The Portland daily press., 1897-06-24

the synonym for all things rare and prec-
ious, the treasure house from which north
ern and western Europe drew their lux
uries through the golden gate of the Medi-
rerranean, jeaiously guarded by the lion
of San Marco; but as the century adj
vanced under the stimulus of letters
which d1ffused knowledge of strange
countries, and encouraged speculative
thought, the question of reaching the
treasures of India by the sea received
consideration; and if the sphericity of the
earth were true. why not by sailing to
the west? Probably no student of the
subject doubted for moment the FEAST
bility of the undertaking, and to this
helief are due the voyages which resulted
in bringing the western continent, dur
ing this century, to the attention OF
Europe. For this great service, mank ind
is indebted to Roman subjects. The
spirit which had impelled the people of
pagan Rome to go forth to the conquest
of distant lands, had survived the changes
which fifteen centuries of war and vio-
lence had wrought, and now animated
tho people of papal Rome in more en-
lightened era, not only to open channels
of traffic to distant lands, but to the dis
coyery and conquest of countries in parts
of the globe hitherto unknown. To seven
of these, all Italians, the world owes a
peculiar debt; to Gioja for his invention
of the mariners compass; to Columbus.
Cabot, Vespucci and Verrazano for their
discoveries; to Martyr for the first history
of America, and to Benzoni for the first
book of travels in the newly discovered
lands of romance and mystery.
OF these noted discoveries, John Cabot,
in the interest of England, was the first
to discover the American continent, on
June oath, 1897; unless, as has been con-
tended, Vespucci preceded him in its dis
covery on the 9th of the same month;
Ca1111,o hT1c in no INTEREST of SDain
having reached it on July 31st of the fol-
lowing year, and VerraZano, in the inter-
est of France, on the 7th of March, 1924.
Before the discovery of the continent,
however, it had been disposed Of by Rome,
who on May 4th, 1893, bestowed upon
Spain all undiscovered lands west of a
meridian line one hundred leagues west
of the Azores and Cape de Verde Islands.
Thes history of the efforts of,Spain to
hold the magnificent gift bestowed upon
her by the common father of Roman
Catholic monarchs for her assumption of
the championship of the faith is interest
ing, but the subject is hardly within our
present limits. That these efforts were
cruel beyond conception we know, since
they, stain too deeply for placement the
early pages of American history; but
they were futile: indeed, it is a fact
pregnant with irony, that the success of
the Italian discoveries in the interests Of
bitter struggles for the possession of the
land which they equally coveted, in the
defeat of the Roman Catholic cause, to
which these discoveries were sincerely
espoused; defeat so complete as to give
to those who had inherited the liberal and
anti-Roman thought of their Teutonic
ancestors, the sovereignty of the continent,
and the planting thereon of common
wealth grander than any before known to
mankind.
When the news of the discovery of the
West Indies by Columbus spread through
Europe, it awakened a warm interest in
those engaged in. maritime enterprises.
Among those who listened eagerly to the
wonderful story was John Cabot, a
Genoese, later a citizen of Venice, who
q score of years before had gone to Lon
don Hto follow the trade of Marchan-
discs" Cabot, before establishing himself
in England, had been student of cos
typography and the science of navigation,
favorite study with the youth of Genoa
and Venice, whose merchants well
merited the proud title of princes, so gen.
erdllysaccorded them.
When John Cabot was an active youth
climbing the vineclad terraces of Genoa
or lounging about the crowded quays, re-
garding with admiration the motley press
of mariners, whose skin, tanned by vino
and sun, suggested to his imagination
voyages in strange seas and wanderings
in mysterious lands, Venice bad reached
the height of her commercial glory. New
er had such wealth and luxury been dis.
played in any city as were see in hel
marts of traffic, her gorgeous palaces, hel
magnificent CHI urch es and thronged
piazzas, or floated on ''gondolas full
laden along her crystal thoroughfares
realizing more than the bewildering
splendors of Turner's immortal dream
but before the fifteenth century had
no -C0Ii re ao1sidI qrN CHI M
= i'll, fell athwart this glowing vision Of
prosperity. The Saracens, who had
aforetime given way before the banner
of the cross, gathering their fierce hordes
on the borders of her dominions, afflicted
the proud Republic to such a degree that
she hastened to secure a peace with hel
barbaric foe, which, however, did moi
long continue.
Disturbed by war, stripped of her east
ern provinces by Mohammed H., the
Euxine closed to her commerce, and
neighboring nations pushing maritime
enterprises to point which threatened
to cut off the sources of her former pros
perity, the future Of the Queen Of the
Adriatic seemed dark indeed.
Discouraged by the prospect befor
them, many of her enterprising mer
chants sought opportunities to advance
their fortunes in foreign lands. Among
these, as before intimated, was JohI
Arabia, and while standing in the
shadow of the great Mosque of Mecca
had seen the caravans depositing theil
burdens Of precious merchandise in the
busy bazaars of the sacred city.
Leaving his native country with hi
family, he first visited London, but latel
took up his residence in the city of Bris
toll, probably in the suburb, singularly
enough christened Cathay in honor Of
the Oriental city of that name, probably
on account of its being the residence O.
merchants who dealt in Indian merchan
disc.
Here was John Cabot pursuing his com
mercial enterprises, of which, unfortu
nately, we know nought, when he heart
Of the discovery made by his country
man. Deeply moved by the news of thu
event, which he characterized as ''mor
divine than humane,'' yet which wa
perhaps but partial realization of one O
his waking dreams. Cabot resolved tt
trace for himself pathway to Cathay b,
pursuing a northwesterly course acros
the Atlantic.
One may well picture the grave cosmog
rapher in his humble home in Bristol
discussing with his wife and sons, Lewis