The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-03

the work o profitable one and monopolized the
trade Of the gold coast The Canaries the Madeiras
and number OF other islands were discovered, and
In 1850 Bartholomew Diaz for the first time
ROUNDED THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,
whose existence as the southern extremity OF the
continent had been learned from native sources.
He had passed twenty leagues to the east OF 1t in
fog, without knowing where he was when the men
mutned and compelled him to turn back. In vain
he impored them to go forward; they were too
heightened to listen to the promptings Of honor or
enterprise; and, perhaps, it was just as well that
they were deaf, for on coming back Diaz suddenly
found the Stormy Cape before his eyes, Like a
good Portuguese Catholic he landed and planted q
cross and dedicated 1t to San FilipO.
vAsCO DE CANA.
Ten years later vascO de Cana followed in his
track, and rounding the cape ran up the
coast "a far as Mozambique and Mombassa,
exactly the shore line Of that charmed
land from which Livingstone, after centuries
Of darkness and concealment since vasc0s time,
win soon lift the VEIL Then, as now, the coast
was under the sway Of an Arab Sultan, who re-
celved De Gamas overtures of friendship and
commerce with dangerous GOODNESS. The naviga-
tor, therefore, came down the coast again, and
succeeded in opening a trade with Calicut in India
though not without passing through some very
thrilling preliminary perils
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
Meanwhile Columbus was on his third voyage to
America, and had at last succeeded I'm reaching the
main land But it is scarcely necessary to review
for the benefit OF Americans the ever
memorable story OF the great disc0verer's
four daring ventures across the Atlantic. We
have all of us lived, in fancy that first passage,
ever westward, across the unknown main, for
thirty-hve weary, anxious days, without sight OF
aught but sea and sky, occasional waf of
weed, bearing mocking treacherous, never-fulflled
promises OF Gland Tomorrow" And the triumph at
last, and the squabbles OF the early Spanish colo
nies and the disgrace Of our first great American
and his death in poverty and privation-this is all
part Of heritage Of national history.
Nor, for that matter is it necessary
to recall here the subsequent exploration
OF this youngest and happiest OF the continents.
Cortes and Pizarro, Vincent, Pinon and General
Fremont are names with which we are all enthusi-
astically familiar, and far as America has been
explored at all, we know sufficiently well the story
OF the toll and suferngs, the courage and perse-
verance, which have rescued it from the region OF
the unknown.
DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC.
1t is worth while, however, to jot down that In
1913 Nunez de Balboa, q noble Spaniard in COM
mand of some troops at Darien forced his way
port amo ng the Indians that there was
an ocean on the other side Of the land,
and from the top OF o small mountain,
still identified by tradition, gazed upon the Pacific
He at claimed the sovereignty of the ocean for
the Crown Of Castillo and was rewarded for his
loyalty by the appointment OF q deadly enemy to
the g0vernorship of the new province thus carved
out by his patient daring. This enemy made Balboa
miserable for four weary years, and then seized q
convenient pretext to have him executed.
ROUNDING CAPE HORN.
In 1920 Magellan discovered the straits that bear
his name, and one of the five vessels that formed
his expedition succeeded in making its way home
'westabOut,n and for the first time circumnav
eating the globe. Magellan himself, however,
was not one Of these happy mariners. On
the return he stopped at the Philippines, and
having baptized native king, was foolish enough
| to offer to defend him against all his enemies.
The king had quarrel on his hands at the time,
| and in the war that was at once begun the
| Spanards were defeated and Magellan slain.
| Worse than all, too, the king was SO angry and
| Inundated that he at once renounced Christianity
and murdered in cold blood the shattered remnant
| of Magellans forces.
RAPID PROGRESS.
| These highways once established, 1t was almost
| inevitable that fresh discoveries should be con.
stantly made by succeeding navigatOrs; while IN
the course Of trade IL could fail to happen that
much information would be gathered in regard to
the and customs, the religion and laws, the
productions and manufactures Of the many new
peoples thus, within q brief century, brought
within the view OF the civilized world. And as Il
would be impossible to do more than indicate thu
main current OF progress we shall pass now a.
once to the next great discovery-that Of Australia
| in INV
known of the extent and Importance Of this
new continent until Tasman visited IL In 1912
and sailing along Its eastern coast discovered alst
the Island of Van Diemans Land, or as 1t Is some
times named after him, Tasmania.
CAPTAIN COOK AND LA PEROUsE
And now, making another big jump, and skipping
hundreds of small-fry discoveries, we come to Cap
tain Cook who first gave anything like an adequate
| account Of the Pacific Archipelago. He made three
| voyages, and each time contributed many new and
important additions to our knowledge His
| tragcal death at the hands OF the savages
| OF Owhyhee recalls also the fate of another
navigator almost contemporary, the gallant La
Perouse who left France just as the great revolu-
ton was about to break out in uncomfortable vio
lence try and eclipse the glories with which Cool
| and other navigators had covered the British peo-
ple La Perouse and his ship disappeared
and it was not until many years
afterwards that an English captain found
at Manicolo the vestges OF the wreck, and heard
rom the natives of the island an account of the dis
aster.
| THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE.
Early in the present century Captain Ross at
tempted to find what many navigators from sebas
tan Cabot EDWARDS, had searched for In vain-tht
northwest passage. He pushed up further
than any one had reached before, but declined to
incur the risk Of being frozen in the Ice for en-
! tire season. Many Of his officers blamed
him for his prudence, and In 1919 Lieu.
tenant Parry, who had been his secont
in command headed another expedition This
was also unsuccessful, and SO were two subsequent