But, previous to the relating of these, it is proper to take a view of fome events, which merit attention, both on account of their own importance, and their connection with the hiftory of the New World. While Columbus was engaged in his fucceffive voyages to the weft, the spirit of discovery did not languish in Portugal, the kingdom where it first acquired vigour, and became enterprifing. Self-condemnation and regret were not the only fentiments to which the fuccefs of Columbus, and reflection upon their own imprudence in rejecting his proposals, gave rife among the Portuguese. They excited a general emulation to furpafs his performances, and an ardent defire to make fome reparation to their country for their own error. With this view, Emmanuel, who inherited the enterprifing genius of his predeceffors, perfifted in their grand scheme of opening a paffage to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope; and foon after his acceffion to the throne, equipped a fquadron for that important voyage. He gave the command of it to Vafco de Gama, a man of noble birth, poffeffed of virtue, prudence, and courage, equal to the ftation. The fquadron, like all thofe fitted out for discovery in the infancy of navigation, was extremely feeble, confifting only of three veffels, of neither burden nor force adequate to the fervice. As the Europeans were at that time little acquainted with the courfe of the trade-winds and periodical monfoons which render navigation in the Atlantic ocean, as well as in the fea that separates Africa from India, at fome feafons eafy, and at others not only dangerous, but almost impracticable, the time chofen for Gama's departure was the most improper during the whole year. He fet fail from Lisbon on the ninth of July, 1497, and ftanding towards the fouth, had to ftruggle for four months with contrary winds, before he could reach the Cape of Good Hope. On November 20, their violence began to abate; and during an interval of calm weather, Gama doubled that formidable promontory, which had fo long been the boundary of navigation, and directed his course towards the north-east, along the African coaft. He touched at feveral ports; and after various adventures, which the Portuguese hiftorians relate with high but juft encomiums upon his conduct and intrepidity, he came to anchor before the city of Melinda. Throughout all the vast countries which extend along the coast of Africa, from the river Senegal to the confines of Zanguebar, the Portuguese had found a race of men rude and uncultivated, ftrangers to letters, to arts and commerce, and differing from the inhabitants of Europe no lefs in their features and complexion, than in their manners and inftitutions. As they advanced from this, they observed, to their inexpreffible joy, that the human form gradually altered and improved, the Afiatic features, began

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began to predominate, marks of civilization appeared, letters were known, the Mahometan religion was established, and a commerce, far from being inconfiderable, was carried on. At that time feveral veffels from India were in the port of Melinda. Gama now pursued his voy. age with almost absolute certainty of fuccefs, and, under the conduct of a Mahometan pilot, arrived at Calecut, upon the coast of Malabar, on the twenty-fecónd of May one thoufand four hundred and ninety-eight. What he beheld of the wealth, the populoufnefs, the cultivation, the induftry and arts of this highly civilized country, far furpaffed any idea that he had formed, from the imperfect accounts which the Europeans had hitherto received of it. But as he poffeffed neither fufficient force to attempt a fettlement, nor proper commodities with which he could carry on commerce of any confequence, he haftened back to Portugal, with an account of his fuccefs in performing a voyage the longest, as well as most difficult, that had ever been made fince the first invention of navigation. He landed at Lisbon on the fourteenth of September, one thousand four hundred and ninety-nine, two years two months and five days from the time he left that port.

Thus, during the course of the fifteenth century, mankind made greater progrefs in exploring the ftate of the habitable globe, than in all the ages which had elapfed previous to that period. The fpirit of dif covery, feeble at firft and cautious, moved within a very narrow sphere, and made its efforts with hefitation and timidity. Encouraged by fuccefs, it became adventurous, and boldly extended its operations. In the courfe of its progreffion, it continued to acquire vigour, and advanced at length with a rapidity and force which burst through all the limits within which ignorance and fear had hitherto circumscribed the activity of the human race. Almost fifty years were employed by the Portuguefe in creeping along the coaft of Africa from Cape Non to Cape de Verd, the latter of which lies only twelve degrees to the fouth of the former. In less than thirty years they ventured beyond the equinoctial line into another hemifphere, and penetrated to the fouthern extremity of Africa, at the diftance of forty-nine degrees from Cape de Verd. During the last seven years of the century, a New World was difcovered in the west, not inferior in extent to all the parts of the earth with which mankind were at that time acquainted. In the eaft, unknown feas and countries were found out, and a communication, long defired, but hitherto concealed, was opened between Europe and the opulent regions of India. In comparifon with events fo wonderful and unexpected, all that had hitherto been deemed great or fplendid, faded away and difappeared. Vaft objects now prefented themselves. The

human

human mind, roused and interested by the profpect, engaged with ardour in pursuit of them, and exerted its active powers in a new direction.

This fpirit of enterprife, though but newly awakened in Spain, began foon to operate extenfively. All the attempts towards discovery made in that kingdom, had hitherto been carried on by Columbus alone, and at the expence of the fovereign. But now private adventurers, allured by the magnificent defcriptions he gave of the regions which he had vifited, as well as by the fpecimens of their wealth which he produced, offered to fit out squadrons at their own risk, and to go in quest of new countries. The Spanish court, whofe fcanty revenues, were exhausted by the charge of its expeditions to the New World, which, though they opened alluring profpects of future benefit, yielded a very sparing return of prefent profit, was extremely willing to devolve the burden of discovery upon its fubjects. It feized with joy an opportunity of rendering the avarice, the ingenuity, and efforts of projectors, inftrumental in promoting defigns of certain advantage to the public, though of doubtful fuccefs with refpect to themfelves. One of the firft propofitions of this kind was made by Alonso de Ojeda, a gallant and active officer, who had accompanied Columbus in his fecond voyage. His rank and character procured him fuch credit with the merchants of Seville, that they undertook to equip four fhips, provided he could obtain the royal licence, authorifing the voyage. The powerful patronage of the bishop of Badajos easily secured success in a suit so agreeable to the court. Without confulting Columbus, or regarding the rights and jurisdiction which he had acquired by the capitulation in one thousand four hundred and ninety-two, Ojeda was permitted to fet out for the New World. In order to direct his course, the bishop communicated to him the admiral's journal of his last voyage, and his charts of the countries which he had discovered. Ojeda ftruck out into no new path of navigation, but adhering fervilely to the route which Columbus had taken, arrived on the coaft of Paria. He traded with the natives, and standing to the west, proceeded as far as Cape de Vela, and ranged along a confiderable extent of coaft beyond that on which Columbus had touched. Having thus afcertained the opinion of Columbus, that this country was a part of the continent, Ojeda returned in October, by way of Hifpaniola to Spain, with fome reputation as a difcoverer, but with little benefit to those who had raised the funds for the expedition. Amerigo Vefpucci, a Florentine gentleman, accompanied Ojeda in voyage. In what ftation he ferved, is uncertain; but as he was an experienced failor, and eminently skilful in all the sciences fubfervient

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to navigation, he must have acquired fome authority among his companions, that they willingly allowed him to have a chief fhare in directing their operations during the voyage. Soon after his return, he tranfmitted an account of his adventures and difcoveries to one of his countrymen; and labouring with the vanity of a traveller to magnify his own exploits, he had the addrefs and confidence to frame his narrative, fo as to make it appear that he had the glory of having first difcovered the continent in the New World. Amerigo's account was, drawn up not only with art, but with fome elegance. It contained an amufing history of his voyage, and judicious obfervations upon the natural productions, the inhabitants, and the customs of the countries which he had vifited. As it was the first description of any part of the New World that was published, a performance fo well calculated to gratify the paffion of mankind for what is new and marvellous, circulated rapidly, and was read with admiration. The country, of which Amerigo was fuppofed to be the discoverer, came gradually to be called by his name. The caprice of mankind, often as unaccountable as unjust, has perpetuated this error. By the univerfal confent of nations, AMERICA is the name beftowed on this new quarter of the globe. The bold pretenfions of a fortunate impoftor have robbed the discoverer of the New World of a distinction which belonged to him. The name of Amerigo has fupplanted that of Columbus; and mankind may regret an act of injustice, which, having received the fanction of time, it is now too late to redress.

During the fame year, another voyage of difcovery was undertaken. Columbus not only introduced the spirit of naval enterprise into Spain, but all the first adventurers who diftinguished themselves in this new career, were formed by his inftructions, and acquired in his voyages the skill and information which qualified them to imitate his example. Alonzo Nigno, who had ferved under the admiral in his last expedition, fitted out a single fhip, in conjunction with Chriftopher Guerra, a merchant of Seville, and failed to the coaft of Paria. This voyage seems to have been conducted with greater attention to private emolument, than to any general or national objects Nigno and Guerra made no discoveries of any importance; but they brought home fuch a return of gold and pearls, as inflamed their countrymen with the defire of engaging in fimilar adventures,

Soon after, Vincent Yanez Pinzon, one of the admiral's companions in his first voyage, failed from Palos with four fhips. He ftood boldly. towards the fouth, and was the firft Spaniard who ventured to cross the equinoctial line; but he feems to have landed on no part of the coast

beyond

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beyond the mouth of the Maragnon, or river of the Amazons. All these navigators adopted the erroneous theory of Columbus, and believed that the countries which they had discovered were part of the vast continent of India.

During the laft year of the fifteenth century, that fertile diftrict of America, on the confines of which Pinon had stopt fhort, was more fully difcovered. The fuccefsful voyage of Gama to the East Indies having encouraged the king of Portugal to fit out a fleet fo powerful, as not only to carry on trade, but to attempt conquest, he gave the command of it to Pedro Alvarez Cabral. In order to avoid the coaft of Africa, where he was certain of meeting with variable breezes, or frequent calms, which might retard his voyage, Cabral ftood out to fea, and kept so far to the west, that, to his surprise, he found himself upon the shore of an unknown country, in the tenth degree beyond the line. He imagined, at first, that it was fome island in the Atlantic ocean hitherto unobferved; but, proceeding along its coaft for feveral days, he was led gradually to believe, that a country fo extenfive formed a part of fome great continent. This latter opinion was well founded. The country with which he fell in belongs to that province in South America, now known by the name of Brafil. He landed; and having formed a very high idea of the fertility of the foil, and agreeableness of the climate, he took poffeffion of it for the crown of Portugal, and difpatched a ship to Lisbon with an account of this event, which appeared to be no lefs important than it was unexpected. Columbus's discovery of the New World was the effort of an active genius, enlightened by science, guided by experience, and acting upon a regular plan, executed with no lefs courage than perfeverance. But from this adventure of the Portuguese, it appears that chance might have accomplished that great defign which it is now the pride of human reason to have formed and perfected. If the fagacity, of Columbus had not conducted mankind to America, Cabral, by a fortunate accident, might have led them, a few years later, to the knowledge of that extensive continent.

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While the Spaniards and Portuguese, by thofe fucceffive voyages, were daily acquiring more enlarged ideas of the extent and opulence of that quarter of the globe which Columbus had made known to them, he himself, far from enjoying the tranquillity and honours with which his services should have been recompenfed, was ftruggling with every dif tress in which the envy and malevolence of the people under his com mand, or the ingratitude of the court which he ferved, could involve him. Though the pacification with Roldan broke the union and weakened the force of the mutineers, it did not extirpate the feeds of difcord

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