. Venice and Genoa at that time engrossed almost the whole trade of Europe; and, in consequence, a rivalry and jealousy, which had given rise to frequent wars, always existed between them. Venice, however, maintained her superiority: she had drawn to herself nearly the collected commerce of the East, which had been hitherto carried on by way of Egypt and the Red sea.

As Columbus was a native of the rival state, it is probable that a spirit of patriotism first animated his views of discovering a more direct passage to India; and, by that means, of transferring this lucrative trade to his own country. But timid

caution, reinforced by incredulity, deprived Genoa of the advantages intended for her. Columbus having discharged the duty of a good citizen, by making in vain his first proposal of prosecuting discoveries for the benefit of his country, felt himself free from the obligation which nature had imposed on his services. His next application was to the court of France, but with no better success. Henry VII. then filled the throne of England, and to that prince Columbus dispatched his brother Bartholomew on the same business. This ill-fated adventurer was taken and plundered by pirates on his passage, and, on his arrival in London, was reduced to such extreme poverty, that he could not make a sufficiently decent appearance to demand an audience of the king. But persevering diligence seems to have been characteristic of this family. Bartholomew, by drawing and selling maps and charts, soon acquired some reputation; and having equipped himself in a proper style for gaining access to the English sovereign, obtained this honour in 1448; and met with such encouragement, that he actually entered into an agreement with Henry on behalf of his brother, several years before Christopher had finally secured a patron. It is well known, however, that this country lost the honour that was put within its grasp.

While Bartholomew was soliciting the English court, the great projector, his brother, had made a personal application to the government of Portugal, where he experienced nothing but ridicule and contempt.

In superior minds there is a firmness that rises above ordinary disappointments, and in all projectors there is an enthusiasm, absolutely necessary to give efficacy to their schemes. Columbus was not to be depressed. He now repaired to Castile, and offered his services to Ferdinand and Isabella. For eight days he submitted to delays, to insults, and to the presumption of ignorance, till his patience was at last exhausted; and he had actually taken leave of Castile, in order to proceed to England in quest of his brother, with whose fortune he was totally unacquainted. He was, however, unexpectedly recalled by the queen, Isabella, at the earnest importunity of her confessor; and her majesty was now preVOL. I.

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vailed on to accede to the demand of Columbus, and to furnish him with money for his expedition.

The patient projector was raised to the rank of admiral; and it was stipulated that all civil employments, in the islands and continent to be discovered, should be wholly at his disposal; that he should nominate judges in Spain for India affairs; and over and above the salaries and perquisites of admiral, viceroy, and governor, he should have a certain share in the profits of the foreign trade and the domestic imports from his discoveries.

These preliminaries being adjusted, he repaired to Palos, to superintend the equipment of the little fleet entrusted to his command. This consisted of three small vessels, the Santa Maria, carrying the admiral's flag; the Pinta, commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon; and the Nina, captain Vincent Yanez Pinzon, the brother of the former, both natives of Palos.

The fleet being furnished with provisions and necessaries, and manned with 97 men, set sail on Saturday the 3d of August, 1492; and, humble as the strength and equipment of this squadron would appear in modern times, it has led to more important events than any expedition ever undertaken by man, and was pregnant with the fate of both worlds. Next morning the rudder of the Pinta broke loose, which disaster was supposed to have arisen from some who were averse to the voyage; but Pinzon, the captain, being an able seaman, soon repaired the damage, and they proceeded on their voyage till Tuesday, when the rudder again gave way, and forced the admiral a second time to lie by. This accident the superstitious and the fearful interpreted as an ill omen; but Columbus rightly observed, that no omen could be evil where men were engaged in a good design. With some difficulty they steered the disabled ship as far as the Canaries, which they discovered early on Thursday morning. Columbus refitted them, however, to the best of his power; and having supplied himself with fresh provisions, he took his departure fronr Gomera, one of the most westerly of the Canary islands, on the 6th of September.

Here the voyage of discovery may properly be said to begin; for Columbus, holding his course due west, left immediately the usual track of navigation, and stretched into unfrequented and unknown seas. The first day, as it was very calm, he made but little way; but on the second, he lost sight of the Canaries; and many of the sailors, dejected already and dismayed, when they contemplated the boldness of the undertaking, began to beat their breasts, and to shed tears, as if they were never more to behold land. Columbus comforted them with assurances of success, and the prospect of vast wealth, in those opulent regions whither he was conducting them. This early discovery of the spirit of his followers taught Columbus that he must prepare to struggle, not only with the unavoidable difficulties which might be expected from the nature of his undertaking, but with such as were likely to arise from the ignorance and timidity of the people under his command; and he perceived that the art of governing the minds of men would be no less requisite for accomplishing the discoveries which he had in view, than naval skill and undaunted courage. Happily for himself, and for the country by which he was employed, he joined to the ardent temper and inventive genius of a projector, virtues of another species, which are rarely united with them. He possessed a thorough knowledge of mankind, an insinuating address, a patient perseverance in executing any plan, the perfect government of his own passions, and the talent of acquiring an ascendant over those of other men. All these qualities, which formed him for command, were accompanied with that superior knowledge of his profession, which begets confidence in times of difficulty and danger. To unskilful Spanish sailors, accustomed only to coasting voyages in the Mediterranean, the maritime science of Columbus, the fruit of thirty years' experience, improved by an acquaintance with all the inventions of the Portuguese,. appeared immense. As soon as they put to sea, he regulated every thing by his sole authority; he superintended the execution of every order; and allowing himself only a few hours for sleep, he was at all other times upon deck. As his course lay through seas which had not been visited, the sounding-line,

or instruments for observation, were continually in his hands. After the example of the Portuguese discoverers, he attended to the motion of tides and currents, watched the flight of birds, the appearance of fishes, of sea-weeds, and of every thing that floated on the waves, and entered every occurrence, with a minute exactness, in the journal which he kept. As the length of the voyage could not fail of alarming sailors habituated only to short excursions, Columbus endeavoured to conceal from them the real progress which they had made. With this view, though they run eighteen leagues on the second day after they left Gomera, he gave out that they had only advanced fifteen, and he uniformly employed the same artifice of reckoning short during the whole voyage. By the 14th of September, the whole fleet was above 200 leagues to the west of the Canary isles, at a greater distance from land than any Spaniard had been before that time. There they were struck with an appearance no less astonishing than new. They observed that the magnetic needle, in their compasses, did not point exactly to the polar star, but varied towards the west; and as they proceeded, this variation increased. This appearance, which is now familiar, though it still remains one of the mysteries of nature, into the cause of which the sagacity of man hath not been able to penetrate, filled the companions of Columbus with terror. They were now in a boundless and unknown ocean, far from the usual course of navigation; nature itself seemed to be altered, and the only guide which they had left was about to fail them. Columbus, with no less quickness than ingenuity, invented a reason for this appearance, which, though it did not satisfy himself, seemed so plausible to them, that it dispelled their fears, or silenced their murmurs.

He still continued to steer due west, nearly in the same latitude with the Canary islands. In this course he came within the sphere of the trade wind, which blows invariably from east to west, between the tropics and a few degrees beyond them. He advanced before this steady gale with such uniform rapidity, that it was seldom necessary to shift a sail. When about 400 leagues to the west of the Canaries, he found the sea so covered with weeds, that it resembled a meadow of