Portuguese, that he iffued his orders in the terms which they defired. Hackluyt, Navigations, Voyages, and Trafficks of the English, vol. ii. part ii. p. 2.

NOTE XI. p. 77.

The time of Columbus's birth may be nearly afcertained by the following circumftances. It appears from the fragment of a letter, addreffed by him to Ferdinand and Isabella, A. D. 1501, that he had, at that time, been engaged forty years in a feafaring life. In another letter, he informs them, that he went to fea at the age of fourteen; from thofe facts it follows, that he was born A. D. 1447. Life of Chrift. Columbus by his fon Don Ferdinand. Churchill's Collection of Voyages, vol. ii. p. 484, 485.

NOTE XII. p. 85.

The spherical figure of the earth was known to the ancient geographers. They invented the method, ftill in ufe, of computing the longitude of different places. According to their doctrine, the equator, or imaginary line which encompaffes the earth, contained three hundred and fixty degrees; these they divided into twenty-four parts, or hours, each equal to fifteen degrees. The country of the Seres

or Sinæ, being the fartheft part of India known to the ancients, was fuppofed, by Marinus Tyrius the moft eminent of the ancient geographers before Ptolemy, to be fifteen hours, or two hundred and twenty-five degrees to the eaft of the firft meridian, paffing through the Fortunate Iflands. Ptolemæi Geogr. lib. i. c. II. If this fuppofition was well-founded the country of the Seres, or China, was only nine hours, or one hundred and thirty-five degrees weft from the Fortunate or Canary Iflands; and the navigation, in that direction, was much fhorter than by the courfe which the Portuguese were purfuing. Marco Polo, in his travels, had defcribed countries, particularly the island of Cipagno or Zipangri, fuppofed to be Japan, confiderably to the east of any part of Afia known to the ancients. Marcus Paulus de Region. Oriental. lib. ii. c. 70. lib. iii. c. 2. Of course, this country, as it extended further to the east, was ftill nearer to the Canary Islands. The conclufions of Columbus, though drawn from inaccurate obfervations, were juft. If the fuppofitions of Marinus had been well founded, and if the countries, which Marco Polo vifited, had been fituated to the eaft of thofe whofe longitude Marinus has afcertained, the proper and nearest course to the East Indies muft have been to fteer directly weft. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. i. c. 2. A more extenfive knowledge of the globe has now difcovered the great error of

Marinus, in fuppofing China to be fifteen hours, or two hundred and twenty-five degrees east from the Canary Islands, and that even Ptolemy was mistaken, when he reduced the longitude of China to twelve hours, or one hundred and eighty degrees. The longitude of the western frontier of that vaft empire is feven hours, or one hundred and fifteen degrees from the meridian of the Canary Islands. But Columbus followed the light which his age afforded, and relied upon the authority of writers, who were, at that time, regarded as the inftructors and guides of mankind in the fcience of geography.

NOTE XIII. p. 113.

As the Portuguese, in making their difcoveries, did not depart far from the coaft of Africa, they concluded that birds, whofe flight the observed with great attention, did not venture to any confiderable diftance from land. In the infancy of navigation, it was not known, that birds often stretch their flight to an immense diftance from any fhore. In failing towards the Weft-Indian iflands, birds are often feen at the distance of two hundred leagues from the nearest coaft. Sloan's Nat. Hift. of Jamaica, vol. i. p. 30. Catefby faw an owl at fea, when the ship, was fix hundred leagues diftant from land. Nat. Hift. of Carolina, pref. p. 7. Hift. Naturelle de M. Buffon, tom. xvi. p. 32. From

which it appears, that this indication of land, on which Columbus feems to have relied with fome confidence, was extremely uncertain. This obfervation is confirmed by Captain Cook, the moft extenfive and experienced navigator of any age or nation. No one yet knows (fays he) to what distance any of the oceanick birds go to fea; for my own part, I do not believe that there is one in the whole tribe that can be relied on in pointing out the vicinity of land." Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. i. p. 275.

99

NOTE XIV. p. 126.

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In a letter of the admiral's to Ferdinand and Isabella, he defcribes one of the harbours in Cuba, with all the enthufiaftick admiration of a discoverer. I difcovered a river which a galley might eafily enter; the beauty of it induced me to found, and I found from five to eight fathoms of water. Having proceeded a confiderable way up the river, every thing invited me to fettle there. The beauty of the river, the clearness of the water, through which I could fee the fandy bottom, the multitude of palm trees of different kinds, the tallest and finest I had feen, and an infinite number of other large and flourishing trees, the birds, and the verdure of the plains, are fo wonderfully beautiful, that this country excels all others as far as the day furpaffes the night in brightness and

fplendour, fo that I often faid, that it would be in vain for me to attempt to give your highneffes a full account of it, for neither my tongue nor my pen could come up to the truth; and indeed I am fo much amazed at the fight of fuch beauty, that I know not how to defcribe it." Life of Columbus. c. 30.

NOTE XV. p. 132.

The account which Columbus gives of the humanity and orderly behaviour of the natives on this occafion is very ftriking.,,The king (fays he, in a letter to Ferdinand and Isabella) having been informed of our misfortune, expreffed great grief for our lofs, and immediately fent aboard all the people in the place in many large canoes; we foon unloaded the fhip of every thing that was upon deck, as the king gave us great affiftance: he himself, with his brothers and relations, took all poffible care that every thing fhould be properly done both And, from time to time, he fent fome of his relations weeping, to beg of me not to be dejected, for he would give me all that he had. I can affure your highneffes, that fo much care would not have been taken in fecuring our effects in any part of Spain, as all our property was put together in one place near his palace, until the houses which he wanted to prepare for the cuftody of it, were

aboard and on fhore.