12 



FROM THE FIRST DISCOVERY TO THE 



CHAP. 11. 



From the First Discovery down to the Arrival of the Royal Family there, and 

 its present Division into Provinces — The general Character of the Indians. 



The honour of discovering the new world, it is well known, justly belongs to 

 Christopher Columbus, a pilot of Genoa, although it derives its name from Ame- 

 ricanus Vespuccius, a Florentine navigator, who performed two voyages to this 

 hemisphere, under the auspices of his CastiUan Majesty, and two others by order 

 of Emanuel, King of Portugal. The latter voyages the Portuguese writers 

 flatly deny, and attribute the promulgation of a story so devoid of truth to the 

 arrogance and pride of Vespuccius ; nor, in fact, does his relation respecting this 

 point appear to be supported by any collateral testimony. A mere accidental 

 occurrence, indeed, induced Columbus first to entertain the idea of launching 

 out upon unknown seas. The master of a caravelleon, named Francisco 

 Sanches, about the year 1480, arrived at Madeira, where Columbus then was, 

 in a most pitiable condition, with three or four sailors only remaining, and nearly 

 exhausted, in consequence of a tremendous tempest which had assailed their 

 ungovernable bark, and driven them to a remote western longitude, where they 

 saw, or fancied they saw, land. It was in those days imagined, that the eastern 

 coast of Asia was the western boundary of the Atlantic Ocean, and Columbus 

 was persuaded, that the land which Sanches had seen was the island of Japan, 

 or some other island upon that coast, and which was then only arrived at by 

 navigating around the coast of Africa. The novel circumstance stirred up in 

 his mind the most animating presentiments ; — the glory of opening to India a 

 shorter and more easy passage, by proceeding directly across the Atlantic, 

 inspired Columbus with enthusiasm, and he flattered himself, that the disclo- 

 sure of his ideas would produce ready concurrence in furnishing the adequate 

 equipments for the enterprise. He proceeded to Genoa for the purpose of pro- 

 posing his plan, but it was regarded there as a chimera. He submitted the 

 same proposition to John II. of Portugal, whose subject he then was, which 

 was rejected by the votes of some chosen geographers. He next directed his 

 way to the court of Castile, where the learned ones entertained the same senti- 



