DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

Waka Maori, Volume 11, Issue 11, 12 January 1875, Page 5

DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

We give in this issue the first chapter of the story of the discovery of America by Columbus, from a book entitled "Stories for Summer Days and Winter Nights." We have no doubt the perusal of it will prove both interesting and instructive to our Maori readers.

THE SEEKER AND THE FINDER. Chapter I.

The early life of the seeker-he leaves his country-he forms a bold project-he meets with sorrow and injustice. On the shore of a wild gulf or bay of the Mediterranean Sea, in the north of Italy, stands the city of Genoa. For many centuries this was a very busy, populous, and handsome city, celebrated for its commerce, its manufactories, and its wealth. There was no place in the world at one time more renowned for its traffic, and ships from all the countries that lay round the Mediterranean brought into its harbour all sorts of rich merchandise and valu-

able productions, which, after passing through the storehouses of its merchants, were spread over the rest of Europe. Even the princes of .G-enoa did not disdain to engage in commerce, while its merchants in their turn rose up to be nobles. They built themselves grand and luxurious dwellings, so that it became at last like a city of palaces; and was called " G-enoa the* Proud." Not only did G-enoa, however, receive the productions of the lands, but it furnished many fine and costly fabrics from out of its own manufactories and workshops—rich silks and velvets and woollen stuff, and many curious works in gold and ivory. If its merchants were wealthy, its handicraftsmen were skilful and industrious; and we are about to show how from this class it so happened that a remarkable person arose, whose fame has been far greater than that of its merchants or nobles, or even princes. About the year 1446 was born, in the city of G-enoa, the eldest son of a wool-comber of the name of Colombo, to whom was given the baptismal name of Christofon, which is the same as our Christopher. The father, though poor, was nevertheless desirous that his son should have all the advantages that he could procure him in the way of education, and the boy was taught, at an early age, reading, writing, and the Latin tongue. Christofon was intelligent and active-minded, and though he worked for some time at his father's trade, it was probably to gratify his tastes and inclination that he was afterwards permitted to become a mariner. It is not to be wondered at that a youth of Genoa should think that the -most charming thing in the world must be to make voyages to distant lands, and seek adventures on the sea, just as young people in our days hear so much going on around them about railways and steam-engines and electric telegraphs. Christofon, in his childhood, heard nothing talked of but ships and sea voyages, for at that time it was the subject that most interested the people of Genoa. To the north of their city was a long line of rugged mountains, beyond which it was not easy to penetrate, so that they seldom took journeys by land; and as all their wealth was derived from their intercourse by sea with other countries, it was natural for them to feel great interest in all that concerned it. The young Christofon and his companions would like nothing so well, in their leisure hours, as to ramble on the quays of G-enoa, and look at the vessels which lay in the harbour. Sometimes they would find that one was about to set sail for some distant port, and they would have to watch the lading of the merchandize in its hold, or on its deck ; and at another time they might be just in time to see the coming into harbour of some barque or galley laden with cotton, specie, dates, and cocoa-nuts, from Syria; or one bringing ivory, gold dust, and morocco leather, from Africa; and they would talk with the crews, and listen eagerly to their accounts of all the strange things to be seen in these countries, while it would interest them more than all to hear about the storms they encountered at sea, or the attacks made on them by the sea-robbers or pirates who infested the Medi-

terranean at that time, who would often attempt to board their vessels in order to carry off their rich cargoes. It was necessary, however, before becoming a sailor that Christofon should go to a college to learn something about geography, astronomy, and navigation, in order that he might be able to know how to steer a vessel, and one day take the command of one. For this purpose he was sent to the.University of Pavia, which at that time was held in high repute. "When we say that Christofon learned geography, we must explain that in those days little was known, even by the most learned people, about the situation of other countries, or about the distribution of land and water on the surface of the earth. They were, in fact, acquainted only with what would seem to us but a small patch upon a map of the world, or a globe. They knew pretty well the different countries of Europe and a small portion of Asia and Africa—just those parts which lie round the Mediterranean Sea; but nothing more. People at that time had, indeed, only just begun to make maps and charts, and these were far from being correctly drawn. A very ingenious instrument had, however, been brought to perfection about the time of which we speak, that was a great assistance in navigation, and of which Christofon had to learn the use while at Pavia. This was the mariner's compass, which by means of a magnetic needle, that had the strange power of pointing to the north, enables sailors at sea to find not only the north, but all the four cardinal points, as they are called —north, south, east, and west —as well as many directions between these points, such as north-west, south-east, <fcc. Christofon also learnt a good deal of geometry and all that was known of astronomy, and he came away from the university not only ready to make use of his knowledge, but more anxious to acquire more. He wanted especially to know more about geography, and he hoped that the day would come when he should be able to visit some of those parts of Asia and Africa to which ships had never yet ventured, and to find all about their situation, their productions, and inhabitants. The first voyages, however, which were taken by Christofon Colombo were only trading ones to and from the different parts of the Mediterranean ; and afterwards he accompanied an uncle, who was a captain, in some warlike expeditions undertaken by the G-enoese against some Princes of Italy, with whom they were at war. On all occasions be distinguished himself by great bravery and self-com-mand. He had grown up to be a man when at last, to his great satisfaction, he went on an expedition which took hiin through the straits of Gribraltar and round the western coasts of Spain and Portugal; but it was on this occasion that he nearly lost his life.

The vessel he was on board was attacked by pirates, and set on fire ; so that the crew had to save themselves by jumping into the sea. Colombo seized hold of a floating oar, and, being a good swimmer, contrived to reach the land. "It pleased G-od," said his son, who afterwards wrote an account of his life, " to give him strength, that he might be preserved for greater things;" and, as we shall soon see, his arrival in this strange way on the coast of Portugal proved, in the end, a circumstance which had great influence over his future life. After recovering from his exhaustion, Colombo (or Columbus, as he about this time began to call himself) proceeded to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, where lie found many of his own countrymen, and being induced to take up his residence there, it became hishome for many years. Wow, Portugal was at that time governed by a king whose son, Prince Henry, like Columbus, took great interest in geography, and wished to become better acquainted with the countries of the earth then known. He encouraged people to make charts, and induced his father to send out several expeditions of discovery along the western coast of Africa, and they had gone farther to the south than had before been thought possible. Ships of his had also ventured to sail in a westerly direction upon the Atlantic; and the Cape de Verd and Canary Islands had been discovered, as well as the Azores, which are ' still further out in the Atlantic. It suited well the tastes of Columbus to be employed in some of these expeditions and a great many things led him to suspect that these discoveries were only the beginning of still more important ones. The great Atlantic Ocean still stretched far to the west, beyond these islands, like an endless waste of waters, and no ship had yet attempted to cross its waves. People imagined, indeed, that beyond it must be the end of the world, and that certain destruction would await any one who should be rash enough to venture far to the west. In the mind of Columbus, however, sprung up the belief that beyond this vast sea must be land: other islands, at all events, if not a large continent. Many circumstances led him to believe this. He knew, for instance, that the world was round, like a

could be met with. "We know now that he was wrong in so thinking, and can see in our globes and maps of the world how not only the great continent of " America but the vast Pacific Ocean lie between the Atlantic and Asia ; but we know also that the error which was mixed up with the notions of Columbus led to the discovery of truth. For a long time he noted down all the circumstances which strengthened his belief that there was land on the other side of the Atlantic. A mariner who had sailed on one occasion far out to sea, had picked up a piece of carved wood which seemed as if drifted from the west; and on the western shores of the Canary Islands and Azores had been thrown up, at different times, reeds and trunks of pine trees unlike any which grew on those islands ; and more remarkable than all, there had been cast ashore the dead bodies of two men whose features were unlike those of any of the known inhabitants of the earth. It is also said that in a voyage which Columbus made at one time, very far to the north, he visited Iceland, and heard there that navigators from Norway had found land to the westward of that island. These and numerous other such curious facts were treasured up in the mind of Columbus and he trusted that the time might come when he should be able to prove that what they led him to believe was true. He would gladly have ventured forth upon the Atlantic for this purpose, but he was a poor man, and had no means of fitting out ships or hiring sailors; so that his only chance was to persuade some king or prince to enter into his views, and give him the command of an expedition. In the meantime Columbus had married a lady of i- • 1 i rvxi i. _.l t _ ■ j _x>

undertake an expedition to the west. "When Columbus laid before the king the chart he had made of his proposed route, and told him he was sure that there was" land to be discovered on the other side of the Atlantic, he was at first treated with ridicule, and his notions were thought nearly as extraordinary as if now-a-days any one should propose to make a voyage in a balloon to the moon. By degrees, however, as Columbus related all the facts which had led to his belief, the King began to think that he might be right, but he did not behave honorably towards him. After getting possession of all his maps and charts, he secretly fitted out a vessel, and sent it off in the direction that Columbus intended to take, so that if it were successful he might get the credit of it to himself. Such injustice and treachery, however, was doomed to meet with its due reward." The ship, after steering to the westward of the Cape de Verd Islands, encountered a severe storm, and before going far was obliged to put back. The sailors, in fact, had no belief or confidence in the existence of land beyond that vast trackless ocean, and therefore were easily frightened and discouraged. On their return, the ideas of Columbus were treated with more derision than ever; while he on his side was full of indignation at the discovery of the unfair manner in which he had been treated. He determined to have nothing more to do with the King of Portugal, and to leave the country for ever. Other sorrows fell upon Columbus, too, about this time. He lost his wife, whom he loved very dearly, so that he did not feel as if Lisbon was any longer his home; and taking with him his little son, he returned to his native city of G-enoa, hoping, if possible, to find some one there who would assist him in his schemes of discovery. But Genoa was not then so prosperous as during the youth of Columbus, and its princes had no money for such purposes at command, having wasted their treasures on wars with their neighbours. After visiting his aged father, and making several arrangements for his comfort, Columbus determined on going to Spain, which was at that time a very powerful and prosperous kingdom. It was governed by a King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, both of whom were remarkable for their skill in ruling their country, and who had conferred great benefits on their people. Still nourishing as strongly as ever his belief that a great discovery might be made by his means, Columbus hoped that these monarchs might be induced to listen to his project, and assist him to put it into execution. Nothing could be more deplorable than the condition of Columbus on returning to Spain, for he was both friendless and poor. At the gate of a convent near the little sea-port of Palos, on the south-west coast of Spain, a traveller stopped one evening, carrying a little child in his arms, for whom he begged a little bread and water. The prior of the convent, passing by at the time, was struck with the noble air of the poor stranger and entering into conversation with him, he heard from

him his previous history, and for what purpose he was come to Spain. The stranger was Columbus, with his son Diejo ! Luckily for Columbus the prior was a man of considerable learning and intelligence, and had turned his attention to geography and the art of navigation, probably because he lived near Palos, where many skilful navigators resided. He was much interested in the conversation of Columbus, and keeping him at the convent as his guest, he sent for a learned doctor, a friend of his, to talk to him, and to listen to his views. Instead of meeting with ridicule and contempt, Columbus was treated at the convent with the greatest respect and deference, and many discussions were held among the good monks about how he must induce the King and Queen of Spain to listen to his plans. Fortunately, the prior knew some one who was in the confidence of the queen, and he furnished Columbus with a letter of introduction to his friend, and begged him to obtain an audience for him of the King aud Queen. The kind prior, too, did more than this, for he promised to take charge of his little son, and educate him at the convent, while his father went to Cordova, where the Court of Spain was then assembled. Pull of renewed hope and spirits Columbus went forth on his errand. {To be continued.)