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TEINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



The following is a short account of this voyage 

 " On the 30th of May, 1498, Columbus sailed on his 

 third voyage with six ships. He touched at the 

 Canaries, and despatched from thence three of his 

 squadron direct to Hispaniola. With the other three 

 he steered towards the Cape Verd islands. Taking 

 his departure from this point he held a southwesterly 

 course till he came within five degrees of the equator, 

 where the heat of the air burst the wine pipes and 

 water casks, and caused the crews to fear that the 

 ships would be burned. On the 31st of July they 

 discovered land which proved to be the island of 

 Trinidad, at the mouth of the Orinoco. Proceeding 

 along the shore, he obtained a sight of some of the 

 natives, who proved very hostile and discharged 

 showers of arrows at the ships. They Had shields, — 

 the first defensive armour the Spaniards had seen in 

 the new world. Columbus sailed through the Gulf 

 lying between Trinidad and the mouth of the 

 Orinoco, struck with amazement at the mountainous 

 billows which that great stream rolls into the 

 ocean. 



" On the coast of Paria they saw more of the 

 natives, and held friendly intercourse with them. 

 They offered the Spaniards provisions and a sort of 

 wine. Gold was discovered and the pearl fishery of 

 Margarita. From this coast they sailed for Hispa- 

 niola. This was the voyage in which the Spaniards 

 first saw the mainland of America. 



It will be remembered that after Columbus' first 

 voyage the whole European world was set agog with 



