DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

It is believed by many, that the ancients had fome imperfect notion

of a new world; and several ancient authors are quoted in confirmation of this opinion. In a book ascribed to the philofopher Aristotle, we are told that the Carthaginians discovered an island far beyond the pillars of Hercules, large, fertile, and finely watered with navigable rivers, but uninhabited. This island was distant a few days failing from the Continent; its beauty induced the discoverers to fettle there; but the policy of Carthage diflodged the colony, and laid a ftrict prohibition on all the fubjects of the state not to attempt any future establishment. This account is also confirmed by an historian of no mean credit, who relates, that the Tyrians would have fettled a colony on the new-discovered inland, but were oppofed by the Carthaginians for state reafons. Seneca, and other authors are alfo quoted in fupport of this belief. But however

may be, nobody ever believed the exiftence of this continent fo firmly as to go in queft of it; at least, there are no accounts well fupported that America received any part of its first inhabitants from Europe prior to the 15th century. The Welsh fondly imagine that their country contributed, in 1170, to people the New World, by the adventure of Madoc, fon of Owen Gwynedd, who, on the death of his father, failed there, and colonized part of the country. All that is advanced in proof is, a quotation from one of the British Poets, which proves no more than that he had distinguished himself by sea and land. It is pretended that he made two voyages; that failing West, he left Ireland fo far to the North, that he came to a land unknown, where he faw many ftrange things; that he returned home, and, making a report of the fruitfulness of the new-difcovered country, prevailed on numbers of the Welsh of each sex to accompany him on a second voyage, from which he never returned. The favourers of this opinion affert, that feveral Welsh words, such as gwrando, "to hearken or liften;" the isle of Creafo, or "welcome;" Cape Breton, from the name of Britain gwynndwr, or, “the white water;" and pengwin, or, « the bird with

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"a white

"a white head;" are to be found in the American language. But likeness of found in a few words will not be deemed fufficient to eftablish the fact; especially if the meaning has been evidently perverted for example, the whole penguin tribe have unfortunately not only black heads, but are not inhabitants of the Northern hemisphere; the name was also bestowed on them by the Dutch, a pinguedine, from their exceffive fatness: but the inventor of this, thinking to do honour to his country, inconfiderately caught at a word of European origin, and unheard of in the New World. It may be added, that the Welsh were never a naval people; that the age in which Madoc lived was peculiarly ignorant in navigation; and the most which they could have attempted must have been a mere coafting voyage

The Norwegians put in for a fhare of the glory, on grounds rather better than the Welsh. By their fettlements in Iceland and in Greenland, they had arrived within fo fmall a distance of the New World, that there is at least a poffibility of its having been touched at by a people fo verfed in maritime affairs, and fo adventurous, as the ancient Normans were. The proofs are much more numerous than thofe produced by the British Hiftorians; for the difcovery is mentioned in feveral of the Ilandic manufcripts. The period was about the year 1002, when it was vifited by one Biorn; and the difcovery pursued to greater effect by Leif, the fon of Eric, the difcoverer of Greenland. It does not appear that they reached farther than Labrador; on which coaft they met with the Efquimaux, on whom they bestowed the name of Skralingues, or dwarfish people, from their fmall ftature. They were armed with bows and arrows, and had leathern canoes, such as they have at prefent. All this is probable; nor fhould the tale of the German, called Tuckil, one of the crew, invalidate the account. He was one day miffing; but foon returned, leaping and finging with all the extravagant marks of joy a bon vivant could fhow, on difcovering the inebriating fruit of his country, the grape: Torfæus even fays, that he returned in a state of intoxication. To convince his commander, he brought feveral bunches, who from that circumftance named that country Vinland. It is not to be denied, that North America produces the true vine; but it is found in far lower latitudes than our ad

*If the reader, however, wishes to examine this curious question ftill farther, he will meet with all that can be faid upon the fubject, in WILLIAMS's Enquiry into the truth of the tradition, concerning the Discovery of America by Prince Modeg. 8vo.-See alfɔ IMLAY's Account of Kentuckey, page 377, 2d Edit.

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venturers could reach in the time employed in their voyages, which was comprehended in a very small space. There appears no reason to doubt of the discovery; but as the land was never colonized, nor any advantages made of it, it may fairly be conjectured, that they reached no farther than the barren country of Labrador. In short, it is from a much later period that we must date the real discovery of America *.

Towards the close of the 14th century, the navigation of Europe was fcarcely extended beyond the limits of the Mediterranean. The mariner's compafs had been invented and in common ufe for more than a century; yet with the help of this fure guide, prompted by the most ardent fpirit of discovery, and encouraged by the patronage of princes, the mariners of those days rarely ventured from the fight of land. They acquired great applause by failing along the coast of Africa and discovering fome of the neighbouring islands; and after pushing their researches with the greateft induftry and perfeverance for more than half a century, the Portuguese, who were the most fortunate and enterprising, extended their discoveries Southward no farther than the equator.

The rich commodities of the Eat, had for feveral ages been brought into Europe by the way of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean; and it had now become the object of the Portuguese to find a paffage to India, by failing round the Southern extremity of Africa and then taking an Eastern courfe. This great object engaged the general attention of mankind, and drew into the Portuguese service adventurers from every maritime nation in Europe. Every year added to their experience in navigation, and feemed to promise a reward to their industry. The profpect, however, of arriving at the Indies was extremely diftant; fifty years perfeverance in the fame track, had brought them only to the equator, and it was propable that as many more would elapfe before they could accomplish their purpose, had not COLUMBUS, by an uncommon exertion of genius, formed a defign no lefs aftonishing to the age in which he lived, than beneficial to posterity,

Among the foreigners whom the fame of the difcoveries made by the Portuguese had allured into their fervice, was Chriftopher Colon or Columbus, a subject of the republic of Genoa, Neither the time nor

In the zd Vol. of the Transactions of the Philofophical Society at Philadelphia, Mr. OTTO, in a Memoir on the Discovery of America, ftrenuously contends, that one BEHEм, a German, difcovered the American Continent prior to its being discovered by Columbus. For the ingenious arguments in fupport of this opinion, the reader is referred to the Memoir.

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place of his birth are known with certainty'; but he was defcended of an honourable family, though reduced to indigence by various misfortunes. His ancestors having betaken themselves for fubfiftence to a fea-faring life, Columbus difcovered, in his early youth, the peculiar character and talents which mark out a man for that profeffion. His parents, instead of thwarting this original propenfity of his mind, seem to have encouraged and confirmed it, by the education which they gave him. After acquiring fome knowledge of the Latin tongue, the only language in which fcience was taught at that time, he was inftructed in geometry, cofmography, aftronomy, and the art of drawing. To thefe he applied with fuch ardour and predilection, on account of their connection with navigation, his favourite object, that he advanced with rapid proficiency in the study of them. Thus qualified, in the year 1461, he went to fea at the age of fourteen, and began his career on that element which conducted him to fo much glory. His early voyages were to those ports in the Mediterranean which his countrymen the Genpefe frequented. This being a sphere too narrow for his active mind, he made an excurfion to the northern feas, in 1467, and vifited the coafts of Iceland, to which the English and other nations had begun to refort on account of its fishery. As navigation, in every direction, was now become enterprifing, he proceeded beyond that island, the Thule of the ancients, and advanced feveral degrees within the polar circle. Having fatisfied his curiofity by a voyage which tended more to enlarge his knowledge of naval affairs, than to improve his fortune, he entered into the service of a famous fea-captain, of his own name and family. This man commanded a small squadron, fitted out at his own expence, and by cruifing fometimes against the Mahometans, fometimes against the Venetians, the rivals of his country in trade, had ac quired both wealth and reputation. With him Columbus continued for feveral years, no lefs diftinguifhed for his courage, than for his experience as a failor. At length, in an obftinate engagement, off the coaft of Portugal, with fome Venetian Caravels, returning richly laden from the Low Countries, the veffel on board which he ferved took fire, together with one of the enemy's fhips, to which it was faft grappled, In this dreadful extremity his intrepidity and prefence of mind did not forfake him. He threw himself into the sea, laid hold of a floating oar, and by the fupport of it, and his dexterity in swimming, he reached the fhore, though above two leagues diftant, and faved a life referved for great undertakings.

As foon as he recovered ftrength for the journey, he repaired to Lisbon, where many of his countrymen were fettled. They foon con