2 
Th e V O Y 
5. But the great Im'perfedion of the antieiit Navigation 
was the not being able to folve that necoTarv Problem, the 
finding in any Place the Four Cardinal Points, and fuch 
intermediate ones as were neceflary; without doing which, 
it was fimply impoffible to fail far. Now the Antients had 
HO certain way to find the North and South Points at any 
time, and therefore durft not truft themfelves into the' wide 
Ocean, but coafted only along the Shores, that they might 
by fonie Signs know where they were. In the Day-time 
they were able to find the North and South, or a Meridian 
Line, by the Sun’s Rifing and Setting ; and befides this they 
had three other Methods. 1. By the Stars at Night, particu- 
larly the Little Bear, and the Star in its Tail, called the Pole 
Star, which was much famed with Antiquity, and ferved 
to fhew them the North, and thereby all the other Points *, 
for, turning their Face to it, the Eaft was on the Right, 
the Weft on the Left, and the South behind ; and they 
had a Circle with the Points on it; and, bringing the 
North and South Point to the Meridian Line, the other 
Points were feen at once. Another Method they had was 
by knowing the Situation of the Shores, and of one Pro- 
montory from another ; for when one Point was thus 
known, either from the Maps, or by ObRrvaticn and 
Experience, they could in Sailing find the reft; but then 
they could not go far from the Shores, which directed them 
as to thefe Points ; for they could not at all times ufe the 
Sun and Stars for that End. A third Method they ufed 
was by obferving the Points they had run in ; for knowing 
how they firft directed the Ship, and how much they 
turned again their Courfe from that Point, they knew the 
other Points. From whence the Reafon appears of their 
imperfeft and darlgerous Sailing ; viz. their not knowing 
the Points in the wide Ocean, fo as to tell how to fleer. 
This third Method, by obferving the Ship’s Courfe, is of 
no Ufe when the Ship is turned to a great many Points by 
the Violence of the Winds and Waves. Such were their 
Methods of finding the Meridian Line, which were fo im- 
perfect, that they durft never truft themfelves in the vaft 
Ocean; and therefore it is no Wonder that they never knew 
America , 
6 . Thefe Defefts are all remedied, and many other Ad- 
vantages gained, by the Application of that wonderful 
Property in the Loadftone, of turning its Poles nearly to 
the North and South. This enables the Mariner to fleer 
boldly, and with Certainty, to quit the old Method of 
coafting, and to force a Pafifage to the moft diftant Parts 
of the Globe, by the fhorteft and fpeedieft Way imaginable. 
By thefe Helps the Portuguefe , in the Beginning of the 
Fifteenth Century, made prodigious Difcoveries towards 
the Eaft, and thereby gave a Beginning to that Series of 
Voyages and Travels, by which the World in general, and 
every confiderable Portion of it in particular, have been 
fought out and defcribed. From whence it plainly ap- 
pears, that all Parts of the Globe are inhabited; that there 
is not that mighty Difproportion between the Quantities of 
Land and Water, which there was formerly fuppafed to 
be ; and that the Products of the Torrid and Frigid Zones 
AGES of Book I. 
tr , 
are rather more rich and valuable than thofe of temperate 
Climates. 
7- In fpeaking of the great Men by whom, and of the 
feveral Methods by which, thefe Difcoveries have been 
made, it is but juft to give the Circum-navigators the- firft 
Place ; fince the Aim of their Voyages was general, having 
relation to the Whole, and making' us fenfible, that as the 
new Syftem was highly reafbnable in Theory, fo the Rea- 
fonings deduced from it were eafily reduced to Practice. 
The 'four of the World feems to be one of the fublimeft 
Enterprizes within the Compafs of human Ability ; and, if 
it could have been atchieved in former Ages, would have 
been celebrated in a manner worthy the Undertaking by 
the Greek and Latin Writers. 
But, as it was not, it feems to require in a particular 
manner our Care and Attention, efpecially fince we are 
furniffied with abundance of authentic Relations, which 
. fully enable us to fhew how this great Defign was firft con- 
ceived ; how far carried into Execution by the firft In- 
ventor ; bow it was afterwards profecuted, and what addi- 
tional Difcoveries have been made by each fucceeding 
Circum-navigator. 
8 . T his feems to be the more requifite, becaufe hitherto, 
notwithftanding the numerous Collections we have, there 
has never yet been any tolerable Account given of this 
Matter ; nay, I think it may be fafely affirmed, that there 
never was fo much as an Endeavour made of this Kind, at 
leaft in that Extent in which we propofe it. For our In- 
tention is to give a fuccinft Account of all the Circum- 
navigations, of which fufficient Memoirs can be procured, 
from the very firft Attempt down to the prefent Times, 
diftinguiffiing the Caufes, Confequences, and moft intereft- 
ing Circumftances in every Voyage, and pointing out the 
feveral Improvements in the natural Order of Time in 
which they occurred, taking notice alfo of what yet 
remains to be perform’d by fuch as the Induftry, Suceefs, 
and Fame of others may infpire with a generous Thirft of 
Emulation. 
9. In order to this, we are next to fpeak of that illuftrious 
Genoefe , who firft framed an Idea of the Poffibility of the 
thing ; and then formed fo many juft and powerful Argu- 
ments in Support of his Notion, as brought over to his 
Opinion the moft able and learned Men of his Time, even 
before he had demonftrated by his firft Attempt, that it 
was not poffible only, but practicable ; and this too in 
fpight of the many Prejudices that were raifed againft it. 
In treating of his Project, and of the Pains it coft him 
before he could engage any of the Princes of Chrijtendom 
to enable him to undertake the Execution of it, we {hall 
infill more largely ; becaufe, though it is a Story that has 
been often told, yet are there many Circumftances relating 
to it, which have been hitherto fo ImperfeClly reprefented, 
as to take much from the Merit of that great Man, whofe 
Steadinefs and Felicity in performing, were not more ad- 
mirable than his Wifdom and Penetration in contriving, fb 
glorious an Action. 
SECTION II. 
The Voyages of. Don Christopher Columbus. 
1. The Family and Characler of Columbus. 2. The Stories told to his Prejudice by the Spaniards. 3. FaTis 
which refute thefe Calumnies, and prove his Project to be the Eft'eff of Study rather than Information, 
4. Rej eBed by the Genoefe, and afterwards by the King of Portugal. 5. Propofed to. and accepted by , 
King Henry VII. 0/' England, though too late. 6 . Columbus folicits their Catholic Majejiies. 7. The 
many Difficulties he met with before his Propofals were accepted. 8. He undertakes his Firft Voyage in 
the Autumn of 1492. 9. His Crew become mutinous, and oblige him to promife to return, if, in Three 
Days , they dif cover no Land. 10. His Arrival in one of the Iftands called Lucayas. 11. Sails from 
thence to Cuba. 12. Returns to Spain ; his Reception there, and fubfequent Voyages. 13. The Caufes of 
his Troubles. 14. His Fourth Voyage, Return, XJjage, and Deceafe, May 20. 150 6. 1 f. Remarks on 
his ConduB , and the remarkable Story of ColumbusA Egg. 1 6. His original Defign miftaken , or over- 
look'd;, until revived and profecuted by Ferdinand Magellan. 
1 . f'Llriftopher Columbus , or, as the Spaniards call him, or the Place where he was bom, they could not be exactly 
^ Colon, was defcended ofanantient Family in the Ter- determined by his Son Don Ferdinand, who wrote his 
ritory of the State of Genoa . But as to the Time when, Life, and therefore it would be Time loft for us to inquire 
5 about 
