154. Discovery and settlement of Hispaniola. Proceeding southward, Columbus discovered Cuba, and Hayti; to the latter he gave the name of Hispaniola. Here he landed, entered into a friendly intercourse with the natives, built a fort, in which he left a garrison of thirty-eight men, with orders to treat the natives with kindness, and sailed for Europe. On his voyage, a violent tempest arising, Columbus was apprehensive the ship would founder; and to afford a small chance that the world should not lose the benefit of his voyage, he wrote a short account of his discoveries, wrapped it in an oiled cloth, inclosed it in a cake of wax, and putting this into an empty cask, he committed it to the sea, in hopes that it might fall into the hands of some fortunate navigator, or be cast ashore. But the storm abated, and Columbus arrived safe in Spain.

155. Second voyage of Columbus. In Sept. 1493, Columbus sailed from Cadiz on his second voyage to the new world, and discovered the Caribbee isles, to which he gave their present names, Dominico, Maragalant, Guadaloupe, Montserrat and Antigua. Then steering for Cuba, he saw Jamaica, and proceeded to Hispaniola. On his arrival, he found that the men whom he had left in garrison, had been guilty of violence and rapine, and were all destroyed by the natives.

156. First permanent settlement in America. As the first colony which Columbus left, was cut off, he sought a more convenient and healthful situation, marked out the plan of a town, erected a rampart, and built houses. This town he called Isabella, in honor of the queen, his benefactress. The government of this colony he committed to his brother, Don Diego, who, after Columbus had departed for Europe, abandoned this spot, and removing to the south side of the isle, began the town called St. Domingo, the first permanent establishment in the new world. Columbus returned to Spain early in 1496.

157. Columbus's third voyage. In May, 1498, Columbus left Spain on his third voyage, and proceeding farther southward, discovered and named Trinidad, and in August, discovered the main land, or continent of South America, along which he coasted two hundred leagues westward; then sailed to Hispaniola. When he arrived at St. Domingo, he found the colony in a mutinous state; but by prudent and firm measures, he composed the troubles. In the mean time, the discontented men repaired to Spain, and by false representations, persuaded the king to appoint Bovadilla, governor of the new world, with orders to take Columbus and send him to Spain. This commission was executed with inhuman severity, and the great Columbus was sent to Spain in chains. Such is the reward which great and good men receive from vile factious men.

158. Name given to this Continent. In 1499, Alonso Ojedo made a voyage to the western continent. With him was one Amerigo, or Americus Vespucius, a native of Florence, who wrote an account of the voyage, and pretending that he was the first discoverer of the main land, the country was called after him, AMERICA; which name, by the consent of nations, it has retained; to the injury of Cabot and Columbus, who had discovered the continent the preceding year.

But

159. Columbus's fourth Voyage. Columbus arrived in Spain bound like a criminal; but was soon set at liberty by order of the king, to whom he justified his conduct in the most satisfactory manner. he did not recover his authority, and Ovando was appointed governor of Hispaniola, in the place of Bovadilla. Columbus however prepared for a fourth voyage in 1502; intent upon finding a passage to the East Indies by the west. In this voyage, he entered the gulf of Darien, and examined the coast. But meeting with furious storms, he bore away for Hispaniola, and was shipwrecked on Jamaica.

160. Fate of Columbus. Being cast on an isle, at a distance of thirty leagues from Hispaniola, and his ships all destroyed, Columbus was in extreme distress. But the natives were kind, and furnished him with two canoes, in which two of his friends with some Indians rowed themselves to St. Domingo. But the governor, Ovando, meanly jealous of Columbus, delayed to send a single ship to bring him off, for eight months, during which time, Columbus was exposed to famine, to the natives and to the malice of his own mutinous seamen. At last he was relieved, and furnished with two ships, with which he sailed for Spain in 1504. Finding Isabella, his patroness, dead; and himself neglected, he sunk under his infirmities, and died May 20, 1506, in the 59th year of his age.

161. Pope's grant to Spain. The king of Spain, to obtain a secure title to the new world, obtained from Pope Alexander the sixth, a bull or patent, dated at Rome, May 4th, 1493, in which the objects of the grant are said to be, to humanize and christianize the savage nations of the new world. By this charter, the king of Spain was invested with sovereign jurisdiction over all the isles and lands which had been or should be discovered, west of a line running from pole to pole, at the distance of one hundred leagues west of all the Azores, and the Cape de Verd islands; to be held by him, his heirs and successors forever; excepting such isles and countries as were then actually possessed by some christian king or prince.

162. Progress of the Spanish Discoveries and Settlements. In the year 1500, one Pinzon, who had accompanied Columbus in his first voyage, sailed to America, crossed the equinoctial line, and discovered the Maranon, or Amazon, the largest river on the globe. In the same year, one Cabral, a Portuguese, pushed his adventures further south, and discovered the country now called Brazil. Pinzon made a second

voyage in 1503, with Solis, and proceeded as far south as the river which they called the river of Plata, or silver. In 1509 two adventurers, Ojedo and Nicuessa, attenipted to form settlements on the continent, within the gulf of Darien, but were repelled by the natives. In the following years, settlements were begun at Jamaica, Porto Rico, Darien and Cuba.

163. Discovery of Florida and of the South Sea. In 1512, John Ponce, who had subdued Porto Rico, fitted out three ships and sailing northward fell in with land in the 30th degree of latitude, which he took possession of and called Florida. In the following year, one Balboa ascended the mountains of Darien, the narrow isthmus which connects North with South America, and espied the great South Sea, now called the Pacific Ocean. Delighted with this discovery, he proceeded to the water's edge, and wading in, till the

water reached his waist, armed with his buckler and sword, he took possession of the ocean in the name of his king.

164. Discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1517, Cordova sailed from Cuba, discovered the great Peninsula of Yucatan, and the bay of Campeachy. But landing at the mouth of a river to procure fresh water, a considerable part of his men were killed and he was forced to return to Cuba, where he soon died. The next year, a more considerable force, under Grijalva, visited the same bay and encountering the natives, defeated them not without difficulty. To this country Grijalva gave the name of New Spain, which name it still bears; as well as that of Mexico, the name of the country among the natives. This expedition returned to St. Jago without attempting a settlement. In the same year, one Garay coasted along the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, to the river Panuco.

165. The conquest of Mexico. In 1519, Velasquez, governor of Cuba, fitted out an armament of eleven small vessels, and six hundred and seventeen men, under the command of Fernando Cortez, for the invasion of Mexico. As fire arms were not generally in use, only thirteen men had muskets; the rest being armed with cross bows, swords and spears. Cortez had however ten small field pieces, and sixteen horses; the first of these animals ever seen in that country. With this small force, Cortez landed at Mexico, to encounter one of the most powerful empires. After many negotiations, alliances, marches and counter marches; many battles and extreme hardships, Cortez subdued the Mexican Empire, then under the government of the brave, the hospitable, but unfortunate Montezuma, and entered the city of Mexico in triumph, on the 13th of August 1521.

166. Means by which Cortez entered Mexico. It is a most instructive lesson which the fall of Mexico is