He warmly approved it,-fuggefted feveral facts in confirmation of it, and encouraged Columbus in an undertaking fo laudable, and which promised fo much benefit to the world.

Having fully fatisfied himself with respect to the truth of his fyftem, he, became impatient to reduce it to practice. The first step towards this, was to fecure the patronage of fome of the European powers. Accordingly he laid, his fcheme before the fenate of Genoa, making his native country the first tender of his fervices. They rejected his propofal, as the dream of a chimical projector. He next applied to John II. king of Portugal, a monarch of an enterprifing genius, and no incompetent judge of naval affairs. The king liftened to him in the moft gracious manner, and referred the confideration of his plan to a number of eminent cofmographers, whom he was accustomed to confult in matters of this kind. Thefe men, from mean and interested views, started innumerable objections, and asked many captious queftions, on purpose to betray Columbus into a full explanation of his fyftem. Having done this, they advised the king to dispatch a veffel, fecretly, in order to attempt the propofed difcovery, by following exactly the course which Columbus had pointed out. John, forgetting on this occafion the fentiments becoming a monarch, meanly adopted their perfidious counsel.

Upon discovering this difhonourable transaction, Columbus, with an indignation natural to a noble and ingenious mind, quitted the kingdom, and landed in Spain in 1484.

Here he prefented his scheme, in perfon, to Ferdinand and Isabella, who at that time governed the united kingdoms of Caftile and Arragon. They injudiciously submitted it to the examination of unskilful judges, who ignorant of the principles on which Columbus founded his theory, rejected it as abfurd, upon the credit of a maxim under which the unenterprising, in every age, shelter themselves," That it is prefumptuous in any perfon, "to fuppofe that he alone poffeffes knowledge, fuperior to all the rest of “ mankind united." They maintained, likewife, that if there were really any fuch countries as Columbus pretended, they would not have remained fo long concealed; nor would the wisdom and fagacity of former ages have left the glory of this discovery to an obscure Genoese pilot.

Meanwhile, Columbus, who had experienced the uncertain iffue of applications to kings, had taken the precaution of fending into England his brother Bartholomew, to whom he had fully communicated his ideas, to negociate the matter with Henry VII. On his voyage to England, he fell into the hands of pirates, who ftripped him of every thing, and detained him a prisoner feveral years. At length he made his escape, and arrived at London in extreme indigence, where he employed himself some time in felling maps. With his gains he purchased a deceat drefs; and in perfon prefented to the king the proposals which his brother had entrusted to his management. Notwithstanding Henry's exceffive caution and parfimony, he received the proposals of Columbus with more approbation than any monarch to whom they had been prefented.

After several unfuccefsful applications to other European powers of lefs note, he was induced, by the intreaty and interpofition of Perez a man of confiderable learning, and of fome credit with queen Isabella, to apply

again to the court of Spain. This application, after much warm debate and several mortifying repulfes, proved fuccefsful; not however, without the most vigorous and perfevering exertions of Quintanilla and Santangel, two vigilant and discerning patrons of Columbus, whofe meritorious zeal in promoting this grand delign, entitles their names to an honourable place in hiftory. It was however, to Queen Ifabella, the munificent Patronefs of his noble and generous defigns, that Columbus ultimately owed his fuccefs.

Having thus obtained the affistance of the court, a fquadron of three fmall veffels was fitted out, victualled for twelve months, and furnished with ninety men. The whole expence did not exceed £.4000. Of this fquadron Columbus was appointed admiral.

On the 3d of August, 1492, he left Spain in the prefence of a crowd of fpectators, who united their fupplications to Heaven for his fuccefs. He fteered directly for the Canary Islands, where he arrived and refitted, as well as he could, his crazy and ill appointed fleet. Hence he failed, September 6th, a due western course into an unknown ocean.

Columbus now found a thousand unforeseen hardships to encounter, which demanded all his judgment, fortitude and address to furmount. Befides the difficulties, unavoidable from the nature of his undertaking, he had to struggle with those which arose from the ignorance and timidity of the people under his command. On the 14th of September he was astonifhed to find that the magnetic needle in their compass, did not point exactly to the polar ftar, but varied toward the weft; and as they proceeded, this variation increafed. This new phenomenon filed the companions of Columbus with terror. Nature itself feemed to have fuftained a change; and the only guide they had left, to point them to the safe retreat from an unbounded and tracklefs ocean, was about to fail them. Columbus, with no lefs quickness than ingenuity, affigned a reafon for this appearance, which though it did not fatisfy himfelf, feemed fo plaufible to them, that it difpelled their fears, or filenced their murmurs.

The failors, always difcontented, and alarmed at their distance from land, feveral times mutinied, threatened once to throw their admiral overboard, and repeatedly infifted on his returning. Columbus, on thefe trying occafions, difplayed all that cool deliberation, prudence, foothing addrefs and firmnefs, which were neceffary for a perfon engaged in a discovery, the most interesting to the world of any ever undertaken by man.

It was on the 11th of October, 1492, at ten o'clock in the evening, that Columbus, from the fore-castle, defcried a light. At two o'clock next morning, Roderic Triana difcovered land. The joyful tidings were quickly communicated to the other fhips. The morning light confirmed the report; and the feveral crews immediately began Te Deum, as a hymn of thankf giving to God, and mingled their praifes with tears of joy, and transports of congratulation, Columbus, richly dreffed, with a drawn fword in his hand, was the first European who fet foot in the New World which he had discovered. The island on which he thus first landed, he called St. Salvador. It is one of that large cluster of islands, known by the name of the Lucaya or Bahama Ifles. He afterwards touched at feveral of the iflands in the fame clufter, enquiring every where for gold, which he thought

thought was the only object of commerce worthy his attention. In fteering fouthward he discovered the islands of Cuba and Hifpaniola, abounding in all the neceffaries of life, and inhabited by a humane and hofpitable people. On his return he was overtaken with a ftorm, which had nearly proved fatal to his fhips and their crews. At a crifis when all was given up for loft, Columbus had prefence of mind enough to retire into his cabin, and to write upon parchment a fhort account of his voyage. This he wrapped in an oiled cloth, which he inclosed in a cake of wax, put it into a tight cask, and threw it into the sea, in hopes that fome fortunate accident might preferve a deposit of fo much importance to the world. He arrived at Palos in Spain, whence he had failed the year before, on the 15th of March, 1493. He was welcomed with all the acclamations which the populace are ever ready to beftow on great and glorious characters; and the court received him with marks of the greatest respect.

In September of this year, (1493) Columbus failed upon his fecond voyage to America; during the performance of which, he discovered the iflands of Dominga, Marigalante, Gaudelupe, Montferrat, Antigua, Porto Rico and Jamaica; and returned to Spain in 1496.

In 1498 he failed a third time for America; and on the 1st of August difcovered the CONTINENT. He then coafted along weftward, making other discoveries for 200 leagues, to Cape Vela, from which he croffed over to Hifpaniola, where he was seized bya new Spanish Governor, and fent home in chains.

In 1502 Columbus made his fourth voyage to Hifpaniola; thence he went over to the Continent-discovered the bay of Honduras; thence failed along the main fhore eafterly 200 leagues, to Cape Gracias a Dios, Veragua, Porto Bello and the Gulf of Darien.

The jealous and avaricious Spaniards, not immediately receiving those golden advantages which they had promifed, and loft to the feelings of humanity and gratitude, suffered their efteem and admiration of Columbus to degenerate into ignoble envy.

The latter part of his life was made wretched by the cruel perfecutions of his enemies. Queen Ifabelle, his friend and patronefs, was no longer alive to afford him relief. He fought redress from Ferdinand, but in vain. Difgufted with the îngratitude of a monarch, whom he had served with fo much fidelity and fuccefs, exhaufted with hardships, and broken with the infirmities which these brought upon him, Columbus ended his active and useful life at Valladolid, on the 20th of May, 1506, in the 59th year of his age. He died with a composure of mind fuited to the magnanimity which diftinguished his character, and with fentiments of piety becoming that fupreme respect for religion which he manifested in every occurrence of his life. He was grave-though courteous in his deportment, circumfpect in his words and actions, irreproachable in his morals, and exemplary in all the duties of his religion. The courts of Spain were so just to his notwithstanding their ingratitude towards him during his life, that they memory, buried him magnificently in the Cathedral of Seville, and erected a tomb over him with this infcription,

COLUMBUS has given a NEW WORLD

To the KINGDOMS of CASTILE and LEON.

Among

Among other adventurers to the New World in purfuit of Gold, was Arnericus Vefpucius, a Florentine gentleman, whom Ferdinand had appointed to draw fea charts, and to whom he had given the title of chief pilot. This man accompanied Ojeda, an enterprizing Spanish adventurer, to America; and having with much art, and fome degree of elegance, drawn up an amufing hiftory of his voyage, he published it to the world. It circulated rapidly, and was read with admiration. In his narrative he had infinuated that the glory of having first discovered the continent in the New World, belonged to him. This was in part believed, and the country began to be called after the name of its fuppofed firft difcoverer. The unaccountable caprice of mankind has perpetuated the error; fo that now, by the universal consent of all nations, this new quarter of the globe is called AMERICA. The name of Americus has fupplanted that of Columbus, and mankind are left to regret an act of injustice, which, having been fanctioned by time, they can never redress.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION of AMERICA.

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BOUNDARIES and EXTENT.

HE Continent of America, of the discovery of which a fuccinct account has juft been given, extends from Cape Horn, the southern extremity of the Continent in latitude 56° fouth, to the north pole; and fpreads between the 40th degree eaft, and the 100th degree weft longitude from Philadelphia. It is nearly ten thousand miles in length from north to fouth, its mean breadth has never been afcertained. This extenfive continent lies between the Pacific Occean on the weft, and the Atlantic on the caft. It is faid to contain upwards 14,000,000 square miles.

Climate, Soil, and Productions.] In regard to each of these, America has all the varieties which the earth affords. It ftretches through the whole width of the five zones, and feels the heat and cold of two fummers and

two winters in every year. Moft of the animal and vegetable productions which the eastern continent affords, are found here; and many that are peculiar to America.

Rivers] This continent is watered by fome of the largest rivers in the world. The principal of thefe, are Rio de la Plata, the Amazon and Oronoke in South America-The Miffiffippi and St. Lawrence in NorthAmerica.

Gulfs.] The Gulf or Bay of Mexico, lying in the form of a bafon between North and South America, and opening to the eaft, is conjectured by fome, to have been formerly land; and that the conftant attrition of the waters of the Gulf Stream, has worn it to its prefent form. The water in the Gulf of Mexico is faid to be many yards higher, than on the western fide of the continent in the Pacific Occean.

Gulf Stream.] The Gulf Stream is a remarkable current in the Ocean, of a circular form, beginning on the coast of Africa, in the climates where

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the trade winds blow wefterly, thence running acrofs the Atlantic, and betwen the Islands of Cuba and South America into the Bay of Mexico, from which it finds a paffage between Cape Florida and'the Bahama Islands, and runs north-eafterly along the American coaft to Newfoundland; thence to the European coast, and along the coaft foutherly till it meets the trade winds. It is about 75 miles from the fhores of the fouthern ftates. The distance increases as you proceed northward. The width of the stream is about 40 or 50 miles, widening toward the north, and its common rapidity three miles an hour.-A north-eaft wind narrows the ftream, renders it more rapid, and drives it nearer the coaft; north-west and weft winds have a contrary effect.

Mountains.] The Andes in South America, ftretch along the Pacifie Ocean from the Ifthmus of Darien, to the Straits of Magellan, 4300 miles. The height of Chimborazo, the most elevated point in this vaft chain of mountains, is 20,280 feet; above 5000 feet higher than any other mountain in the known world.

North America, though an uneven country, has no remarkably high mountains. The moft confiderable, are those known under the general name of the Allegany Mountains. Thefe ftretch along in many broken ridges under different names, from Hudfon's River to Georgia. The Ardes and the Allegany Mountains are probably the fame range, interrupted by the Gulf of Mexico. It hath been conjectured that the West India islands were formerly united with each other, and formed a part of the continent, connecting North and South America. Their prefent difjointed fituation is fuppofed to have been occafioned by the trade winds. It is well known that they produce a ftrong and continual current from east to west, which by beating against the continent for a long course of years, muft produce furprising alterations, and may have produced fuch an effect as has been fuppofed.

Number of Inhabitants.] It has been supp fd that there are 160 millions of inhabitants in America. It is believed, however, that this account is exaggerated at least one half. This number is compofed of Indians, Negroes, Mulattoes, and fome of almoft every nation in Europe.

Aborigines.] The characteristical features of the Indians of America, are, a very small forehead covered with hair from the extremities to the middle of the eyebrows. They have little black eyes, a thin nose, small and bending towards the upper lip. The countenance broad; the features coarse, the ears large and far from the face; their hair very black, lank and coarse. Their limbs fmall but well turned; the body tall, ftrait, of a copper colour, and well proportioned; ftrong and active, but not fitted for much labour. Their faces fmooth and free from beard, owing to a custom among them of pulling it out by the roots. Their countenances at first view appear mild and innocent, but upon a critical infpection, they difcover fomething wild, diftruftful and fullen. They are dextrous with their bows and arrows; fond of adorning themselves with ftrings of beads and fhells about their necks, and plates in their ears and noses. In fummer they go almoft naked; but in winter they cover themfelves with the skins of beafts taken in hunting, which is their principal employment. They many times torture their prifoners in the

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