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the matter was referred, caused COLUMBUS finally to fail in his attempt there also. He next applied to FERDINAND and ISABELLA, king and queen of Arrogon and Castile, and at the same time sent his brother BARTHOLOMEW (who followed the same profession; and who was well qualified to fill the immediate place under such a leader) to England, to lay the proposal before HENRY VII. which likewise, very fortunately for the future well being of the country, met with no success.--Many were the years which CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS spent in ineffectual attendance at the Castillian court; the impoverished state into which the finances of the united kingdoms were reduced, the war with Granada, repressing every disposition to attempt to great designs; but the war being at length terminated, the powerful mind of ISABELLA broke through all obstacles; she declared herself the patroness of COLUMBUS, whilst her husband FERDINAND, declining to partake as an adventurer, in the voyage, only gave it the sanction of his name. Thus did the superior genius of a woman effect the discovery of one half the Globe!

The ships sent on this important search were only three in number, two of them very small: they had ninety men on board. Although the expence of the expedition had long remained the sole obstacle to its being undertaken, yet, when every thing was provided, the cost did not amount to more than 17,760 dollars, and there were twelve months provisions put on board.

COLUMBUS set sail from port Palos, in the province of Andalusia, on the 3d of August, 1492 he proceeded to the Cannary Islands, and from thence directed his course due W. in the latitude of about 28 N.--In this course be continued for two months, without falling in with any land, which caused such a spirit of discontent and mutiby to arise as the superior address and management of

the commander became unequal to suppress, although for these qualities he was eminently distinguished.-He was at length reduced to the necessity of entering into a solemn engagement to abandon the enterprize and return home, if land did not appear in three days.-Probably he would not have been able to retain his people so long from acts of violence and outrage, in pursuing so untried and dreary a course, had they not been sensible that their safety in returning home, depended very much on his skill as a navigator, in conducting the vessel.

At length the appearance of land changed their des pondency to the most exulting rapture-It was an island abounding with inhabitants, both sexes of which were quite naked; their manners kind, gentle, and unsuspecting.-COLUMBUS named it San Salvador: it is one of the clusters which bears the general name of Bahamia ; it was only 3° 30 lat. to the S. of the island of Gomora, one of the Canaries, from whence he took his departure. This navigator was still so confirmed in the opinion which he had formed before he undertook the voyage, that he believed himself then to be on an island which was situated adjacent to the Indies.-Proceeding to the S. he saw three other islands, which he named St. Mary, of the Conception, Ferdinand and Isabella.-At length he arrived at a very large island, and as he had taken seven of the natives of San Salvador or board, he learned from them it was called Cuba, but he gave it the name of Juanna.He next proceeded to an island which he called Espagpola, in honor of the kingdom by which he was employed, and it still bears the name of Hispaniola.-Here he built a fort and formed a small settlement; he then returned home, having on board some of the natives, whom he had taken from the different islands: steering a more southern course, he fell in with some of the Carribee islands, and arrived at the Port of Palos on the 15th of

March, 1493; having been seven months and eleven days on this most important voyage.

On his arrival letters patent were issued by the king and queen confirming to COLUMBUS and to his heirs all the privileges contained in a capitulation which had been executed before his departure, and his family was ennobled.

Not only the Spaniards, but the other nations of Eu rope, seem to have adopted the opinion of COLUMBUS, in considering the countries which he had discovered, as a part of India. Whence FERDINAND and ISABELLA gave them the name "Indies" in the ratification of their former agreement with COLUMBUS.-Even after the error was detected, the name was retained, and the appellation of "West Indies" is now given by all Europe to this country, and that of Indians to the Inhabitants.

Nothing could possibly tend more effectually to rouse every active principle of human nature, than the discoveries which COLUMBUS had made; no time was therefore lost, nor expence spared, in preparing a fleet of ships, with which this great man should revisit the countries he had made known. Seventeen ships were got ready in six months, and fifteen hundred persons embarked on board them, among whom were many of noble families, and who had filled honorable stations.-These engaged in the enterprize from the expectation that the new dis covered country was either the Cipango of Marco Paulo, or the Ophir from which SOLOMON obtained his gold and precious merchandize. FERDINAND, now desirous of securing what he had befere been unwilling to venture for the obtaining, applied to the Pope to be invested with a right in these new discovered countries, as well as to all future discoveries in that direction; but as it was necessary that there should be some favor of religion in the business, he founded his plea on a derire of converting

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the savage natives to the Romish faith, which plan had its desired effect.

ALEXANDER VI. who then filled the papal chair, it ought to be mentioned, was the most profligate and aban doned of men: being a native of Arrogon, and desirous of conciliating the favor of FERDINAND, for the purpose of aggrandizing his family, he readily granted a request, which, at no expence or risk, tended to extend the con sequence and authority of the papacy: he therefore be stowed on FERDINAND and ISABELLA, "all the countries inhabited by infidels, which they had discovered." But as it was necessary to prevent this grant from inters fering with one not long before made to the crown of Portugal, he appointed that a line supposed to be drawn from pole to pole, one hundred miles to the westward of the Azores should serve as a limit between them; and in the plentitude of his power, conferred all to the east of this imaginary line upon the Portuguese, and all to the west of it upon the Spaniards.

COLUMBUS set sail on his voyage from the port of Ca diz, on the 25th of September, 1493; when he arrived at St. Espagniola, he had the affliction to find that all the Spaniards whom he had left there, amounting to thirtysix in number, had been put to death by the natives, in revenge for the insults and outrages which they had committed. After having traced out the plan of a town in a large plain, near a spacious bay, and given it the name of ISABELLA, in honor of his patroness the queen of Cas tile, and appointed his brother DON DIEGO, to preside as Deputy Governor in his absence, COLUMBUS, on the 24th of April, 1494, sailed with one ship and two small barks, to make further discoveries in those seas.-In this voyage he was employed five months, and fell in with many small islands on the coast of Cuba, but with none of any importance except the island of Jamaica

Soon after his return to Hispaniola, he resolved to make war with the Indians, who according to the Spanish historians, amounted to 100,000 men; these having experienced every lawless act of violence from their in vaders, were rendered extremely inveterate, and thirsted for revenge, a disposition which appears to have been foreign from their natures.-Having collected his full force, he attacked them by night, whilst they were assembled on a wide plain, and obtained a most decisive victory, without the loss of one man on his part.-Beside the effect of cannon and fire arms, the noise of which was appalling, and their effect against a numerous body of Indians, closely drawn together, in the highest degree destructive, COLUMBUS had brought over with him a small body of cavalry.-The Indians who had never before seen such a creature, imagined the Spanish horses to be rational beings, and that each with its rider formed but one animal; they were astonished at their speed, and considered their impetuosity and strength as irresistible. In this onset they had be side another formidable enemy to terrify and destroy them a great number of the largest and fircest species of dogs which were then bred in Europe, had been brought hither, which, set on by their weapons, without attempting resistance, they fled with all the speed which terror could excite,-Numbers were slain, and more made prisoners, who were immediately consigned to slavery.

The character of COLUMBUS stands very high in the estimation of mankind; he is venerated not only as a man possessing superior fortitude, and such a steady perseverance, as no impediments, dangers or sufferings could shake, but as equally distinguished for piety and virtue. His second son FERDINAND, who wrote the life of his father, apologises for this severity towards the na

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