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Written for Burke’s Weekly.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
jfyfWgSjH EARLY every boy and
girl who reads the
.. WWeekly knows, I sup
y±WSr9 pose, at least something
about the history of the man
fgl/1 whose name is at the head of this
article. He was born at Genoa,
about 440 years ago. If you
y will look on the map of Italy, in
Southern Europe, you will find
the birth-place of Columbus.
The father of Christopher Columbus
was a wool-carder, and his son, when a
boy, worked at the same trade, but he
seems to have had the advantages of a
fair education, and to have had quite a
fondness for mathematics, geography and
astronomy. He finally went to sea and
became a great sailor.
Now, you boys and girls must all re-
member that in Columbus’
day people ha and no correct
idea of the shape of the earth.
They had no geographies giv
ing a description of the earth’s
surface, and of the various
countries of the globe, such as
we have now, and those who
went to sea sailed timidly along
the coast, afraid to venture on
the vast and unknown ocean
that stretched out before them
When, therefore, Columbus,
who had thought a great deal
on the subject, expressed the
belief that there were other
great bodies of land across this
vast ocean, he was looked up-
on as an idle dreamer, and those who
were able to help him turned a deaf car
to his appeals.
At length, after repeated disappoint
ments, he obtained an interview with
Queen Isabella, the wife of Ferdinand, the
King of Aragon, (a part of Spain,) and to
show you how poor Columbus was, I must
tell you that this good Queen had to send
him money to enable him to procure suit
able clothing in which to appear at the
Spanish Court, and a mule on which to
make the journey.
Queen Isabella was kind and indulgent
to Columbus, and listened to him with
great patience as he told her of his rea
sons for believing that there was a great
Western World unknown to the Europe
ans, and she was almost persuaded to give
him the assistance he pleaded for. But
she allowed herself to be influenced, by
those around her, to refuse him, and Co
lumbus was sent away more disheartened
than ever. Just as he was on the point
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
of quitting Spain, however, messengers
came to him with the intelligence that
Queen Isabella had concluded to help him,
and would pawn her royal jewels, if ne
cessary, to accomplish the object.
Columbus now hastened to Palos and
set to work to fix up a fleet for his great,
expedition. It consisted of three small
vessels, the largest of which was smaller
than many of the sloops that are used for
carrying rice from the plantations on the
coast to Savannah and Charleston, and
the other two were smaller still. With
these three vessels, and ninety sailors,
who were procured with great difficulty,
he set sail on the 3d day of August, 1492,
and on the morning of October 12, after
a voyage of a little more than two months,
land was discovered—one of the islands of
the great continent of America.
“ The land was covered with forests,
and gay with the foliage and flowers of a
tropical clime. The natives thronged
from the woods to gaze at the ships,
which with their white sails they regard
ed as huge birds hovering over the sea.
“ Columbus was the first to touch the
newly discovered shore. Richly attired,
and with drawn sword, he landed, kneel
ing in the sand he kissed the earth, and
returned thanks to God.’
The land thus discovered was one of
the Bahama islands, called by the natives
Gua-na-ha-ni, but Columbus gave it the
name of San Salvador. It was inhabited
by Indians, many of whom timidly ap
proached the new comers, and prostrated
themselves before them, imagining them
to be a superior race of beings descended
from the skies.
Columbus returned to Spain in March,
1493, after an absence of seven months
and a half. He was received with great
favor, and loaded with kindnesses. He
afterwards made three other voyages to
the New World, in the third of which he
discovered the main continent of North
America, landing near the mouth of the
great river O-ri-no-co, in South America.
On his last voyage he was shipwrecked
on the coast of Jamaica. Here he was in
danger of starvation, besides being threat
ed with an attack from the Indians, but
he saved himself and his men by an in
genious device. From liis acquaintance
with astronomy, he knew that an eclipse
of the moon was about to take place, and
on the morning of the day he summoned
the natives around him,, and informed
them that the Great Spirit was angry
with them on account of their treatment
of the Spaniards, and that he would hide
his face from them that night. When the
moon became dark the Indians were con
vinced of the truth of his words, and has
tened to him with supplies, begging him
to ask the Great Spirit to receive them
again into favor.
After undergoinggreat hard
ships, he finally got back to
Spain in the year 1504. The
last two years of his life were
passed in great gloom, and he
died at Valladolid, about the
year 1506, in the 71st year of
his age.
O
* ♦ +.
Going, Going, Gone.
Time is a great auctioneer.
He cries over all, “Going! go
ing!” and over millions of mil
lions he has cried, “Gone,” and
they are gone.
It will be vain for us to plan
md contrive; our time must
Goon come, and we shall cer.
tainly “ bo struck off.”
What we ought to do, we ought to do
in the proper seasons, for time never waits
for Prince or President, or pauper, King,
or beggar.
Christian, be up and active! Over you
the great auctioneer is crying, “Going!
Going!” Ah! and fearfully soon he will
shout “Gone!” It will then be surely so.
Small Things.
Small things in the hands of Provi
dence often deprive men of their life in
this world :
Pope Adrian lost his life by the sting of
a gnat.
A distinguished Romish counsellor lost
his life by a hair which was in some milk
that he drank.
The Emperor of France, Charles Y, was
deprived of his life by eating a mushroom.
Anacreon, the famous Greek poet, who
lived in the sixth century B. C., was cho
ked by a grape seed, in the act of drink
ing wine, at the age of 85 years.
213