Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-23
alberto psfpuccplanretioj

Spain and Portugal OF the first two
nothing is left but hearsay. excepting
dates and names.
The first began May 90, 1897, or MAY
10, 1897. or NAV 90. 1893, and was I'M
dertaken for the king of Spain.
The second was started under the
same auspices on or ABOUT May l6. 1897.
from the port Of Cadiz.
In these he probably discovered Cuba
and the larger isles of the West Indies
His third, and the one on which his
fame will ever rest was undertaken for
the King of Portugal. and started from
Lisbon Oh May Is, 1901. 1t consumed
sixteen months, during which time Yes
rlccius gathered vast amount of IN
formation. and it must be added. misin-
formation,
Shortly after his return 10 Portugal
he wrote the celebrated letter, of which
portions are given below. and which
has never before been published in En-
glish. The original is lost. At the time
he wrote it he had it translated from
Italian, which he spoke to Latin, the
literary language of the world at that
time Within few weeks after IT'S re-
ception by Lorenzo de Medlci. it was
given 10 .Jclian Lambert. the greatest
illuninator. engrosser and printer of his
age, for reproduction and preservation.
How many copies were made Is nm
known There are two or three i'll this
country. and less than Il dozen in Europe.
The finest one extaHt is that owned by
Edmund \. Bonaventnre, famous
bibliophile OF New York city. from which
the illustrations are taken. The leaves
of the manuscript are of the heaviest
parchment, and the colors are as brilliant
today as whep fret applied by the brush.
Another but much poorer copy, recently
sold at Frankfnrt-on-the Main. brought
$500.
The book opens with an Illuminated
title page in gold. ultramarine and scar
let. of which the following picture may
give a fair idea.
Then follow nine pages of closely writ
ten matter. in hch the queer Latin of
the Sixteenth century is made half unin-
telIigi,le by sonseless contractions, alb
breviatons and arbitrary symbols. The
difficulty encountered in reading this old
black letter cannot be appreciate by any
one unless he tries to deciphcr The pages.
At the close Of the letter il what is
called a tail piece. a symbolic design
which, while it NAV have conveyed a
clear idea to its maker. is more than in
comprehensive today, So far as the
story is concerned LIT Alberico Vcspuc-
cius speak for himself:
In former DAYS it was my fortune to
write unt" thee fulis concerning my re-
turn from those regions whicl, with the
fleet, and by the suggestion and com
mand of his most serene majesty the
king of Portugal. we have sought out
and discovered These regions it is al
lowable to s,yI.. the New World. Since
among our ancestors there was no knowl-
edge concerning these things, the matter
will prove most novel to all who hear it.
For this thing differs from the opinion of
our antiquaries, since the greater part
of them declare that beyond the equinoc-
tial line equator aud toward the south
there l. ~ continent. but a sea as large
lantic. and if any nj them have admitted
that a continent is there. they have de
MED for many reasons that the land is
hahitabla Bat my last voyage has
shown that this opinion of theirs is false
and altogether contrary to truth. since
in those parts towards the south have
found continent inhabited with more
oy,,,,,ota tar
Europe tsia, on Africa. and moreover an
atmospaete milder and more agreeable
than IN any other region known by us.
as you viii perceive later on, where we
desciih" the chief points. The matters
more worthy of notice and memory
which were seen or heard by me in this
new world sili appear below,
On the li,h day of the month of May.
in the Year 1901. we departed from Lis
bon bv the command Of the king witt
three 81 ips on an suspicious voyage il
order to discover the new lands toward
the west. We sailed towards the south.
the course Of which voyage was as fol-
lows:
Our course lay through the Fortunate
Islands, as they were formerly called. but
now are styled the Great Canary Islands.
which are in the third climate and on the
confines of the inhabited west. Thence
through the ocean. we skirted the whole
shore of Africa and a part of Ethiopia,
as far as the Ethiopian promontory, as 1t
is called by Ptolemy. but by ia Cape
Verde. and from Ethiopia and the Man
dingha land "A deg. within the torrid zone
from the equinoctial line (equator) toward
the north. which region is inhabited by
black races There. our strength being
refreshed, and with necessaries for our
voyage. we raised anchor. spread our
sails to the wind, and directing our course
through the vast ocean for a short dis
lance toward the Antarctic pole. we then
bent our course to the westward through
the wind which is called the Vulturnus
southeast wind. and from the day on
which We departed from the above men
toned promontory we sailed for the space
oftwo months and three days before any
land appeared. but in the vastness of the
sea what we suffered, what perils of ship
wreck. what torments of body we sus-
tanned, and under what anxieties Of
mind we labored, leave to the imagina-
ton of those who through experience of
many affairs can best understand what it
is to seek out uncertain things and
investigate things of which they
may be ignorant. That you may un-
derstand everything in a word. know
that out of sixty-seven DAYS in which
We sailed, We had fortv-four continuous
days of rain. thunder and lightning,
days so dark that we could neither see
the sun by day nor a serene sky at
night. From which it happened that so
great fear came upon Us that we had al
-eady cas-, aside all hope of life. But in
these SO many and so great tempests Of
the sea and of the sky, 1t pleased the
Most High to show unto us the CONT
nent. the new regions. and the unknown
world. Which things being seen We
we're filled with as great joy a. it 10 pos
sible to be conceived by those who, out
Of various calamities and adverse foss