Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14
AMERICAS DISCOVERIES.

President Gardiner Hubbard's Annual Ad-
dress Before the Geographic Society.
An audience composed Of many OF the best
known of our citizens filled all the chairs at tho
Builders Exchange Hall last night upon tho
occasion Of the annual address of the president
Of the National Geographic Society, Mr.. Gar
diner G.. Hubbard.
Mr.. Hubbard had chosen for his subject the
"Dscoverers of America" on account, as lie
said, of the appropriateness Of the topic this
year. He reviewed in a very clear and concise
manner the history of the several discoverers
of our country, pointing out their trials, their
vicissitudes and their glories, and the credit
which was legitimately due each one. He did
not hope, he said, to present any new facts,
but rather to treat an old subject in different
light. The add se-s was illustrated with lantern
slides, which increased the interest in the dis
course.
THE AGE OF THE NoRsEMEN.
The speaker took his hearers back in the
ages of the Norsemen and went over the
political and geographical situation Of the old
world at that period. He discussed the general
beliefs OF that time az to the shape and extent
of the earth and told how the scientists held to
the theory that the earth was round, while the
church insi ted that it was fiat. The maps of
then eXtant. Mr. Hubbard then approached
the subject Of the first discoveries of this land
and stated that they were undoubtedly the
Mortimer. who, urged by the desire for
plumber and not with the idea of reaching new
shores, had sailed across from their native
homes and landed on Greenland. II was after
this that Columbus began to arouse the interest
OF some and the Tidiucule of many bv PROFOUND
ing his theory that the earth was a sphere
and that new and shorter way to the
Indies of "Spice Lands could be found by
sailing west. The desire of Columbus was not
to discover new and rich lands. bat 20 learn the
secret of the short passage to the Indies which
he was convinced existed. Tie story OF the
many troubles of Columbus, his pertinacity and
patience finally crowned by bis success in per-
suading Queen Isabella to support his theory
and equip him with Il feet were told in in
teresting style. The whole history of the dis
coverv of America was reviewed in an intellect
ual telling Of the routes and discoveries of
each OF his four voyages and his final death in
poverty and distress unknown and without
praise.
OTHER vOYAGERs.
The voyage Of Henry Cabot was briefly re-
ferred to simply to make the list complete and
indicating that Americas Vespucius. to whom
all the glory of the discovery of this continent
was for a long time given and from whom IL
derived its name, was only the fourth Of those
to reach these shores The two voyages of the
latter and the extent Of each of them was ex-
paiIed. The discourse led on to review of
Balboa and Cortez with the history of their new
discoveries. the first OF whom first to plant
his standard on the shores OF the Pacific and
the later established himself in Mexico.
The voyages and discoveries of Magellan, the
first to find the new passage and the first to cir
cumnavigate the globe. was dwelled on at con-
siderable length and MIR. Hubbard character
lied the voyage as the greatest that had ever
been made and the greatest that will ever be
made. The narration of the voyage of Sir
Francis Drake who doubled the cape and sailed
as FAR north along the Pacific coast as Vancou-
YER. was the last to be discussed. Thus, said Mr.
Hubbard, within 100 years after the landing of
Columbus the entire coast OF North and South
America had been Investigated. The speaker
closed his address with glowing tribute to
Columbus as a man and as the discoverer Of
our country.
When Mr.. Hubbard had completed he intro
duced Prof Alexander Melville Bell, who read
with excellent eiocutionary effect passages from
Tennyson's poem on Columbus.