Naming the New World. Among those who came to America with Columbus upon his second voyage and who took an active part in the conquest of Hispaniola was Alonzo de Ojedo. Commanding in time an expedition of his own, he made explorations among the neighboring islands, and sailed along the shores of South America for some hundreds of miles (1499). His pilot upon this occasion, as well as upon a subsequent one to the same region, was a man of some intelligence named Amerigo Vespucci, or, Latinized, as was the custom in those days, Americus Vespuccius. He, with keen observation, noted the features of the country, and afterwards, in a series of printed letters, gave an excellent description of the regions visited. These letters, being the first published description of the new world, were read with eagerness. People soon began to refer to the land beyond the Atlantic as the land of Americus. A German men as to render them mutinous. Everywhere the sea was filled with blocks of ice and floating icebergs, and monstrous animals of strange appearance often made themselves visible. Retracing his course, Cabot sailed south as far as the southern limits of what is now Maryland, and, AMERICUS VESPUCCIUS. geographer, named Waldsee - Muller, finally proposed the name of America for the new continent. It met with general acceptance, and soon hegan to appear in books and upon maps. This is the generally accepted theory concerning the name America. It is, however, stated that the natives found by the early explorers about the southwest shores of the Carribean Sea referred to their country as Amaraca, hence a counter theory gives the origin of the name to the natives of the New World. not finding the desired passage, returned to England. The discoveries of the Cabots have an important bearing upon American history; for by them Eng land was enabled to establish those claims to territory that afterwards led to her colonization of America. In this colonization were to be laid the foundations of our present great English-speaking republic of the United States. QUESTIONS. Who was John Cabot? Where did he live? What did he do upon learning of the discoveries of Columbus? What conclusion did he arrive at from his study of a globe? What patent did the English king grant him? What were the privileges granted by patent to Cabot? What three sons had Cabot? What share of profits was to be the king's? When did Cabot set sail? Who accompanied him? What was the nature of the voyage? Where did they first sight land? What was the nature of this land? Why was this discovery of future importance? How many months did the Cabots precede Columbus in the discovery of the mainland? For what was Sebastian Cabot noted? When was a second voyage made by him? How old was he at the time? Tell what you know of the voyage of Sebastian Cabot? What direction did he first take? Why did he turn back? How far south did he sail? To what did the discoveries of the Cabots lead? Who was Alonzo de Ojedo? Amerigo Vespucci? How did the new world receive the name of America? Who first bestowed this name upon the new continent? THE FOUR GREAT NAVIGATORS. BLACKBOARD FORM. Columbus. Who first crossed the Atlantic. Da Gama. Who first doubled Cape Good Hope. Where is Columbus buried? SEARCH QUESTIONS. Was Cabot the first European to reach North America? How large did Columbus believe the world to be? What was the Indian name of San Salvador Island? How did the Pope divide the new world? What became of the chains of Columbus? What is an astrolabe? What is a caravel? PREPARATORY NOTES. TO CHAPTERS VII, VIII AND IX. Geography. Note the principal islands of the West Indies; Name them. Note the proximity of Mexico and Central America to Cuba. Where is Vera Cruz? The city of Mexico? Isthmus of Darien? Island of Porto Rico? In what direction is Florida from this island? Where is Tampa Bay? How would one go overland from Florida to Mexico? Note the nearness of Peru to the Isthmus of Darien. About how wide is this isthmus? What strait south of South America? What ocean west? In what direction is this ocean from the Isthmus of Darien? Note the Rio Grande, Colorado, and Gila Rivers. Into what do each empty? Where is Santa Fé? Cape Mendocino? Note the relative position of the Southern States? What state north of Florida? West of Georgia? West of Alabama? Two west of Mississippi? Where is the Altamaha River? Ogeeche? Coosa? Mississippi? White? Ouachita? Where is Mobile? Definition of Words.- Learn the meaning of the following: Adventurous, materially, ambition, credulous, subsequently, taskmaster, ruse, avail, abduct, harass, persistently, circumnavigate, subjugate, equip, atrocity, manifest, revolt, dictates, annals, eventually, similar, realm, fabulous, survivor, transcending, assert, pacify, acquirement, rumor, indomitable, emergency, miasmatic, summit, bayou, fidelity, unanimity, viceroy. Pronunciation of Names.- Practice the pronunciation of the following: Porto Rico, Ponce de Leon, San Augustine, Pascua Florida, Chicora, Hispaniola, Vasquez de Ayllon, Pamphilo de Narvaez, Alvar Nunez, Cabecca de Vaca, Enciso, Nunez de Balboa, Grijalva, Hernando Cortez, Velasquez, Montezuma, La Noche Triste, Francisco, Pizarro, Antonio de Mendoza, Coronado, Espejo, Juan de Onàte, Rio Grande, Gila, Altamaha, Mauvilla, Arkansas, Ouachita, Luys de Moscoso. PARALLEL READINGS. REFERENCE.-Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico," Bancroft's "History of the Colonization of the United States" (chapter 2), Martin's "History of Louisiana" (chapter 1). GENERAL.-"Spanish Discoveries," in Harper's Magazine (October, 1882), “Pictures from Florida," in Scribner's Monthly (November, 1874), Morris' "Halt Hours with American Hi3tory" (vol. 1), Wallace's "Fair God” (fiction), Drake's “Making of the Great West." TOPICAL.-"DeSoto," "Ponce de Leon," "Cortez," "Fountain of Youth," "Mississippi, Discovery of," "Florida, Discovery of," "Mexico, Conquest of," "Santa Fé, Founding of, "Coronado, Expedition of.” FIRST COMERS FROM FOUR NATIONS. CHAPTER VII. The Spaniards in Florida. To this day the islands of the West Indies are remarkable for fertility of soil and for beauty of vegetation. Such wonderful accounts of this region were wafted back to Spain, that adventurers in great numbers flocked to the New World to embark in the eager pursuit of wealth. Island after island was taken possession of and entrusted to the governorship of some soldier of fortune or adventurous nobleman; and it was not long before Spanish conquest extended to the mainland. Among the many who came over with Columbus upon his second voyage was a stern old soldier, named PONCE DE LEON, who, having aided materially in the conquest of Hispaniola, was made governor of that island. Soon afterwards he was transferred to the smaller domain of Porto Rico; but here his ambition prevented him from remaining long content. Moreover there had been whispered in the ears of the credulous Spaniards the legend of a wonderful fountain, whose waters, bathed in, restored the old to youth. Tradition placed this fountain somewhere to the northwest; and De Leon, with three vessels, set sail in that direction, bent upon finding the fountain. His search was, as may be supposed, fruitless; but during the course of his voyage he sighted the mainland a little north of what is now San Augustine (1512). It was Easter Sunday, a day known to the Spaniards as Pascua Florida; so to the land was given the name of the holy day. Formal possession was taken. De Leon subsequently returned with the appointment of governor; but his landing was this time opposed by the natives, and in the attack he was mortally wounded. Some miles north of where he had first landed, lay the coast of Chicora (South Carolina). From Hispaniola there came to this coast VASQUEZ DE AYLLON, with two vessels, upon a kidnapping expedition (1520). The Spaniards, in their eagerness for riches, had opened up mines and laid out plantations in the different islands, and the conquered natives, compelled to labor under brutal taskmasters, were fast disap pearing. To remedy this loss was De Ayllon's mission. The natives of Chicora, ignorant of his intentions, received him kindly, and were induced to come on board the visitors' vessels for the ostensible purpose of taking part in a great feast. When a sufficient number had crowded aboard, the cruel De Ayllon headed his vessel for the place whence he came, and sailed away. The ruse availed but little. One of the vessels was wrecked, and the captives on board of the other so sickened from grief as to be totally unfit for the purpose for which they had been abducted. By the time the territory of Florida became established within the geographical knowledge of the Spaniards, its conquest was determined upon by PAMPHILO DE NARVAEZ. He landed for the purpose upon the west coast, near Tampa Bay, with three hundred men and eighty horses (April, 1528). The vessels were placed in charge of one Alvar Nunez, better known as CABECCA DE VACCA, with instructions to sail along the shores to the northwest; and with his land forces De Narvaez marched into the interior. The natives encountered by the Spaniards along the route were treated with great atrocity, and therefore rose in hostility against the invaders. The Spaniards, after eight hundred miles of weary marching, harassed by natives, suffering from pestilence and hunger, reached the coast exhausted. Upon embarkation a storm arose, and wrecked the vessels, and all the adventurers perished miserably, with the exception of De Vacca and four or five others, who made their way overland to Mexico. 1 |