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to no other. He demanded them as if he were already successful, and aware of the extent and importance of his discoveries. In consequence of his resoluteness in adhering to these demands, the negotiation was once more broken off; and Columbus, mounting his mule, left Santa Fé, resolved never to return. He was within two leagues of Granada, when a courier overtook him and brought him back. The court now agreed that he should be admiral on the ocean, and enjoy all the privileges and honours allowed to the high admiral of Castile; that he should be governor over all the countries he might discover; and that he should reserve to himself one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, and articles of merchandise, in whatever manner obtained, within his admiralty. They also allowed that he should appoint judges in all parts of Spain trading to those countries; and that on this voyage, and at all other times, he should contribute an eighth part of the expense, and receive an eighth part of the profits. These articles of agreement were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella at the city of Santa Fé on the 17th of April 1492.

Preparations for the voyage were now commenced in good earnest. The port of Palos de Moguer, already mentioned, was fixed as the place where the armament should be fitted out. Royal orders were issued to the magistrates of Palos to have three caravels in readiness, and somewhat arbitrary measures were had recourse to for the purpose of obtaining crews. As soon as the nature of the enterprise became known, the little town of Palos was in an uproar: the owners of vessels refused to lend them; and the boldest seamen absconded, lest they should be pressed into such a service. Columbus had repaired to the spot; but all his exertions were unavailing; neither vessels nor crews could be got. At length a rich and adventurous navigator, named Alonzo Pinzon, came forward, and interested himself very strenuously in the expedition. His assistance was effectual. He owned vessels, and had many seamen in his employ, and consequently possessed great influence. He and his brother Vicente Pinzon determined to take commands, and sail with Columbus. Their example had a great effect; they persuaded their relations and friends to embark with them; and the vessels were ready for sea within a month after they had thus engaged in their equipment.

After all, the armament was miserably ill-proportioned to the grandeur of the enterprise. Only one of the three vessels was full-decked. The other two, says Washington Irving, "were light barques, called caravels, not superior to river and coasting craft of more modern days. They are delineated as open, and without deck in the centre; but built up high at the prow and stern, with forecastles and cabins for the accommodation of the crew. The largest vessel was called the Santa Maria: on board of this Columbus hoisted his flag. The second, called the Pinta,

was commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, accompanied by his brother, Francisco Martin, as pilot. The third, called the Nina, had latine sails, and was commanded by the third of the brothers, Vicente Yanez Pinzon." The crews, including Columbus, the three Pinzons, three other pilots, several royal officials, a physician and a surgeon, some private adventurers with their servants, and ninety sailors, amounted in all to one hundred and twenty

persons.

Thus, in the fifty-sixth year of his age, after innumerable efforts and disappointments, and at least eighteen years after he had matured his project in his own mind, did Columbus find his wishes gratified, by being placed at the head of an armament bound on a voyage through the hitherto unexplored Atlantic. He still laboured under the delusion that the lands he would reach by sailing in that direction would be the East Indiesthe golden regions lying in the eastern extremity of Asia, and described in such glowing colours by Marco Polo. So firm was he in this belief, that he was furnished by Ferdinand and Isabella with letters to be delivered to the great khan of Tartary. It ought to be mentioned also, as characteristic of the times, and of the almost wildly-enthusiastic genius of Columbus, that he had all along cherished the design of devoting the wealth which should be acquired from his discoveries to the object of rescuing the holy sepulchre of Jerusalem from the hands of the infidels.

THE VOYAGE.

On the 2d of August 1492, Columbus and all his companions marched in solemn procession to the monastery of Rabida to confess their sins, obtain absolution, and implore the blessing of God on their expedition. The account of this deeply-interesting voyage may be best given in the elegant language of Robert

'son.

"On Friday, the third day of August, in the year one thousand four hundred and ninety-two, Columbus set sail, a little before sunrise, in presence of a vast crowd of spectators, who sent up their supplications to Heaven for the prosperous issue of the voyage, which they wished rather than expected. Columbus steered directly for the Canary Islands, and arrived there (August 13) without any occurrence that would have deserved notice on any other occasion. But in a voyage of such expectation and importance, every circumstance was the object of attention. The rudder of the Pinta broke loose the day after she left the harbour; and that accident alarmed the crew, no less superstitious than unskilful, as a certain omen of the unfortunate destiny of the expedition. Even in the short run to the Canaries, the ships were found to be so crazy and ill-appointed, as to be very improper for a navigation which was expected to be both long and dangerous. Columbus refitted them, however, to the best of his power; and having supplied himself with fresh provisions, he

:

mentioned prior, to whom Columbus had already been introduced instructing him to hold a council of the most learned geographers and scientific men to examine and report on the plan submitted by Columbus.

Few meetings ever held are more interesting to us now than the great meeting of scientific men held in the convent of St Stephen, at Salamanca, to investigate into the feasibility of Columbus's project of reaching the East Indies by sailing due west. There were assembled all the sages of Spain, professors of astronomy, geography, and mathematics, most of them churchmen, together with a number of learned friars and ecclesiastical dignitaries in their robes; and in the midst of them all stood a simple mariner of Genoa, ready to explain his scheme and answer questions. A great majority seem to have been prepossessed against Columbus from the beginning, arguing that of necessity he must be wrong, seeing that it was not in the nature of things that one man could know better about such matters than all the rest of the world. Others, however, favoured him so far as to be ready at least to enter into argument with him. The arguments produced against him were of the strangest kind—a mixture of crude science with religious dogmas-quotations from Scripture interpreted in the oddest manner; together with extracts from the Greek and Latin fathers. To all the objections urged Columbus answered with firmness and modesty, failing, however, as may be supposed, to convince men against long-cherished prejudice, backed by an erroneous interpretation of Scripture.

The deliberations of the assembly were interrupted by the departure of the court from Cordova in the spring of 1487. No answer had as yet been given to Columbus with respect to his project; on the whole, however, there seemed little hope of a favourable one. The next five years were occupied by the Spanish sovereigns in the war against Granada, so that they had no leisure to enter personally into a consideration of the merits of the proposal made to them by the Genoese navigator. During all that time Columbus waited patiently, generally residing at Cordova, where, it is said, the children in the streets used to point to their foreheads as he passed, bidding each other look at the mad Italian; sometimes, however, following the court in its journeys from place to place, and even taking part in the sieges and battles in which the Spanish troops were engaged. His hopes seem to have alternately risen and sunk during these five years, In the year 1488 he appears to have despaired of a favourable issue to his application; for in that year he despatched his brother Bartholomew Columbus to England to make an offer of his project to Henry VII. Unfortunately, Bartholomew was captured by pirates on the voyage, and was not able to reach England for some years, otherwise Spain might have been for ever deprived of the advantages offered her; for when the scheme

as ultimately proposed to Henry VII., he embraced it more armly than any monarch to whom it had been broached before. the same year, 1488, Columbus received a letter from the ing of Portugal, inviting him to return to that country; but e refused the invitation.

In the winter of 1491, when the Spanish monarchs were about commence their last Moorish campaign, Columbus received 1 answer to his frequent applications. He was informed that e expenses of the war prevented the sovereigns from engaging present in any new enterprise, but that, when the war was ver, his scheme would be again considered. This was most disartening to one who had waited so long. Already advanced years, he began to fear that death would overtake him before had obtained the means of accomplishing his design. He solved to quit Spain. Before doing so, however, he offered his heme to two of the Spanish nobles, whose wealth and importce made them almost independent princes-the Duke of edina Sidonia and the Duke of Medina Celi. Both, after some lay, refused to engage in the project, as too ambitious for any it a great sovereign. Columbus, therefore, hesitated no longer, it prepared to go to France, where he anticipated a more vourable reception. Before setting out, he proceeded to the nvent at Palos, to visit his friend Juan Perez, and to bring vay his son Diego, whom, with his other son, Fernando, he tended to leave at Cordova. When his old friend the prior w Columbus once more at the gate of his monastery, after veral years of vain solicitation at court, he was deeply affected. e intreated him by all means to remain in the country. He d been father confessor to the queen, and thought he might ill exercise an influence over her mind. He accordingly proeded to Santa Fé, where the sovereigns were in person supertending the siege of the capital of Granada. Perez obtained a ady access to the queen. He laid before her the propositions Columbus with freedom and eloquence. Isabella was moved ith the grandeur of the project. The principles upon which it as founded, the advantages that would result from its success, id the glory it would shed upon Spain, were for the first time presented to her in their true colours. She promised her paonage to the undertaking. Columbus was summoned to court, id 20,000 maravedies, equivalent to upwards of £40 of our oney, were sent him to pay his travelling expenses; and he rived in time to witness the memorable surrender of Granada the Spanish arms. It was now only necessary to agree upon e terms of the proposed enterprise. Columbus would listen ly to princely conditions. A meaner spirit, after years of successful toil, poverty, and disappointment, would have been ad to secure the assistance of the sovereigns on such arrangeents as their own liberality might dictate. But Columbus ipulated his own rewards and honours, and would consent

to no other. He demanded them as if he were already successful, and aware of the extent and importance of his discoveries. In consequence of his resoluteness in adhering to these demands, the negotiation was once more broken off; and Columbus, mounting his mule, left Santa Fé, resolved never to return. He was within two leagues of Granada, when a courier overtook him and brought him back. The court now agreed that he should be admiral on the ocean, and enjoy all the privileges and honours allowed to the high admiral of Castile; that he should be governor over all the countries he might discover; and that he should reserve to himself one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, and articles of merchandise, in whatever manner obtained, within his admiralty. They also allowed that he should appoint judges in all parts of Spain trading to those countries; and that on this voyage, and at all other times, he should contribute an eighth part of the expense, and receive an eighth part of the profits. These articles of agreement_were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella at the city of Santa Fé on the 17th of April 1492.

Preparations for the voyage were now commenced in good earnest. The port of Palos de Moguer, already mentioned, was fixed as the place where the armament should be fitted out. Royal orders were issued to the magistrates of Palos to have three caravels in readiness, and somewhat arbitrary measures were had recourse to for the purpose of obtaining crews. As soon as the nature of the enterprise became known, the little town of Palos was in an uproar: the owners of vessels refused to lend them; and the boldest seamen absconded, lest they should be pressed into such a service. Columbus had repaired to the spot; but all his exertions were unavailing; neither vessels nor crews could be got. At length a rich and adventurous navigator, named Alonzo Pinzon, came forward, and interested himself very strenuously in the expedition. His assistance was effectual. He owned vessels, and had many seamen in his employ, and consequently possessed great influence. He and his brother Vicente Pinzon determined to take commands, and sail with Columbus. Their example had a great effect; they persuaded their relations and friends to embark with them; and the vessels were ready for sea within a month after they had thus engaged in their equipment.

and

After all, the armament was miserably ill-proportioned to the grandeur of the enterprise. Only one of the three vessels was full-decked. The other two, says Washington Irving, "were light barques, called caravels, not superior to river and coasting craft of more modern days. They are delineated as open, without deck in the centre; but built up high at the prow and stern, with forecastles and cabins for the accommodation of the crew. The largest vessel was called the Santa Maria: on board this Columbus hoisted his flag. The second, called the Pinta,

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