Washington sentinel., 1898-06-18
vasco de CANA.

The English oughtto respect the
memory of Vasco de Cana, for he
made their fortune. With the pos
sible exception Of Columbus, no
explorer ever exercised such an
influence on the fortunes OF the
English speaking race as this gem
tlemln adVenturer OF Portugal. He
changed tor nearly four hundred
years the grand route OF commerce,
and threw open Asia to the traders
of the world, including specially
traders on the Atlantic. Before
he discovered, in a vessel of 90
tons, the way to India round the
Cape, the only roads TO India were
those via the Mediterranean, across
the Isthmus OF Suez, and down the
Red Sea, or across what we now
call Asia Minor, down the Euphra-
ties, and through the Persian Cult.
Both routes were in the hands OF
the daring Arab seamen, who con-
quered the territories on the east
ern coast Of Africa, founding pow
erful settlements in India, and be-
came, as Solomon and his PhRni-
clan allies had become centuries
before, monopolists OF the carrying
trade between two continents
From the time OF his discovery,
however, the old routes, which
were exceedingly dangerous, were
abandoned, and in time SO nearly
forgotten that the use OF the Asiatic
one by CAPTAIN Chesney. IN 1891,
was hailed as a new discovery, and
De Lesseps' scheme for cutting the
Isthmus OF Suez was derided on
the ground that the Mediterranean
and Red Sea were on different
levels, and could therefore only be
connected by gigantic system of
locks. Ii is not too much to say
that but for Vasco de Cana the
States on the Atlantic woulu never
have been successful in founding
a trade with Asia, and that the
commercial greatness of England
is due, first of all, to a Portuguese
adventurer. Daring seamen as
they were, the English could have
made nothing of the overland
route, the control OF which natu-
rally belonged to the traders Of the
Mediterranean, and the Turks ard
"Moormen" with whom they made
alliances.
These early explorers had some
thing to stir their imaginations
which is lacking now, the charm
of infinite possibilities.
They hoped for wealth, they |
thirsted for adventure, but. above /
all, they longed to pierce the OBJ
scuritY which then, even in the |
minds Of the learned, overhung
the greater portion OF the world. |
The charm OF the unknown was
upon all the captain adventures
as, fighting the currents, fighting
the storms, fighting their own men
who often mutinied, apparently
from fears like a child's fear of L
they sailed away into the
sunrise with a courage which the
boldest OF modern Arctic voyagers
have never surpassed, even if they
have rivalled, for Sir J Franklin
and Captain Mcclure, whatever
they expected to find, had no tear
OF me citing devils, and the Portu-
guese explorers were never sure.
Why should there not be devils in
lands given up to paganism when
there were wizards at home? No
exnlnrer can have their fears now.
or their delight and triumph when
they found anYthing,l and Vasco |
de Cana, for one, found the India
which Columbus only half dozen
years before, sailing ever to the
sunset, had hoped to hnd, but in
stead succeeded in another quest.
Dur Voyagers and explorers expe-
-ience but pale reflection OF the
charm of the unknown. The world |
has been searched and mapped and
;harted till it is seen to be but a
title place hardly enough for it's
people, vet which will never grow
my bigger. Captain Cook found
he last unexplored continent, and
low it is scarcely possible that
here exists even an island OF which
he experts at the Admiralty or
4loyd's could not give US some
Iccount. We have not reached
ne North Pole, an there is a will
lerness of land to be discovered
omewhere in the far south, If the
Antarctic fog would only lift, but
n neither can there be any new
iuman beings. We do
lot know whether the oxygen in
he world, as Lord Kelvin seems
o suppose, will ever be consumed;
'ut we do know that for the rest
ess brood OF explorers who have
lone so much to utilize its re
ources it will become a shock
ngly dull place They will not
each another planet, toll they
ever SO patiently; and we see lit
lie hope for them unless they can
AXE to studying butterflies wings,
nails teeth. or the discovery OF
ONE elixir, perhaps liquehed oxV-
en-, which shall prevent pain and
rrest the spread OF every epidemic
isease. .-L0Ha,oN Spectator.
RUSSIA AND THE PAMGRs. "A
4 Il