Morning journal and courier., 1892-09-19
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

SuMtAA1
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.
Rev. DR.. Twitcheu Delivers a Very
Able Lecture at tho Dwight Place
Church Last Evening on the Subject
OF Christopher COlumbus-The Great
Discovererss Struggles In Securing
Assistance.
Rev. J. e. Twitchell, last evening at the
Dwight Place church, delivered the first of
q series of lectures which he is going to
give on "Four Centuries of American His
tory" The subject of last evenings leo
ture was "The Finding of the New World
by Christopher Columbus" The address
was listened to by a large and appreciative
audience. DR.. Twitchen has spent consid-
cradle time writing these lectures, and he
proposes to make them interesting as well
as instructive. Next Sunday evening the
subject will be 'This New World as 1t was
found" The greater part of last even
ing's lecture is given below:
In few weeks the people Of America,
Irrespective of age, rank, condition, party
or nationality, will celebrate the discovery
of this new world by Christopher Colum-
bus. The great Columbian exposition at
Chicago will be opened with music, ad-
dresses, congratulations and prophecies
of the extent and increasing glories
of our beloved land. Inspiring pro-
cessions of children, of civic sOoie-
ties and soldiers will parade our
streets; mammoth flags and banners will
be born aloft; statues will be unveiled and
q general jubilee will be enjoyed all
through the whole domain. This celebra-
ton, or these celebrations for they will
occur in all our cities and in many of the
larger towns), will be strangely significant
of the peoples estimate of their possessions
and institutions; great object lessons, which
may be studied with religious interest and
which will surely inspire within us rever-
emit thoughts of Gods care over us, and of
his gracious designs in reserving this con-
his worldwide economy.
you better, or better serve the cause of
Christ in general, than by devoting q few
Sabbath evenings to the careful study of
these four centuries of American history.
My object will be to condense for you as
best I can land hope you will bear in mind
that the task is no easy one) the most strik-
ing and influential events in these four
hundred years, SO that you may reach a
somewhat accurate estimate of the forces
which have been at work among us and Of
the marvellous progress of civilization
destined to mould into better life all the
nationalities of earth.
This evening, as somewhat Introductory,
we shall review scenes connected with the
FINDING OF THE NEW WORLD,
speaking especially of Christopher
Columbus, the renowned navigator and
explorer of the fifteenth century.
This man was born In Genoa, Italy
about the year 1885. His father was
| wool comber of small means, and of nc
| special prominence in the community
| For several years his ancestors had follow
| ed the sea-doubtless because the Gsnoes,
| at that time were rivals of tho Venetian
| for control of maritime commerce, and be
cause sea-faring life was most promisefu
of wealth and power.
At the ago of ten years this boy, Chris
TOPPER was sent to the University of Pavi
in Northern Italy. There, according t.
the record, che studied cosmography
history, philosophy and other science
connected with the art of navigation" be
coming remarkably proficient in thes
studies.
After four years at this university he re
turned to his fathers workshop, bnt 500,
shipped as a common sailor in one of tn
vessels commanded by his uncle, who he'll
rowing commission against the pirate
who infested the commerce of Genoa.
| Twenty or more years seems now to hav
been passed "aflost," of which we kno'
little save as he says of them: "Whereve
ship has sailed there have journeyed."
| Sure, however, are we that those year
were "stormy, laborious and eventful,
fitting him for the perilous voyages he Wa
to make later in search of cities of spler
dor and mountains of gold, far off aoroi
the unsailed sea toward the setting sun.
At the age of thirty-five-this the yes
147o-we find the boy Christopher at Lii
bon, now beginning to feel himself con
missioned of God for the discovery of
new world.
| Lisbon was then the chief city of naut
cal science. There Columbus devoted hin
self to the designing of maps and chart
working along this line for two or thrs
years-meanwhile devouring the works {
| Ptolemy and Pliny, Marco Polo ON
Vaudeville finding great encouragement
in his marriage of the daughter of
distinguished Italian navigator who WI
then in the service of Prince Henry.
Working at his maps and charts one ds
he learned that piece of cnriously carve
wood had been washed ashore in q weste
ly, gale and, some time later, that other ev
dences of western world had been foun
in reeds of mammoth size, in trunks
trees, the like of which grew not in all IL
west, and in several human bodies {
whose race no one ever heard.
ALL of these things convinced Columbu
that much of the world remained undi
covered, and that by sailing west he coul
find the tabled land of Cathay, the ric
mines of Golconda and great and powe
full people, concerning whom the wier
imaginations of that age ran riot.
The mariners compass and astrolot
ian instrument for taking the altitude {
the sun and stars were just coming into u.s.
The air of the east was full of rumors of q
! unknown world somewhere out beyon
the seas, and the strange conjectures {
medieval navigators were taking shapt
Columbus was in full sympathy wit
these conjectures and he went beyon
them all in conclusions which in his ow
mind admitted of no doubt. He Their
fore gradually matured his plans of O.
ploration and prepa red to appeal for al
| in the execution OF them.
His theory was that the earth was roun
and that by sailing west he would reso
India, and that the intervening sea or sea
covered about one half of the earth's Gil
conference, of which the world knee
knothing how much was land and ho'
much sea.
he applied first tor aid land very natul
ally to his own city, Genoa, explainin
his theory, presenting his plan and urgin
his cause: but found no encouragement
He then repaired to Portugal, whose kin
had given various proofs of willingness t
engage in any enterprise that would b
likely to increase his power and fame
There, however, as at Genoa, he was dir
appointed; though the king was 30 i'm
pressed with Columbus theory that b
secretly dispatched an exploring frigate
| which soon returned, the sailors havin
lost all heart and refusing to ventur
further on the wild waste of waters.
| About ten years seem to have been spen
in fruitless effort to secure the aid or eve
countenance of any ruler for his undertal
ing! Every year, however, he rose to
sublimer faith in success if he could onl
|, | secure assistance!
His wife was now Dead his brother ha
gone to England; no himself was poor, an
the prospect of ever realizing his hope
through any aid from the Portuguese wa
wholly blasted.
We come now to the year 1884 and fin
Columbus setting out secretly and with
sad heart from Lisbon, accompanied by b
, little son, Diego, taking the lonely ros
for Spain. One day in the autumn of ths
year, worn, weary and fott-sore, he stoppe