letters on the Eastern Continent long prior to the dis covery by Columbus; to him, therefore, justly belongs the glory of having discovered the Western World.

3. Columbus was a navigator, and supposed that India, which was known to be in the East, could be reached by sailing due west, without doubling the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern extremity of Africa. From observations of the earth's shadow on the moon during eclipses, as well as from other considerations, he, with others, had come to the conclusion that the earth was round; and hence he reasoned that by sailing due west he must ultimately reach some land beyond the western sea. Other facts of a different character also excited him to undertake a western exploration. Driftwood floating from the west was sometimes thrown upon the coasts of the Madeiras, and the dead bodies of two men of an unknown race had also been found upon the coast.

4. The East Indies, from the earliest ages, had been a mine of wealth to the more western nations, but the overland journey was long and toilsome, and attended with many difficulties and dangers, and at this period it had become a favorite project of Europeans to discover a direct passage by sea. It was more with a view of opening up this new route to India that Columbus set out on his voyage of exploration, than with any idea of discovering a new continent.

5. For aid in the prosecution of his enterprise, he first made application to the government of Genoa, his native place; failing in this, he applied to John II., king of Portugal. King John seems to have amused him and detained him at his court for some time, while he privately fitted out an enterprise, which was intended to forestall his undertaking, and deprive him of the glory of the

3. What made Columbus think the earth was round? The earth being round, what did his reason teach him?

4. What is said of the East Indies? What was the object of Columbus ? 5. Of what city and country was Columbus a native? To whom did he first apply for assistance? To whom next? How was he treated by King John ?

achievement.

On the discovery of this fact Columbus

left Portugal in disgust.

6. About this period he sent his brother, Bartholomew Columbus, to the court of Henry VII., king of England, but so many delays occurred that the discovery of the West Indies had actually been made before the king gave a favorable answer to his application.

7. In 1486 he applied for aid to Isabella, Queen of Aragon. The war that the united kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, under the dominion of Ferdinand and Isabella, had long waged against the Moors of Granada, was drawing to a close. Soon after its close, he was invited by the queen to her presence. He was received with distinguished favor, and a favorable answer was given to his application.

8. His demands "that he should be appointed admiral of all the seas which he might explore, and governor of all the continents and islands which he might visit; that these offices should be hereditary in his family; and that the tenth of everything bought, bartered, found, or got within the bounds of his admiralship, abating only the charge of the conquest, should be settled upon him, and should descend to his heirs in case of his death," were agreed to; and a fleet of three vessels, properly manned and equipped, was placed under his command. These vessels were victualled for twelve months, and had on board ninety mariners, besides several adventurers and servants, amounting in all to one hundred and twenty persons. The whole cost of the expedition was about twenty thousand dollars.

9. The names of the three vessels were the Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. Of these the Maria was the largest; and in this vessel Columbus himself sailed. The Pinta was commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and the

6. What is said of his application to the King of England? 7. To whom did he apply in 1486? How was he received?

8. What were his demands? Were they agreed to? How many vessels were furnished him? What was the cost of the expedition?

9. What were the names of the vessels? From what port did they sail? Or what day?

Nina by his brother, Vincent Yanez Pinzon. They sailed from Palos, a port in Spain, on the morning of Friday, the 3d of August, 1492. In three days they came in sight of the Canaries. Here they were detained several weeks on account of injuries received by the Pinta. Columbus endeavored to procure another vessel in place of the Pinta, but was unable to do so. The repairs were completed at length, and on the 6th of September, from Gomera, one of the Canaries, these three small vessels boldly sailed westward over a trackless and unknown sea.

10. On the 13th of September, when far from land, as they supposed, the sailors were much alarmed by discovering the variation of the needle of the compass, a phenomenon which had not been observed before. Though Columbus himself did not understand the cause of the variation, yet he invented some plausible reason for it, and succeeded in calming their fears and in reconciling them to the continuance of their course westward. But their fears of never again seeing land soon overmastered them and caused great discontent, which broke out in loud murmurs and mutinous threats of forcing the admiral to return. It was with great difficulty that he could retain his ascendancy over them; and at length he yielded so far to their importunities as to promise that, if there were no signs of land within three days, he would return to the East.

11. Before the three days expired many signs of land began to appear; flocks of strange birds were observed; the sea became more shallow, and pieces of floating timber were seen. On the night of the 11th of October, Columbus himself saw a light, moving as if borne in the hand of some person, which he considered as evidence, not only of the nearness of land, but also that the land was inhabited. At two o'clock on the morning of the 12th a gun was fired by

10. What alarmed the sailors on the 13th of September ? Had this variation ever been observed before? How did Columbus account for it? What threats did the sailors make? What did Columbus do then?

When was land first dis

11. What occurred before the three days expired? covered? What land was it? How did Columbus name it?

the Pinta, as a token that land was in sight. The land proved to be one of the Bahama Islands, called by the natives Gu-an-a-han'-i, or Cat Island, named by Columbus San Salvador, which, in English, means the Holy Saviour.

12. The landing, which took place on the morning of the 12th of October, 1492, was accompanied with every demonstration of gratitude and joy. Columbus, richly dressed in a scarlet uniform, and bearing the royal standard of Spain, was the first to land and press his foot upon the new earth, of which he took possession for and in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of Castile and Aragon. Then kneeling, he kissed the earth, and gave thanks to

12. When did the landing take place? In whose name did he take posses sion? What is said of the Indians

God for His goodness. Meantime the natives stood around filled with wonder and astonishment at the formidable appearance of these strange and wonderful men, whom they supposed to have descended from the sun; little thinking that these new-comers would soon be their destroyers.

13. Columbus afterwards discovered and touched at several other islands, amongst them Hispaniola and Cuba, all of which he claimed for his sovereigns, and all of which he supposed to be parts of India. Hence, to these islands has been given the name of West Indies, and the Aborigines, or those then inhabiting both the islands and the continent, have received the general name of Indians.

14. Of the origin of these tribes or peoples nothing is known with certainty. The manner in which they crossed the Atlantic or the Pacific, and the period at which they arrived on the shores of America, are equally buried in obscurity. But it is evident that for many years, it may be for many ages, prior to the advent of Columbus, America had been occupied by these heretofore-unknown races. Some nations in the southern part of North America, and some also in South America, had built large cities and had attained to a considerable degree of civilization. But their civilization differed greatly in many respects from that of the East.

15. Many curious remains of ancient structures erected by the aborigines of America still exist. In deep forests, in places far remote from the habitations and cultivated fields of white men, the traveller will sometimes suddenly find himself in the presence of massive ruins, whose appearance indicates that they were first erected many centuries ago. Large forest-trees, several hundred years old, are sometimes found growing amongst and on these ruins.

13. Did Columbus make further discoveries? What name did he give the Islands? What were the natives called?

14. What is known of the origin of those tribes Had they been long is America? What is said of their civilization?

15. What is said of ancient buildings found in forests ?