14 Gardiner G. Hubbard — Discoverers of America. 



reliant to the verge of rashness, eager for adventures, cruel, un- 

 scrupulous and. rapacious, of unbounded greed and ambition. 

 They sought and found gold and silver in Peru and Mexico in 

 such quantities as they had never dreamed of; the new world 

 brought to Spain greater wealth and glory than Columbus ever 

 expected to find in Cathay or the Spice islands. Spain, it is 

 said, drew from America during the sixteenth century seven 

 hundred millions of dollars in gold and silver, a sum fully equal 

 to ten times as much in purchasing power at that time as it 

 would be to-day. 



In the exploration of North America the Spaniards took little 

 interest. " What need have we," they said, " of things which 

 are common to all the countries of Europe — to the south, to the 

 south for the great and exceeding riches of the equinoctial j 

 they that seek riches must not go into the cold and frozen 

 north.'' 



The French, though they made some remarkable journeys in 

 the continent of North America, furnished but one discoverer 

 whom we shall notice, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, who 

 was appointed in 1534 by Francis I to the command of two ships 

 for exploring the district near the fishing grounds of Newfound- 

 land. He sailed up the Saint Lawrence and took possession of 

 Canada for France, erecting a wooden cross with the inscrip- 

 tion, "Fiye ^e 72o7/ rfe i^iYmce." In 1541 a settlement was made 

 near Quebec, the commencement of the French colonization in 

 Canada. 



The English were far behind the Spanish and Portuguese in 

 the exploration of America. Their first great voj^agers after the 

 Cabots were slavers, buccaneers and pirates. Tlieir most noted 

 commanders were John Hawkins and Francis Drake, Avho car- 

 ried a cargo of negro slaves from Africa to the West Indies 

 and sold them at an enormous profit. They there heard of the 

 Spanish galleons bearing the treasures of Peru and Mexico to 

 Spain, and of the cruelties with which English seamen, taken 

 prisoners, had been treated. On their return, fleets Avere equipped 

 and sent to the gulf of Mexico to capture the treasure ships and 

 avenge the wrongs of the English sailors. 



The queen frequently furnished ships belonging; to the ro3''al 

 navy ; they were equipped by Raleigh and otlier English noble- 

 men, and the prizes were divided between the crew, officers, 



