222 HISTORY OF BOTANY. 



nations. The Portuguese extended their voyages to the western 

 coasts of Africa and the Cape de Yerd Islands ; the Cape of 

 Good Hope was at length discovered, and Yasco de Gama, sail- 

 ing around it, reached the East Indies. It was at this period 

 that Christ023her Columbus discovered the ISTew World. 



340. This event, so important to the old world, is to us who 

 inhabit this pleasant and favored country one of deep interest. 

 Ages passed on after the creation of the world and America 

 ■remained, with regard to the eastern continent, as though she 

 existed not. The lofty Andes raised their snowy heads to the 

 clouds, the majestic Amazon rolled onward to the Atlantic, our 

 lakes spread out their vast expanse of waters, our Hudson and 

 Mississippi received their tributary streams and bore them to 

 the ocean ; — but to what people were these grandeurs presented, 

 and what were the changes" in the moral world, while nature 

 thus moved on in her unchanging course ? — History is silent ! 

 Yet while in the old world empires had been rising, continuing 

 for centuries stationary, and then decaying, succeeded, and 

 succeeded by others pursuing the sam.e track, were no moral 

 changes going on in the American continent ? Had no mighty 

 nations ever existed here ; had no arts or letters been culti- 

 vated ; was the savage Indian for thousands of years sole lord 

 of one half of the world ? — And when, and how did the first 

 inhabitants of this continent come from Asia, where man was 

 placed at his creation? These are inquiries which naturally 

 arise on tracing the historic page through so long a period of 

 time until suddenly this new world bursts upon our vision! 

 But, though many speculations have from time to time ap- 

 peared respecting the probable history of America before its 

 discovery by Columbus, the subject is still shrouded in darkness 

 and obscurity. 



LECTURE XLII. 



HISTORY OF BOTANY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTEENTH CEN- 

 TURY TO THE TIME OF LINN^US. FROM THE TLME OF LINN^US TO 



THE PRESENT. 



341. About the period of the discovery of America Iwtanio 

 gardens hegan to he cultivated j these afforded new op^Dortuni- 

 ties for investigation, by comprehending the vegetables of all 

 countries within such limits as enabled the botanist to compare 

 <ihem, and to watch their growth and different stages of devel- 



New world discovered. — 340. America before this period. — 341. Botanic gardens first cultivated. 



