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of day they had the pleasure to behold an island about fifteen leagues in length; of a flat surface, well covered with wood and watered, with a large lake in the middle of it. It appeared to be full of inhabitants, who waited on the shore, astonished at the sight of the ships, which they took for prodigious sea monsters

The sailors were extremely eager to be on shore; and as soon as the vessels were brought to an anchor, the admiral went on shore, with the royal colors flying, as did the captains, carrying the colors of their enterprise, being a green cross with crowns, and the names of their catholic majesties.

They were no sooner on shore, than they fell on their knees, and kissing the ground, with tears of joy, gave thanks to God for his goodness, when the admiral stood up, and gave the island the name of St. Salvador, which the natives called Guanihani; but it is now known by the name of Cat-island.

Columbus having taken possession of the island, for the king and queen of Spain, the sailors acknowledged his authority, begged pardon for their former behavior, and promised the utmost obedience for the future.

On his return, when near the coast of Portugal, a terrible storm arose, and he found it expedient to anchor off Lisbon, where he was warmly solicited by the king of Portugal to re-enter his service, but this was declined. Columbus again made sail, and in a few days came to anchor in the port of Palos.

Columbus gave their majesties an account of his voyages and discoveries, showed the Indians as they appeared in their own country, and exhibited all the curiosities he had brought. When he had concluded his account, their majesties knelt down, and with tears in their eyes, returned thanks to God, and immediately the choristers of the chapel sung Te Deum.

The articles heretofore concluded with the admiral were only in form of a contract; but as he had performed what he engaged to do, their majesties now passed grants, making good what they had before promised him.

When his majesty rode through Barcelona, he would make the admiral ride by his side, an honor, till then, peculiar to the princes of the blood. The importance of his discoveries induced their majesties to despatch an ambassador to Pope Alexander VI., requesting his authority for an exclusive title to the - countries which had been, or might be discovered; this the pope readily complied with, drawing a line from pole to pole, one hundred leagues westward from the Cape de Verd islands, granting to their majesties all the dominions beyond that part of the globe.

The son of the poor wool-comber of Genoa was laden with every honor that power could bestow. His patroness, Isabella, received him with open arms, the very courts that had denied him aid now solicited his presence, and at the tables of the noblest he became an honored guest.

Among many others of the grandees of Spain, Pedro Gonzales de Mendoza, the grand cardinal of Spain, invited Columbus to a banquet. He gave him the most honorable place at table, and, notwithstanding etiquette to its fullest extent was at that time punctiliously observed, he served him with ceremonies which were observed toward sovereigns. It was at that banquet that the anecdote of the egg is said to have occurred, which scene is graphically delineated in our engraving. A courtier who was present, possessing more impudence than wit, and jealous of Columbus because he was a foreigner, and so highly honored by his master, abruptly asked him whether he thought that in case he had not discovered the Indies, there were not other men who would have been capable of the enterprise? Columbus, looking with proper contempt upon the fellow, deigned no reply, but taking an egg, invited the company to make it stand upon one end. All attempted it, but in vain, whereupon he struck it upon the table so as to break the end, and left it standing upon the broken part. This, in the most simple manner, illustrated the fact, that when he had once shown the way

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to the new world, it was a very easy thing to follow. The rebuke was felt, and the courtier held his peace. "This anecdote," says Irving, "rests on the authority of the Italian historian Benzoni. It has been condemned as trivial, but the simplicity of the reproof constituted its severity, and was characteristic of the practical sagacity of Columbus. The universal popularity of the anecdote is a proof of its merit.'

On the twenty-fifth of September, 1493, Columbus sailed on his second voyage, in which he discovered more of the West India islands.

On the thirteenth of May, 1498, Columbus commenced his third voyage, from the bay of St. Lucas, and after seeing some new islands, on the first of August he discovered the continent, but imagining it to be an island, he termed it Isla Santa. From this cruise Columbus was brought back in chains to Cadiz in consequence of false charges made against him by interested individuals; but he was soon restored to the favor of his king and master.

A new voyage was now projected, which was commenced on the fourth of May, 1502. In this he was very successful as a discoverer, but on his return home his health failed, and he died May 15, 1506. His body was taken to the Carthusian convent, and thence to St. Domingo. His bones, however, were afterward removed to Cuba, and are still preserved in the cathedral at Havana. In the cathedral of Seville, fig. 8, there is a flat stone with an inscription, which, when translated, states,

To Castile and Leon

Columbus gave a new world.

Such was the end of this great man, to whom the Spaniards are indebted for all their American possessions, and who, from the boldness of his undertakings, and the greatness of his achievements, may, in a great degree, be considered as the Father of Navigation.

Columbus was in stature tall, his face long, his aspect majestic, his nose aquiline, his eyes gray, his complexion ruddy and clear; his beard and hair were fair in his youth, but the many hardships he suffered soon turned them gray. He was a man of wit and pleasantry, yet modestly grave, and eloquent in discourse. He was affable to strangers, and kind to his own family. He had an air of authority and grandeur that commanded respect; he was temperate in eating and drinking, and modest in his dress. He was strict in religion, according to the mode of his country, and obliged those under him to pay, at least, a decent regard to it. He much desired the conversion of the Indians, and did what he could to allure them, by obliging the Spaniards to lead a life, in some measure agreeable to the faith they professed. He was a man of undaunted courage, and fond of great enterprises; he remained unmoved amidst the many troubles and adversities that attended him, ever relying on the Divine Providence. This is the account given of the famous Columbus, by a Spanish writer of knowledge and fidelity, who adds, that

"His name will be renowned as long as the world endures."

III. Sebastian Cabot, who claims with Columbus to have been the first discoverer of the continent of America, was the son of John Cabot, a Venetian. He was born at Bristol in 1477; and was taught by his father arithmetic, geometry, and cosmography. Before he was twenty years of age he made several voyages. The first of any consequence seems to have been made with his father, who had a commission from Henry VII. for the discovery of a northwest passage to India. They sailed in the spring of 1497; and proceeding to the northwest, they discovered land, which for that reason they called Primavista, of Newfoundland. Another smaller island they called St. John, from its being liscovered on the feast of St. John Baptist; after which, they sailed along the

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