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HISTORY OF BOTANY. 
While Italy was thus a second time, enriched with the litera- 
ry treasures of Greece, Spain and Portugal were becoming enlight- 
ened by intercourse with foreign nations. The Portuguese ex- 
tended their voyages to the western coasts of Africa, and the 
Cape de Verd islands ; the Cape of Good Hope was at length 
discovered, and Vasco de Gama sailing around this cape reached 
the East indies. It was at this period that Christopher Colum- 
bus, discovered the New World. 
This event, so important to the old world, is to us who inha- 
bit this pleasant and favored country, one of deep interest. 
Ages upon ages passed on after the world was created, and 
America remained with regard to the Eastern continent as 
though she existed not. The lofty Andes raised their snowy 
heads to the clouds, the majestic Amazon rolled onwards to the 
Atlantic, our lakes spread out their vast expanse of waters, our 
own Hudson and Connecticut received their tributary streams, 
and bore them to the ocean ; but to what people were these 
grandeurs presented, and what had been the changes in the 
moral world, while nature had moved on in her unchanging 
course ? History is silent ! But while in the old world em- 
pires had been rising, continuing for centuries stationary, and 
then decaying ; succeeded and succeeded by others pursuing 
the same track : were no changes going on in the American 
continent ? Had no mighty nations ever existed, had no arts 
Or letters been cultivated, had the savage Indian for thousands 
of years, been sole lord of one half of the world, and when and 
how, did the first inhabitants of this continent come from Asia, 
where man was placed at his creation ? These are inquiries 
which naturally arise on tracing the historic page through so 
long a period of time, until suddenly this new world bursts upon 
our vision ! but, although many speculations have from time to 
time appeared, respecting the probable history of America, all 
until its discovery by Columbus remains a sealed book. 
LECTURE XLV. 
History of Botany, from the beginning- of the sixteenth century 
to the time of Linnceus. 
We have now traced the progress of botanical knowledge 
from the earliest periods of the worid to the discovery of Ame- 
Ncw World discovered — What was the history of America before this pe- 
riod. 
