The Humming Bird. 119 



Navigators of that epoch, could have made their discoveries if 

 Columbus had not given the start, by his wonderful disco- 

 veries, first of the Antillœ, and afterwards of the land men- 

 tioned in the old Maps as TERRA FIRM A, the actual State 

 of Panama in Columbia. 



Belt, in his interesting volume, the Naturalist in Nica- 

 ragua, London, 1874, mentions some mountains which he 

 visited under the name of Amerrique range. Jules Marcou, 

 the celebrated Geologist, has also mentioned that name in 

 a notice published in the Bulletin de la Société de Géographie, 

 June 11 th , 1875. 



Lately, Mr M. Pinart and others, have mentioned the name 

 Ameriga and America as belonging to places situated in 

 Veragua and in Venezuela ; but I doubt very much that these 

 names are anterior to the Conquest, and I have not the least 

 doubt that the word America is derived as I said before from 

 Americo Vespucci, and from no one else, and that there is no 

 reason whatever to look anywhere for a more plausible 

 explanation of the word. I known very well that all those 

 who have tried to find another derivation to the word Ame- 

 rica have done so, with the same idea as myself, which was 

 to restore the full credit due to Columbus, but we cannot 

 help it. 



Surely the Continent known by us all as America, ought 

 to have been more properly called Columbia, derived from 

 the name of its discoverer ; but it has not been done, and it 

 is now quite impossible and useless to change its name in 

 that of Columbia. 



Now we also know that the exact spelling of Columbus, 

 was neither Colon. Colomb or Columb, but Golonus (a name 

 elect by the way). In fact America is a true Colony for all 

 the inhabitants of the other Continents, as I have already 

 stated in the last number ot this Journal. All the races of the 

 World are represented there. 



Are not the ways of the Providence wonderful ! ! 



When Cristobal Colonus started in August 1492, from 

 Palos, he had in his mind to discover a passage to the East 

 Indies. Instead of that, he discovered a new Continent, and 

 the results of his discovery have been the beginning of a new 

 Era to the rest of the World. 



When we consider that only four hundred years have 

 elapsed since, and see what America is already, we cannot 

 but think that all this has not come to pass with no purpose, 

 and I have a presentiment that before long AMERICA is desi- 

 gned to take a prominent place in the future destinies of 

 MANKIND. 



A. B. 



