CHAPTER CLIV. AMERICA continued.- -Discovery of America by Columbus.

Copy of an ancient Drawing representing Columbus approaching a newly-discovered Island.

1. Ir has been conjectured that the ancient Carthaginians discovered South America, and made settlements there; for a stone, with an inscription in their language,

was dug up near Monte Video, but no other traces of them have been discovered; and if it were the case, the event had been forgotten for two or three thousand years. The first inhabitant of modern Europe who visited what was called the New World, was Christopher Columbus, who may therefore fairly be considered the discoverer of America.

2. This illustrious person was born at Genoa, in Italy, about 1435. As he grew up, he paid great attention to the study of geography, and from his knowledge that the earth was a globe of a certain extent, of which the lands then known occupied but a small part, he became convinced that there must be vast tracts of undiscovered country somewhere on the face of the broad ocean.

3. Columbus was poor, and had not the means of sailing in seach of these unknown lands. He applied for assistance to the rulers of his native country; but they refused it. He next went to Portugal; but there he met with no better success. At last he went to the court of Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella were king and queen of that country; but the king, like almost everybody else, treated Columbus with neglect and scorn.

4. The queen, however, thought so favourably of his project, that she sold her jewels to defray the expenses of the voyage; and three small vessels were equipped with ninety men, and with provisions for one year. Columbus took the command, and sailed from Spain in August, 1492.

5. He first held his course southward, and touched at the Canary Islands, and thence steered straight towards the west. After a few weeks, his men became alarmed, and feared that they should never again behold their native country, but should perish in the trackless sea.

6. Columbus did his utmost to encourage them, and promised to turn back, if land were not discovered within three days. On the evening of the last day, late at night, he looked from the deck of his vessel, and beheld a light

gleaming over the sea; he knew that this light must be on land. In the morning an island was seen, to which Columbus gave the name of St. Salvador. This is one of the Bahama Islands. The natives thronged to the shore, and gazed with wonder at the ships.

7. Columbus clothed himself magnificently, and landed with a drawn sword in his hand; his first act was to kneel down and kiss the shore. He then erected a cross, as a symbol that Christianity was now to take the place of paganism, and declared the island to be the property of Queen Isabella. He then visited other islands, and returned to Spain, giving an account of the wonderful things he had seen. He made a second voyage, but it

was not till his third that he discovered the continent of America.

8. No sooner had Columbus proved that there really was a new world beyond the sea, than several other navigators made voyages in search of it; and one of them, Americus Vespucius, a native of Florence, who explored a large portion of it, contrived to have the whole continent called by his name.

9. By degrees, discoveries were made along the whole coast of North and South America, and people came from various nations of Europe, and formed settlements there. In relating the history of these settlements, I shall begin with the most northerly, although the earliest existing colonies were planted in the tropical regions.

What of Chris

QUESTIONS. 1. What has been conjectured? topher Columbus ?- -2. When and where was he born? Tell the story of Columbus till the time when he set sail. 5. Which way did he first steer his course? What of his men ?- -6. How did Columbus encourage them? What island did he discover? What of the people?- 7. What did Columbus now do?-8, What of Americus Vespucius ?-9. What of other discoveries?

-Greenland.

CHAPTER CLV. AMERICA continued.

Settlements of the French in America.

1. GREENLAND, which I have already mentioned as the most northern part of America, was discovered early in the tenth century by an Icelander named Gunbiorn, who was driven on the coast by a storm. Seventy years after, another Icelander, named Eric the Red, being banished for his crimes, set sail in search of the land which Gunbiorn had visited. He discovered it, and returned to Iceland with so favourable an account of the country, that many of his countrymen were induced to accompany him thither, and form a settlement. More colonists afterwards went over, and in time two large tracts of country were settled, containing, it is said, a cathedral, fifteen other churches, and four monasteries.

2. The Greenlanders carried on a trade with Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, but were exposed to the hostility of the natives, who at last, in 1379, destroyed the western settlement. About thirty years after, the troubles in Denmark prevented ships being sent annually to Greenland, as had before been the case; and as the Greenlanders had then no ships of their own, all intercourse ceased. From this time nothing certain is known regarding the eastern settlement, but it also is supposed to have been destroyed by the natives.

3. It was not until nearly one hundred and fifty years after that attempts were made to re-open the trade, but the vessels sent, owing to the ice, were unable to reach the shore. Many other expeditions were equally unsuccessful; but in 1721, Hans Egede, a Norwegian clergyman, made a settlement in the southern part of Greenland; but he discovered that the natives bore no resemblance to Europeans. The ruins of houses and churches, gravestones, iron instruments, and other remains of the old colonists, have, however, been since abundantly found.

4. There are now ten missionary establishments, and twenty-eight colonies and factories belonging to Denmark, in Greenland, and about one hundred and fifty Europeans reside there. There are six thousand natives, who are Christians, and are very intelligent, honest, and sober, and what is more remarkable, ceremoniously polite; they maintain themselves by their fisheries, and are much attached to their country. The only European luxuries they value are coffee and snuff, for they refuse to taste brandy, which they call "maddening drink."

5. British America consists of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, the Island of Cape Breton, Upper and Lower Canada, and the Hudson's Bay settlements. All these provinces together compose a tract of country equal in extent to the United States, and the population is between two and three millions. They are bounded north by the Arctic Sea and Baffin's and Hudson's Bays, east by the Atlantic, south by the United States, from which they are divided by the great chain of lakes and the river St. Lawrence, and west by Russian America and the Pacific Ocean. Quebec is the seat of government; and Montreal and Halifax are places of great trade.

6. The first people who formed settlements in America, to the northward of the present limits of the United States, were the French; who, nearly three hundred years ago, used to send fishing-vessels to this coast.

7. In 1524, a Frenchman, named James Cartier, sailed up the St. Lawrence and built a fort, in which he passed the winter; and settlements were soon after formed in Canada and Nova Scotia. King Henry the Fourth of France appointed the Marquis de la Roche to be governorgeneral of Canada and the neighbouring territories.

8. The city of Quebec was founded in 1608; it stands on the river St. Lawrence, about five hundred miles from the sea; its foundation is on a rock of marble and slate.

9. The French settlers lived on friendly terms with