The Humming liird. 89 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



Christopher Colonus, not Columbus, although I shall con- 

 tinue to call him so, as being universally known under that 

 name, was born in Arbizolo, a village near Savona, large 

 town belonging to Genoa, and well known by all tourists 

 going from the Riviera to Genoa or to Turin. His father was a 

 fisherman. Peter Bezarus Colonus, his countryman, gives 

 unquestionable proofs of his mean pedigree, saying amongst 

 other things : that the Common Wealth of Genoa -refused to 

 receive the great legacy, ivhich Colonus left them in his will; 

 because they thought it a derogation to their honour being, so 

 great a Republic, to take anything of bequest from a fisherman's 

 son. Yet His Majesty of Gastille thought otherwise, not only 

 enriching him with wealth, and a fair revenue for his dis- 

 covery of America; but also raised him to great honour, 

 ennobling him, the first of his family, with Dignities, Titles, 

 and Escutcheon, which ranked him in place among his prime 

 Nobility. 



Columbus spent his youth near the sea, where he studied 

 the winds, considering their natures, the quarters whence 

 they rose, especially with the setting of the current from the 

 Allantica to the Mediterranea. The Western winds, which 

 often as well as the Eastern ones, blow several days from 

 the great Ocean gave him hints that there might be another 

 World, and new places to be discovered beyond. He also 

 spent much time in the emendations of charts and maps. At 

 that time, the Portuguese had got the start in navigation 

 from, all others, and were busy to find a passage by South 

 Africa to the East Indies, and Columbus sailed with them, 

 soon after his return, Columbus settled in the island of Ma- 

 dera, where an accident happened, which Francis Lopez de 

 Gome sa relates thus : « The Master of a ship, whose name 

 and country lies buried in oblivion ; but which belonged 

 either to Spain or Portugal, was surprised by a tremendous 

 tempest from the East, which hurried him through dreadful 

 waves, where at last he found himself engaged upon a wes- 

 tern coast altogether unknown. The storm ceasing, without 

 making further discoveries, he picked his way homeward, 

 at last landing in the haven of Madera. All his remaining 

 crew, but three and himself, with hardship want, and the 

 long voyage, having died, and himself dangerously ill was 

 carried into the house of Columbus, where lying on his 

 death-bed, he bequeathed to him his maps, journals, and 

 other observations of this unfortunate voyage. » 



