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diff --git a/16891.txt b/16891.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..152b172 --- /dev/null +++ b/16891.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4117 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Peter Parley's Tales About America and +Australia, by Samuel Griswold Goodrich, Edited by Rev. T. Wilson, +Illustrated by S. Williams + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Peter Parley's Tales About America and Australia + + +Author: Samuel Griswold Goodrich + +Editor: Rev. T. Wilson + +Release Date: October 17, 2005 [eBook #16891] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER PARLEY'S TALES ABOUT AMERICA +AND AUSTRALIA*** + + +E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Janet Blenkinship, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from +images generously made available by the University of Florida and the +Internet Archive/Children's Library + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 16891-h.htm or 16891-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/9/16891/16891-h/16891-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/9/16891/16891-h.zip) + + Images of the original pages are available through the Florida + Board of Education, Division of Colleges and Universities, + PALMM Project, 2001. (Preservation and Access for American and + British Children's Literature, 1850-1869.) See + http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=juv&idno=UF00003253&format=jpg + or + http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=juv&idno=UF00003253&format=pdf + + + + + +TALES ABOUT AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA. + +by + +PETER PARLEY. + +A New Edition, + +Brought Down to the Present Time. + +Revised by The Rev. T. Wilson. + +With Illustrations by S. Williams. + + + + + + + +London: +Darton and Hodge, Holborn Hill. +1862. + + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + + PARLEY TELLS HOW AMERICA WAS FIRST DISCOVERED, + AND ABOUT COLUMBUS 1 + + PARLEY DESCRIBES THE INHABITANTS 12 + + COLUMBUS SETS SAIL TO RETURN TO SPAIN; ENCOUNTERS + A DREADFUL STORM 21 + + COLUMBUS PREPARES FOR ANOTHER VOYAGE 35 + + PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS DISCOVERED THE + CONTINENT OF AMERICA 45 + + PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS WAS ROBBED OF THE + HONOUR OF GIVING HIS NAME TO AMERICA 59 + + PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS WAS SHIPWRECKED, + AND OF HIS DEATH 65 + + PARLEY TELLS OF OVANDO'S CRUEL TREATMENT OF + ANACAONA, THE PRINCESS OF HAYTI 73 + + PARLEY DESCRIBES THE TREES, THE PLANTS, AND + FLOWERS OF THE NEW WORLD 79 + + PARLEY TELLS OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO 96 + + PARLEY RELATES HOW PIZARRO DISCOVERED AND + CONQUERED PERU 121 + + PARLEY DESCRIBES THE BEAUTIES OF AMERICA 133 + + PARLEY TELLS OF THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY IN + AMERICA 141 + + PARLEY TELLS OF THE ORIGINAL NATIVE AMERICANS 150 + + PARLEY SHOWS HOW THE UNITED STATES AROSE, AND + WHAT FOLLOWED THEIR ESTABLISHMENT 165 + + PARLEY TELLS ABOUT NEW SOUTH WALES 176 + + PARLEY DESCRIBES THE INHABITANTS OF AUSTRALIA--THE + BRITISH SETTLEMENTS--THE GOLD REGIONS--RECENT + EXPLORATIONS 183 + + CONCLUSION 205 + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +PARLEY TELLS HOW AMERICA WAS FIRST DISCOVERED, AND ABOUT COLUMBUS THE +DISCOVERER. + + +Now that I have given you an account of European cities in my "Tales +about Europe," I shall now furnish you with some description of America, +with its flourishing cities, and its multitude of ships, its fertile +fields, its mighty rivers, its vast forests, and its millions of happy +and industrious inhabitants, of which I am quite certain you must be +very curious to know something, when you are told that though the world +has been created nearly six thousand years, and many powerful nations +have flourished and decayed, and are now scarcely remembered, yet it is +only three hundred and seventy years ago since it was known that such a +country as America existed. + +It was in the year 1492, which you know is only 370 years since, on the +third of August, a little before sunrise, that Christopher Columbus, +undertaking the boldest enterprise that human genius ever conceived, or +human talent and fortitude ever accomplished, set sail from Spain, for +the discovery of the Western World. + +I will now give you a short account of Columbus, who was one of the +greatest men the world ever produced. He was born in the city of Genoa, +in Italy; his family were almost all sailors, and he was brought up for +a sailor also, and after being taught geography and various other things +necessary for a sea captain to know, he was sent on board ship at the +age of fourteen. Columbus was tall, muscular, and of a commanding +aspect; his hair, light in youth, turned prematurely grey, and ere he +reached the age of thirty was white as snow. + +His first voyages were short ones, but after several years, desiring to +see and learn more of distant countries, and thinking there were still +new ones to be discovered, he went into the service of the King of +Portugal and made many voyages to the western coast of Africa, and to +the Canaries, and the Madeiras, and the Azores, islands lying off that +coast, which were then the most westerly lands known to Europeans. + +In his visits to these parts, one person informed him that his ship, +sailing out farther to the west than usual, had picked up out of the sea +a piece of wood curiously carved, and that very thick canes, like those +which travellers had found in India, had been seen floating on the +waves; also that great trees, torn up by the roots, had often been cast +on shore, and once two dead bodies of men, with strange features, +neither like Europeans nor Africans, were driven on the coast of the +Azores. + +All these stories set Columbus thinking and considering that these +strange things had come drifting over the sea from the west, he looked +upon them as tokens sent from some unknown countries lying far distant +in that quarter: he was therefore eager to sail away and explore, but as +he had not money enough himself to fit out ships and hire sailors, he +determined to go and try to persuade some king or some state to be at +the expense of the trial. + +First he went to his own countrymen the Genoese, but they would have +nothing to say to him: he then submitted his plan to the Portuguese, but +the King of Portugal, pretending to listen to him, got from him his +plan, and perfidiously attempted to rob him of the honour of +accomplishing it, by sending another person to pursue the same track +which he had proposed. + +The person they so basely employed did not succeed, but returned to +Lisbon, execrating a plan he had not abilities to execute. + +On discovering this treachery, Columbus quitted the kingdom in disgust +and set out for Spain, to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He was now +so poor that he was frequently obliged to beg as he went along. + +About half a league from Palos, a sea-port of Andalusia in Spain, on a +solitary height, overlooking the sea-coast, and surrounded by a forest +of pines, there stood, and now stands at the present day, an ancient +convent of Franciscan friars. + +[Illustration] + +A stranger, travelling on foot, accompanied by a young boy, stopped one +day at the gate of the convent, and asked of the porter a little bread +and water for his child.--That stranger was Columbus, accompanied by his +son Diego. + +While receiving this humble refreshment, the guardian of the convent, +Friar Juan Perez, happening to pass, was taken with the appearance of +the stranger, and being an intelligent man and acquainted with +geographical science, he became interested with the conversation of +Columbus, and was so struck with the grandeur of his project that he +detained him as his guest and invited a friend of his, Martin Alonzo +Pinzon, a resident of the town of Palos, to come and hear Columbus +explain his plan. + +Pinzon was one of the most intelligent sea captains of the day, and a +distinguished navigator. He not only approved of his project, but +offered to engage in it, and to assist him. + +Juan Perez now advised Columbus to repair to court. Pinzon generously +furnished him with the money for the journey, and the friar kindly took +charge of his youthful son Diego, to maintain and educate him in the +convent, which I am sure you will think was the greatest kindness he +could have done him at that time. + +Ferdinand and Isabella gave him hopes and promises, then they made +difficulties and objections, and would do nothing. At last, after +waiting five years, he was just setting off for England, where he had +previously sent his brother Bartholomew, when he was induced to wait a +little longer in Spain. + +This little longer was two years, but then at last he had his reward, +for queen Isabella stood his friend, and even offered to part with her +own jewels in order to raise money to enable him to make preparations +for the voyage, so that he contrived to fit out three very small vessels +which altogether carried but one hundred and twenty men. + +Two of the vessels were light _barques_, or barges built high at the +prow and stern, with forecastles and cabins for the crew, but were +without deck in the centre; only one of the three, the Santa Maria, was +completely decked; on board of this, Columbus hoisted his flag. Martin +Alonzo Pinzon commanded the Pinta, and his brother, Vincente Yanez +Pinzon, the Nina. He set sail in the sight of a vast crowd, all praying +for the success, but never expecting and scarcely hoping to see either +him or any of his crews again. + +Columbus first made sail for the Canaries, where he repaired his +vessels: then taking leave of these islands, he steered his course due +west, across the great Atlantic ocean, where never ship had ploughed the +waves before. + +No sooner had they lost sight of land than the sailors' hearts began to +fail them, and they bewailed themselves like men condemned to die: but +Columbus cheered them with the hopes of the rich countries they were to +discover. + +After awhile they came within those regions where the trade-wind, as it +is called, blows constantly from east to west without changing, which +carried them on at a vast rate; but he judiciously concealed from his +ignorant and timid crews the progress he made, lest they might be +alarmed at the speed with which they were receding from home. After +some time, they found the sea covered with weeds, as thick as a meadow +with grass, and the sailors fancied that they should soon be stuck +fast,--that they had reached the end of the navigable ocean, and that +some strange thing would befal them. + +Still, however, Columbus cheered them on, and the sight of a flock of +birds encouraged them: but when they had been three weeks at sea and no +land appeared, they grew desperate with fear, and plotted among +themselves to force their commander to turn back again, lest all their +provisions should be spent, or, if he refused, to throw him overboard. + +Columbus, however, made them a speech which had such an effect upon them +that they became tolerably quiet for a week longer; they then grew so +violent again that at last he was obliged to promise them that if they +did not see land in three days, he would consent to give it up and sail +home again. + +But he was now almost sure that land was not far off: the sea grew +shallower, and early every morning flocks of land birds began to flutter +around them, and these all left the ship in the evening, as if to roost +on shore. One of the vessels had picked up a cane newly cut, and another +a branch covered with fresh red berries; and the air blew softer and +warmer, and the wind began to vary. + +That very night, Columbus ordered the sails to be taken in, and strict +watch to be kept, in all the ships, for fear of running aground; he and +all his men remained standing on the deck, looking out eagerly: at +length he spied a distant light; he showed it to two of his officers, +and they all plainly perceived it moving, as if carried backwards and +forwards, from house to house. + +Soon after the cry of "_Land! land!_" was heard from the foremost ship, +and, at dawn of day, they plainly saw a beautiful island, green and +woody, and watered with many pleasant streams, lying stretched before +them. + +As soon as the sun rose, the boats of the vessel were lowered and +manned, and Columbus, in a rich and splendid dress of scarlet, entered +the principal one. They then rowed towards the island, with their +colours displayed, and warlike music, and other martial pomp. + +[Illustration] + +Columbus was the first to leap on shore, to kiss the earth, and to thank +God on his knees: his men followed, and throwing themselves at his feet +they all thanked him for leading them thither, and begged his +forgiveness for their disrespectful and unruly behaviour. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +PARLEY DESCRIBES THE INHABITANTS. + + +The poor inhabitants, a simple and innocent people, with copper-coloured +skins and long black hair, not curled, like the negroes, but floating on +their shoulders, or bound in tresses round their heads, came flocking +down to the beach and stood gazing in silent admiration. + +The dress of the Spaniards, the whiteness of their skins, their beards, +their arms, and the vast machines that seemed to move upon the waters +with wings, which they supposed had, during the night, risen out of the +sea, or come down from the clouds; the sound and flash of the guns, +which they mistook for thunder and lightning: all these things appeared +to them strange and surprising; they considered the Spaniards as +children of the sun, and paid homage to them as gods. + +The Europeans were hardly less amazed at the scene now before them. +Every herb, and shrub, and tree, differed from those which flourished in +Europe: the inhabitants appeared in the simple innocence of nature, +entirely naked; their features were singular, but not disagreeable, and +their manners gentle and timid. + +[Illustration] + +The first act of Columbus was to take solemn and formal possession of +the country in the name of his sovereign; this was done by planting the +Spanish flag on the coast, and other ceremonies, which the poor natives +looked upon with wonder, but could not understand. + +Nor could there be an act of greater cruelty and injustice; for the +Spaniards could not have any right to drive these gentle and peaceful +inhabitants (as they afterwards did) from their peaceful abodes, which +had been theirs and their fathers before them, perhaps for thousands of +years, and in the end, utterly to destroy them, and take their land for +themselves. + +After performing this ceremony, of which Columbus himself could not +foresee the consequences to the Indians, for he was very kind to them, +he made them presents of trinkets and other trifles, with which they +were greatly delighted, and brought him in return the fruits of their +fields and groves, and a sort of bread called cassada, made from the +root of the yuca; with whatever else their own simple mode of life might +afford. + +Columbus then returned to his ship, accompanied by many of the +islanders in their boats, which they called canoes; these simple and +undiscerning children of nature having no foresight of the calamities +and desolation which awaited their country. + +This island was called by the natives Guanahini, and by the Spaniards +St. Salvador: it is one of that cluster of West India Islands called the +Bahamas, and if you look on the map you will see that it is the very +first island that would present itself to a ship sailing direct from +Spain. + +Columbus did not continue his voyage for some days, as he wished to give +all his sailors an opportunity of landing and seeing the wonders of the +new-discovered world, and to take in a fresh supply of water, in which +they were cheerfully assisted by the natives, who took them to the +clearest springs and the sweetest and freshest streams, filling their +casks and rolling them to the boats, and seeking in every way to gratify +(as they believed) their celestial visitors. + +Columbus having thus refreshed his crews, and supplied his ships with +water, proceeded on his voyage. After visiting several smaller islands +he discovered a large island which the natives called Cuba, and which +still retains that name. This was so large an island that he at first +thought it to be a new continent. + +In proceeding along the coast, having observed that most of the people +whom he had seen wore small plates of gold by way of ornament in their +noses, he eagerly inquired, by signs, where they got that precious +metal. + +The Indians, as much astonished at his eagerness in quest of gold as the +Europeans were at their ignorance and simplicity, pointed towards the +east, to an island which they called Hayti, in which this metal was more +abundant. + +Columbus ordered his squadron to bend their course thither, but Martin +Alonzo Pinzon, impatient to be the first who should take possession of +the treasure which this country was supposed to contain, quitted his +companions with his ship, the Pinta, and though Columbus made signals +to slacken sail, he paid no regard to them. + +When they came in sight of Hayti, which you will see was no great +distance, if you look on the map, Columbus having had no sleep the night +before, had gone to his cabin to lie down and rest himself, having first +given the charge of the vessel to an experienced sailor. + +This careless man, (this lazy lubber, the sailors would call him,) +instead of performing his duty, and watching over the safety of the ship +and the lives of his companions, which were entrusted to him, deserted +his post and went to sleep, leaving the vessel to the management of a +young and thoughtless boy. + +The rapid currents which prevail on that coast soon carried the vessel +on a shoal, and Columbus was roused from his sleep by the striking of +the ship and the cries of the terrified boy. + +They first endeavoured, by taking out an anchor, to warp the vessel off, +but the strength of the current was more than a match for them, and the +vessel was driven farther and farther on the shoal; they then cut away +the mast and took out some of the stores to lighten her; but all their +efforts were vain. + +Before sunset the next evening the vessel was a complete wreck. +Fortunately the Nina was close at hand, and the shipwrecked mariners got +on board of her; the inhabitants of the island came in their canoes and +assisted them in preserving part of their stores. + +They found Hayti a very beautiful island, and were treated with the +greatest kindness by the inhabitants; but, though delighted with the +beauty of the scenes which everywhere presented themselves, and amazed +at the luxuriance and fertility of the soil, Columbus did not find gold +in such quantities as was sufficient to satisfy the avarice of his +followers; he was nevertheless anxious to prolong his voyage, and +explore those magnificent regions which seemed to invite them on every +hand. + +But as the Pinta had never joined them again after parting from them, he +had no vessel now left but the Nina; he did not therefore think it +prudent to pursue his discoveries with one small vessel, and that a very +crazy one, lest, if any accident should befal it, he might be left +without the means of returning to Europe, and both the glory and benefit +of his great discoveries might be lost; so he determined to prepare for +his return. + +But as it was impossible for so small a vessel as the Nina to contain +the crew of the ship that was wrecked in addition to its own, Columbus +was greatly perplexed what to do. + +Many of his men were so delighted with the island and its inhabitants, +that they begged of him to let them remain there, and Columbus consented +to leave forty of them on the island, while he and the remainder made +the voyage back. + +He promised to return to them speedily. He now built them a fort with +the timber of the wreck, and fortified it with the guns of the Santa +Maria, and did every thing in his power to provide for their comfort +during his absence, particularly enjoining them to be kind and peaceful +towards the Indians. + +This was the first colony of Europeans that settled in the new world, +and Columbus gave it the name of Navidad. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +COLUMBUS SETS SAIL TO RETURN TO SPAIN, AND ENCOUNTERS A DREADFUL STORM. + + +Having obtained a certain quantity of the precious metals, and other +curious productions of the countries he had discovered, he set sail to +recross the wide Atlantic Ocean. + +It was the second day after they had left the island that they saw a +sail at a distance, which proved to be the Pinta. + +On joining the admiral, Pinzon made many excuses and endeavoured to +account for his desertion, saying he had been separated by stress of +weather. Columbus admitted his excuse, but he ascertained afterwards +that Pinzon parted company intentionally, and had steered directly east +in quest of a region where the Indians had assured him that he would +find gold in abundance. + +They had guided him to Hayti, where he had been for some time, in a +river about fifteen leagues from the part of the coast where Columbus +had been wrecked. + +He had collected a large quantity of gold by trading with the natives, +and on leaving the river he had carried off four Indian men and two +girls to be sold in Spain. + +[Illustration] + +Columbus immediately sailed back for this river, and ordered the four +men and two girls to be dismissed well clothed and with many presents, +to atone for the wrong they had experienced. This resolution was not +carried into effect without great unwillingness and many angry words on +the part of Pinzon. + +Columbus, being now joined by the Pinta, thought he might pursue his +discoveries a little further, and on leaving this part of the coast he +took with him four young Indians to guide him to the Carribean Islands, +of which they gave him a very interesting account, as well as of another +island said to be inhabited by Amazons. + +A favourable breeze, however, sprang up for the voyage homewards, and +seeing gloom and impatience in the countenances of his men, he gave up +his intention of visiting these islands, and made all sail for Spain, +the young Indians having consented to accompany him that they might +learn the Spanish language, and be his guides and interpreters when they +should return. + +His voyage homeward was much more tedious; for those trade winds which +had wafted him so rapidly westward, across the Atlantic, still blew +from east to west, and Columbus did not then know that their influence +only extends to a certain distance on each side of the Equator, so that +if he had sailed a little farther north, on his return, he would very +likely have met with a south-west wind, which was just what he wanted. + +On the 12th of February they had made such progress as led them to hope +they should soon see land. The wind now came on to blow violently; on +the following evening there were three flashes of lightning in the +north-east, from which signs Columbus predicted an approaching tempest. + +It soon burst upon them with frightful violence. Their small and crazy +vessels were little fitted for the wild storms of the Atlantic; all +night they were obliged to scud under bare poles, at the mercy of the +elements; as the morning dawned there was a transient pause and they +made a little sail, but the wind rose with redoubled fury from the south +and increased in the night, threatening each moment to overwhelm them or +dash them to pieces. + +The admiral made signal-lights for the Pinta to keep in company, but +she was separated by the violence of the storm, and her lights gleamed +more and more distant till they ceased entirely. + +When the day dawned the sea presented a frightful waste of wild and +broken waves. Columbus looked round anxiously for the Pinta, but she was +nowhere to be seen, and he became apprehensive that Pinzon had borne +away for Spain, that he might reach it before him, and by giving the +first account of his discoveries, deprive him of his fame. + +Through a dreary day the helpless bark was driven along by the tempest. + +Seeing all human skill baffled and confounded, Columbus endeavoured to +propitiate heaven by solemn vows, and various private vows were made by +the seamen. The heavens, however, seemed deaf to their vows: the storm +grew still more furious, and every one gave himself up for lost. + +During this long and awful conflict of the elements, the mind of +Columbus was a prey to the most distressing anxiety. + +He was harassed by the repinings of his crew, who cursed the hour of +their leaving their country. + +He was afflicted also with the thought of his two sons, who would be +left destitute by his death. + +But he had another source of distress more intolerable than death +itself. In case the Pinta should have foundered, as was highly probable, +the history of his discovery would depend upon his own feeble bark. One +surge of the ocean might bury it for ever in oblivion, and his name only +be recorded as that of a desperate adventurer. + +At this crisis, when all was given up for lost, Columbus had presence of +mind enough to retire to his cabin and to write upon parchment a short +account of his voyage. + +This he wrapped in an oiled cloth, which he enclosed in a cake of wax, +put it into a tight cask, and threw it into the sea, in hopes that some +fortunate accident might preserve a deposit of so much importance to the +world. + +But that being which had preserved him through so many dangers still +protected him; and happily these precautions were superfluous. + +At sunset there was a streak of clear sky in the west; the wind shifted +to that quarter, and on the morning of the 15th of February they came in +sight of land. + +The transports of the crew at once more beholding the old world, were +almost equal to those they had experienced on discovering the new. This +proved to be the island of St. Mary, the most southern of the Azores. + +After remaining here a few days, the wind proving favourable he again +set sail, on the 24th of February. + +After two or three days of pleasant sailing, there was a renewal of +tempestuous weather. About midnight of the 2nd of March the caravel was +struck by a squall, which rent all her sails and threatened instant +destruction. The crew were again reduced to despair, and made vows of +fasting and pilgrimages. + +The storm raged through the succeeding day, during which, from various +signs they considered that land must be near. The turbulence of the +following night was dreadful; the sea was broken, wild, and mountainous, +the rain fell in torrents, and the lightning flashed and the thunder +pealed from various parts of the heavens. + +In the first watch of this fearful night, the seamen gave the usual +welcome cry of land--but it only increased their alarm, for they dreaded +being driven on shore or dashed upon the rocks. Taking in sail, +therefore, they endeavoured to keep to sea as much as possible. At +day-break on the 4th of March they found themselves off the rock of +Cintra at the mouth of the Tagus, which you know is the principal river +of Portugal. + +Though distrustful of the Portuguese, he had no alternative but to run +in for shelter. The inhabitants came off from various parts of the shore +to congratulate him on what they deemed a miraculous preservation, for +they had been watching the vessel the whole morning with great anxiety, +and putting up prayers for her safety. The oldest mariners of the place +assured him that they had never during the whole course of their lives +known so tempestuous a winter. + +Such were the difficulties and perils with which Columbus had to contend +on his return to Europe. Had one tenth part of them beset his outward +voyage, his factious crew would have risen in arms against the +enterprise, and he never would have discovered the new world. + +The king of Portugal must have been greatly mortified when he heard of +the arrival of Columbus and the wonderful discoveries he had made, for +he could not but reflect that all the advantages of these discoveries +might have belonged to him if he had not treated Columbus as he did. + +But notwithstanding the envy which it was natural for the Portuguese to +feel, he was allowed to come to Lisbon, and was treated with all the +marks of distinction due to a man who had performed things so +extraordinary and unexpected. The king admitted him into his presence, +and listened with admiration to the account which he gave of his voyage, +while Columbus enjoyed the satisfaction of being able to prove the +solidity of his schemes to those very persons who had with disgraceful +ignorance rejected them as the projects of a visionary adventurer. + +Columbus was so impatient to return to Spain that he remained only five +days in Lisbon. On the 15th of March he arrived at Palos, seven months +and eleven days from the time when he set out from thence upon his +voyage. + +When the prosperous issue of it was known, when they beheld the strange +people, the unknown animals, and singular productions brought from the +countries he had discovered, the joy was unbounded; all the bells were +rung, the cannons were fired, and he was welcomed with all the +acclamations which the people are ever ready to bestow on great and +glorious characters. They flocked in crowds to the harbour to see him +land, and nothing but Columbus and the New World, as the Spaniards +called it, was talked of. + +He was desired by Ferdinand and Isabella in the most respectful terms to +repair to court, that they might receive from his own mouth, an account +of his wonderful discoveries. + +On his arrival at Barcelona the king and queen received him clad in +their royal robes, seated upon a throne, and surrounded by their nobles. + +[Illustration] + +When he approached, they commanded him to take his seat upon a chair +prepared for him, and to give a circumstantial account of his voyage, +which he related with a gravity suitable to the dignity of the audience +he addressed, and with that modesty which ever accompanies superior +merit. + +Every mark of honour that gratitude or admiration could suggest, was +conferred upon him; his family was ennobled, and, as a mark of +particular favour, Isabella appointed his son Diego, the boy, who, you +remember, had been left at the convent, page to prince Juan, the heir +apparent, an honour only granted to sons of persons of distinguished +rank. + +The king and queen, and, after their example, the courtiers treated him +with all the respect paid to persons of the highest rank. Yet some of +these courtiers were his bitterest enemies, and did every thing they +could, in his absence, to poison the minds of the king and queen against +him, and to cause his downfall. + +The favour shown Columbus by the sovereigns insured him for a time the +caresses of the nobility, for in court every one is eager to lavish +attentions upon the man "whom the king delighteth to honour." + +At one of the banquets which were given him occured the well known +circumstance of the egg. + +[Illustration] + +A shallow courtier present, impatient of the honours paid to Columbus, +and meanly jealous of him as a foreigner, abruptly asked him, whether he +thought that, in case he had not discovered the Indies, there would have +been wanting men in Spain capable of the enterprise. + +To this Columbus made no direct reply but, taking an egg, invited the +company to make it stand on one end. Every one attempted it, but in +vain; whereupon he struck it upon the table, broke one end, and left it +standing on the broken part; illustrating, in this simple manner, that +when he had once shown the way to the new world, nothing was easier than +to follow it. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +COLUMBUS PREPARES FOR ANOTHER VOYAGE. + + +Columbus was now anxious to set out on another voyage to proceed with +his discoveries, and the king and queen gave orders that every thing +should be done to further his wishes. + +By his exertions a fleet of seventeen sail, large and small, was soon in +a state of forwardness; labourers and artificers of all kinds were +engaged for the projected colonies, and an ample supply was provided of +whatever was necessary for the cultivation of the soil, the working of +the mines, and for traffic with the natives. + +He now found no difficulty in getting sailors to accompany him, and the +account he gave of the countries he had discovered, and particularly +the intelligence that they abounded with gold, excited the avarice and +rapacity of the Spaniards, and numbers of needy adventurers of ruined +fortunes and desperate circumstances, were eager to share in the spoil. + +Many persons of distinction, thinking to become rich by the same means, +also volunteered to enlist, and many got on board of the ships by +stealth, so that about 1500 set sail in the fleet, though only a +thousand were originally permitted to embark. + +The departure of Columbus on his second voyage presented a brilliant +contrast to his gloomy embarkation at Palos. + +There were three large ships of heavy burden and fourteen smaller +vessels, and the persons on board, instead of being regarded by the +populace as devoted men, were looked upon with envy as favoured mortals, +destined to golden regions and delightful climes, where nothing but +wealth, and wonder, and enjoyment awaited them. + +At sunrise the whole fleet was under sail, on the 13th of October he +lost sight of the Island of Ferro, and, favoured by the trade winds, was +borne pleasantly along, till, on the 2nd of November, a lofty island was +descried to the west, to which he gave the name of Dominica, from having +discovered it on the Lord's day. + +As the ships moved gently onward, other islands arose to sight, one +after another, covered with forests and enlivened by the flight of +parrots and other tropical birds, while the whole air was sweetened by +the fragrance of the breezes which passed over them. + +In one of these islands, to which the Spaniards gave the name of +Guadaloupe, they first met with the delicious fruit, the Anana or +pine-apple. + +Columbus now sailed in the direction of Hayti, to which he had given the +name of Hispaniola, where he shortly arrived. + +In passing along the coast he set on shore one of the young Indians who +had been taken from that neighbourhood and had accompanied him to Spain. +He dismissed him finely apparelled, and loaded with trinkets, thinking +he would impress his countrymen with favourable feelings towards the +Spaniards, but he never heard anything of him afterwards. + +When he arrived on that part of the island where he had built the fort +and taken leave of his companions, the evening growing dark, the land +was hidden from their sight. Columbus watched for the dawn of day with +the greatest anxiety; when at last the approach of the morning sun +rendering the objects on shore visible, in the place where the fort had +stood, nothing was to be seen. No human being was near, neither Indian +nor European; he ordered a boat to be manned, and himself went, at the +head of a party, to explore how things really were. + +The crew hastened to the place where the fortress had been erected; they +found it burnt and demolished, the palisades beaten down, and the ground +strewed with broken chests and fragments of European garments. + +The natives, at their approach, did not welcome them as they expected, +like friends, but fled and concealed themselves as if afraid to be seen. + +Columbus, at length, with some difficulty, by signs of peace and +friendship, persuaded a few of them to come forth to him. From them he +learned, that scarcely had he set sail for Spain, when all his counsels +and commands faded from the minds of those who remained behind. Instead +of cultivating the good-will of the natives, they endeavoured, by all +kinds of wrongful means, to get possession of their golden ornaments and +other articles of value, and seduce from them their wives and daughters, +and had also quarrelled among themselves. + +The consequences of this bad conduct were what might have been expected: +some died by sickness caused by intemperance, some fell in brawls +between themselves about their ill-gotten spoil, and others were cut off +by the Indians, whom they had so shamefully treated, and who afterwards +pulled dawn and burnt their fort. + +The misfortunes which had befallen the Spaniards in the vicinity of +this harbour threw a gloom over the place, and it was considered by the +superstitious mariners as under some baneful influence. The situation +was low and unhealthy, and not capable of improvement; Columbus +therefore determined to remove the settlement. + +With this view he made choice of a situation more healthy and commodious +than that of Navidad, and having ordered the troops and the various +persons to be employed in the colony to be immediately disembarked, +together with the stores, ammunition, and all the cattle and live-stock, +he traced out the plan of a town in a large plain near a spacious bay; +and obliging every person to put his hand to the work, the houses were +soon so far advanced as to afford them shelter, and forts were +constructed for their defence. + +This rising city, the first that Europeans founded in the new world, he +named Isabella, in honour of his patroness the Queen of Castile. + +As long as the Indians had any prospect that their sufferings might +terminate by the voluntary departure of the invaders, they submitted in +silence, and dissembled their sorrow; but now that the Spaniards had +built a town--now that they had dug up the ground and planted it with +corn--it became apparent that they came not to visit the country, but to +settle in it. + +They were themselves naturally so abstemious and their wants so few, +that they were easily satisfied with the fruits of the island, which, +with a handful of maize or a little of the insipid bread made of the +cassava root, were sufficient for their support. + +But it was with difficulty they could afford subsistence for the new +guests. The Spaniards, though considered an abstemious people, appeared +to them excessively voracious. One Spaniard consumed as much as several +Indians; this keenness of appetite appeared so insatiable, that they +supposed the Spaniards had left their own country because it did not +produce enough to gratify their immoderate appetites, and had come among +them in quest of nourishment. + +Columbus having taken all the steps which he thought necessary to +ensure the prosperity of his new colony, entrusted the command of the +military force to Margaritta, and set sail with three vessels to extend +his discoveries; but, after a long and tedious voyage, in which he +endured every hardship, the most important discovery he made was the +island of Jamaica. + +Having been absent much longer than he had expected, he returned to his +new settlement, but the colonists had become refractory and +unmanageable. + +No sooner had he left the island on his voyage of discovery, than the +soldiers under Margaritta dispersed in straggling parties over the +island, lived at discretion upon the natives, wasted their property, and +treated that inoffensive race with the insolence of military oppression. + +During the absence of Columbus, several unfavourable accounts of his +conduct had been transmitted to Spain, and these accusations gained such +credit in that jealous court, that Aguado, a person in every way +unsuited for the purpose, was appointed to proceed to Hispaniola to +observe the conduct of Columbus. + +This man listened with eagerness to every accusation of the discontented +Spaniards, and fomented still further the spirit of dissension in the +island. + +Columbus felt how humiliating it must be if he remained in the island +with such a partial inspector to observe his motions and control his +authority; he therefore took the resolution of returning to Spain, in +order to lay a full account of his transactions before Ferdinand and +Isabella. + +Having committed the government of the colony during his absence to Don +Bartholomew, his brother, he appointed Roldan Chief Justice, a choice +which afterwards caused great calamities to the colony. + +On his arrival in Spain, Columbus appeared at court with the confidence +of a man, not only conscious of having done no wrong, but of having +performed great services. + +Ferdinand and Isabella, ashamed of having listened to ill-founded +accusations, received him with such marks of respect as silenced the +calumnies of his enemies, and covered them with shame and confusion. + +The gold, the pearls, and other commodities of value which he had +brought home, and the mines which he had found, fully proved the value +and importance of his discoveries, though Columbus considered them only +as preludes to future and more important acquisitions. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS DISCOVERS THE CONTINENT OF AMERICA. + + +Columbus, having been furnished with six vessels of no great burden, +departed on his third voyage. He touched at the Canaries and at the Cape +de Verd islands; from the former he despatched three ships with a supply +of provisions for the colony of Hispaniola; with the other three he +continued his voyage to the south. + +Nothing remarkable occurred till they were within five degrees of the +line; then they were becalmed, and the heat became so excessive, that +the wine casks burst and their provisions were spoiled. + +The Spaniards, who had never ventured so far to the south, were afraid +the ships would take fire, but they were relieved in some measure from +their fear by a seasonable fall of rain. + +This, however, though so heavy and incessant that the men could hardly +keep the deck, did not greatly mitigate the heat, and Columbus was at +last constrained to yield to the importunities of his crew, and to alter +his course to the north-west, in order to reach some of the Caribbee +islands, where he might refit and be supplied with provisions. + +On the 1st of August, 1498, the man stationed at the round-top surprised +them with the joyful cry of "Land!" They stood towards it, and +discovered a considerable island, which the admiral called Trinidad, a +name it still retains, and near it the mouth of a river, rolling towards +the ocean such a vast body of water, and rushing into it with such +impetuous force, that when it meets the tide, which on that coast rises +to an uncommon height, their meeting occasions an extraordinary and +dangerous swell of the waves. + +In this conflict, the irresistable torrent of the river so far +prevails, that it freshens the ocean many leagues with its flood. + +Columbus, before he could perceive the danger, was entangled among these +adverse currents and tempestuous waves; and it was with the utmost +difficulty that he escaped through a narrow strait, which appeared so +tremendous, that he called it "The Dragon's Mouth." + +As soon as his consternation permitted him to reflect on an appearance +so extraordinary, he justly concluded that the land must be a part of +some mighty continent, and not of an island, because all the springs +that could rise, and all the rain that could fall on an island, could +never, as he calculated, supply water enough to feed so prodigiously +broad and deep a river; and he was right, the river was the Oronoko. + +Filled with this idea, he stood to the west, along the coast of those +provinces which are now known by the name of Paria and Cumana. He landed +in several places, and found the people to resemble those of Hispaniola +in their appearance and manner of life. + +They wore as ornaments small plates of gold and pearls of considerable +value, which they willingly exchanged for European toys. They seemed to +possess greater courage and better understandings than the inhabitants +of the islands. + +The country produced four-footed animals of several kinds, as well as a +great variety of fowls and fruits. + +The admiral was so much delighted with its beauty and fertility, that, +with the warm enthusiasm of a discoverer, he imagined it to be the +Paradise described in Scripture. + +Thus Columbus had the glory of discovering the new world, and of +conducting the Spaniards to that vast continent which has been the seat +of their empire and the source of their treasure, in that quarter of the +globe. The shattered condition of his ships and the scarcity of +provisions, made it now necessary to bear away for Hispaniola, where he +arrived wasted to an extreme degree with fatigue and sickness. + +Many revolutions had happened in that country during his absence, which +had lasted more than two years. + +His brother, whom he had left in command, had, in compliance with advice +which he had given him before his departure, removed the colony from +Isabella to a more commodious station on the opposite side of the +island, and laid the foundation of St. Domingo, which long continued to +be the most considerable town in the new world. + +Such was the cruelty and oppression with which the Spaniards treated the +Indians, and so intolerable the burden imposed upon them, that they at +last took arms against their oppressors; but these insurrections were +not formidable. In a conflict with timid and naked Indians, there was +neither danger nor doubt of victory. + +A mutiny which broke out among the Spaniards, was of a more dangerous +nature, the ringleader in which was Francisco Roldan, whom Columbus, +when he sailed for Spain, had appointed chief judge, and whose duty it +was to have maintained the laws, instead of breaking them. + +This rebellion of Roldan, which threatened the whole country with ruin, +was only subdued by the most wise and prudent conduct on the part of +Columbus; but order and tranquillity were at length apparently restored. + +As soon as his affairs would permit, he sent some of his ships to Spain, +with a journal of the voyage which he had made, and a description of the +new continent which he had discovered, and also a chart of the coast +along which he had sailed, and of which I shall have something more to +tell you presently. + +He at the same time sent specimens of the gold, the pearls, and other +curious and valuable productions which he had acquired by trafficking +with the natives. + +He also transmitted an account of the insurrection in Hispaniola, and +accused the mutineers of having, by their unprovoked rebellion, almost +ruined the colony. + +Roldan and his associates took care to send to Spain, by the same +ships, apologies for their mutinous conduct, and unfortunately for the +happiness of Columbus, their story gained most credit in the court of +Ferdinand and Isabella. + +By these ships Columbus granted the liberty of returning to Spain to all +those, who, from sickness or disappointment, were disgusted with the +country. A good number of such as were most dissatisfied, embraced this +opportunity of returning to Europe. The disappointment of their +unreasonable hopes inflamed their rage against Columbus to the utmost +pitch, and their distress made their accusations be believed. + +A gang of these disorderly ruffians, who had been shipped off to free +the island from their seditions, found their way to the court at +Grenada. Whenever the king or queen appeared in public, they surrounded +them, insisting, with importunate clamours, on the payment of arrears +due to them, and demanding vengeance on the author of their sufferings. + +These endeavours to ruin Columbus were seconded by Fonseca, who was now +made bishop of Badajos, and who was entrusted with the chief direction +of Indian affairs. This man had always been an implacable enemy of +Columbus, and with others of his enemies who were about the court, +having continual access to the sovereign, they were enabled to aggravate +all the complaints that were urged against him, while they carefully +suppressed his vindications of himself. + +By these means Ferdinand was at last induced to send out Bobadilla, an +officer of the royal household, to inquire into the conduct of Columbus, +and if he should think the charges against him proved, to supersede him +in his command, that is, to send him home, and make himself governor in +his stead; so that it was the interest of the judge to pronounce the +person guilty whom he was sent to try. + +On his arrival he found Columbus absent in the interior of the island; +and as he had, before he landed, made up his mind to treat him as a +criminal, he proceeded at once, without any inquiry, to supersede him +in his command. + +He took up his residence in Columbus' house, from which the owner was +absent, seized upon his arms, gold, plate, jewels, books, and even his +letters and most secret manuscripts, giving no account of the property +thus seized, but disposing of it as if already confiscated to the crown; +at the same time he used the most unqualified language when speaking of +Columbus, and hinted that he was empowered to send him home in chains; +thus acting as if he had been sent out to degrade the admiral, not to +inquire into his conduct. + +As soon as Columbus arrived from the interior, Bobadilla gave orders to +put him in irons and confine him in the fortress, and so far from +hearing him in his defence, he would not even admit him to his presence; +but having collected from his enemies what he thought sufficient +evidence, he determined to send both him and his brother home in chains. + +The charge of conducting the prisoners to Spain was committed to Alonzo +Villejo, a man of honourable conduct and generous feelings. When Villejo +entered with the guard to conduct him on board the caravel, Columbus +thought it was to conduct him to the scaffold. "Villejo" said he, +"whither are you taking me?" "To the ship, your excellency, to embark," +replied the other. "To embark!" repeated the admiral, earnestly, +"Villejo, do you speak the truth?" "By the life of your excellency," +replied the honest officer, "it is true." + +With these words the admiral was comforted, and felt as restored from +death to life, for he now knew he should have an opportunity of +vindicating his conduct. The caravel set sail in October, bearing off +Columbus shackled like the vilest criminal. + +The worthy Villejo, as well as Andries Martin, the master of the +caravel, would have taken off his irons, but to this he would not +consent. "No," said he proudly, "their majesties commanded me, by +letter, to submit to whatever Bobadilla should order in their name; by +their authority he has put upon me these chains; I will wear them till +they shall order them to be taken off, and I will afterwards preserve +them as relics and memorials of the reward of my services." + +[Illustration] + +The arrival of Columbus, a prisoner and in chains, produced almost as +great a sensation as his triumphant return on his first voyage. + +A general burst of indignation arose in Cadiz and in Seville, which was +echoed through all Spain, that Columbus was brought home in chains from +the world he had discovered. + +The tidings reached the court of Grenada, and filled the halls of the +Alhambra with murmurs of astonishment. + +On the arrival of the ships at Cadiz, Columbus, full of his wrongs, but +not knowing how far they had been authorized by his sovereigns, forbare +to write to them; but he sent a long letter to a lady of the court, high +in favour with the queen, containing, in eloquent and touching language, +an ample vindication of his conduct. + +When it was read to the noble-minded Isabella, and she found how grossly +Columbus had been wronged, and the royal authority abused, her heart was +filled with sympathy and indignation. + +Without waiting for any documents that might arrive from Bobadilla, +Ferdinand and Isabella sent orders to Cadiz, that he should be instantly +set at liberty, and treated with all distinction, and sent him two +thousand ducats to defray his expenses to court. They wrote him a +letter at the same time, expressing their grief at all that had +happened, and inviting him to Grenada. + +He was received by their majesties with the greatest favour and +distinction. When the queen beheld this venerable man approach, and +thought on all he had deserved and all he had suffered, she was moved to +tears. + +Columbus had borne up firmly against the injuries and wrongs of the +world, but when he found himself thus kindly treated, and beheld tears +in the benign eyes of Isabella, his long suppressed feelings burst +forth, he threw himself upon his knees, and for some time could not +utter a word for the violence of his tears and sobbings. + +Ferdinand and Isabella raised him from the ground and endeavoured to +encourage him by the most gracious expressions. + +As soon as he had recovered his self-possession, he entered into an +eloquent and high-minded vindication of his conduct, and his zeal for +the glory and advantage of the Spanish crown. + +The king and queen expressed their indignation at the proceedings of +Bobadilla, and promised he should be immediately dismissed from his +command. + +The person chosen to supersede Bobadilla was Nicholas de Ovando. While +his departure was delayed by various circumstances, every arrival +brought intelligence of the disasterous state of the island under the +administration of Bobadilla. + +He encouraged the Spaniards in the exercise of the most wanton cruelties +towards the natives, to obtain from them large quantities of gold. "Make +the most of your time," he would say, "there is no knowing how long it +will last;" and the colonists were not backward in following his advice. +In the meantime the poor Indians sunk under the toils imposed upon them, +and the severities with which they were enforced. + +These accounts hastened the departure of Ovando, and a person sailed +with him, in order to secure what he could of the wreck of Columbus' +property. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS WAS ROBBED OF THE HONOUR OF GIVING HIS NAME TO +AMERICA. + + +I have told you that Columbus, as soon as he arrived at Hispaniola, +after discovering the new continent, sent a ship to Spain with a journal +of the voyage he had made, and a description of the new continent which +he had discovered, together with a chart of the coast of Paria and +Cumana, along which he had sailed. + +This journal, with the charts and description, and Columbus' letters on +the subject, were placed in the custody of Fonseca, he being minister +for Indian affairs. + +No sooner had the particulars of this discovery been communicated by +Columbus, than a separate commission of discovery, signed by Fonseca, +but not by the sovereigns, was granted to Alonzo de Ojeda, who had +accompanied Columbus on his second voyage, and whom Columbus had +instructed in all his plans. Ojeda was accompanied on this voyage by a +Florentine, whose name was Amerigo Vespucci. + +To these adventurers Fonseca communicated Columbus' journal, his +description of the country, his charts, and all his private letters. + +This expedition sailed from Spain while Columbus was still at +Hispaniola, and wholly ignorant of what was taking place; and Ojeda, +without touching at the colony, steered his course direct for Paria, +following the very track which Columbus had marked out. + +Having extended their discoveries very little farther than Columbus had +gone before them, Vespucci, on returning to Spain, published an account +of his adventures and discoveries, and had the address and confidence +so to frame his narrative, as to make it appear that the glory of having +discovered the new continent belonged to him. + +Thus the bold pretensions of an impostor have robbed the discoverer of +his just reward, and the caprice of fame has unjustly assigned to him an +honour far above the renown of the greatest conquerors--that of +indelibly impressing his name upon this vast portion of the earth, which +ought in justice to have been called Columbia. + +Two years had now been spent in soliciting the favour of an ungrateful +court, and notwithstanding all his merits and services, he solicited in +vain; but even this ungracious return did not lessen his ardour in his +favourite pursuits, and his anxiety to pursue those discoveries in which +he felt he had yet only made a beginning. + +Ferdinand at last consented to grant him four small vessels, the largest +of which did not exceed seventy tons in burden; but, accustomed to brave +danger and endure hardships, he did not hesitate to accept the command +of this pitiful squadron, and he sailed from Cadiz on his fourth voyage +on the 9th of May. + +[Illustration] + +Having touched, as usual, at the Canaries, he intended to have sailed +direct for this new discovered continent; but his largest vessel was so +clumsy and unfit for service, that he determined to bear away for +Hispaniola, in hopes of exchanging her for some ship of the fleet that +had carried out Ovando. + +The fleet that had brought out Ovando lay in the harbour ready to put +to sea, and was to take home Bobadilla, together with Roldan and many of +his adherents, to be tried in Spain for rebellion. Bobadilla was to +embark in the principal ship, on board of which he had put an immense +amount of gold, which he hoped would atone for all his faults. + +Among the presents intended for his sovereign was one mass of virgin +gold, which was famous in the Spanish chronicles; it was said to weigh +3600 castillanos. Large quantities of gold had been shipped in the fleet +by Roldan and other adventurers--the wealth gained by the sufferings of +the unhappy natives. + +Columbus sent an officer on shore to request permission to shelter his +squadron in the river, as he apprehended an approaching storm. He also +cautioned them not to let the fleet sail, but his request was refused by +Ovando, and his advice disregarded. + +The fleet put to sea, and Columbus kept his feeble squadron close to +shore, and sought for shelter in some wild bay or river of the island. + +Within two days, one of those tremendous storms which sometimes sweep +those latitudes gathered up, and began to blow. Columbus sheltered his +little squadron as well as he could, and sustained no damage. A +different fate befel the other armament. + +The ship in which were Bobadilla, Roldan, and a number of the most +inveterate enemies of Columbus, was swallowed up with all its crew, +together with the principal part of the ill-gotten treasure, gained by +the miseries of the Indians. + +Some of the ships returned to St. Domingo, and only one was able to +continue her voyage to Spain; that one had on board four thousand pieces +of gold, the property of Columbus, which had been recovered by the agent +whom he sent out with Ovando. + +Thus, while the enemies of the admiral were swallowed up as it were +before his eyes, the only ship enabled to pursue her voyage was the +frail bark freighted with his property. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +PARLEY TELLS HOW COLUMBUS WAS SHIPWRECKED, AND ALSO OF THE MANNER OF HIS +DEATH. + + +Columbus soon left Hispaniola where he met with so inhospitable a +reception, and steering towards the west, he arrived on the coast of +Honduras. There he had an interview with some of the inhabitants of the +continent, who came off in a large canoe; they appeared to be more +civilized than any whom he had hitherto discovered. + +In return to the inquiries which the Spaniards made with their usual +eagerness, where the Indians got the gold which they wore by way of +ornaments, they directed him to countries situated to the west, in which +gold was found in such profusion that it was applied to the most common +uses. + +Well would it have been for Columbus had he followed their advice. +Within a day or two he would have arrived at Yucatan; the discovery of +Mexico and the other opulent countries of New Spain would have +necessarily followed, the Southern Ocean would have been disclosed to +him, and a succession of splendid discoveries would have shed fresh +glory on his declining age. + +But the admiral's mind was bent upon discovering the supposed strait +that was to lead to the Indian Ocean. In this navigation he explored a +great extent of coast from Cape Gracios a Dios till he came to a +harbour, which on account of its beauty and security, he called Porto +Bello. + +On quitting this harbour he steered for the south, and he had not +followed this course many days when he was overtaken by storms more +terrible than any he had yet encountered. + +For nine days the vessels were tossed about at the mercy of a raging +tempest. The sea, according to the description of Columbus, boiled at +times like a cauldron, at other times it ran in mountain waves covered +with foam: at night the raging billows sparkled with luminous particles, +which made them resemble great surges of flame. + +For a day and a night the heavens glowed like a furnace with incessant +flashes of lightning, while the loud claps of thunder were often +mistaken for signal guns of their foundering companions. + +In the midst of this wild tumult of the elements, they beheld a new +object of alarm. The ocean, in one place, became strangely agitated; the +water was whirled up into a kind of pyramid or cone; while a livid +cloud, tapering to a point, bent down to meet it; joining together, they +formed a column, which rapidly approached the ship, spinning along the +surface of the deep, and drawing up the water with a rushing sound, it +passed the ship without injury. + +His leaky vessels were not able to withstand storms like these. One of +them foundered, and he was obliged to abandon another. + +With the remaining two he bore away for Hispaniola, but in the tempest +his ships falling foul of each other, it was with the greatest +difficulty he reached the island of Jamaica. + +His two vessels were in such a shattered condition, that, to prevent +them from sinking, and to save the lives of his crews, he was obliged to +run them on shore. + +Having no ship now left, he had no means of reaching Hispaniola, or of +making his situation known. In this juncture he had recourse to the +hospitable kindness of the natives, who, considering the Spaniards as +beings of a superior nature, were eager, on every occasion to assist +them. + +From them he obtained two canoes, each formed out of a single tree +hollowed with fire. In these, which were only fit for creeping along the +coast, two of his brave and faithful companions, assisted by a few +Indians, gallantly offered to set out for Hispaniola; this voyage they +accomplished in ten days, after encountering incredible fatigues and +dangers. + +By them he wrote letters to Ovando, describing his situation and +requesting him to send ships to bring off him and his crews; but what +will you think of the unfeeling cruelty of this man, when I tell you +that he suffered these brave men to wait eight months before he would +give them any hopes of relieving their companions: and what must have +been the feelings of Columbus during this period. + +At last the ships arrived which were to take them from the island, where +the unfeeling Ovando had suffered them to languish above a year, exposed +to misery in all its various forms. When he arrived at St. Domingo, +Ovando treated him with every kind of insult and injustice. Columbus +submitted in silence, but became extremely impatient to quit a country +where he had been treated with such barbarity. + +The preparations were soon finished, and he set sail for Spain with two +ships, but disaster still pursued him to the end of his course. He +suffered acutely from a painful and dangerous disease, and his mind was +kept uneasy and anxious by a continued succession of storms. One of the +vessels being disabled, was forced back to St. Domingo, and in the other +he sailed 700 leagues with jury-masts, and reached with difficulty the +port of St. Lucar in Spain, 1504. + +On his arrival he received the fatal news of the death of his patroness +queen Isabella, from whom he had hoped for the redress of his wrongs. + +He applied to the king, who, instead of confirming the titles and +honours which he had formerly conferred upon him, insulted him with the +proposal of renouncing them all for a pension. + +Disgusted with the ingratitude of a monarch whom he had served with +fidelity and success, exhausted with the calamities which he had +endured, and broken with infirmities, this great and good man breathed +his last at Valladolid, a.d. 1506, in the 69th year of his age. + +He was buried in the cathedral at Seville, and on his tomb was engraved +an epitaph commemorating his discovery of a New World. + + Christobal Colon, obiit 1506, + + AEtat 69. + + A Castilla y a Leon + Neubo Mundo dio Colon.[A] + +Thus much for Columbus; those who are the greatest benefactors of +mankind seldom meet with much gratitude from men in their lives; they +must look to God for their reward, and leave future generations to do +justice to their memory. + +It was very unfortunate for the natives of America, that the country +fell into the hands of such a cruel, covetous, and bigoted nation as the +Spaniards were. Their thirst for gold was insatiable, and the cruelties +they exercised upon the natives are too horrible to recite. After the +death of Columbus, the Indians were no longer treated with gentleness, +for it was his defence of the property and lives of these harmless +natives that brought down upon his head such bitter hatred. You will now +look into your map and follow Columbus in some of his discoveries. You +will see a great number of islands extending in a curve from Florida, +which is the southernmost part of the United States, to the mouth of the +river Oronoko in South America; and, as Columbus firmly believed these +islands, when he discovered them, to be a part of India, the name of +Indies was given to them by Ferdinand and Isabella; and, even after the +error was detected, and the true position of the new world ascertained, +the name has remained, and the appellation of Indies is given to the +country, and that of Indians to the inhabitants. + +[Footnote A: To Castile and to Leon Columbus gave a New World.] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +PARLEY TELLS OF OVANDO'S CRUEL TREATMENT OF ANACAONA, THE PRINCESS OF +HAYTI. + + +Columbus discovered and gave names to some of these islands, and on +several of them he settled colonies, and did all he could to make them +the abodes of peace and happiness. + +On his taking leave of them for the last time, Ovando continued governor +of Hayti. + +The cruelties exercised by this unfeeling man it would take a volume to +describe, but I will mention only one or two instances. + +When the natives were unable to pay the tribute which he exacted from +them, he always accused them of insurrection, and it was to punish a +slight insurrection of this kind in the eastern part of the island that +he sent his troops, who ravaged the country with fire and sword. He +showed no mercy to age or sex, putting many to death with horrible +tortures, and brought off the brave Catabanama, one of the five +sovereign caziques of the island, in chains to St. Domingo, where he was +ignominiously hanged by Ovando, for the crime of defending his territory +and his native soil against usurping strangers. + +But the most atrocious act of Ovando, and one that must heap odium on +his name, wherever the woes of the gentle natives of Hayti are heard of, +was the cruelty he was guilty of towards the province of Xaragua for one +of those pretended conspiracies. + +Ovando set out at the head of nearly four hundred well armed soldiers, +seventy of whom were steel-clad horsemen; giving out that he was coming +on a visit of friendship, to make arrangements for the payment of +tribute. + +Behechio, the ancient cazique of the province, was dead, and his +sister, Anacaona, wife of the late formidable chief Caonabo, had +succeeded to the government. + +She was one of the most beautiful females in the island; of great +natural grace and dignity, and superior intelligence; her name in the +Indian language signified "Golden Flower." + +[Illustration] + +She came forth to meet Ovando, according to the custom of her nation, +attended by her most distinguished subjects, and her train of damsels +waving palm branches, and dancing to the cadence of their popular +ayretos. + +All her principal caziques had been assembled to do honour to the +guests, who, for several days were entertained with banquets, and +national games and dances. + +In return for these exhibitions, Ovando invited Anacaona, with her +beautiful daughter Higuenamata, and her principal subjects, to witness a +tilting match in the public square. + +When all were assembled, and the square crowded with unarmed Indians, +Ovando gave a signal, and instantly the horsemen rushed into the midst +of the naked and defenceless throng, trampling them under foot, cutting +them down with their swords, transfixing them with their lances, and +sparing neither age nor sex. + +Above eighty caziques had been assembled in one of the principal houses: +it was surrounded by troops, the caziques were bound to the posts which +supported the roof, and put to cruel tortures, until in the extremity of +anguish they were made to admit as true what their queen and themselves +had been charged with. + +When they had thus been made, by torture, to accuse themselves, a +horrible punishment was immediately inflicted. Fire was set to the +house, and they all perished miserably in the flames. + +As to Anacaona, she was carried to St. Domingo, where, after the mockery +of a trial, she was pronounced guilty on the testimony of the Spaniards, +and was barbarously hanged by the people whom she had so long and so +greatly befriended. + +After the massacre of Xaragua, the destruction of its inhabitants went +on. They were hunted for six months amid the fastnesses of the +mountains, and their country ravaged by horse and foot, until, all being +reduced to deplorable misery and abject submission, Ovando pronounced +the province restored to order; and in remembrance of his triumph, +founded a town near the lake, which he called Santa Maria de la +Verdadera Pas (St. Mary of the true peace.) + +Such was the tragical fate of the beautiful Anacaona, once extolled as +the Golden Flower of Hayti; and such the story of the delightful region +of Xaragua, which the Spaniards, by their own account, found a perfect +paradise, but which, by their vile passions, they filled with horror and +desolation. + +After this work of destruction, they made slaves of the remaining +inhabitants, and divided them amongst them, and many of the sanguinary +contests among themselves arose out of quarrels about the distribution. + +We cannot help pausing to cast back a look of pity and admiration over +these beautiful but devoted regions. + +The white man had penetrated the land! In his train came avarice, pride, +and ambition; sordid care, and pining labour, were soon to follow, and +the paradise of the Indian was about to disappear for ever. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +PARLEY DESCRIBES THE TREES, PLANTS, AND FLOWERS OF THE NEW WORLD. + + +When once the way had been pointed out, it was easy for other navigators +to follow, and accordingly many Spaniards undertook voyages of further +discovery. + +Among others, Yanez Pinzon, one of the brave companions of Columbus, +undertook a voyage to the new world in 1499. + +This navigator suffered much from storms, and having sailed southward, +he crossed the equator and lost sight of the polar star. + +The sailors were exceedingly alarmed at this circumstance, as the polar +star was relied upon by them as one of their surest guides; not knowing +the shape of the earth, they thought that some prominence hid this star +from their view. + +The first land that Pinzon discovered, after crossing the line, was Cape +St. Augustine, in eight degrees south latitude, the most projecting part +of the extensive country of Brazil. + +As the fierceness of the natives made it unsafe to land on this coast, +he continued his voyage to the north-west, and fell in with the mighty +river Amazon, which is nearly under the equinoctial line. + +The mouth of this river is more than thirty leagues in breadth, and its +waters enter more than forty leagues into the ocean without losing its +freshness. + +He now recrossed the line, and coming again in sight of the polar star, +he pursued his course along the coast, passed the mouth of the Oronoko, +and entered the Gulph of Paria, after which he returned to Spain. + +Ojeda also undertook a voyage expressly to found a settlement; but as +the character of the Spaniards was now well known to the inhabitants of +these parts, they determined to oppose their landing, and being a +numerous and warlike people, Ojeda nearly lost his life in the attempt. + +Many of his companions were slain; the survivors, however, succeeding in +making good their retreat on board the ships. + +Shortly afterwards he landed on the eastern side of the Gulph of Darien, +and built a fortress which they called San Sebastian. + +Ojeda had with him in this expedition Francisco Pizarro, about whom I +shall have to tell you something more presently. + +About the same time another Spaniard, of the name of Nicuessa, formed a +settlement on that part of the coast, and built a fortress there, which +he called Nombre de Dios, not very distant from the harbour of +Portobello. + +Thus, by degrees, the whole coast of America, on the side of the +Atlantic, was discovered and explored. + +But the Spaniards did not know that in the part where they were, it was +only a narrow neck of land (which you know is called an Isthmus) that +separated them from another vast ocean; and this, when they discovered +the ocean on the other side, was called the Isthmus of Darien. + +I will now give you a short account of the discovery of this ocean. + +Nothing having been heard of Ojeda and his new colony of San Sebastian, +another expedition, commanded by Enciso, set sail in search of them. + +Among the ship's company was a man, by name Vasco Ninez de Balboa, who, +although of a rich family, had, by his bad habits, not only become very +poor, but also very much in debt. + +To avoid being thrown into prison for the debts that he owed, he +contrived to get on board Enciso's ship, concealed in a cask, which was +taken on board the vessel as a cask of provisions. + +When the ship was far from St. Domingo, Balboa came out from his cask to +the astonishment of all on board. + +Enciso at first was angry at the way he had escaped from the punishment +which his bad conduct had deserved; yet, as he thought that he might be +of service to him, he pardoned him. + +The settlement of St. Sebastian, however, had been broken up, the +Spaniards having suffered much from the repeated attacks of the natives, +who would no longer patiently submit to their unjust treatment. + +Soon after Enciso arrived at Carthagena he was joined by Pizarro, with +the wretched remains of the colony; he determined nevertheless, to +continue his voyage to the settlement. + +Upon his arrival there he found Pizarro's account was too true, for +where St. Sebastian had stood, nothing was to be seen but a heap of +ruins. + +Here misfortune followed misfortune, his own ship was wrecked and then +he was attacked by the natives. + +In despair at these disasters Enciso was at a loss what to do, or where +to go, when Balboa advised him to continue his course along the coast in +Pizarro's little vessel. + +He stated that he had once before been on an expedition in this same +gulf, and on the western side he well remembered an Indian village, on +the banks of a river, called by the natives Darien. + +Enciso pleased with Balboa's advice, resolved to take possession of this +village, and to drive out all the Indians. + +Arrived at the river, he landed his men, and, without giving the +unfortunate people of the village any notice, he attacked them, killed +several, drove the rest out, and robbed them of all their possessions. + +He then made the village the chief place of his new government, and +called it Santa Maria del Darien. Balboa assisted in this work of +cruelty and injustice. + +The Spaniards had not been long here when they became tired with Enciso, +and they refused to obey him, and sent him off in a ship to Spain. Upon +his departure, Balboa took the command. + +In one of his expeditions into the interior parts of the country in +search of gold, he first heard of a sea to the west, as yet unknown to +Europeans. + +He had received a large quantity of gold from an Indian cazique, or +chief, and was weighing it into shares for the purpose of dividing it +among his men when a quarrel arose as to the exactness of the weight. + +One of the sons of the Indian cazique was present, and he felt so +disgusted at the sordid behaviour of the Spaniards that he struck the +scales with his fist and scattered the glittering gold about the place. + +[Illustration] + +Before the Spaniards could recover from their astonishment at this +sudden act, he said to them, "why should you quarrel for such a trifle? +If you really esteem gold to be so precious as to abandon your homes, +and come and seize the lands and dwellings of others for the sake of it, +I can tell you of a land not far distant where you may find it in +plenty." + +"Beyond those lofty mountains," he continued, pointing to the south, +"lies a mighty sea, all the streams that flow into which down the +southern side of those mountains, abound in gold, and all the utensils +the people have, are made of gold." + +Balboa was struck with this account of the young Indian, and eagerly +inquired the best way of penetrating to this sea, and this land of gold. + +The young Indian warned him of the dangers he would meet with from the +fierce race of Indians inhabiting these mountains, who were cannibals, +or eaters of human flesh, but Balboa was not to be deterred by accounts +of difficulties and dangers. + +He was, besides, desirous of getting possession of the gold, and of +obtaining, by the merits of the discovery, the pardon of the King of +Spain, for taking from Enciso the command of the settlement. + +He resolved, therefore, to penetrate to this sea, and immediately began +to make preparations for the journey. + +He first sent to Hispaniola for an additional number of soldiers, to +assist him in the perilous adventure, but instead of receiving these, +the only news that reached him by the return of his messengers was, that +he would most probably have the command of Darien taken from him, and be +punished for assisting to dispossess Enciso. + +This news made him determine no longer to delay his departure. All the +men he could muster for the expedition amounted only to one hundred and +ninety; but these were hardy and resolute, and much attached to him. He +armed them with swords and targets; cross-bows and arquebusses; besides +this little band, Balboa took with him a few of the Indians of Darien +whom he had won by kindness, to serve him. + +On the 1st of September, 1513, Balboa set out from Darien, first to the +residence of the Indian cazique, from whose son he first heard of the +sea. + +From this chief he obtained the assistance of guides and some warriors, +and with this force he prepared to penetrate the wilderness before him. + +It was on the 6th of September that he began his march for the mountains +which separated him from the great Pacific Ocean, he set out with a +resolution to endure patiently all the miseries, and to combat boldly +all the difficulties that he might meet with, and he contrived to rouse +the same determination in his followers. + +Their journey was through a broken rocky country covered with forest +trees and underwood, so thick and close as to be quite matted together +and every here and there deep foaming streams, some of which they were +forced to cross on rafts. + +So wearisome was the journey, that in four days they had not advanced +more than ten leagues, and they began to suffer much from hunger. + +They had now arrived in the province of a warlike tribe of Indians who, +instead of flying and hiding themselves, came forth to the attack. They +set upon the Spaniards with furious yells, thinking to overpower them at +once. They were armed with bows and arrows, and clubs made of palm-wood +almost as hard as iron. But the first shock of the report from the +fire-arms of the Spaniards struck them with terror. They took to flight, +but were closely pursued by the Spaniards with their blood-hounds. The +Cazique and six hundred of his people were left dead upon the field of +battle. + +After the battle the Spaniards entered the adjoining village, which was +at the foot of the last mountain that remained to be climbed; this +village they robbed of every thing valuable. There was much gold and +many jewels. + +Balboa shared the booty among his band of followers. But this victory +was not gained without some loss on the side of the Spaniards. + +Balboa found that several of his men had been wounded by the arrows of +the Indians, and many also, overcome with fatigue, had fallen sick, +these he was obliged to leave in the village, while he ascended the +mountain. + +At the cool and fresh hour of day-break he assembled his scanty band, +and began to climb the height, wishing to reach the top before the heat +of noon. + +About ten o'clock they came out from the thick forest through which they +had been struggling ever since day-break: the change from the closeness +of the woods to the pleasant breeze from the mountain, was delightful. +But they were still further encouraged. "From that spot" exclaimed one +of the Indian guides, pointing to the height above them "may be seen the +great sea of which you are in search." + +When Balboa heard this, he commanded his men to halt, and forbade any +one to stir from his place. He was resolved to be the first European who +should look upon that sea, which he had been the first to discover. + +Accordingly he ascended the mountain height alone, and when he reached +the summit he beheld the wide sea glittering in the morning sun. + +Balboa called to his little troop to ascend the height and look upon the +glorious prospect; and they joined him without delay. + +"Behold, my friends," said he, "the reward of all our toils, a sight +upon which the eye of Spaniard never rested before." + +He now took possession of the sea-coast and the surrounding country in +the name of the king of Spain. + +He then had a tree cut down, and made into the form of a cross, and +planted it on the spot from which he had first beheld the sea. He also +made a mound by heaping up large stones upon which he carved the names +of the king of Spain. + +The Indians saw all this done, and while they helped to pile the stones +and set up the cross, they little thought that they were assisting to +deprive themselves of their homes and their country. + +You remember the noble reproof of Canute in the "History of England," to +his flatterers, when they assured him that even the waves of the sea +would obey him: but this arrogant and weak minded Spaniard waded into +the waves of the great Pacific Ocean, up to his knees, and absurdly took +possession of it in the name of the Spanish monarch. + +[Illustration] + +Balboa was some time employed in fighting with the Indian tribes that +inhabited the sea-coast, and in hunting them with blood-hounds. + +He soon made these helpless people submit. From them he got some +further accounts of the rich country which the Indian prince had +mentioned, and which proved afterwards to be Peru. + +He now quitted the shores of the Pacific Ocean on his return across the +mountains of Darien. His route homewards was different from that which +he had before pursued, and the sufferings of his troops much greater. + +Often they could find no water, the heat having dried up the pools and +brooks. Many died from thirst, and those who survived, although loaded +with gold, were exhausted for want of food; for the poor Indians brought +gold and jewels, instead of food, as peace offerings to the Spaniards. + +At length, after much slaughter of the Indians that dwelt in the +mountains, and burning of the villages, Balboa and his troops arrived at +Darien; having robbed the Indians of all the gold and silver they could +find. The Spaniards at Darien received with great delight and praise the +news of his success and discovery--a discovery gained at the expense of +much unnecessary cruelty and injustice. + +He now despatched a ship to Spain, with the news of his discovery, and +by it he sent part of the gold he had carried off from the different +Indian tribes. + +A few days before this ship reached Spain a new governor had been sent +out, by name Padrarias Davila, to take Balboa's place, and with orders +to punish Balboa for his conduct to Enciso. + +But when he arrived at Darien, and saw how much the discoverer of the +Pacific was beloved by all the Spaniards of the settlement he hesitated +through fear, and finally resolved to defer the execution of the orders +which he had brought with him. + +Davila permitted Balboa to depart from Darien for the purpose of +building brigantines with a view to navigate and explore the Pacific +Ocean. Three years had elapsed since he discovered this ocean, and with +joy he now prepared to build the ships which were to be the first +belonging to Europeans to sail upon it. + +Balboa having overcome all his difficulties, had the satisfaction of +seeing two brigantines finished and floating on a river which they +called the Balsas. + +As soon as they had been made ready for sea, he embarked with some of +his followers, and sailing down the river, was the first to launch into +the ocean that he had been the first to discover. But his death was now +about to put a stop to his further discoveries. + +The new governor, Davila, who was a bad and cruel man, and envious of +Balboa, on account of the discoveries he had made, had long resolved to +put him to death. + +The time having, as he thought, arrived, which was favourable for his +villanous design, he sent for Balboa to return, and on his arrival he +had him seized by one of his early friends and followers, Franciso +Pizarro, and then, after throwing him into prison, he ordered him to be +put to death by having his head cut off. + +This unjust sentence was executed, and Balboa, after a mock trial, was +publicly beheaded, in the 48th year of his age. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +PARLEY TELLS OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO. + + +Not long after this another expedition sailed from Cuba, under the +command of Cordova, to make further discoveries on the new continent. + +The first land they saw proved to be the eastern cape of that large +peninsula which you see in the map projecting into the gulf of Mexico, +and which still retains its original name of Yucatan. + +As they approached the shore, five canoes came off full of people +decently clad in cotton garments; this excited the wonder of the +Spaniards, who had found every other part they had yet visited, +possessed by naked savages. + +Cordova endeavoured to gain their good-will by presents, but perceived +they were preparing to attack him; and, as his water began to fail, he +sailed further along the coast in hopes of procuring a supply, but not a +single river did he find all along that coast till he came to Potonchon, +in the bay of Campeachy, which is on the western side of the peninsula. + +Here Cordova landed all his troops, in order to protect the sailors +while filling their casks; but, notwithstanding, the natives rushed down +upon them with such fury and in such numbers, that forty-seven of the +Spaniards were killed upon the spot, and one man only of the whole body +escaped unhurt. + +Cordova, though wounded in twelve places, led off his wounded men with +great presence of mind and fortitude, and with much difficulty they +reached their ships, and hastened back to Cuba. Cordova died of his +wounds soon after his arrival. + +Notwithstanding the ill success of this expedition, another was shortly +after fitted out under the command of Grijalva, a young man of known +merit and courage. He directed his course to the bay of Campeachy, to +the part from which Cordova had returned, and as they advanced they saw +many villages scattered along the coast, in which they could distinguish +houses of stone that appeared white and lofty at a distance. + +In the warmth of their admiration, they fancied these to be cities, +adorned with towers and pinnacles; and one of the soldiers happening to +remark that this country resembled Spain in appearance, Grijalva, with +universal applause, called it New Spain; the name which still +distinguishes this extensive and opulent province of the Spanish +dominions. + +They landed to the west of Tabasco, where they were received with the +respect due to superior beings; the people perfumed them as they landed +with incense of gum copal, and presented to them offerings of the +choicest delicacies of their country. + +They were extremely fond of trading with their new visitants, and in six +days, the Spaniards obtained ornaments of gold, and of curious +workmanship, to the amount of fifteen thousand pesoes, an immense sum, +in exchange for European toys of small price. + +They learned from the natives that they were the subjects of a great +monarch, whose dominions extended over that and many other provinces. + +Grijalva now returned with a full account of the important discoveries +he had made, and with all the treasure he had acquired by trafficking +with the natives. + +The favourable account of New Spain brought by Grijalva, determined +Velasquez, the governor of Cuba, seriously to undertake the conquest of +that country, but as he did not wish to take the command himself, he +endeavoured to find a person who would act under his directions. + +After much deliberation he fixed upon Fernando Cortez, a man of restless +and ardent spirit, on whom he had conferred many benefits; but these +Cortez soon forgot, and was no sooner invested with the command than he +threw off the authority of Velasquez altogether. + +The greatest force that could be collected for the conquest of a great +empire, amounted to no more than five hundred and eight men, only +thirteen of whom were armed with muskets; thirty-two were cross-bowmen, +and the rest had swords and spears; they had only sixteen horses, and +ten small field-pieces. + +With such a slender and ill provided force did Cortez set sail to make +war upon a monarch whose dominions were more extensive than all the +kingdoms subject to the Spanish crown. + +On his voyage Cortez first landed on the island of Cozumel, where he +redeemed from slavery Jerome de Aguilar, a Spaniard, who had been eight +years a prisoner among the Indians, and having learned the Yucatan +language (which is spoken in all those parts), proved afterwards +extremely useful as an interpreter. + +He then proceeded to the river of Tabasco, where the disposition of the +natives proved very hostile, and they showed the most determined +resistance; but the noise of the artillery, the appearances of the +floating fortresses which brought the Spaniards over the ocean, and the +horses on which they fought, all new objects to the natives, inspired +them with astonishment mingled with terror; they regarded the Spaniards +as gods, and sent them supplies of provisions, with a present of some +gold and twenty female slaves. + +Cortez here learned that the native sovereign, who was called Montezuma, +reigned over an extensive empire, and that thirty vassals, called +caziques, obeyed him; that his riches were immense, and his power +absolute. No more was necessary to inflame the ambition of Cortez, and +the avarice of his followers. + +He then proceeded along the coast till he came to St. Juan de Ulua, +where, having laid the foundation of Vera Cruz, he caused himself to be +elected Captain-general of the new colony. + +Here he was visited by two native caziques, whose names were Teutile and +Pilpatoe, who entered his camp with a numerous retinue, and informed +him that they were persons entrusted with the government of that +province by a great monarch, whom they called Montezuma, and that they +were sent to inquire what his intentions were in visiting their coast, +and to offer him what assistance he might need. + +Cortez received them with much formal ceremony, and informed them that +he came from Don Carlos of Austria, the greatest monarch of all the +east, with propositions of such moment, that he could impart them to +none but the emperor himself; and requested them to conduct him, without +loss of time, into the presence of their master. + +Messengers were immediately despatched to Montezuma, with a full account +of everything that had passed. + +The Mexican monarch, in order to obtain early information, had couriers +posted along the road, and the intelligence was conveyed by a very +curious contrivance called picture writing, persons being employed to +represent, in a series of pictures, everything that passed, which was +the Mexican mode of writing: Teutile and Pilpatoe were employed to +deliver the answer of their master, but as they knew how repugnant it +was to the wishes and schemes of the Spanish commander, they would not +make it known till they had first endeavoured to soothe and pacify him. +For this purpose they introduced a train of a hundred Indians loaded +with presents sent to him by Montezuma. + +The magnificence of these far exceeded any idea which the Spaniards had +formed of his wealth. + +They were placed on mats spread on the ground, in such order as showed +them to the greatest advantage. Cortez and his officers viewed with +admiration the various manufactures of the country. Cotton stuffs so +fine as to resemble silk. Pictures of animals, trees, and other natural +objects, formed with feathers of different colours, disposed with such +skill and elegance, as to resemble, in truth and beauty of imitation, +the finest paintings. But what chiefly attracted their eyes were two +large plates of circular form; one of massive gold, representing the +sun, the other of silver, an emblem of the moon. These were accompanied +with bracelets, collars, rings, and other trinkets of gold, and with +several boxes filled with pearls, precious stones, and grains of gold +unwrought, as they had been found in the mines or rivers. + +Cortez received all these with an appearance of profound respect for the +monarch by whom they were bestowed; but when the Mexican informed him +that their master would not give his consent that foreign troops should +approach nearer to his capital, or even allow them to continue longer in +his dominions, the Spanish general declared that he must insist on his +first demand, as he could not, without dishonour, return to his own +country until he was admitted into the presence of the princes whom he +was appointed by his sovereign to visit. + +He first caused all his vessels to be burnt, in order to cut off the +possibility of retreat, and to show his soldiers that they must either +conquer or perish. He then penetrated into the interior of the country, +drew to his camp several caziques, hostile to Montezuma, and induced +these native princes to assist him. + +After surmounting every obstacle he arrived with his army in sight of +the immense lake on which was built the city of Mexico, the capital of +the empire. + +In descending from the mountains of Chalco, the vast plain of Mexico +opened gradually to their view, displaying a prospect the most striking +and beautiful: fertile and cultivated fields, stretched out further than +the eye could reach, a lake resembling the sea in extent, encompassed +with large towns, and the capital city rising upon an island, adorned +with temples and turrets. + +Many messengers arrived one after another from Montezuma, one day +permitting them to advance, on the next requiring them to retire, as his +hopes or fears alternately prevailed, and so wonderful was his +infatuation that Cortez was almost at the gates of the capital before +the monarch had determined whether to receive him as a friend or oppose +him as an enemy, but as no signs of hostility appeared, the Spaniards +continued their march along the causeway which led to Mexico through the +lake with great circumspection, though without seeming to suspect the +prince whom they were about to visit. + +When they drew near the city, about a thousand persons who appeared to +be of distinction, came out to meet them, adorned with plumes and clad +in mantles of fine cotton. + +Each of these as they passed Cortez, saluted him according to the mode +of their country; they announced the approach of Montezuma himself, and +soon his harbingers came in sight. + +There appeared first two hundred persons in uniform dresses, with large +plumes of feathers, marching two and two in deep silence, barefooted, +with their eyes fixed on the ground. + +Then followed a company of higher rank, in their most shewy apparel. In +the midst of these was Montezuma, in a chair or litter, richly +ornamented with gold and feathers of various colours. Four of his +principal favourites carried him on their shoulders; others supported a +canopy of curious workmanship over his head: before him marched three +officers with rods of gold in their hands, which they lifted on high at +certain intervals. + +[Illustration] + +At that signal all the people bowed their heads and hid their faces, as +unworthy to look on so great a monarch. + +When he drew near, Cortez dismounted advancing towards him in +respectful posture; at the same time Montezuma alighted from his chair, +and leaning on the arm of two of his nearest relations, approached him +with a slow and stately pace, his attendants covering the way with +cotton cloths, that he might not touch the ground. + +Cortez accosted him with profound reverence, after the European fashion. +He returned the salutation, according to the mode of his country, by +touching the earth with his hand and then kissing it. + +This condescension, in so proud a monarch, made all his subjects believe +that the Spaniards were something more than human. + +Montezuma conducted Cortez to the quarters which he had ordered for his +reception, and immediately took his leave, with a politeness not +unworthy of a court more refined. + +"You are now," said he, "with your brothers, in your own house: refresh +yourselves after your fatigue, and be happy until I return." + +The place allotted for the Spaniards was a magnificent palace built by +the father of Montezuma. It was surrounded by a stone wall with towers, +and its apartments and courts were so large as to accommodate both the +Spaniards and their Indian allies. + +The first care of Cortez was to take precautions for his security, by +planting artillery so as to command the different avenues which led to +it, and posting sentinels at proper stations, with orders to observe the +greatest vigilance. + +In the evening Montezuma returned to visit his guests, with the same +pomp as in their first interview, and brought presents of great value +not only to Cortez and his officers, but even to the private men. A long +conference ensued, in which Cortez, in his usual style, magnified the +power and dignity of his sovereign. + +Next morning Cortez and some of his principal attendants were admitted +to a public audience of the emperor; the three following days were +employed in viewing the city, the appearance of which was so far +superior to any place the Spaniards had beheld in America, and yet so +little resembling the structure of an European city, that it filled them +with surprise and admiration. + +Mexico, or Tenuchtitlan, as it was anciently called, is situated on some +small islands, near one side of a large lake, which is ninety miles in +circumference. The access to the city was by artificial causeways or +streets, formed of stones and earth, about thirty feet in breadth. These +causeways were of considerable length: that on the west extended a mile +and a half; that on the north-west three miles, and that towards the +south six miles. On the east, the city could only be approached by +canoes. + +Not only the temples of their Gods, but the palaces belonging to the +monarch, and to persons of distinction, were of such dimensions that +they might be termed magnificent. + +But, however the Spaniards might be amused or astonished at these +objects, they felt the utmost anxiety with respect to their situation. + +They had been allowed to penetrate into the heart of a powerful +kingdom, and were now lodged in its capital without having once met with +open opposition from its monarch; but they had pushed forward into a +situation where it was difficult to continue, and from which it was +impossible to retire without disgrace and ruin. + +They could not, however, doubt of the hostility of the Mexicans, more +especially as, on his march, Cortez received advice from Vera Cruz, +where he had left a garrison, that a Mexican general had marched to +attack the rebels whom the Spaniards had encouraged to revolt against +Montezuma, and that the commander of the garrison had marched out with +some of his troops to support the rebels, that an engagement had ensued, +in which, though the Spaniards were victorious, the Spanish general with +seven of his men, had been mortally wounded, his horse killed, and one +Spaniard taken alive, and that the head of his unfortunate captive had +been sent to Mexico, after being carried in triumph to different cities +in order to convince the people that their invaders were not immortal. + +In this trying situation, he fixed upon a plan no less extraordinary +than daring; he determined to seize Montezuma in his palace and to carry +him a prisoner to the Spanish quarters. This he immediately proposed to +his officers, who, as it was the only resource in which there appeared +any safety, warmly approved of it, and it was agreed instantly to make +the attempt. + +At his usual hour of visiting Montezuma, Cortez went to the palace, +accompanied by five of his principal officers, and as many trusty +soldiers; thirty chosen men followed, not in regular order, but +sauntering at some distance, as if they had no object but curiosity: the +remainder of his troops continued under arms, ready to sally out on the +first alarm. + +Cortez and his attendants were admitted without suspicion, the Mexicans +retiring, as usual, out of respect. + +He now addressed the monarch in a tone very different from that which he +had employed on former occasions, and a conversation ensued, very much +resembling that between the wolf and the lamb, in the fable, which you +no doubt remember. + +Cortez bitterly reproached him as the author of the violent assault made +by the Mexican general upon the Spaniards, and with having caused the +death of some of his companions. + +Montezuma, with great earnestness, asserted his innocence, but Cortez +affected not to believe him, and proposed that, as a proof of his +sincerity, he should remove from his own palace, and take up his +residence in the Spanish quarters. + +The first mention of so strange a proposal almost bereaved Montezuma of +speech; at length he haughtily answered "That persons of his rank were +not accustomed voluntarily to give themselves up as prisoners, and were +he mean enough to do so, his subjects would not permit such an affront +to be offered to their sovereign." + +Cortez now endeavoured to soothe, and then to intimidate him, and in +this way the altercation continued three hours, when Velasquez de Leon, +an impetuous young man exclaimed, "Why waste more time in vain? Let us +seize him instantly, or stab him to the heart." The threatening voice +and fierce gesture with which these words were uttered, struck Montezuma +with a sense of his danger, and abandoning himself to his fate, he +complied with their request: his officers were called, he communicated +to them his resolution. Though astonished and affected, they presumed +not to question the will of their master, but carried him in silent +pomp, all bathed in tears, to the Spanish quarters. + +Cortez at first pretended to treat Montezuma with great respect, but +soon took care to let him know that he was entirely in his power. Being +thus master of the person of the monarch, he demanded that the Mexican +general who had attacked the Spaniards, his son, and five of the +principal officers who served under him, should be brought prisoners to +Mexico, and delivered into his hands. + +As Cortez wished that the shedding the blood of a Spaniard should +appear the most heinous crime that could be committed, he then ordered +these brave men, who had only acted as became loyal subjects in opposing +the invaders of their country, to be burnt alive, before the gates of +the imperial palace. + +The unhappy victims were led forth, and laid on a pile composed of the +weapons collected in the royal magazine for the public defence. + +During this cruel execution, Cortez entered the apartments of Montezuma, +and caused him to be loaded with irons, in order to force him to +acknowledge himself a vassal of the king of Spain. The unhappy prince +yielded, and was restored to a semblance of liberty on presenting the +fierce conqueror with six hundred thousand marks of pure gold, and a +prodigious quantity of precious stones. + +The Mexicans driven to desperation, all at once flew to arms, and made +so sudden and violent an attack that all the valour and skill of Cortez +was scarcely sufficient to repel them. + +The Spaniards now found themselves enclosed in a hostile city, the +whole population of which was exasperated to the highest pitch against +them, and without some extraordinary exertion they were inevitably +undone. Cortez therefore made a desperate sally, but after exerting his +utmost efforts for a whole day, was obliged to retreat to his quarters +with the loss of twelve men killed, and upwards of sixty wounded; Cortez +himself was wounded in the hand. + +The Spanish general now betook himself to the only resource which was +left, namely, to try what effect the interposition of Montezuma would +have to soothe and overawe his subjects. + +[Illustration] + +When the Mexicans approached next morning to renew the assault, that +unfortunate prince, who was now reduced to the sad necessity of becoming +the instrument of his own disgrace, and of the slavery of his people, +advanced to the battlements in his royal robes, and with all the pomp in +which he used to appear on solemn occasions. At the sight of their +sovereign, whom they had long been accustomed to reverence almost as a +god, the Mexicans instantly forebore their hostilities; and many +prostrated themselves on the ground; but when he addressed them in +favour of the Spaniards, and made use of all the arguments he could +think of to mitigate their rage, they testified their resentment with +loud murmurings, and at length broke forth with such fury, that before +the soldiers appointed to guard Montezuma had time to cover him with +their shields, he was wounded with two arrows and a blow on the temple +with a stone struck him to the ground. + +On seeing him fall, the Mexicans instantly fled with the utmost +precipitation, and Montezuma was conveyed to his apartments, whither +Cortez followed in order to console him; but as the unhappy monarch now +perceived that he was become an object of contempt even to his own +subjects, his haughty spirit revived, and scorning to prolong his life +after this last humiliation, he tore the bandages from his wounds, in a +transport of rage, and refusing to take any nourishment, he soon ended +his wretched days; refusing with disdain all the solicitations of the +Spaniards to embrace the Christian faith. + +The Mexicans having chosen his son Guatimozin emperor, attacked the head +quarters of Cortez with the utmost fury, and, in spite of the advantages +of fire-arms, forced the Spaniards to retire, which alone saved them +from destruction. Their rear guard was cut to pieces, and suffered +severely during the retreat, which lasted six days. + +The Spaniards, however, having received fresh troops from Spain, +defeated the Mexicans, and took Guatimozin prisoner, and in the end +succeeded in totally subjugating this vast empire. + +Guatimozin, before he was taken prisoner, being aware of his impending +fate, had ordered all his treasures to be thrown into the lake, and he +was now put to the torture, on suspicion of having concealed his +treasure. This was done by laying him on burning coals; but he bore +whatever the cruelty of his tormentors could inflict, with the +invincible fortitude of an American warrior. One of his chief +favourites, his fellow sufferer, being overcome by the violence of the +anguish, turned a dejected eye towards his master, which seemed to +implore his permission to reveal all he knew. But the high spirited +prince darted on him a look of authority mingled with scorn, and checked +his weakness by asking, "Am I reposing on a bed of flowers?" + +Overawed by the reproach, he persevered in dutiful silence and expired. + +Cortes, utterly regardless of what crimes and cruelties he committed, +added largely to the Spanish territory and revenue. But Spain was always +ungrateful. Pizarro was murdered; Columbus died of a broken heart, and +Balboa the death of a felon; so what could Cortez expect? He fell into +neglect and poverty when his work was done. One day he forced his way +through the crowd that had collected about the carriage of the +sovereign, mounted the door-step, and looked in. Astonished at so gross +a breach of etiquette, the monarch demanded to know who he was? "I am a +man," replied Cortez, "who has given you more provinces than your +ancestors left you cities!" + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +PARLEY RELATES HOW PIZARRO DISCOVERED AND CONQUERED PERU. + + +Peru, when first discovered by the Spaniards, was a large and +flourishing empire, including two kingdoms, Peru, and Quito, and +extended over nearly half of the widest part of the South American +Continent, as you will see if you look into the map, Brazil occupying +the other half of the wide part. + +It had been governed by a long succession of Emperors, who were called +the Incas of Peru. + +On the 14th of Nov. 1524, three Spanish adventurers whose names were +Francisco Pizarro, in early life a feeder of swine, Diego de Almagro, +and Hernando Luque, set sail from Panama for the discovery of Peru. + +Panama was a new settlement which the Spaniards had formed on the +western side of the Isthmus of Darien, on the shores of the Pacific +Ocean. + +Pizarro had only a single ship and one hundred and twenty men, to +undertake this discovery, and so little was he acquainted with the +climate of America, that the most improper season of the whole year was +chosen for his departure; the periodical winds which were then set in, +being directly opposite to the course he proposed to steer. + +He spent two years in sailing from Panama to the northern extremity of +Peru, a voyage which is now frequently performed in a fortnight. + +At Tumbez, a place about three degrees south of the line, Pizarro and +his companions feasted their eyes with the first view of the opulence +and civilization of the Peruvian empire. + +This place was distinguished for its stately temple, and for one of the +palaces of the Incas, or sovereigns of the country. + +But what chiefly attracted their notice, was such a show of gold and +silver, not only in the ornaments of their persons and temples, but in +the several vessels and utensils of common use, as left them no room to +doubt that these metals abounded in the greatest profusion. + +Having explored the country sufficiently to satisfy his own mind, +Pizarro hastened back to Panama, and from thence to Spain, where he +obtained from Charles the Fifth the most liberal concessions, himself +being made chief governor of all the countries he should subdue; +Almagro, king's lieutenant, and Luque being appointed first bishop of +Peru. + +Thus encouraged, Pizarro returned to Panama, whence he soon after sailed +with three small vessels, containing only one hundred and eighty-six +soldiers, and arrived at the Bay of St. Matthew; he then advanced by +land as quickly as possible towards Peru. + +When Pizarro landed in the bay of St. Matthew, a civil war was raging +with the greatest fury between Atahualpa, who was then seated on the +throne of Peru, and his brother. + +This contest so much engaged the attention of the Peruvians, that they +never once attempted to check the progress of the Spaniards, and Pizarro +determined to take advantage of these dissensions. + +He directed his course towards Caxamalia, a small town at the distance +of twelve days' march from St. Michael, where Atahualpa was encamped +with a considerable body of troops. + +Before he had proceeded far, an officer, despatched by the Inca, met him +with valuable presents from that prince, accompanied with a proffer of +his alliance, and his assurance of a friendly reception at Caxamalia. + +Pizarro, according to the usual artifice of his countrymen, pretended to +come as the ambassador of a powerful monarch, to offer his aid against +those enemies who disputed his title to the throne. + +The Peruvians were altogether unable to comprehend the object of the +Spaniards in entering their country, whether they should consider them +as beings of a superior nature, who had visited them from some +beneficent motive, as the Spaniards wished them to believe, or whether +they were sent as evil demons to punish them for their crimes, as the +rapaciousness and cruelty of the Spaniards led them to apprehend. + +Pizarro's declaration of his pacific intentions, however, so far removed +all the Inca's fears, that he determined to give him a friendly +reception. + +In consequence of this the Spaniards were allowed to march across a +sandy desert, which lay in their way to Metupe, where the smallest +efforts of an opposing enemy might have proved fatal to them, and then +through a defile so narrow, that a few men might have defended it +against a numerous army; but here, likewise, they met with no +opposition. + +Pizarro, having reached Caxamalia with his followers, sent messengers, +inviting Atahualpa to visit him in his quarters, which he readily +promised. On the return of these messengers, they gave such a +description of the wealth which they had seen, as determined Pizarro to +seize upon the Peruvian monarch, in order that he might more easily +come at the riches of his kingdom. + +The next day the Inca approached Caxamalia, without suspicion of +Pizarro's treachery; but, as he drew near the Spanish quarters, Vincent +Valverde, chaplain to the expedition, advanced with a crucifix in one +hand and a breviary in the other, and, in a long discourse, attempted to +convert him to the Roman Catholic faith. + +This the monarch declined, avowing his resolution to adhere to the +worship of the sun; at the same time wished to know where the priest had +learned these extraordinary things he had related. "In this book!" +answered Valverde, reaching out his breviary. + +The Inca opened it eagerly, and turning over the leaves, raised it to +his ear, "This," said he, "is silent, it tells me nothing;" and threw it +with disdain to the ground. + +The enraged monk, running towards his countrymen, cried out, "To arms, +Christians! to arms! the word of God is insulted--avenge the profanation +of these impious dogs!" + +Pizarro immediately gave the signal of assault, which ended in the +destruction of four thousand Peruvians, without the loss of a single +Spaniard. The plunder was rich beyond any idea which even the conquerors +had yet formed concerning the wealth of Peru. The Inca, who was taken +prisoner, quickly discovered that the ruling passion of the Spaniards +was the desire of gold; he offered therefore to recover his liberty by a +splendid ransom. + +[Illustration] + +The apartment in which he was confined was twenty-two feet long, by +sixteen in breadth; this he undertook to fill with vessels of gold as +high as he could reach. + +Pizarro closed with the proposal, and a line was drawn upon the walls of +the chamber, to mark the stipulated height to which the treasure was to +rise. + +During this confinement, Atahualpa had attached himself with peculiar +affection to Ferdinand Pizarro, and Hernando Soto; who, as they were +persons of birth and education, superior to the rough adventurers with +whom they served, were accustomed to behave with more decency and +kindness to the captive monarch. + +Soothed with this respect, he delighted in their society; but in the +presence of the governor he was always uneasy and overawed, and this +dread soon became mingled with contempt. + +Among all the European arts, what he admired most was that of reading +and writing, and he long deliberated with himself whether it was a +natural or an acquired talent. In order to determine this, he desired +one of the soldiers, who guarded him, to write the name of God on the +nail of his thumb. This he showed successively to several Spaniards, +asking its meaning, and to his amazement, they all, without hesitation +returned the same answer. At length Francisco Pizarro entered, and on +presenting it to him, he blushed, and with some confusion was obliged to +acknowledge that he could not read. + +From that moment Atahualpa considered him as a mean person, less +instructed than his own soldiers, nor could he conceal the sentiments of +contempt with which this discovery inspired him. He, however, performed +his part of the contract, and the gold which his subjects brought in, +was worth three or four hundred thousand pounds sterling. + +When they assembled to divide the spoils of this innocent people, +procured by deceit, extortion, and cruelty, the transaction began with a +solemn invocation to Heaven, as if they expected the guidance of God in +distributing the wages of iniquity. In this division, eight thousand +pesoes, at that time equal in value to L10,000 sterling, of the present +day, fell to the share of each soldier: Pizarro and his officers +received shares in proportion to the dignity of their rank. + +The Spaniards having divided the treasure among them, the Inca insisted +that they should fulfil their promise of setting him at liberty. But the +Spaniards, with unparalleled treachery and cruelty had now determined to +put him to death; an action the most criminal and atrocious that stains +the Spanish name, amidst all the deeds of violence committed in carrying +on the conquest of the New World. In order to give some colour of +justice to this outrage, Pizarro resolved to try the Inca, according to +the forms of the criminal courts of Spain, and having constituted +himself chief judge, charges the most absurd, and even ridiculous, were +brought against him; but, as his infamous judges had predetermined, he +was found guilty, and condemned to be burnt alive. + +Atahualpa, astonished at his fate, endeavoured to avert it by tears, by +promises, and by entreaties; but pity never touched the unfeeling heart +of Pizarro. He ordered him to be led instantly to execution, and the +cruel priest, after having prostituted his sacred office to confirm the +wicked sentence, offered to console, and attempted to convert him. + +The dread of a cruel death, extorted from the trembling victim his +consent to be baptized. The ceremony was performed; and Atahualpa, +instead of being burnt alive, was strangled at the stake. + +Pizarro then proceeded in his career of cruelty and rapacity, till, in +ten years, he subdued the whole of this great empire, and divided it +among his followers. + +In making the division, he allotted the richest and finest provinces to +himself and his favourites, giving the less valuable to Almagro and his +friends. + +This partiality highly offended Almagro, who thought his claims equal to +Pizarro's, and this led to open hostilities; when Almagro being taken +prisoner, he was beheaded in prison by order of Pizarro. + +Soon after this, Pizarro himself was assassinated in his palace by a +party of Almagro's friends, headed by the son of Almagro, in revenge for +the death of his father. + +Some time before this, the cruel and bigoted priest, Val de Viridi, had +been beaten to death with the butt end of muskets, in the island of +Puma, at the instigation of Almagro. + +Thus retributive justice, in the end, overtook these unjust and cruel +men. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +PARLEY DESCRIBES THE NATURAL BEAUTIES OF AMERICA. + + +Let us now leave for a while the cruel Spaniards, and talk about the +beauties of nature, in these new discovered countries. + +In these extensive regions, every thing appeared new and wonderful; not +only the inhabitants, but the whole face of nature was totally different +from anything that had been seen in Europe. + +Grand ridges of mountains, numerous volcanoes, some of them, though +under the Equator, covered with perpetual snows. Noble rivers, whose +course, in several instances, exceeds three thousand miles. + +Here are found the palm-tree, the cedar, the tamarind, the guaiacum, +the sassafras, the hickory, the chestnut, the walnut of many different +kinds, the wild cherry (sometimes a hundred feet high), and more than +fifty different sorts of oak. + +The plane, of which there are two kinds, one found in Asia, which is +called the oriental plane: that found in America is called the +occidental plane; but the Americans call it button-wood, or sycamore. +Its foliage is richer, and its leaves of a more beautiful green than the +oriental. It grows to a great size. + +The cypress is perhaps the largest of the American trees; it is a more +than a hundred and twenty feet high; and the diameter of the trunk at +forty or fifty feet from the ground is sometimes eight or ten feet. + +Another tree of gigantic magnitude is the wild cotton or Cuba tree. A +canoe made from the single trunk of this tree has been know to contain a +hundred persons. + +Above all these in beauty is the majestic magnolia which shoots up to +the height of more than a hundred feet; its trunk perfectly straight, +surmounted by a thick expanded head of pale green foliage, in the form +of a cone. + +From the centre of the flowery crown which terminates each of its +branches, a flower of the purest white arises, having the form of a +rose, from six to nine inches in diameter. + +To the flower succeeds a crimson cone; this, in opening, exhibits round +seeds of the finest coral red, surrounded by delicate threads, six +inches long. + +Here, every plant and tree displays its most majestic form. + +Upon the shady banks of the Madelina there grows a climbing plant which +the botanists call Aristolochia, the flowers of which are four feet in +circumference, and children amuse themselves with covering their heads +with them as hats. + +The Banana which grows in all the hot parts of America, and furnishes +the Indians with the chief part of their daily food, producing more +nutritious substance, in less space, and with less trouble than any +other known plant. + +[Illustration] + +It is here that the ground produces the sugar-cane, the coffee, and the +cocoa-nut from which is produced the chocolate. The vanilla, the anana +or pine apple, and many other delicious fruits. + +The cacao, though generally pronounced cocoa, must not be confounded +with the Cocoa Palm which produces that largest of all nuts, the +Cocoa-nut. + +These trees and plants which I have mentioned, and many more equally +beautiful, are all natives of the American woods. + +But the European settlers, when they came, brought over to Europe many +valuable kinds of fruit and plants, which they did not find here; and I +never was more delighted than once on passing through Virginia, to +observe the dwellings of the settlers shaded by orange, lemon, and +pomegranate trees, that fill the air with the perfume of their flowers, +while their branches are loaded with fruit. + +Strawberries of native growth, of the richest flavour, spring up beneath +your feet; and when these are passed away, every grove and field looks +like a cherry orchard. Then follow the peaches, every hedge-row is +planted with them. But it is the flowers and the flowering shrubs, that, +beyond all else, render these regions so beautiful. No description can +give an idea of the variety, the profusion, and the luxuriance of them. + +The Dog-wood, whose lateral fan-like branches are dotted all over with +star-like blossoms of splendid white, as large as those of the +gumcistus. + +The straight silvery column of the Papan fig, crowned with a canopy of +large indented leaves; and the wild orange tree, mixed with the +odoriferous and common laurel, form striking ornaments of this +enchanting scene, with many other lovely flowers too numerous to +describe. + +There is another charm that enchants the wanderer in the American woods. +In a bright day in the summer months you walk through an atmosphere of +butterflies, so gaudy in hue, and so varied in form, that I often +thought they looked like flowers on the wing. + +Some of them are large, measuring three or four inches across the wing, +but many, and those of the most beautiful, are small. Some have wings +the most dainty lavender, and bodies of black; others are fawn and rose +colour, and others are orange and bright blue: but pretty as they are, +it is their numbers more than their beauty; and their gay, and +noiseless movement through the air, crossing each other in chequered +maze, that so delights the eye. + +[Illustration] + +That beautiful production, the humming bird, is also the sportive +inhabitant of these warm climates, and I think they surpass all the +works of nature in singularity of form, splendour of colour, and variety +of species. + +They are found in all the West India islands and in most parts of the +American continent: the smallest species does not exceed the size of +some of the bees. + +[Illustration] + +There are so many different kinds, and each so beautiful, that it is +impossible to describe them. They are constantly on the wing, collecting +insects from the blossoms of the tamarind, the orange, or any other tree +that happens to be in flower: and the humming noise proceeds from the +surprising velocity with which they move their wings. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +PARLEY TELLS OF THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY IN AMERICA. + + +In the beginning of the reign of James the First, who you know succeeded +Elizabeth, the first successful attempt was made by the English to found +a colony in America. + +Three small vessels, of which the largest did not exceed one hundred +tons burden, under the command of Captain Newport, formed the first +squadron that was to execute what had been so long, and so vainly +attempted; and sailed with a hundred and five men destined to remain in +America. + +Several of these emigrants were members of distinguished +families--particularly George Percy, a brother of the Earl of +Northumberland; and several were officers of reputation, of whom we may +notice Bartholomew Gosnald, the navigator, and Captain John Smith, one +of the most distinguished ornaments of an age that abounded with +memorable men. + +Thus, after the lapse of a hundred and ten years from the discovery of +the continent by Cabot, and twenty-two years after its first occupation +by Raleigh, was the number of the English colonists limited to a hundred +and five; and this handful of men undertook the arduous task of peopling +a remote and uncultivated land, covered with woods and marshes, and +inhabited only by savages and beasts of prey. + +Newport and his squadron did not accomplish their voyage in less than +four months; but its termination was rendered particularly fortunate by +the effect of a storm, which defeated their purpose of landing and +settling at Roanoak, and carried them into the bay of Chesapeak; and +coasting along its southern shore, they entered a river which the +natives called Powhatan, and explored its banks for more than forty +miles from its mouth. + +The adventurers, impressed with the superior advantages of the coast and +region to which they had been thus happily conducted, determined to make +this the place of their abode. + +They gave to their infant settlement, as well as to the neighbouring +river, the name of their king; and James Town retains the distinction of +being the oldest of existing habitations of the English in America. + +Newport having landed the colonists, with what supplies of provisions +were destined for their support, set sail with his ships to return to +England, in the month of June, 1607. + +The colonists soon found themselves limited to a scanty supply of +unwholesome provisions; and the heat and moisture of the climate +combining with the effect of their diet, brought on diseases that raged +with fatal violence. + +Before the month of September, one half of their number had miserably +perished, and among these victims was Bartholomew Gosnald, who had +planned the expedition, and greatly contributed to its success. + +This scene of suffering was embittered by dissensions among themselves. +At length, in the extremity of their distress, when ruin seemed to +threaten them, as well from famine as the fury of the savages, the +colonists obtained a complete and unexpected deliverance, which the +piety of Smith ascribed to the influence of God in their behalf. + +The savages, actuated by a sudden change of feeling, not only refrained +from molesting them, but brought them, without being asked, a supply of +provisions so liberal, as at once to remove their apprehensions of +famine and hostility. + +The colonists were now instructed by their misfortunes, and the sense of +urgent danger, led them to submit to the advice of the man, whose +talents were most likely to extricate them from the difficulties with +which they were surrounded. + +Every eye was now turned on Captain Smith, whose superior talents and +experience, had so far excited the envy and jealousy of his colleagues, +that he had been excluded from a seat in the council. + +Under Captain Smith's directions, James Town was fortified, so as to +repel the attacks of the savages, and its inhabitants were provided with +dwellings that afforded shelter from the weather, and contributed to +restore and preserve their health. + +Finding the supplies of the savages discontinued, he took with him some +of his people and penetrated into the interior of the country, where by +courtesy and kindness to the tribes whom he found well disposed, he +succeeded in procuring a plentiful supply of provisions. In the midst of +his successes he was surprised during an expedition by a hostile body of +savages, who having made him prisoner, after a gallant and nearly +successful defence, prepared to inflict on him the usual fate of their +captives. + +His genius and presence of mind did not desert him on this trying +occasion. He desired to speak with the sachem or chief of the tribe to +which he was a prisoner, and, presenting him with a mariner's compass, +expatiated on the wonderful discoveries to which this little instrument +had led, described the shape of the earth, the vastness of its land and +oceans, the course of the sun and the varieties of nations, wisely +forbearing to express any solicitude for his life. + +The savages listened to him with amazement and admiration. They handled +the compass, viewing with surprise the play of the needle, which they +plainly saw, but were unable to touch; and he appeared to have gained +some ascendancy over their minds. + +For an hour afterwards they seemed undecided; but their habitual +disposition returning, they bound him to a tree, and were preparing to +despatch him with their arrows. + +But a deeper impression had been made by his harangue on the mind of +their chief, who, holding up the compass in his hand, gave the signal of +reprieve, and Smith, though still guarded as a prisoner, was conducted +to a dwelling, where he was kindly treated and plentifully entertained. + +[Illustration] + +But after vainly attempting to prevail on their captive to betray the +English colony into their hands, the Indian referred his fate to +Powhatan, the king or principal sachem of the country, to whose presence +they conducted him in pompous and triumphant procession. + +This prince received him with much ceremony, ordered a rich repast to be +set before him, and then adjudged him to suffer death by having his head +laid on a stone and beaten to pieces with clubs. + +[Illustration] + +At the place appointed for his execution, Smith was again rescued from +impending destruction by Pocahontas, the favourite daughter of the +chief, who, finding her first entreaties disregarded, threw her arms +round the prisoner, and declared her determination to save him or die +with him. + +Her generous compassion prevailed over the cruelty of her tribe, and the +king not only gave Smith his life, but soon after sent him back to James +Town, where the benificence of Pocahontas continued to follow him with +supplies of provisions that delivered the colony from famine. + +This eminent commander continued for some time to govern the colony with +the greatest wisdom and prudence, when he received a dangerous wound +from the accidental explosion of some gunpowder. Completely disabled by +this misfortune, and destitute of surgical aid in the colony, he was +compelled to resign his command, and take his departure for England. He +never returned to Virginia again. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +PARLEY TELLS OF THE ORIGINAL NATIVE AMERICANS. + + +I recollect when I was staying in America, an old Delaware Indian came +to Boston to sell some skins and furs, and he called at the house where +I was stopping. He had once been a chief among the Indians, but was now +poor. + +I went to this Indian's home, which was a little hut near Mount Holyoke. +We found his wife and his three children; two boys and a girl. They came +out to meet us, and were very glad to see their father and me. + +I was very hungry and tired when I arrived. The Indian's wife roasted +some bear's flesh, and gave us some bread made of pounded corn, for our +supper. + +I then went to bed on some bear skins, and slept very well. Early in the +morning I was called to go hunting with the Indian and his two sons. It +was a fine bright morning in October. The sun was shining on the tops of +the mountains; we climbed Mount Holyoke, through the woods, and ascended +a high rock, from which we could see a beautiful valley far below us, in +the centre of which was the little town of Northampton, much smaller +than it is now. + +[Illustration] + +"Do you see those houses?" said the Indian to me, "When my grandfather +was a boy, there was not a house where you see so many: that valley +which now belongs to white men, belonged to red men." + +"Then the red men were rich and happy; now they are poor and wretched. +Then that beautiful river which you see running through the valley, and +which is called the Connecticut, was theirs. They owned these fine +mountains too, they hunted in these woods, and fished in that river, and +were numerous and powerful,--now they are few and weak." + +"But how has this change happened?" said I, "who has taken your lands +from you, and made you so miserable?" + +"I will tell you all about that to-night," said he, "when we return +home." + +We proceeded cautiously through the woods, and had not gone far when the +Indian beckoned us all to stop. "Look yonder," said he to me, "on that +high rock above us!" I did so, but could see nothing. "Look again," said +he; I did, and saw a young hind standing upon the point of a rock which +hung over the valley; she was a beautiful little animal, full of spirit, +with large black eyes, slender legs and of a reddish brown colour. + +He now selected a choice arrow, placed it on the bow, and sent it +whizzing through the air. It struck directly through the heart. The +little animal sprang violently forward, over the rock, and fell dead +many feet below, where Whampum's sons soon found it; we now returned to +the wigwam, carrying the fawn with us. + +[Illustration] + +In the evening I reminded him of his promise to tell me how the Indians +had been robbed of their lands and reduced to poverty. He accordingly +began as follows:-- + +"A great many years ago," said he, "when men with white skins had never +been seen in this land, some Indians who were out fishing at a place +where the sea widens, espied at a great distance something very large, +floating on the water, and such as they had never seen before. + +"These Indians immediately returning to the shore, apprized their +countrymen of what they had observed, and pressed them to go out with +them and discover what it might be. They hurried out together, and saw +with astonishment what the others had described, but could not agree +upon what it was; some believed it to be an uncommonly large fish or +animal, whilst others were of opinion that it must be a very large house +floating on the sea. + +"They sent off messengers to carry the news to their scattered chiefs +and warriors that they should come together immediately. + +"The chiefs were soon assembled and deliberating as to the manner in +which they should receive the Manitou or Supreme Being on his arrival. +Every measure was taken to be well provided with plenty of meat for a +sacrifice, the women were desired to prepare the best victuals, all the +idols were examined and put in order, and a grand dance was supposed not +only to be agreeable to the Great Being, but it was believed that it +might tend to appease him if he was angry with them. + +"Distracted between hope and fear, they were at a loss what to do; a +dance, however, commenced in great confusion; fresh runners arrive, +declaring it to be a large house, of various colours, and crowded with +living creatures. + +"Many are for running off into the woods, but are pressed by others to +stay, in order not to give offence to their visitors, who might find +them out and destroy them. The house at last stops, and a canoe of small +size comes on shore, with a man clothed in red, and some others in it; +some stay with his canoe to guard it. The chiefs and wise men assembled +in council, form themselves into a large circle, towards which the man +in red approaches, with two others; he salutes them with a friendly +countenance, and they return the salute in the same manner; they are +lost in admiration, the dress, the manner, the whole appearance of the +unknown strangers is to them a subject of wonder; but they are +particularly struck with him who wore the red coat, all glittering with +gold, which they could in no manner account for. + +"He surely must be the great Manitou; but why should he have a white +skin? Meanwhile a large Hack-hack is brought by one of his servants, +from which an unknown liquid is poured out into a small cup, and handed +to the supposed Manitou; he drinks,--has the cup filled again, and hands +it to the chief standing next to him; the chief receives it, but only +smells the contents and passes it on to the next chief, who does the +same. + +"The glass or cup thus passes through the circle without the liquor +being tasted by any one, and is upon the point of being returned to the +red-clothed Manitou, when one of the Indians, a brave man and a great +warrior, suddenly jumps up and harangues the assembly, on the +impropriety of returning the cup with its content: It was handed to +them, said he, by the Manitou, that they should drink out of it as he +had done: to follow his example would be pleasing to him, but to return +what he had given to them, might provoke his wrath, and bring +destruction on them; and since the orator believed it for the good of +the nation, that the contents should be drunk, and as no one else would +do it, he would drink it himself, let the consequences be what they +might: it was better for one man to die, than that a whole nation should +be destroyed. + +"He then took the cup, and bidding the assembly a solemn farewell, at +once drank up its whole contents. Every eye was fixed on the resolute +chief, to see what effect the unknown liquor would produce. + +"He soon began to stagger, and at last fell prostrate on the ground; +his companions now bemoan his fate, he falls into a sound sleep, and +they think he is dead: he wakes again:--he asks for more, his wish is +granted; the whole assembly then imitate him, and all become +intoxicated. + +[Illustration] + +"After this general intoxication had ceased, the man with the red +clothes, who had remained in his great canoe while it lasted, returned +again and distributed presents among them, consisting of beads, axes, +shoes and stockings, such as white people wear. + +"They soon became familiar with each other, and began to converse by +signs; the strangers made them understand that they would not stay here, +that they would return home again, but would pay them another visit next +year, when they would bring them more presents and stay with them +awhile. + +"They went away, as they had said, and returned in the following season, +when both parties were much rejoiced to see each other; but the white +men laughed at the Indians, for they had the axes and hoes, which they +had given them the year before, hanging to their breasts, as ornaments, +and the stockings were made use of as tobacco pouches. The whites now +put handles to the axes for them, and cut down trees before their eyes, +hoed up the ground, and put the stockings on their legs: here, they say, +a general laughter ensued among the Indians, that they had remained +ignorant of the use of such valuable tools, and had borne the weight of +them hanging to their necks for such a length of time. They took every +white man they saw for an inferior attendant on the supreme Manitou in +the red laced clothes. + +[Illustration] + +"As they became daily more familiar with the Indians, the white men +proposed to stay with us, and we readily consented. + +"It was we who so kindly received them in our country, we took them by +the hand and bade them welcome to sit down by our side and live with us +as brothers; but how did they requite our kindness? They first asked +only for a little land, on which to raise bread for themselves and their +families, and pasture for their cattle, which we freely gave them; they +soon wanted more, which we also gave them; they saw the game in the +woods, which the Great Spirit had given us for our subsistence, and they +wanted that too; they penetrated into the woods in quest of game; they +discovered spots of land which pleased them, that land they also wanted; +and because we were loath to part with it, as we saw they had already +more than they had need of, they took it from us by force, and drove us +to a great distance from our ancient homes; they looked everywhere for +good spots of land, and when they found one, they immediately, and +without ceremony, possessed themselves of it; but when at last they came +to our favourite spots, those which lay most convenient to our +fisheries, then bloody wars ensued. We would have been contented that +the white people and we should have lived quietly beside each other, +but these white men encroached so fast upon us, that we saw at once we +should lose all if we did not resist them. The wars that we carried on +against each other were long and cruel,--we were enraged when we saw the +white people put our friends and relatives, whom they had taken +prisoners, on board their ships, whether to drown or sell them as slaves +in the country from which they came, we know not; but certain it is, +that none of them have ever returned, or even been heard of. + +"At last they got possession of the whole country, which the Great +Spirit had given us; one of our tribes was forced to wander far to the +north, others dispersed in small bodies, and sought refuge where they +could. + +"How long we shall be permitted to remain in this asylum, the Great +Spirit only knows. The whites will not rest contented till they shall +have destroyed the last of us, and made us disappear entirely from the +face of the earth." + +The old Indian said no more: he looked sad, and his two sons looked sad +also; and I shall never forget the impression his story made upon my +mind. + +Thus, these good Indians, with a kind of melancholy pleasure, recite the +long history of their sufferings; and often have I listened to their +painful details, until I have felt ashamed of being a white man. + +A few days after this we set out upon another hunting excursion, and +again climbed the mountains. We had proceeded some distance when we +heard the report of a gun, and coming round the point of a rock which +lay just before us, we saw a Delaware Indian hunter, who had just +discharged his carabine at a huge bear, and broken its backbone; the +animal fell, and set up a most plaintive cry; something like that of the +panther when he is hungry. + +The Indian includes all savage beasts in the number of his enemies, and +when he has conquered one, he taunts him before he kills him, in the +same strain as he would a conquered enemy of a hostile tribe. + +Instead of giving the bear another shot, the hunter stood close to him, +and addressed him in these words:-- + +[Illustration] + +"Hark ye! bear; you are a coward, and no warrior, as you pretend to be. +Were you a warrior, you would show it by your firmness, and would not +cry and whimper, like an old woman. You know, bear, that our tribes are +at war with each other, and that yours were the aggressors." As you may +suppose, I was not a little surprised at the delivery of this curious +invective. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +PARLEY TELLS ABOUT THE UNITED STATES. + + +The English settlements in America grew very rapidly into power and +importance. The French settlements also increased in extent and +influence, and a rivalry between the French and English, fostered and +nourished by the "_natural enmity_" which was said to subsist between +the Gauls and the Britons, broke out at last in terrible warfare. War is +very frightful under any circumstances. It looks very much like murder; +and, even at the best of times, a battle-field reminds us of Cain and +Abel. Brother slaughters brother, and the conqueror rejoices and +describes his sanguinary work as "a glorious victory." In the war +between the English and French settlers in America, a new and atrocious +feature was introduced. The Indians were engaged, for pay and powder, +on either side, to commit the most hideous cruelties; and things were +done which must not be told here, but the very thought of which should +make us shudder and turn pale. + +The English got the better of the French, and they took Quebec, a strong +city in Canada. General Wolfe, a young man and an excellent soldier, +captured the city; but it cost him his life. During the heat of the +engagement, Wolfe was shot. "Support me," said he to an officer near +him; "do not let my brave fellows see my face!" He was removed to the +rear, and water was brought to quench his thirst. Just then a cry was +heard, "They run! they run!" "Who runs?" exclaimed Wolfe, faintly +raising himself. "The enemy!" was the reply. "Then," said he, "I die +content," and expired. + +The result of the war in which General Wolfe perished, left a vast +amount of debt as a heavy weight upon the country. The English settlers +had fought very bravely all through the war, and they thought that the +English at home ought to pay the debt, and not tax them for its payment. +But the king and the parliament thought differently. They taxed the +American settlers very heavily; they would listen to no remonstrance; +and, when some signs were given of resistance, they were threatened with +punishment, like so many unruly schoolboys. Certain privileges which had +been granted them were taken away, and troops sent out to enforce +obedience. One very objectionable tax to the Americans was a stamp duty +on newspapers. Another was a tax on tea. They urged that it was unfair +for the British government to tax them without they were allowed to send +members to Parliament to look after their interests; but remonstrance +only tended to make the British government more determined; and so at +last they came to what somebody has called gunpowder law, that is to +say, fighting. + +I need not enter on the events of the war. It ended in the triumph of +the American settlers, and in the declaration of American independence +and the formation of the United States. The foremost man, both as a +statesman and a soldier, in the conduct of the war, on the part of the +Americans, was George Washington. He was elected three times to the +presidency, and no name is more revered than his by the Americans. + +Since the separation of America from England, more than one quarrel has +occurred between them. That which most vitally touches the future +prosperity of the states is the warfare which now rages between the +northern and southern sections of the republic. Most of you are aware +that slavery prevails to a great extent in America. The negroes or +blacks (the word _negro_ means _black_) are more particularly found in +the southern states. The northern states do not _hold_ slaves, but they +have so far _held_ with slavery as to give up runaways, and tolerate the +laws which make a man--because he was black--a mere beast of burden. A +quarrel, however, on this question, and others of minor importance, has +at last broken out between the north and south. The southerners have +separated from the northerners, and established a new republic of their +own. Their _right_ to do this has been denied by the north, and a civil +war has commenced in consequence. What may be the final result it is +impossible for any one to predict. The quarrel threatened at one time to +involve a war with England; but this is no longer apprehended. It seems +a very sad thing that a people so clever, so enterprising, so prosperous +as the Americans, should, by a quarrel and separation among themselves, +endanger--if they do not entirely overthrow--one of the most important +states in the world. We cannot forget what it is that lies at the bottom +of the mischief--SLAVERY. + + "O execrable crime! so to aspire + Above our brethren, to ourselves assuming + Authority usurped from God, not given. + He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, + Dominion absolute; that right we hold + By his donation: but man over man + He made not lord--such title to himself + Reserving, human left from human free." + +I may now tell you something about some of the chief cities in the +United States. + +New York is the principal seaport and commercial metropolis of the +States. It is situated at the southern extremity of an island called +Manhattan Island, near the mouth of the Hudson river. Its progress has +been very rapid, and its population is more than double that of any +other city in the new world. The approach to the city is very fine--the +shores of the bay being wooded down to the water's edge, and thickly +studded with farms, villages, and country seats. New York measures about +ten miles round. It is triangular in form. The principal street is +Broadway, a spacious thoroughfare extending in a straight line through +the centre of the city. The houses have a clean, fresh, cheerful +appearance; many of the stores or shops are highly decorated; the public +buildings, including the churches, while they can make no pretension to +grandeur, are good of their kind; the university is probably the finest +building in the city. The hotels in New York are far more extensive +than anything of the kind in Europe, and they are fitted up and +conducted on a scale of princely grandeur. The city of New York was +founded by the Dutch in 1621, and called New Amsterdam; but it was given +to the Duke of York (afterwards James II.) in 1604, and was henceforth +called by his name. The first congress of the United States was held +there in 1789. + +Washington is the government capital of the States, and is so called in +honour of the distinguished man--the father of the Republic--to whom I +have already alluded. The entrance to the city by the Pennsylvanian +avenue is 100 feet wide, and planted with some of the trees. The +president's residence is called the "White House." The chief public +offices and halls for the assembly of congress are contained in one +building known as the Capitol. It stands on a hill, and is said to be +the finest building in the Union. It is surrounded by ornamental +grounds, and overlooks the river Potomac. + +BOSTON is a maritime city, and a great place of trade; it is +situated on an extensive bay, and is connected with the interior of the +country by canals, railways, and river navigation. It is the great seat +of the American ice trade. In the history of the war of independence it +occupies a conspicuous place, as the Bostonians displayed great energy +in asserting popular rights. At Boston, when the "taxed tea" was sent +over by the British government, a number of the citizens disguised +themselves as Mohawk Indians, boarded the ships in which it had been +brought over, seized upon and staved the chests, and threw their +contents into the sea. This affair was known as the Boston tea party. +Boston is the birth-place of Dr. Benjamin Franklin--the "Poor Richard" +of whom I have no doubt you have often heard, and whose excellent advice +cannot be too well remembered nor too carefully applied. + +CHARLESTON is another of the principal sea-ports of the States. +It is the largest town in South Carolina, and is situated at a low point +of land at the confluence of two rivers. It is the stronghold of +slavery. One of the most recent events connected with it is that of the +Northerners blocking up the harbour by sinking several ships, laden with +stones, at the entrance. This is a very barbarous act, as it +closes--perhaps for ever--one of the first ports in America. + +PHILADELPHIA is the last city I shall mention. It is the great +Quaker city; its streets are remarkable for their regularity, and the +houses and stores for the peculiar air of cleanness which they exhibit. +The public buildings are nearly all of white marble. It is distinguished +for its vast number of charitable institutions and religious edifices, +and it is a thriving place of business. The city was founded by William +Penn in 1682. There is a monument marking the site of the signing of +Penn's famous treaty with the Indians. With some little account of this +treaty I shall conclude my notice of America. + +King Charles II. made a grant of land to Penn, but this good man would +not enter upon its possession until after he had arranged a treaty with +those to whom he justly thought it more fairly belonged than to the +King of England--namely, with the Indians. He consequently convened a +meeting--under the wide spreading branches of an elm tree, the Indian +chiefs assembled. They were unarmed; the old men sat in a half-moon upon +the ground, the middle aged in the same figure, at a little distance +from them; the younger men formed a third semicircle in the rear. Before +them stood William Penn,--a light blue sash, the only mark which +distinguished him from his friends, bound round his waist. + + "'Thou'lt find,' said the quaker, 'in me and mine, + But friends and brothers to thee and thine, + Who above no power, admit no line, + Twixt the red man and the white.' + + And bright was the spot where the quaker came, + To leave his hat, his drab, and his name, + That will sweetly sound from the trumpet of fame, + Till its final blast shall die." + +It is to be regretted that the speeches of the Indians on this memorable +day have not come down to us. It is only known that they solemnly +pledged themselves to live with William Penn and his people in peace and +amity so long as the sun and moon should endure. This was the only +treaty, it has been said, between these people and the Christians that +was _not_ ratified by an oath, and that was _never_ broken. + + + + +AUSTRALIA. + +CHAPTER XVI. + +PARLEY TELLS ABOUT NEW SOUTH WALES. + + +At the termination of the American war, of which I have just given you a +short account, the United States of America, which had been called by +England her American Colonies, ceased to be any longer subject to Great +Britain. + +The province of Virginia, in America, had for a long time been the only +authorized outlet for those criminals in Great Britain and Ireland, who +had been sentenced to transportation. + +It now became necessary for the English government to fix upon some +other country, to which those of her subjects might be transported, +who were condemned to banishment for their crimes. + +[Illustration] + +After much deliberation in the British Parliament, it was determined to +form a penal settlement in New South Wales. + +If you will look at a globe, or, if you have not a globe, at a map of +the world, turning the South Pole from you, or uppermost, and, supposing +yourself to be in a ship, sail across the Atlantic Ocean till you come +to the Equator, which is an imaginary line that divides the northern +half of the globe from the southern; then "cross the line," as it is +called, and sail along the South Atlantic, in the direction of the coast +of South America, till you arrive at its southern extremity, which you +will see is called Cape Horn; then sailing round Cape Horn, (which is +called doubling Cape Horn), and directing your course westward, right +across the Great Pacific Ocean. After having sailed across these three +great oceans, you will find yourself, if you have a prosperous voyage, +exactly on the opposite side of the globe, and before you, an extensive +chain of large islands, lying off the South-eastern extremity of the +continent of Asia. + +This group of islands has been named Australasia, which means Southern +Asia, and the largest of these, which is the largest island in the whole +world, has been called Australia, or New Holland. + +This is so large an island, that if you were to divide the whole of +Europe into ten parts, New Holland is as large as nine of them: and +hence, from its great extent, some geographers have dignified it with +the title of a continent. + +The northern and western coasts of this vast island were discovered by a +succession of Dutch navigators, who gave them the name of New Holland. + +The eastern coast, which has been explored, and taken possession of by +the English, was discovered by Capt. Cook, who gave it the name of New +South Wales. + +At the southern extremity of Australia or New Holland, you will see +VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, which was discovered by Tasman, one of the +Dutch navigators, who was sent from Batavia by Anthony Van Diemen, the +Dutch governor-general of the Indies, to survey the coast of New +Holland. + +In this voyage Tasman discovered an extensive country lying to the south +of New Holland; in giving a name to which, he immortalized his patron, +by calling it "Van Diemen's Land," having no suspicion at the time that +it was an island. + +It was not till the year 1798 that it was discovered to be such; as in +all the old maps and charts it is represented as part of the main land +of New Holland. + +This important discovery was effected in an open boat, by Mr. Bass, a +surgeon in the royal navy, who found it to be separated from Australia +by a broad strait, which has ever since borne the name of its +discoverer, "BASS' STRAITS." + +A fleet of eleven sail was assembled at Portsmouth in March, 1783, for +the formation of the proposed settlement on the coast of New Holland. + +On board of these vessels were embarked 600 male, and 250 female +convicts, with a guard consisting of about 200 soldiers, with their +proper officers. Forty women, wives of the marines, were also permitted +to accompany their husbands, together with their children. + +Captain Arthur Phillip, an officer highly qualified in every respect for +the arduous undertaking, was appointed governor of the proposed colony. + +The little fleet which was thus placed under the command of Captain +Phillip, and which has ever since been designated by the colonists "_the +first fleet_," set sail from Portsmouth on the 13th of May 1787, and +arrived at Botany Bay, in New South Wales, in January 1788, after a +long, but comparatively prosperous voyage of eight months and upwards. + +Captain Phillip soon found, to his disappointment, that Botany Bay was +by no means an eligible harbour; nor was it, in other respects, suitable +for the establishment of a colony, and he determined, even before any +number of the convicts had been permitted to land, to search for a more +eligible site. + +In Captain Cook's chart of the coast, another opening had been laid +down, a few miles to the northward of Botany Bay, on the authority of a +seaman of the name of Jackson, who had seen it from the +foretop-mast-head; and Captain Cook, conceiving it to be nothing more +than a harbour for boats, which it was not worth his while to examine, +called it Port Jackson. + +It is no wonder that Captain Cook came to this conclusion; for no +opening of any kind can be perceived till you come close in with the +land. + +This opening Captain Phillip examined, and the result of that +examination was the splendid discovery of Port Jackson,--one of the +finest harbours, whether for extent or security, in the world. + +To this harbour the fleet was immediately removed, and the settlement +was ultimately formed at the head of Sydney Cove, one of the numerous +and romantic inlets of Port Jackson. + +The labour and patience required, and the difficulties which the first +settlers must have had to encounter, are incalculable; but their +success has been complete. + +The forest has been cleared away, the corn-field and the orchard have +supplanted the wild grass and the bush, and towns and villages have +arisen as if by magic. You may hear the lowing of herds where, a few +years before, you would have trembled at the wild whoop of the savage, +and the stillness of that once solitary shore is broken by the sound of +wheels and the busy hum of commerce. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +PARLEY DESCRIBES THE INHABITANTS, VEGETABLES, AND ANIMALS OF AUSTRALIA. + + +The natives of this part of Australia are, beyond comparison, the most +barbarous on the surface of the globe. + +They are hideously ugly, with flat noses, wide nostrils, eyes sunk in +the head, and overshadowed with thick eyebrows. The mouth very wide, +lips thick and prominent, hair black, but not woolly; the colour of the +skin varies from dark bronze to jet black. Their stature is below the +middle size, and they are remarkably thin and ill-made. + +To add to their natural deformity, they thrust a bone through the +cartilage of the nose, and stick with gum to their hair matted moss, the +teeth of men, sharks, and kangaroos, the tails of dogs, and jaw-bones +of fish. + +On particular occasions they ornament themselves with red and white +clay, using the former when preparing to fight, and the latter for the +more peaceful amusement of dancing. The fashion of these ornaments was +left to each person's taste, and some, when decorated in their best +manner, looked perfectly horrible: nothing could appear more terrible +than a black and dismal face, with a large white circle drawn round each +eye. + +[Illustration] + +They scarify the skin in every part with sharp shells. + +The women and female children are generally found to want the first two +joints of the little finger of the left hand, which are taken off while +they are infants, and the reason they assign is, that they would be in +the way in winding the fish-lines over the hand. + +The men all want one of their front teeth, which is knocked out when +they arrive at the age of fifteen or sixteen, with many ridiculous +ceremonies; but the boys are not allowed to consider themselves as men +before they have undergone that operation. + +They live chiefly on fish, which they sometimes spear and sometimes net; +the women, on the parts of the coast, aiding to catch them with the hook +and line. + +"The facility," (observes Captain Sturt), "with which they procured fish +was really surprising. + +"They would slip, feet foremost, into the water, as they walked along +the bank of the river, as if they had accidentally done so; but, in +reality, to avoid the splash they would have made if they had plunged in +head foremost. + +"As surely as a native disappeared under the surface of the water, so +surely would he re-appear, with a fish writhing upon the point of his +short spear. + +"The very otter scarcely exceeds them in power over the finny race, and +so true is the aim of these savages, even under the water, that all the +fish we procured from them were pierced either close behind the lateral +fin or in the very centre of the head." + +[Illustration] + +If a dead whale happens to be cast on the shore, numbers flock to it, +from every part of the coast, and they feast sumptuously while any part +remains. + +Those in the interior are stated to live on grubs, insects, ants and +their eggs, kangaroos, when they can catch them, fern roots, various +kinds of berries, and honey; caterpillars and worms also form part of +their food. + +Captain Phillip took every possible pains to reclaim these ignorant +savages, and he once nearly lost his life in endeavouring to conciliate +a party of them, having ventured amongst them unarmed for that purpose; +one of the savages threw a spear which pierced the upper part of his +shoulder and came out at his back. + +But all the efforts of the governor to effect the permanent civilization +of these miserable people proved utterly abortive. + +They possess the faculty of mimickry or imitation to a very considerable +degree. I was walking with a friend, one beautiful evening, on the banks +of the Paramatta, when Bungarry, chief of the Sydney tribe of black +natives, was pulling down the river with his two jins, or wives, in a +boat which he had received as a present from the governor. My friend +accosted him on his coming up with us, and the good-natured chief +immediately desired his _jins_ to rest upon their oars, for he was rowed +by his wives. During the short conversation that ensued, my friend +requested Bungarry to show how governor Macquarrie made a bow. + +[Illustration] + +Bungarry happened to be dressed in the old uniform of a military +officer, and standing up in the stern of his boat, and taking off his +cocked hat, with the requisite punctilio, he made a low formal bow, with +all the dignity and grace of a general officer of the old school. + +The rich variety of vegetation on the Illawarra mountain, which is a +lofty range running parallel with the coast, contrasts beautifully with +the richness of the scenery. The fern tree, shooting up its rough stem, +about the thickness of a small boat's mast, to the height of fifteen or +twenty feet, and then, all at once shooting out a number of leaves in +every direction, each at four or five feet in length, and exactly +similar in appearance to the leaf of the common fern; while palms of +various botanical species, are ever and anon shooting up their tall +slender branchless stems to the height of seventy or a hundred feet, and +then forming a large canopy of leaves, each of which bends gracefully +outwards and then downwards, like a Prince of Wales' feathers. + +Another beautiful species met with in the low grounds of Illawarra, is +the fan palm, or cabbage tree, and another equally graceful in its +outline, is called by the natives Bangalo. + +[Illustration] + +The nettle tree, which is also met with in the bushes, is not only seen +by the traveller, but occasionally felt, and remembered, for its name is +highly descriptive. + +Both the animal and vegetable creation in Australia, are wholly +different from those in every other part of the world. + +To show that the existence of a thing was not believed in, it was +compared to a _black swan_, but in New Holland we find black swans, and +blue frogs; red lobsters, and blue crabs; flying opossums, and beasts +with bills like ducks; fish that hop about on dry land, and quadrupeds +that lay eggs. + +The quadrupeds hitherto discovered, with very few exceptions, are all of +the kangaroo or opossum tribe; having their hinder legs long, out of all +proportion when compared with the length of the fore legs, and a sack +under the belly of the female for the reception of the young. + +[Illustration] + +They have kangaroo rats, and dogs of the jackal kind, all exactly alike; +and a little animal of the bear tribe, named the wombat, but the +largest quadruped at present discovered is the kangaroo. + +These pretty nearly complete the catalogue of four-footed animals yet +known on this vast island. + +There is, however, an animal which resembles nothing in the creation but +itself, and which neither belongs to beast, bird or fish. + +This animal is called the Duck-billed Platypus. + +[Illustration] + +Of all the quadrupeds yet known, this seems the most extraordinary in +its conformation; exhibiting the perfect semblance of the beak of a duck +on the head of a quadruped. + +The head is flattish, and rather small than large; the mouth or snout so +exactly resembles that of some broad-billed species of duck, that it +might be mistaken for one. + +The birds and fish are no less singular than the beasts. There is a +singular fish, which when left uncovered by the ebbing of the tide, +leaps about like the grasshopper, by means of strong fins. + +[Illustration] + +The Moenura Superba, with its scalloped tail feathers, is perhaps the +most singular and beautiful of that elegant race of bird, known by the +name of Birds of Paradise. + +Cockatoos, Parrots, and Parroquets, are innumerable, and of great +variety. + +The Nonpareil Parrot is perhaps the most beautiful bird of the parrot +tribe in the whole world. + +The Mountain Eagle is a magnificent creature; but the Emu, or New +Holland Cassowary, is perhaps the tallest and loftiest bird that exists. + +[Illustration] + +The capital of the colony, and the seat of the colonial Government is +Sydney. The Town of Sydney is beautifully situated in Sydney Cove, which +I told you is one of the romantic inlets of Port Jackson, about seven +miles from the entrance of the harbour. The headlands at the mouth of +the harbour form one of the grandest features in the natural scenery of +the country. + +It is not, however, a distant or cursory glance that will give you a +just idea of the importance of this busy capital. + +In order to form a just estimation of it, you should take a boat and +proceed from Sydney Cove to Darling Harbour, you will then see the whole +extent of the eastern shore of the latter capacious basin equally +crowded with warehouses, stores, dock-yards, mills, and wharfs; the +store-houses built on the most magnificent scale, and with the best and +most substantial materials. The population of Sydney is supposed now to +exceed 10,000 persons. + +The second town in the colony is Paramatta. It is distant about fourteen +miles from Sydney, being pleasantly situated at the head of one of the +navigable arms of Port Jackson. It contains nearly 5,000 inhabitants. +The other towns in the colony, are Windsor, Liverpool, Campbell Town, +Newcastle and Maitland. The last will doubtless ere long be the second +in the colony, as it is situated at the head of the navigation of +Hunter's river. + +Very fine roads have been formed in Australia, particularly one leading +across the Blue mountains to Bathurst, on the western side of that +range, which is 180 miles from Sydney. + +The openness of the country around Bathurst is more favourable for +hunting and shooting than most other parts of the colony. + +The Kangaroo and the Emu are both hunted with dogs; they are both feeble +animals, but they are not altogether destitute of the means of defence. + +In addition to swiftness of foot, the Emu has a great muscular power in +his long iron limbs, and can give an awkward blow to his pursuer, by +striking out at him behind, like a young horse, while the Kangaroo, when +brought to bay by the dogs, rests himself on his strong muscular tail, +seizes the dog with his little hands or fore-feet, and thrusts at him +with one of his hind feet, which is armed for that purpose with a single +sharp-pointed hoof, and perhaps lay his side completely open. + +[Illustration] + +When hotly pursued, the kangaroo sometimes takes to the water, where, if +he happen to be followed by a dog, he has a singular advantage over all +other quadrupeds of his own size, from his being able to stand erect in +pretty deep water. + +In this position he waits for the dog, and when the latter comes close +up to him, he seizes him with his fore-feet and presses him under water +till he is drowned. + +The Bustard, or native turkey, is occasionally shot in the Bathurst +country. It sometimes weighs eighteen pounds, and is different from the +common turkey, in the flesh of the legs being white, while that of the +breast is dark-coloured. + +Among the natives the old men have alone the privilege of eating the +Emu, and married people only are permitted to eat ducks. + +The natives suffer no animal, however small, to escape them. + +One of the blacks being anxious to get an Opossum out of a dead tree, +every branch of which was hollow, asked for a tomahawk, with which he +cut a hole in the trunk above where he thought the animal lay concealed. +He found, however, that he had cut too low, and that it had run higher +up. This made it necessary to smoke it out; he accordingly got some dry +grass, and having set fire to it, stuffed it into the hole he had cut. + +[Illustration] + +A raging fire soon kindled in the tree, where the current of air was +great, and dense columns of smoke issued from the end of each branch as +thick as that from the chimney of a steam-engine. + +The shell of the tree was so thin, that I thought it would soon be +burnt through, and that the tree would fall; but the black had no such +fears, and, ascending to the highest branch, he waited anxiously for the +poor little wretch he had thus surrounded with dangers, and devoted to +destruction; and no sooner did it appear half singed and half roasted, +than he seized upon it and threw it down to us with an air of triumph. +The effect of the scene, in so lonely a forest, was very fine. The +roaring of the fire in the tree, the fearless attitude of the savage, +and the associations which his colour and appearance called up, +enveloped as he was in smoke, were singular, and still dwell in my +recollection. He had not long left the tree, when it fell with a +tremendous crash, and was, when we next passed that way, a mere heap of +ashes. + +The territory of the colony has been divided into ten counties, named as +follows:--Cumberland, Camden, Argyll, Westmoreland, Londonderry, +Boxburgh, Northumberland, Durham, Ayr, and Cambridge. + +I will now give you a short account of Van Diemen's Land. + +This fair and fertile island lies, as I have told you, at the southern +extremity of New Holland, from which it is separated by Bass' Straits. + +Its medial length from north to south is about 185 miles, and its +breadth from east to west is 166 miles. + +Its surface possesses every variety of mountain, hill, and dale; of +forests and open meadows; of inland lakes, rivers and inlets of the sea, +forming safe and commodious harbours; and every natural requisite that +can render a country valuable or agreeable. + +It enjoys a temperate climate, which is perhaps not very different from +that of England, though less subject to violent changes. + +The island is intersected by two fine rivers, rising near the centre; +the one named the Tamar, falling into Bass' Straits, on the north, and +forming Port Dalrymple; the other the Derwent, which discharges itself +into the sea, on the south-eastern extremity. Hobart Town, the capital, +is situated on the right bank of the Derwent, about five miles from the +sea. + +The natives of Van Diemen's Land are described by all the navigators, as +a mild, affable, good-humoured and inoffensive race. + +Though they are obviously the same race of people as those of New +Holland, and go entirely naked, both men and women, yet their language +is altogether different. + +The British settlements in Australia are both numerous and important. +The oldest, most extensive, and valuable, was founded, as we have shewn +already, at Sydney. The island of Tasmania was next occupied; within the +last few years we have established the colonies of Port Phillip, +Melbourne, Victoria, Cooksland, and others. The progress of these +settlements has been rapid. + +An extraordinary increase to emigration to Australia was given by the +discovery of the Gold Regions. + +For many years reports had been current that the Australian Alps and the +Snowy Mountains were full of gold, but it was not till after the +Californian discoveries that any was found in Australia. + +Two shepherds were the first persons who found any gold, and for a long +time they successfully concealed the source from which they obtained it; +but being watched, their secret was discovered, and the news spread like +wild-fire over the colony. Everybody was mad to go gold hunting; +shepherds forsook their flocks; traders closed their stores; sailors ran +away from their ships; servants threw up their situations; everybody was +mad to visit this newly-discovered Tom Tiddler's ground, to pick up gold +and silver. A groom informed his master, in one instance, that he would +stop with him, as he had been in the family for five years, for a guinea +a day, if it would be any convenience to him. Another family was left +with only a boy of sixteen to attend them, and his stipulations +were--two pounds a week, and wine to his dinner! In one year the +population of Melbourne rose from 23,000 to 85,000 inhabitants; the town +of Geelong trebled its numbers; perhaps never in the whole history of +the world had there been so extraordinary an emigration. + +As a monument of the golden wealth of Australia, there is in the +International Exhibition a wooden obelisk dead gilt on the outside. This +column is nearly seventy feet high, and some ten feet square at the +base. It represents exactly the bulk of gold which Australia has sent to +this country since 1851, and which in all amounts to nearly 800 tons. +Valuing the precious metal at its ascertainable worth, it appears that +gold to the value of upwards of L15,000 sterling was dug from the bowels +of the earth, washed from the sand of the rivers, or discovered by +fortunate diggers in various parts of Australia in a single year. + +The interior of Australia is still comparatively unknown. Last year an +expedition was undertaken to discover a way across the Continent, and +entrusted to a vigilant and enterprising commander named Burke. Although +a certain amount of success attended the object of the expedition, the +fate of Burke and his immediate companions was most deplorable. They +perished by starvation! + + + + +CONCLUSION. + + +I have now told you all that my present limits will admit, of those +interesting portions of the globe, called America and Australia, and I +wish you to read again all that I have said, and I wish you also to view +the inhuman conduct of the first discoverers of the former with proper +feelings of aversion. If you have read an account of William Penn's +first colony of Pennsylvania, you will see that his was the only just +way of establishing himself among the Indians. You must rejoice within +yourselves on this occasion, that they were not Englishmen who practised +these acts of cruelty and treachery towards the unoffending Mexicans and +Peruvians. The workings of Providence are full of mystery, and I cannot +help thinking that the state of anarchy and civil war in which Spain and +Portugal are now and ever have been engaged, is an act of retribution +awarded to their barbarity in the great scheme of God's providence. + +It makes one blush for the sake of Christianity, to think that the +perpetrators of the outrages upon the original possessors of the +Americas were persons professing that sublime religion,--and that in the +midst of their slaughter and plunder, they impiously held forth the +cross of Christ. The confiding but dignified nature of the idolatrous +Mexicans, did much more honour to the purity of the Christian religion +than did the base treachery of their invaders, who professed Christ but +knew him not. + +Had they by mildness, perseverance, and reason convinced the inhabitants +of the truth of the Christian religion, they might have become faithful +converts, but it was unreasonable to expect that they should cast off +the religion which their forefathers had professed, for a religion which +they knew not at all, and the professors of which came with the sword to +deprive them of their lives and their property. + +I wish you, my young friends, to weigh all these circumstances whenever +you read. It will impress the different subjects more thoroughly upon +your memory; and if your minds be properly constituted, it will +cultivate the good and eradicate the bad. I will again ask you to read +this book a second time, and refer occasionally to the maps. And now +good-bye! + + + +THE END. + + + + +Billing, Printer and Stereotyper, Guildford, Surrey. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER PARLEY'S TALES ABOUT AMERICA +AND AUSTRALIA*** + + +******* This file should be named 16891.txt or 16891.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/9/16891 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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