reflections extinguished all sense of personal danger. Less affected with the loss of life than solicitous to preserve the memory of what he had attempted and achieved, he retired to his cabin, and wrote upon parchment a short account of the voyage which he had made, of the course which he had taken, of the situation and riches of the countries which he had discovered, and of the colony that he had left there. Having wrapped up this in an oiled cloth, which he enclosed in a cake of wax, he put it into a cask carefully stopped up, and threw it into the sea, in hopes that some fortunate accident might preserve a deposit of so much importance to the world.

At length Providence interposed to save a life reserved for other services; the wind abated, the sea became calm, and on the evening of the 15th, Columbus and his companions discovered land, which proved to be St. Mary, one of the Azores, subject to the crown of Portugal. There Columbus obtained a supply of provisions, and whatever else he needed. The Pinta he had lost sight of in the storm, and he dreaded for some time that she had foundered at sea; he then became apprehensive that Pinzon had borne away for Spain, that he might reach it before him, and by giving the first account of his discoveries, obtain some share in his fame.

In order to prevent this, he left the Azores as soon as the weather would permit. When he was almost in sight of Spain, and seemingly beyond the reach of disaster, another storm arose, little inferior to the former in violence; and after driving before it during two days and two nights, he was forced to take shelter in the river Tagus. He was

allowed to come up to Lisbon, where he was received by the king of Portugal with the highest respect. He listened to the account which he gave of his voyage, with admiration mingled with regret; while Columbus, on his part, enjoyed the satisfaction of describing the importance of his discoveries, and of being able now to prove the solidity of his schemes, to those very persons who had lately rejected them as the projects of a visionary or designing adventurer.

In five days Columbus set sail for Spain, and on the 15th of March he arrived in the port of Palos, seven months and eleven days from the time when he set out thence upon his voyage. As soon as his ship was discovered approaching the port, all the inhabitants of Palos ran eagerly to the shore, in order to welcome their relations and fellowcitizens, and to hear the tidings of their voyage. When the prosperous issue of it was known, when they beheld the strange people, the unknown animals, and singular productions brought from the countries which had been discovered, the effusion of joy was general and unbounded. The bells were rung, the cannon fired; Columbus was received at landing with royal honours; and all the people, in solemn procession, accompanied him and his crew to the church, where they returned thanks to heaven, which had so wonderfully conducted, and crowned with success, a voyage of greater length and of more importance, than had been attempted in any former age. On the evening of the same day he had the satisfaction of seeing the Pinta enter the harbour.

The first care of Columbus was to inform the king and queen of his arrival and success. Ferdi

nand and Isabella, no less astonished than delighted with this unexpected event, desired Columbus to repair immediately to court, that from his own mouth they might receive a full detail of his extraordinary services and discoveries. During his journey, the people crowded from the adjacent country, following him every where with admiration and applause. His entrance into the city was conducted with pomp suitable to the great event, which added such distinguishing lustre to their reign. The people whom he brought with him from the countries which he had discovered, marched first, and by their singular complexion, the wild peculiarity of their features, and uncouth finery, appeared like men of another species. Next to them were carried the ornaments of gold, fashioned by the rude art of the natives. After these appeared the various commodities of the newly-discovered countries, together with their curious productions. Columbus himself closed the procession, and attracted the eyes of all the spectators, who gazed with admiration on the extraordinary man, whose superior sagacity and fortitude had conducted their countrymen, by a route concealed from past ages, to the knowledge of a New World. Ferdinand and Isabella received him clad in their royal robes, and seated upon a throne under a magnificent canopy; and when the admiral had finished his narration, they kneeled down and offered up solemn thanks to Almighty God, for the discovery of those new regions, from which they expected so many advantages to flow in upon the kingdoms subject to their government. Every mark of honour, that gratitude or admiration could suggest, was conferred upon Columbus. Letters

patent were issued, confirming to him and to his heirs many important privileges; his family were ennobled, and himself treated with all that respect which was paid to persons of the highest rank. But what pleased him most, was an order to equip, without delay, an armament of such force as might enable him not only to take possession of the countries which he had already discovered, but to go in search of those more opulent regions which he still expected to find.

While preparations were making for this expedition, the fame of Columbus's voyage spread over Europe, and excited general attention. Men of science, capable of comprehending the nature and of discerning the effects of this great discovery, received the account of it with admiration and joy. They spoke of his voyage with rapture, and congratulated one another upon the felicity, in having lived in the period when, by this extraordinary event, the boundaries of human knowledge were so much extended, and such a new field of inquiry and observation opened, as would lead mankind to a perfect acquaintance with the structure and productions of the habitable globe. Various opinions and conjectures were formed concerning the new countries, and to what division of the earth they belonged. Columbus had no doubt that they should be reckoned a part of those vast regions of Asia comprehended under the general name of India; in consequence of which, the name of Indies was given them by the king and queen and even after the error was detected, and the true position of the new world was ascertained, the name has remained; and the appellation of West-Indies is given by all the people of

Europe to the country, and that of Indians to its inhabitants.

The name by which the countries were distinguished was so inviting, the specimens of their riches and fertility so considerable, that volunteers of every rank solicited to be employed in the new expedition. The fleet consisted of 17 ships, which had on board 1500 persons, among whom were many of noble families who had served in honourable stations. The greater part of these, being destined to remain in the country, were furnished with every requisite for conquest or settlement, and with such artificers as might be most useful in an infant colony.

But, formidable as this fleet was, Ferdinand and Isabella did not rest their title to the possession of the newly-discovered countries upon its operations alone. They applied to the Pope for a right to those territories which they wished to occupy; who granted them all the countries inhabited by infidels, which they had discovered, or should discover; and in virtue of that power, which he pretended to derive from Christ, he conferred on the crown of Castile vast regions, to the possession of which he himself was so far from having any title, that he was unacquainted with their situation, al ignorant even of their existence. To prevent this grant from interfering with one formerly made to the crown of Purtugal, he decreed that a line, supposed to be drawn from pole to pole, a hundred leagues westward of the Azores, should serve as the limit between them; and in the plenitude of his power, bestowed all to the east of this imaginary line upon the Portuguese, and all to the west of it, upon the Spaniards.