The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-10
THE DISCOVERY or AxEsrcA.

The celebration of the anniversary of the
discovery of America by Columbus il now
In progress at New York city. II began
on Saturday and win close ON Wednesday,
which is Anniversary day, with tho dedica-
ton Of the Columbus monument
The Cosmopositan Nagasins for October
contains an article which denounces Co
lumbus a. pirate and . slave hunter, q
dishonest and dissolute adventurer. This
view Of the character of Columbus IL pre-
presented with great fullness in . book
called the "English Rediscovery of Amer
ica." by John B. and Marie A. Shipley,
which is an elaborate attempt to depreciate
the value Of the work performed by Co
lumbus and to prove the discovery Of the
North American continent by the Cabots
an achievement more worthy Of comment
Grafton. The authors charge Columbus
with claiming for himself the discovery Of
. country Of whose existence he had
acquired positive knowledge during . So
journ in Iceland.
This charge Is OF no consequence, for If
IL could be proved it would not rob Column
bus Of his just claim to having been the
inspirer and the leader of the first expedi-
ton that brought the Old and New World
into permanent inter-communication
There 10 no historical doubt that the
Mortimer discovered Greenland and Vine
land in the eleventh century.
Bishop Jon. Of Iceland, visited Green.
land and Vineland in the year 1859, and
was killed by the natives of tho last
named country.
In the year ll2l Erik. bishop of Gardar,
Greenland, went to Vinelsnd, and, like
Bishop Jon. ended his life in that country,
usually identified with the Eastern coast
Of Massachusetts, and with Rhode Island.
Columbus never saw North America;
his nearest approach to it was when he
frat landed on one of the Bahamas. In
North America he was anticipated by the
discoveries of the Cabots, who in 1897 Wis
tied Newfoundland. Labrador and the
Canadian and United States coast as far
south as Chesapeake bay. 1t is certain
that the colonization OF the United States
was founded on the discovery Of Cab -
Lindsay in his History of Merchant
Shipping" says:
having been the frst to discover that posooa of
those lands now constituting tho Un1sed States
OF America; and TO Great Britain more than to
any other country ia due tho fame OF the thor
ough exploration and fret colouisation OF a
world destined to surpsss in wealth and power
the greatest OF modern nations
On the very earliest map known that
shows the discoveries of Columbus, the
discoveries Of Cabot are marked also, with
the note in Spanish, "Sea discovered for
the English" The map was drawn by
Cosa, the pilot and friend Of Columbus,
who knew we'll that though John Cabo.
was not. like his son. an Englishman
born, yet the discovery of tbs North
American coast was made .for the En-.
glish."
Hakiuyt, contemporary authority.
speaking Of the expedition OF SIR Humph-
rey Gilbert, says:
The 6rst discovery OF these coasts fusrer
heard Of beforcl was we'll begin By John CABOT,
the father, and Seba<taa, his sca, an English
mAn born. who were the dtst aniers OF all that
great tract Of land stretching from the Cspe of
Florida unto those islands which We now cali
ZIG ssA " W2tCn tGRy DrGlAle
and annexed unto the crown oil England
A French navigator. Jean Cousin, who
sailed from pieppe in ltss, claimed 10
have touched thu North American main
land four years before Columbus saw San
Salvador. Cousins lieutenant Was Snan-
lard. pinxon by name, Who On his return
retired to Genoa and afterwards to Castle.
There is considerable evidence TO show
tbs; this Pinzon was identical with the
/ pinzon. the lieutenant OF Columbus, who
| commanded the Pinta in tho first voyage.
| These facts Unesrthed by the Shipleys in
| their hook are most interesting history,
! but they do not alter the fact that
1 the LFst nan 10 discover the New
| World MAS Christopher Columbus. IL
he had never lived the New World
| would have been discovered doubtless
| about the close of the fifteenth century.
| The Portuguese had already settled the
| Azores: the French naviga;ars claimed
| discovery Of the mainland OF North Amer
! les four years before Columbus. As early
as is9eaI the people of Bristol began %
| send out ships ''in search of the Isle Of
/ Brazil and the Seven Cities, according TO
| the notions Of this Genoese." meaning
! John Cabot, Who had arrived ia Bristol