BOLD OJEDA. 



301 



occupied them almost incessantly during 1 the eight centuries preceding. The youth of 

 the nation, bred up to daring adventure and heroic achievement, could not brook the 

 tranquil and regular pursuits of common life, but panted for some new field of romantic 

 enterprise. The treaty of Columbus with Ferdinand and Isabella was, in a sense, signed 

 with the same pen that had subscribed to the capitulation of the Moorish capital; while 

 not a few of the cavaliers who had fought in that memorable war now crowded the ships 

 of the discoverers, firmly believing that a grand new field of arms had opened to them. 



Alonzo de Ojeda, a native of New Cas- 

 tile, was one of this numerous class. He had 

 fought against the Moors when a youth, and had 

 accompanied Columbus on his second voyage 

 when only twenty-one years of age. One of 

 his relatives, a Dominican friar, was one of 

 the first inquisitors of Spain, and was an 

 intimate of the Bishop Fonseca, who had the 

 chief management of the affairs of the Indies, 

 which then included all the countries as yet 

 known in the New World. Ojeda, therefore, 

 was naturally and easily introduced to the 

 Bishop's notice, who took him under his 

 special protection. When he had accompanied 

 Columbus he had taken with him a small 

 Flemish painting of the Holy Virgin, pre- 

 sented to him by Fonseca, and this he had 

 always carried with him as a protecting charm, 

 invoking it at all times of peril ; while to 

 its possession he attributed his hitherto won- 

 derful immunity from harm. When Columbus 

 returned from his third voyage, with the news of rich discoveries, especially of the 

 pearl-fisheries of Paria, Ojeda had no difficulty in obtaining from the Bishop, who was 

 one of the worst enemies of poor Columbus, a commission authorising him to fit out 

 an armament and proceed on a voyage of discovery. It does not appear that the 

 sanction of the King and Queen was asked on this occasion. The means were readily 

 supplied by merchants of Seville. Among his associates were several men who had just 

 returned with Columbus, principal among whom was a bold Biscayan, Juan de la Cosa by 

 name. Amerigo Vespucci, the man from whose first name the title of America is 

 derived, a broken-down Florentine merchant, accompanied the expedition. It does not 

 appear that he had any interest in the voyage, or even position on board ship. Ojeda 

 sailed from Spain on the 20th May, 1499. 



After touching at the Canaries, he made, for those days, a rapid voyage to America. 

 In twenty-four days from leaving the islands he reached the New World, at a part of the 

 coast considerably south of that discovered by Columbus, and after a little passed the mouths 

 of several large rivers, including those of the Orinoco and Esquivo, rivers which freshen the 



VASCO DA GAMA. 



