Washington sentinel., 1901-05-11
10 SENTINEL

Porto Rico
as the result OF our war with Spain
have revived public interest IN the
history Of the discovery Of the new
world and made the reproduction
OF a very complete work, now out
OF pr int, timely contribution to
the literature OF this subject.
Sir Arthur Helps, the author,
was born 1913, and died in 1875.
He was graduate OF Cambridge
and served in various minor diplo-
matte relations, but was chiefly
known as a writer upon historical
and philosophical subjects. In the
former sphere his prediction was
Tor the history OF the new world,
his life OF Pizarro supplementing
that under discussion. He was
early interested in the question OF
African slavery, which received its
greatest impetus by the new fields
opened by Columbus, and in the
prosecution Of his investigations
visited Madrid, where he obtained
the most important material for his
conquest in America from the orig
inal MSS. there.
Preliminary to his accounts OF
the voyages of Columbus he gives
a review Of the antecedent exploits
Of the Portuguese in the field Of
discovery and the Inauguration Of
the African slave trade as their in
cidental outcome, which he shows
to have been comparatively m d.
ern. The first phase OF slavery in
the abstract was where captiVes
were taken in war, lived IN the
houses OF their conquerors and
labored on their lands. 1t was
probably a substitution tor the
more cruel custom OF putting cap
tives to the sword, and from that
aspect was regarded as 4 humane
and bene6cent reform. This sys-
tenn eliminated with the Romans
and was gradually modified BY
Christianity and advancing civil
ization. 1t declined by impercept.
ible degrees into serfage and vas
salage as the feature OF the ieudal
systems, and became ext net or
nearly so when the second period
of slavery. chiefly African, sud
denly ensued. This was marked
by a commercial character. The
slave was no longeran accident Of
war, but became the object OF it,
and no longer an acc dental sub
iect of barter. He was sought for
and became an object Of commerce
Many remarkable characters
were connected with the history
OF modern slavery. It's prosecution
furnished a stimulus TO navigation
and discovery, and the develop
ment Of civilization IN remote
regions. The first oi note con
nected with it were members
Of the royal family of Portugal, IN
the fifteenth century most conspic
uouslv represented by Prince
Henry. Then followed Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain, with Col
umbus and his successors in the
disc oVery and conquest OF Spanish
Am erica, including Charles v,
Kim ines, Las Casas and numerous
statesmen and ecclesiastics, until
a comparatively modern period.
1t is claimed that the early voy-
ages Of discovery prior to those oi
Columbus were not projected
either for the hope of gain or gold,
or for slaves, but for the cause oI
religion, and that the first negroes
obtained in the Portuguese Voy-
ages were secured for the purpose
OF converting them tor the glory OF
the church. But gradually coVet-
business was developed, and not
only did gold act as a stimulus to
voyages OF discovery, but as early
as t444 a company was iOrme
with the permission Of Prince
Henry to undertake discovery
along the coast of Africa BY which
he was to receive one fifth the value
Of its captures, and when it re-
turned with 200 slaves he received
his stipulated share. This is the
first transaction Of the kind on
record. Numerous voyages Of dis
covery and trade, and in quest OF
slaves were made to the Western
coast OF Africa, until in 1886 Bar
tholomew Dlaz went as far as the
southern end OF the continent
which he called the story cape.
IL was eleven years later visited by
Vas % de Gam who gave it the
name Of the Cape OF Good Hope
and extended his voyage to India
and Cochin China. Thus the
slave trade increased, incidentally
the spirit Of discovery and the ex-
tension Of commerce toward the
East.
Near the latter part OF the Fiji
teenth century the Portuguese
slave trade had fallen off and other
objects Of trade and adventure en-
crossed attention. The Portu-
guese, who were at that time the
most enterpris;ng mariners. had
limited their attention in the way
Of colonization 10 the Azores and
Canary Islands and as to trade and
discovery to the Eastern hemi
sphere along the African coast. Il
remained for Columbus to con
ceive the idea Of the Western pas
sage as the most direct route ia
India and Cathay, the name by
which China was known. He had
made many minor voyages, and
been to the lower coast Of Africa,
while a brother accompanied Diaz
on his voyage which resulted in
the discovery Of the Cape Of Good
Hope. He had frequently been to
Portugal, where he married, and
had been fully imbued with the
spirit Of adventure and the desire
70 carrv out his necmliar WiaMs nI