accomplishment of this project had been awakened, or enlarged, by intercourse with some well-informed persons at Ceuta, a town on the coast of Africa, opposite to Gibraltar, whither his father's military proceedings against the Moors had carried him. Prince Henry did not live to see the whole of his views accomplished; but the many minor discoveries which were effected under his auspices, laid up a fund of knowledge and experience for succeeding navigators to profit by. Maps were formed under his superintendence; by which means all the geographical knowledge respecting the earth was brought together; the different parts were marked out; and the rocks, coasts, and quicksands to be avoided, were all noted down. Now also was first invented and brought into use the astrolabe*, the original of the quadrant

That sage device, whose wondrous use proclaims
Th' immortal honour of its authors' + names,
The sun's height measur'd.-

It was an arch, to the extent of a quarter of a circle, such as A B; and the rim was divided into degrees and half-degrees. Its primeval use was to take the altitude of the North polar star, in order to determine the latitude of a place, which is its distance North or South from the Equator; for which purpose a plummet, C D, was suspended by a string from the centre of the instrument, c, and thus the angle of elevation of the heavenly body was marked. An eye at B, sees the star E through the sights aa'; to make which observa tion the whole instrument must be so raised upwards, that the plumb-line C D shall fall vertically upon the quadrantal arc A B. The arc included between A and a" is the angular elevation of the star E; or the angle E B F=51°

To a person situated at the equator, the polar star will appear in the northern horizon. In proportion as he advances northward, this star will gain in altitude; so that when he shall have arrived at the pole itself, the star will be vertical to him; the pole being 90° north of the equator: hence the latitude of the place corresponds (nearly) with the altitude of the polar star. These observations would of course only serve for places in the northern hemisphere; as, on the southern side of the equator, the polar star would be below the horizon. In the early stage of nautico-astronomical science, these considerations were sufficient for navigators; but now, to determine the latitude of a place accurately by an altitude of the polar star, corrections must be made for this stars not being precisely vertical to the pole, but describing a small circle round it, owing to the diurnal revoluA word formed from the Greek, implying to take the height of the stars. † Two Jewish physicians, named Roderic and Joseph.

tion of the earth. Tables and other nautical instruments were also at this time constructed for the use of the sailor. The southernmost cape of Africa known in those days was Cape Non, which received this appellation from the idea that it was utterly impossible to get beyond this cape; but the officers of Henry having at length doubled it, found Cape Bojador in the distance, whose violent currents and raging breakers, running for miles out to sea, seemed a barrier which could not even be approached with safety by mariners, who were in the habit of coasting along the shore. Seamen now began to be more alarmed than ever at the idea of the torrid zone, and to propagate the notion, that he who should double Cape Bojador would never return. At length this awful cape was passed by; the region of the tropics was penetrated, and divested of its fancied terrors; the river Senegal was observed, the greater part of the African coast, from Cape Blanco to Cape de Verde, was explored, and the Cape de Verde and Azore Islands were discovered; the Madeiras and Canaries having been visited for the first time by the Spaniards some years before. This prince died in the year 1473; after having obtained a papal bull, investing the crown of Portugal with sovereign authority over all the lands it might discover in the Atlantic, to India inclusive.

Many of the inhabitants of the African coast felt the most curious sensations of astonishment and fear at the sight of the vessels, which probably for the first time had reached their shores. When they first saw the ships under sail, they took them for large birds with white wings, that had come from foreign countries; but when the sails were furled, they thought, from the great length of the vessels, and from their swimming on the water, that they must be great fishes. Others believed that they were spirits that wandered about by night; because they were seen at anchor in the evening at one place, and would be a hundred miles distant by the morning. Not being able to conceive how anything human could travel more in one night than they could in three days, they set down the European ressels for denizens of another world. There is no man ignorant," says Sir Walter Raleigh, " that ships, without putting themselves out of breath, will easily outrun the soldiers that coast them.' "A fleet of ships may be seen at sunset, and after it, at the Lizard; yet by the next morning they may recover Portland; whereas an army on foot shall not be able to march it in six days."

A spirit of discovery, and a hope of gain through commerce, was certainly the real and avowed object of the Portuguese in venturing into these unknown seas and regions of horror. But it seems that, in all the early pursuit of art and science, the romantic was always mingled with the actual and substantial, owing to partial knowledge; which taste for the romantic filled up the picture, when true knowledge was wanting. The adventurers in the expedition just alluded to, and in several subsequent ones, hoped to open an intercourse with a prince or personage, of whom they had often heard much, under the mysterious title of Prester John. This singular name, it is said, was first introduced by travellers from eastern Asia, where it had been applied to some one of the early Christian bishops, who held there a sort of sovereignty; and as soon as a rumour was heard of a Christian king of Abyssinia, he was concluded at once to be the real Prester John. The geographical relations of the African continent not being then well understood, it was supposed that ambassadors from the western coasts might very easily reach his capital. It is not known what was expected at meeting with this phantom of glory, which always seemed to recede as they approached it; but there seems to have been a decided impression on the minds of the Portuguese, as in the case of the Arabs, who sought for Gog and Magog, that their nation would be raised to an exceeding height of power and glory, if they could discover the abode of this potentate. Hence, instructions were given to all officers employed in the African service, to deavour in every quarter, and by every means, to ace this grand discovery. They accordingly never question all whom they met on the coasts John, whose name, they were told by the nat been heard of. They then besought the saw on the coasts, to inquire up the John; promising large rewards to formation, which might lead to s A correspondence between th situated on the west of Africa, and the king of Portugal, Joh to suppose that the real Prest

covered. The negro ambassador of the king of Benin informed the king of Portugal that about 600 or 700 east of Benin, there was a mighty king, called Ogané, win was held, by the pagan chiefs of that country, in the same veneration that the Pope was held in by the sovereigns Europe. They further stated that, at the death of the of Benin, his successor had to send ambassadors to Ogan with presents, desiring to be confirmed in his kingdom, as the lawful heir. The pontiff Ogané sent him, in retur a staff and a brazen helmet, for a sceptre and crown; and also a brass cross for the neck. If the king did not receTE these ensigns of his dignity, he would not be regarded as king by the people. This Ogané was never seen; a sil curtain being always suspended before him; and, when the a ambassador was about to retire, a foot was protruded from the curtain, to which foot they would do homage, as to a holy thing. The ambassadors were then, upon their depar ture, likewise presented with small crosses. Many o curious stories have been handed down to account for the h origin of, and to show what was meant by, this John Priest and his kingdom.

255

er.

day early in

y swiftly toneck, forewhich were 1. The hair there were eaks, which eck. The another of ayed till it 1, and then e creature and made the shoulich he delike parts part (to use ke a broadof the body, ould not dis

O much above

mind for the thin the domia man of good What she nows; however, country, but on ng of salt water, stitution. So he scaped a drinking , and deprived him him go, and did not er charms, to seduce er face, but thought vice; those which poets erfully extolled. Howly after to the side of a captain's men, and endeaese fellows were sufficiently ady to leap out of the boat to get in; yet one of them remanage his oar, with which he TOW across the head, that made rop into the water. But that it by her coming afterwards to some which time, the boats being near all out and ran for their lives. This y same with the former, and the same ed from that blow upon the head, and Upon the whole we can't see why this t as effectually persuade all people that eatures, as the voyage itself should that place as Newfoundland; for a man used to the dangers and monsters of the sea, one sily believe not to be timorous. And a man interest in forming a story of a mermaid, which adapted to serve any design in church or state. der won't be convinced by this, there is no way for to follow the captain to St. John's harbour, and wait for ocular demonstration."

us wrote Mr. Harris, who was the editor of the first lish Encyclopædia. We doubt, however, whether any our modern readers would like to follow his advice, by king a voyage to Newfoundland, and there wait till they btained "ocular demonstration" of the existence of mermaids! It is difficult at the present day, to conjecture what these mermaids really were; but we shall probably be safe in affirming that superstition and imagination had a large share in their creation.

We may perhaps consider unicorns and mermaids to be equally deserving of credit. Many ancient travellers home marvellous accounts of the unicorn. Pur10 wrote his" Pilgrimage" between two and three d years ago, has this remark :-"In Bengala are Historical Repository of Sailors and Travellers.

We must now turn our attention again to the state of navigation with the English, while we shall notice at the same time whatever bears relation to it among the nations of Europe, who now engrossed, in great measure, the historical glory of the human race.

France does not appear to have acquired any naval strength until about the twelfth century; for she seldom took part in the Mediterranean battles. About the period to which we now allude, however, France found herself compelled to resist the attacks of the English, who ruled the English channel almost uninterruptedly. A series of wars ensued between the English and French, for a long succession of years, during which there appear to have been great improvements made in the construction of their vessels, for there was now a regular distinction effected between galleys and ships of war.

The fleet in which Richard Coeur-de-Lion went to the Holy Land, was an object of great admiration in those days, from its extent and beauty. His ships, collected from all the ports of England, and the west coast of France, which was entirely subject to him and his mother, formed the finest fleet that had ever been under the command of any king of England. There appear to have been thirteen large ships called Busses or Dromons, which sailed with a triple spread of sails; about fifty armed galleys; and 100 transports or vessels of burden. Besides these there were 106 vessels, which had assembled at Lisbon, coasted round Spain as far as Marseilles, and thence took a departure for Syria, without touching at any other port. The average number of men sufficient to navigate these, and even those of later times, was forty for the largest vessels, twenty for smaller ones, and ten or fifteen for still smaller ships.

All these vessels rowed, and also sailed. The galleys were adorned with innumerable pennants, waving in the wind; and banners or standards, fixed in graceful order on the tops of the spears. The Rostra, or beaks, were distinguished by the variety of their paintings or figures; and the prows of the vessels shone with the light reflected from the shields fixed upon them. In order to keep the fleet from dispersing in the night time, a lantern was carried aloft by the king's vessel, which led the way for the whole

fleet.

The accidents which occurred to William, son of Henry the First, and to Henry, son of Henry the Second, sufficiently show that the boats in use at those periods must have been of very large size. The former prince, having embarked on board a new vessel, built by himself, for the purpose of conveying himself and suite, inconsiderately attempted to outsail that of the king; in consequence of which it ran on a reef of rocks near the shore. The boat was immediately hoisted out, and the prince, with some of his attendants, might have escaped, but between two and three hundred persons got into the boat, caused it to upset, and all were drowned. On the other occasion, the king having made an excursion to Brittany, was overtaken by a violent storm on his return, by which a boat, in which were his son Henry and three hundred other persons, was upset. The large number of persons contained in these boats, is indicative of the great dimensions of which they must have been made.

King John, whatever were his defects as regards the internal government of his kingdom, paid great attention to maritime affairs, and the English navy gained great strength during his reign. On one occasion his admirals adopted a singular mode of annoying an enemy:-they fixed a number of pots on the decks of the English vessels, filled with unslaked lime: water being poured into these vessels a short time before the commencement of the engagement, and the English keeping the windward side of the pots, the smoke or steam was driven so forcibly into the faces of the enemy, that the latter were almost deprived of the power of defence. Taking advantage of this state of things, the English plied their arrows and other missiles with such effect, that they gained a complete victory over a very superior fleet.

During the reign of Edward the Third, an engagement took place between the English and French fleets, which is worthy of remark, as a change in the form of vessels was observed at that time. The battle in question was fought off the coast of Flanders; and the English ships engaged in it differed so far from those which have hitherto occupied our attention, that no galleys or beaked vessels were employed: they were, in fact, more nearly what we should call ships. On board of these ships, the archers and slingers, supplying the place of the modern musketeers or marines,

cannon.

were stationed near the prow or stern; the centre, or midship, was filled with the various engines then in use, contrived for the purpose of throwing large darts and stones, which were not long after supplanted by the introduction of The array in which these ships were formed for the battle, was this:-The largest, and consequently the stoutest, vessels were stationed in front; those on each wing or flank were filled with archers, with the exception of every third vessel, which was manned with a crew more numerous than the rest, and with many of that class of soldiers styled "men at arms," for the purpose of working the engines to which we have alluded above. A second line of ships was formed as a corps de reserve. Oars began to be very much abandoned at this time; but still they were retained as a resource when the wind failed to fill the sails.

From the evidence of coins, sculpture, &c., it appears that the vessels employed at this time, under the name of ships, were much shorter than the ancient galleys, and their sterns and prows were considerably more elevated above the surface of the water than the midship or centre of the vessel, which, from the peculiar shape of the bow and after-part, assumed much the contour of a half-moon. The masts were, generally speaking, single, and seldom, if ever, ex ceeded two in number. The sails were all square; and the yards, lowering down on the deck, like those of a modern lugger, when the vessel was brought to anchor, rendered the rigging very simple. The frame, which formed the support of the hull, was, in principle, similar to that now constructed, except that those which are called the filling timbers were omitted. The outside planks were fastened to the frame by iron nails; and were not set edge to edge, but lapped one over another, with a sufficient caulking between them to keep out the water. In other respects the ships greatly resembled the Mediterranean galleys.

In these ages there existed, for about two centuries, a great commercial and nautical power in the Hanseatic League, which was an union of several of the principal maritime cities of Europe, in order to protect each other against the princes of those days, who were mere warriors, and whose chief occupation was robbery and plunder. The League therefore kept fighting-ships, and numbered seventy-two cities in their association. In course of time, as each nation, and England in particular, began to be able to defend itself, this association became extinct.

It may now be interesting to enter into a few details respecting the gradual changes in the form of vessels during the fifteenth century.

The ancient galleys were superseded by what were termed galleons, in which the sides were raised higher than those of the galleys, in order partly to allow room for the port-holes of cannon, after that description of arms became prevalent. In order to carry up the sides of the vessels to a greater height, it was necessary to determine whether they should be vertical, or decline outwards, or incline inwards; in general the latter plan was adopted, so that the deck was scarcely half the breadth of the hold, or lower part, and gave to the ves sel a clumsy appearance, which may often be seen in representations of vessels of those times.

The galley, the galleon, and the galleas, had certain distinctive characters peculiar to each. The galley bore a strong resemblance to the rude vessels of earlier ages, so far as form was concerned; and when cannon were intro duced upon them, they were placed upon deck, and simply fired over the side of the ship, or through small notches cut in the gunwale. The galleasses carried guns on their broadsides between the oars, of which there were three tiers or banks: the galleas was much larger and broader than the galley; and was furnished at the head and stern with cannon, larger and more numerous than those in the galley. These vessels, which were peculiar to Venice, were sometimes above 150 feet long, and more than thirty wide; they had also three masts, and sails of a triangular form. The galleon differed both from the galley and the galleas in the important circumstance of being without oars, its propulsion being accomplished entirely by sails: the contraction of the width of the vessel as it approached the deck, was, as we just observed, another point of distinction in them.

The ancient war-galleys, then, were not entirely given up until the commencement of the fifteenth century; for, though some innovations had crept into the use and management of them, the distinctive character of oars had not yet been set aside. But now, among the nations which were active in nautical affairs, larger ships began to be used, having sails: they were of a crooked half-moon shape, high

at the stem and stern. The planks were nailed together, and overlapped with iron. The sails were square, and were suspended from two masts. This may be called the sum of ship-building characteristics for this age. The bowsprit, or sloping mast at the head of a vessel, was first employed in the reign of Henry the Sixth, when four masts were sometimes used, having a sail to each. Soon after, the largest vessels had a forecastle, or place for the foremast, at the head, and a cabin at the stern. The largest ships, that were managed by sails, were called carricks; the inferior vessels were galleys, hulks, barges, &c. The first trading vessel of large size was built at Hull, in the year 1449. In 1474, we read of two ships at Bristol, one of 500 tons burden, and the other of 900. Henry the Eighth, we are told, had a ship of 1000 tons burden, called the "Great Harry," which had four masts, with balconies, turrets, and towers; and flags streaming from every elevated part. These vessels did not usually belong to one person; for several parties would engage in a trading adventure; of which parties the government of the country often formed one. Before the practice of marine insurance reduced the hazard of the sea to almost arithmetical certainty, it was more necessary than now for ship-owners to divide their risk by holding shares in several vessels, rather than embarking too much of their capital in one bottom. Accordingly, about the year 1100, when insurance was certainly unknown in England, and perhaps even in the commercial states bordering on the Mediterranean, we find a half-share of one vessel, and a quarter of another, belonging to Godrick, a native of Walpole, in Norfolk. The celebrated Whittington appears to have been a successful mercantile speculator, whose ship, from some circumstances handed down to us, partly truth and partly gossip, was named "the Cat." He lived in the reign of Henry the Fourth, at the beginning of the fifteenth century.

The following description has been left of a Scottish ship of war of about this period:-"The king of Scotland rigged a great ship called the Great Michael, which was the largest, and of superior strength to any that had sailed from England or France: for this ship was of so great stature, and took so much timber, that except Falkland, she wasted all the woods in Fife, which were oak wood, with all timber that was gotten out of Norway; for she was so strong, and of so great length and breadth, that all the wrights of Scotland, yea and many strangers, were at her devices by the king's command, who wrought very busily in her; but it was a year and a day ere she was completed. To wit, she was twelve score foot of length, and thirty-six foot within the sides, she was ten foot thick in the wall and boards; on every side so slack and so thick that no cannon could go through her. This great ship cumbered Scotland to get her to sea. From that time that she was afloat, and her masts and sails complete, with anchors offering thereto, she was counted to the king to be thirty thousand pounds expense, by her artillery, which was very great and costly to the king, by all the rest of her orders. To wit, she bare many cannon, six on every side, with three great bassils, two behind in her dock, and one before, with three hundred shot of small artillery, that is to say, myand and battered falcon and quarter falcon, flings, pestilent serpentens, and double dogs, with hagtor and culvering, crossbows and handbows. She had three hundred mariners to sail her: she had six score of gunners to use her artillery, and had a thousand men of war by her captains, shippers, and quarter-masters." We may easily suppose that this was a wonder of the age, and not a very correct type of the generality of the Scotch king's ships.

Until the introduction of the compass and nautical astronomy, ship-building, and the management of vessels generally, advanced not beyond the condition to which we have alluded: but, when men were freed from dependence upon the land by the application of new nautical aids, the increased means which they possessed, led to discovery and further improvement; which, in turn, conduced to the greater perfection and applicability of the aids in question. So that one acted upon the other, in the service of man; and, in due course of time, the other conveniences and necessaries for conducting a voyage over the wide sea, were introduced and employed.

It appears that, in all ages, seamen have been superstitious and credulous to an extraordinary degree. Those who, when danger is near, have the courage of the lion, have at other times much of the simplicity of a child. Among the wonders, which used to be faithfully credited by sailors, was the Mermaid, a creature who was said to be

half woman and half fish. During the middle ages numerous narratives were made by seamen, of the mermaids whom they encountered in their voyages. In modern times the belief in the existence of these semi-human beings has died away; but the following account will show that not only seamen, but men of literary attainments credited their existence. It is taken from HARRIS'S Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca*, which was published in the early part of the last century.

"As Captain Whitbourn was standing by the water-side, in St. John's harbour, in Newfoundland, one day early in the morning, he spied a creature making very swiftly towards him, which, by the eyes, nose, chin, ears, neck, forehead, and, in a word, by all those upper parts, which were very well proportioned, appeared to be a woman. The hair indeed was to be excepted; for instead of that, there were all round about upon the head as it were blue streaks, which much resembled hair, and hung down to the neck. The captain says, he beheld it intensely, (and so did another of his company, that stood not far from him,) and stayed till it came to about the length of a long pike from him, and then he thought it time to go backwards. When the creature saw that he went from it, it turned about also, and made away, which gave him the opportunity of viewing the shoulders and back parts of it, down to the waist, which he declares were as square, smooth, and white, as the like parts in mankind. From the middle to the lower part (to use his own words) it went pointing, in proportion like a broadhooked arrow: but how it was in the fore-part of the body, from the neck and shoulders downwards, he could not discern, because it did not advance towards him so much above the water as it went away. This siren had a mind for the captain's company in some palace or other within the domi nions of Neptune; but he (though otherwise a man of good breeding) refused the favour and slighted her. What she would have done with him there, the Lord knows; however, he knew there was no good wine in that country, but on the other hand, a most confounded guzzling of salt water, such as would no way agree with his constitution. So he retired from her, and thereby, perhaps, escaped a drinking bout, which would have cost him his life, and deprived him of Christian burial too. The siren let him go, and did not attempt, by any further discovery of her charms, to seduce him. She had shown him those of her face, but thought him unworthy of the charms of her voice; those which poets through all antiquity have so wonderfully extolled. However, the same creature came shortly after to the side of a boat, in which were some of the captain's men, and endeavoured to come in to them. These fellows were sufficiently scared at the sight of it, but ready to leap out of the boat when they saw it attempting to get in; yet one of them recovered so much spirit, as to manage his oar, with which he struck the siren a sound blow across the head, that made her let go her hold, and drop into the water. But that it did not kill her was plain, by her coming afterwards to some boats in the harbour; at which time, the boats being near the shore, the men got all out and ran for their lives. This appeared to be the very same with the former, and the same it was, unless she died from that blow upon the head, and waked afterwards. Upon the whole we can't see why this relation should not as effectually persuade all people that there are such creatures, as the voyage itself should that there is such a place as Newfoundland; for a man used to converse with the dangers and monsters of the sea, one may very easily believe not to be timorous. And a man can have no interest in forming a story of a mermaid, which is not at all adapted to serve any design in church or state. If the reader won't be convinced by this, there is no way for him, but to follow the captain to St. John's harbour, and

there wait for ocular demonstration."

Thus wrote Mr. Harris, who was the editor of the first English Encyclopædia. We doubt, however, whether any of our modern readers would like to follow his advice, by taking a voyage to Newfoundland, and there wait till they obtained "ocular demonstration" of the existence of mermaids! It is difficult at the present day, to conjecture what these mermaids really were; but we shall probably be safe in affirming that superstition and imagination had a large share in their creation.

We may perhaps consider unicorns and mermaids to be about equally deserving of credit. Many ancient travellers brought home marvellous accounts of the unicorn. Purchas, who wrote his " Pilgrimage" between two and three hundred years ago, has this remark :-"In Bengala are

* Historical Repository of Sailors and Travellers.

one

the water, and, grasping the inhabitants, plunges them into the ocean. This story, being joined with the common notion, that the dead reposed in the far-off west, gave rise to the appellation stated above. Still further on, but nearer the equator, is St. Brandon's Island; and still further on, are placed many of the countries visited by Marco Paulo, the Venetian traveller; which countries are named as abounding in every thing rich and beautiful. The seas are peopled with sirens. Beyond these countries, but on the other side of the equator, are ten small islands, where ships cannot sail, owing to the loadstone, which abounds in the rocks, attracting the nails and iron-work out of the ships, and so causing them to fall to pieces.

The passage round the Cape of Good Hope having been effected, other nations, such as the Dutch, the English, and the French, were not slow in following in the same track; among whom the English in due course of time signalised themselves; which led to the foundation of the East India Company in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The establishment of this company promoted the growth of commerce, and fostered a spirit of discovery; by both of which the human race has been remarkably benefited.

As we shall soon have to speak of those voyages to the West, by which the whole habitable globe was laid open to the industry and curiosity of man, it will be proper in this place to preface the western discoveries by noticing the various traditions, which were popularly believed in Europe, respecting what was, or was supposed to be, in or beyond the vast waters of the Atlantic.

It was said that, at a time indefinitely remote, there existed a vast insular territory, extending beyond the coasts of Europe and Africa; and that this land was called Atlantis. In the fourteenth century, maps were drawn representing this strange country, which having been shaken for three days to its foundation by an incessant earthquake, at length yielded to the irresistible and mysterious power of the Deity, and sank with its inhabitants into the depths of the ocean. It was given out that the inhabitants of Madeira, and the other western isles, saw, at certain times, and in very clear weather, land appearing in their western horizon, and always in the same direction. It is said that the islanders are sometimes persuaded of this at the present day; and that, in the middle of the last century, this visionary land was seen so distinctly, that a vessel actually sailed out to discover it; but it faded away before the navigators, as in former cases when they sought to get near it. This land was called St. Brandon's land; he being a Scottish saint had in repute among the Northmen, who first sailed into these parts, in the sixth century, and who first roused a belief in the existence of western lands; which belief they themselves first entertained.

In like manner also, the people of the islands of Arran, at the mouth of the Galway bay, off the west coast of Ireland, who are descended from the Northmen, fancy they see from time to time, the shores of a happy country, rising above the waves; with which country they say Ireland was formerly united, until, owing to the sins and offences of its inhabitants, the greater part of it was swallowed up in the ocean. This, with the preceding fancied appearances, was doubtless the result of some optical delusion. But, in a map published by Martin Behim, about the time when Columbus set out on his expedition, we find the island of Antilla, or the Seven Cities, lying out a little more westward than the Azores. These cities were said to have been built and occupied by the Christians who fled from Spain when that country was conquered by the Moors. These imaginary cities the Spaniards endeavoured to find, soon after their discovery of America. Northward of these cities the maps of the times placed the Island of the Devil's Hand; which seems to have been so called chiefly in accordance with an Arabian tale, which relates, that in the Indian sea there is an island, near which a great hand rises every night from

We have already observed, that the traditions just related might probably have had a certain effect upon the mind of Columbus, to stir him up to solve the problems and diffi

this could not have been sufficient to decide the calm and reasoning mind of Columbus, that land might be found on the opposite hemisphere of the world; or rather, that by sailing on westward, the East Indies must necessarily be arrived at. A due consideration of the spherical figure of the earth, with the fullest knowledge of astronomy, geography, and navigation, which the times afforded, were the main aids, which incited this distinguished navigator to institute, and to carry to a successful termination, the task of examining the more distant portions of the globe. Not but that such information might have occasionally reached Columbus, as was likely to influence his judgment in a subordinate degree. It appears that the inhabitants of some of the islands west of Africa had picked up every now and then pieces of artificially carved wood, which could not have been cut with a knife, and which must have been brought thither by strong westerly winds. Other persons, navigating in those seas, had taken up canes of an extraordinary size, described by Ptolemy as peculiar to India, trunks of large pine-trees, which had been torn up by the roots, and plants such as had not been seen in the Old World. Some bodies of men were once found upon the shore of Flores, one of the Azores, having been cast there by the waves. These bodies had features and complexions differing essentially from those of the inhabitants of Africa, or of Europe, or from anything hitherto seen; and were in consequence always adjudged to have been wafted over from the West.

After much toil and vexation of body and mind, endured first at the court of Portugal, which, having deluded him, he was obliged to forsake, and afterwards at the court of Spain, as we before remarked, this latter power at length sent Columbus out on a voyage of discovery towards the West, in the year 1492. The expedition consisted of three vessels, having on board about one hundred men; and at setting out Columbus appears to have proposed to himself the exceeding probability of reaching the kingdoms of Cathay and Zipangu, which formed, according to the cosmography of the day, part of the great continent of India, on the Asiatic coast, and were distant about one-third of the circumference of the earth, as he supposed. He thus set out under the influence of two favourable errors; thinking, first, that Asia extended so much more to the East than it really does, and, secondly, that the Earth was much smaller than it has since been proved to be. The empire of Cathay, mentioned above, appears to have been China, which had been long described as being extensive, opulent, and populous The inhabitants, we are told, had a very exalted notion of themselves, which they evinced by saying that they alone, of all people in the world, had two eyes. The Latins, say they, have one; but all other nations are blind.

Columbus arrived first at the island of San Salvador; after which he visited several of the West India islands, and settled a colony in Hispaniola. He then again set sail for Spain, and reached the port of Palos on the 15th of March, 1493. He was ill-treated, and ultimately neglected by the court of Spain, which he had faithfully served. He died in 1506.

In our next paper we shall enter upon the subject cf Modern Navigation.