J.

BOOK had dispatched after them, in order to receive a detail of their proceedings, and to communicate to them new inftructions. By one of thefe Jews, Covillam tranfmitted to Portugal a journal of his travels by fea and land, his remarks upon the trade of India, together with exact maps of the coafts on which he had touched; and from what he himself had obferved, as well as from the information of skilful feamen in different countries, he concluded, that by failing round Africa, a paffage might be found to the Eaft Indies ".

Prepara

tions for another voyage.

THE happy coincidence of Covillam's opinion and report, with the difcoveries which Diaz had lately made, left hardly any fhadow of doubt with respect to the poffibility of failing from Europe to India. But the vaft length of the voyage, and the furious ftorms which Diaz had encountered near, the Cape of Good Hope, alarmed and intimidated the Portuguese to fuch a degree, although by long experience they were now become adventurous and skilful mariners, that fome time was requifite to prepare their minds for this dangerous and extraordinary voyage. The courage, however, and authority

Faria y Soufa Port. Afia, vol. i. p. 27. Lafitau Deconv. i. 48.

of

I.

tion of man

of the monarch, gradually difpelled the vain BOOK fears of his fubjects, or made it neceffary to conceal them. As John thought himself now upon the eve of accomplishing that great design, which had been the principal object of his reign, his earnestness in profecuting it became so vehement, that it occupied his thoughts by day, and bereaved him of fleep through the night. While he was taking every precaution that his wifdom and experience could fuggeft, in order to enfure the fuccefs of the expedition, which was to decide concerning the fate of his favourite project, the fame of the vast discoveries which the Por- The attentuguese had already made, the reports concern- kind fixed ing the extraordinary intelligence which they upon it; had received from the Eaft, and the prospect of the voyage which they now meditated, drew the attention of all the European nations, and held them in fufpence and expectation. By fome, the maritime skill and navigations of the Portuguese were compared with those of the Phenicians and Carthaginians, and exalted above them. Others formed conjectures concerning the revolutions which the fuccefs of the Portuguefe fchemes might occafion in the course of trade, and the political state of Europe. The Venetians began to be difquieted with the apprehenfion of lofing their Indian commerce, the monopoly of which was the chief fource of their power

VOL, I.

G

BOOK

I.

fuddenly turned to a

power as well as opulence, and the Portuguese already enjoyed in fancy the wealth of the Eaft. But, during this interval, which gave such scope to the various workings of curiofity, of hope, and of fear, an account was brought to Europe new object. of an event no less extraordinary than unexpected, the discovery of a New World fituated in the weft; and the eyes and admiration of mankind turned immediately towards that great object.

THE

HISTORY

OF

AMERICA.

BOOK II.

II.

A MONG the foreigners whom the fame of the BOOK discoveries made by the Portuguese had allured into their fervice, was Chriftopher Colon,

Birth and

education

bus.

or Columbus, a fubject of the republic of Ge- of Colum noa. Neither the time nor place of his birth are known with certainty; but he was defcended of an honourable family, though reduced to indigence by various misfortunes. His ancestors having betaken themselves for fubfistence to a fea-faring life, Columbus discovered, in his early youth, the peculiar character and talents which mark out a man for that profeffion. His parents, instead of thwarting this original propenfity of his mind, feem to have encouraged and confirmed it, by the education which they gave him. After acquiring fome

II.

1461.

BOOK knowledge of the Latin tongue, the only language in which fcience was taught at that time, he was inftructed in geometry, cofmography, aftronomy, and the art of drawing. To these he applied with fuch ardour and predilection, on account of their connection with navigation, his favourite object, that he advanced with rapid proficiency in the ftudy of them. Thus qualified, he went to fea at the age of fourteen, and began his career on that element which conducted him to fo much glory. His early voyages were to thofe ports in the Mediterranean which his countrymen the Genoefe frequented. This being a fphere too narrow for his active 1467. mind, he made an excurfion to the northern feas, and visited the coafts of Iceland, to which the English and other nations had begun to refort on account of its fifhery. As navigation, in every direction, was now become enterprifing, he proceeded beyond that island, the Thulé of the ancients, and advanced feveral degrees within the polar circle. Having fatiffied his curiofity, by a voyage which tended more to enlarge his knowledge of naval affairs, than to improve his fortune, he entered into the fervice of a famous fea-captain, of his own name and family. This man commanded a small fquadron, fitted out at his own expence, and by cruifing fometimes against the Mahometans, fometimes