The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-24

circumstances Of diniculty. He held frequent
and long consultations with the latter. both on
board Of his own ship and on the Pinta, and
decided nothing without having consulted
him. At the trial OF the suit between Diego
Columbus and the Spanish Crown. ten WITT
nesses deposcd that tho Admiral asked Pinzon
II they were on the right course. and that
Pinzon had always answered In the negative
until the southwesterly direction was taken.
Columbus proceeded like a man who only
dreamed what he was executing. and Pinzon
as though he sought n road formerly traversed
by him. He was so convinced. so sure OF him
self, that Columbus ended by listening to him.
Soon after they touched at San Salvador. 1t 10
also brought to our remembrance that Pinzon
took leading part at tho discussion with tho
seamen. and strongly urged the continuance
Of the voyage. 1t was Pinzon who first an
nounced the sight OF land: indeed. Pinzon
seems to have been at once the good and evil
genius OF the voyage In fact, he behaved to
Columbus much as the Pinzon mentioned in
the records at Dieppe had behaved to Cousin;
and Columbuss son. while no praises his
qualities as seaman. complains bitterly Of
his contumacy and malignity.
tli.
Tho truth 10 that at the epoch Of Columbus
the discovery Of America was in the air.
III Columbus had never lived. the New World
would probably have been brought into COM
munication with the Old about the close OF the
fifteenth century. The Portuguese had al
ready settled the Azores. and In their incessant
voyages to and fro around the Cape OF Good
Hope they must before long have become
acquainted with Brazil. We have seen that
the Dieppois claimed to have touched the
North American mainland four years before
Columbus saw San Salvador. and 1t could only
have been question Of q short time when the
navigators OF Bristol would have opened to
exploration and settlement the Continent OF
North America. 1t Is true that John Cabot
was the first mariner Of Bristol to find the
western lands in 1897. But these lands had
long been sought Pedro do Ayala. writing to
the King and Queen Of Spain in 1893. tells
Thorn that Tho people Of Bristol have for
seven years since sent every year two. three.
or four caravels In search Of tho Isle Of Brazil
and tho Seven Clties, according to the notions OF
this Genoese." meaning John Cabot who had
arrived In Bristol about the year 1890. William
Of Worcester mentions tho voyage Of Thomas
Lloyd. to whom patent was granted in 1880.
who commanded the ship equipped By John
Jay Of Bristol. but returned after seven
months without having landed.
But while It Is probable enough that about
the close OF the fifteenth century the Now
World would have been found BY tho Portu-
guese. or Englishmen. or Frenchmen. tho fact
romans that the first man to discover It was
Christopher Columbus It Is . more bubble
to say that It was an island. and not the main
land. on which he landed for after he had
opened tho gate OF the New World anybody
could pass through It
foo a. In ~ 81 -
Columbus has hitherto been deemed ostab-
llshed. It is that no died believing himself to
have found not a New World. but new route
to the eastern coast Of the Old Mr.. John B.
shipley. one OF the authors OF this volume.
points out the difficulty Of reconciling this do
fusion on the part Of tho dlscoverer with tho
fact that the size Of the Garth was correctly
computed at Rome very shortly after his first
voyage. The limo Of demarcation between the
domlnions OF the spanlards and tho Portu-
guese was first drawn by Pope Alexander
VI in 1893. and 1t was finally settled In
1904 BY the treaty Of Tordesllas. This
limo. 1t will be remembered. was-so
far as tho western hemisphere was
concerned-a meridian drawn $40 leagues
west OF the Azores. All the lands west Of this
line were to belong to Spain. and those east OF
1t to Portugal Now If in 1894 it was thought
that Columbus had nearly reached tho Moluo-
cas-. or some place not very far from tho al
ready known East Indies. it could not have
been imagined that tho prolongation OF tho
line OF demarcation on the other side Of the
globe would leave to Portugal those portions
OF the for East over which she claimed to OK
ercise influence. Yet the dispute which began
at this period. and was not settled till after
tho voyage Of Magellan. turned exclusively
upon the question. What portions OF tho
East Indies were given to Spain and which
to Portugal. by the prolongation into the
eastern hemisphere OF q meridian drawn.
roughly speaking. through the mouth Of
the Amazon? This line OF argument GER
tainly demonstrates that almost imm ediately
after the frat voyage OF Columbus 1t was al
ready assumed by the scholars OF the Vatican
that the rich Spice Islands Of the East Indies
were distant 1902 OF longitude. or one-half
the circumference OF the earth. from tho
islands newly discovered by the Genoese
explorer. We concur with Mr.. Shpley in
thinking It incredible that during tho
very short time between the first voyage Of
Columbus and the drawing Of the line Of de-
marcation the ideas OF the Roman geogra-
piers could have become so enlarged with
regard to the earth's size as to assign It twice
tho previously assumed diameter. Especially
does this seem Incredible whom we
bear in mind that tho earth had not
yet been circumnavigated. The inference
is that the delusion of Columbus with regard
to the size Of the earth. and tho Identification
OF the lands found by him with the East In
dies, could not have been shared by the learned
men at the court Of Alexander VI It must be
remembered that at that court were many
Greek scholars thoroughly conversant with
tho geographical views Of Eratosthenes and
Strabo. So nearly accurate was Eratosthenes
In his computation OF tho size OF tho globe
that the excess Of his figures over the actual
circumference was less than one-seventh OF o
great circle.
ENNIS OLD PROVINCE