THE DISCOVERY 



15 



Men knew at last whither the sea led travel- 

 ing to the east or the west; but toward the 

 poles still dwelt mystery. The valorous were 

 eager enough to explore seas and coasts now 

 that they were sure of finding land if they kept 

 on sailing to the west. Portuguese carracks, 

 Spanish galleons, English fleets went scurrying 

 hither and thither, claiming land in the names 

 of their sovereigns and fighting with each other 

 for the possession of what they could not hold. 

 Scores of voyages were undertaken; the Cabots 

 along the North American coast, Pizarro and 

 Valdivia on the Pacific, Willoughby and Davis 

 toward the North Pole, Cortereal, Frobischer, 

 Hawkins, and Raleigh in different directions, 

 on conquest or discovery bent. At the south 

 the Brazilian and African coasts were explored, 

 Drake again circumnavigated the globe, and 

 with Cook the South Sea became better under- 

 stood. The geographical limits of the ocean 

 were then tentatively fixed upon the map; and 

 that outline has not been greatly changed in 

 these later days. 



Long after the passing of the explorers, the 

 slavers and the gold seekers, long after the 

 period of discovery in the large, came the sci- 

 entific exploration of the sea. This included 

 not only the accurate charting of tlie great 



Voi/agci of 

 ex ploTnlion 

 and con- 

 quest. 



Geograph- 

 icnl limits 

 attained. 



