The sun., 1901-10-12
DISCOVERY
OF AMERICA

On the 18th of October, 1892, Columbus
with his followers landed on Guanahani
or San Salvador, one of the Bahama
Isles, ana planted there the cross in
token of gratitude to the Divine mercy
which. after guiding him safely through
IL pcrilous voyage. had ut last, in the
discovery Of Il western world. crowned
with success the darling aspiration Of his
life. Land had already been deserted On
he previous evening, hut it WAS not tili
the ensuing morning that the intrepid
admiral hchcld the Hat and drnScly wood
ed shores cleaning beneath the RAYS &c
IN autumn sun, and by actually setting
his foot on them, realized the fullilmcnt
Of his hope.
1t is now well known that although
Columbus was unuurStionably the first to
proclaim to the world 1T large the eN-
iStencc Of Il new and vast region in tie
direction of the setting sun, hr cannot
literally he said to have been the first
European diScOverer Of America. The
ancient Scandinavians or NorScmcn, so
cnowncd for their maritime enterprise
had. At the commencement Of the 1lth
century. not only settled colonies III
Greenland. but explored the whole east
coast of America rs far south aS lali-
tude Al degrees. 81 min. ~. and there.
near New Bedford. in the State of Mas
sachnscttS, they planted colony. An
intercourse by way Of Greenland aud
Iceland SubSistcd between this settlement
ana Norway down to the fourteenth
century There is also satisfactory cvi-
dcncr for believing that in the twelfth
lt,, ,.nln al nl al ~,
Madoc. having sailed from his nati y
country with Il small fleet, landed anh
founded Il colony on the coast Of Virginia.
But 10 Columbus still belongs he merit If
having phloSoprically reasoned ont the
existence of New World. and by prac-
ticAlly aScrrtnining the truth of his
propositions. Of inaugurnting that con-
nrctiun hetwenc the Eastern and West
rrn llcmiSpherrS which has effected 50
remarkable Il revolution in the worlds
history. II is little curious. indeed
thnt the belief which Columbus enter
tanned. at first, rs to the land discovered
hy him being part of India or China.
Was adhered to by him to the last, ana
he died in the idea that Cuba formed Il
portion of the mainland of India. This
notion SO pcrtinaciously cung to, both
hy the great GrnorSc and Europe III gen.
rrHl, was dispellcd by Bathoa's cXprdi-
tion. in 1913, across the lsthmus Of BAR
ion, and discovery of the Pacific Ocrau:
whilst Il few Years later, the real post
tion Of the countries with respect tu
America was demonstrated by the cN.
pcditun Of Fcruandu Magalhacls, whose
untimcly death. il the Philippine Is
lands, deprived him If the honor Of be.
ing the first circumnavigatur Of the globe
Much nloluy has httn thrown m
Nmerigo N"spucci, the florrntinr navi-
gator. ror acpriying Columbus of Tie
honor Of giving his name to the New
World. How tie denomination Of Amer
icj arose from Ncspucci'S christian namr
has newer been satisfactorily explained
but il appears to he sufficiently ascri-
tanned that Ii" himself is in no wise IL
Sponsihle for the circumstances Ncspucc
who WAS Il man Of considerable attain.
mcntS wrote an account Of Ills American
voyages. which was translated into Gc.-
man and obtained III immense POPULAR
ity with that nation 1t llj,s been con
icrtnl"d that the mama uf America was
first applied in Germany t. the New
World, ana from thence w;ls adopted IN
the other countries of Europe