The HUmming Bird. 113 



1512. Discovery of Florida by Juan Ponce de Leon. 



It is said that this country was discovered by Sebastien 

 CABOT, at the charges of the King of England, about the 

 year 1-497. 



1519. This year w.is a remarkable one, as being the one 

 during which where ma<le the expeditions of Ferdinand 

 Magaglian or Magellane, the discoverer of the Strait of 

 Magellan, and that of Ferdinand Cortes, the well known 

 Conqueror of Mexico. 



1525. Conquest of Guatemala by Pedro de Alvarado. 



1534. Discovery of Nova-Scotia and Canada by Jacques 

 Quartier, for the account of the French King FRANCIS THE 

 FIRST. 



1540. Expedition of Diego Guttierez in Nicaragua and in 

 Columbia, where he found a very large quantity of gold. 



1541. Expeditions of Pedro Alvarado, Francisco and Gon- 

 zalvo Pizarro, and Diego de Almagro. 



Conquest of Peru. 



1545. Expedition of John Ribald in Florida. 



1576-1585. Expeditions of Martini Forbisiier, Francis 

 Drake, Thomas Gandisu and John Smith. 



In 1576, Forbisuer sailed for the northern parts of Ame- 

 rica ; but in consequence of bad weather was obliged to 

 return to England. 



Several months after, he sailed again and reached Iceland ; 

 but excepting a few salvages which he brought to London, 

 his voyage was of little consequence. 



In 1577, Francis Drake, also fitted by QUEEN ELISABETH, 

 sailed from Plymouth by Cape Verde, along the African Coast 

 to Brazil, the Plata, the Strait of Magellan, Valparaiso , 

 Arica and Lima* Panama and California, returning by 

 Timor, Ternate, Java, Ceylon and the Cape of Good-Hope. 

 During all this expedition which lasted over three years, he 

 enriched himself very much by the taking of many Spanish 

 ships, richly laden with gold, silver and pearls. 



To that part of California where he landed he gave the 

 name of New-Albion. There he was received exceedingly 

 well by the natives, with whom he exchanged presents. 



The inhabitants of that part of America are exceedingly 

 hardy, for notwithstanding the cold, the men go naked, but 

 the women wear garnments of pleited rushes, which being 



