1467. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 27 



northern seas, in which it is stated, in a memo- 

 randum written by himself, that he had visited 

 Iceland, to which a considerable trade was then 

 carried on, particularly by the northern nations 

 and among others by England, principally on 

 account of its valuable fisheries. It is even 

 said that he proceeded beyond this island, and 

 advanced several degrees within the polar circle, 

 but on what service and for what purpose does not 

 appear.''^ It would have been satisfactory to know 

 Avhether it was a mere trading voyage, or a voyage 

 of discovery, that led this celebrated navigator into 

 those inhospitable regions ; but there is little reason 

 to hope that any further information will ever be 

 obtained on this head. His subsequent grand dis- 

 covery is too well known to be repeated, where it 

 would be misplaced; but a word may be said on 

 some recent attempts to rob this celebrated navi- 

 gator of one of the greatest and most important 

 discoveries recorded in the annals of navigation. 



Doctor Robertson complains, and with a proper 

 feehng for the honour of this great man, that some 

 of the Spanish authors, with the meanness of 

 national jealousy, have endeavoured to detract from 

 the glory of his grand enterprize, by insinuating 

 that he was led to the discovery of the new^ world, 

 not by his own inventive or enterprizing genius, 

 but by information which he had received from 



* Life of Columbus. 



