|
[CHAPTER
I.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES AND BUCANIERS.] | PAGE |
| Who was the First Pirate?—The Society
of Bucaniers—Home of the Freebooters—Rise of the
Band—Impecunious Spanish Governors and their Roguery—Great
Capture of Spanish Treasure—An Unjust Seizure, but no
Redress—Esquemeling’s Narrative—Voyage from Havre—“Baptism” of the French Mariners—Other
Ceremonies—At Tortuga—Occupied and Reoccupied by French and
Spanish—The French West India Company—Esquemeling twice Sold as
a Slave—He Joins the Society of Pirates—Wild Boars and Savage
Mastiffs—How the Wild Dogs came to the Islands—Cruelty of the
Planters—A Terrible Case of Retribution—The Murderer of a
Hundred Slaves—The First Tortugan Pirate—Pierre le Grand—A
Desperate Attack—Rich Prize Taken—Rapid Spread of Piracy—How
the Rovers Armed their Ships—Regulations of their
Voyages—“No Prey, no Pay”—The
richly-laden Vessels of New Spain—The Pearl Fisheries—An
Enterprising Pirate—Success and Failure—His Final
Surrender | 1 |
|
[CHAPTER
II.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued).] | |
| The Pirate Portuguez—Another
Successful Boat Attack—Re-taken—A Gibbet or Life—Escape—Saved
by Two Wine-jars—Helped by the Pirates—Rich again—And suddenly
Poor—A Dutch Pirate—From Sailor to Captain—A Grand Capture—And
a brutal Commander—No Surrender to the Spaniards—Victory and
Horse-flesh—The Rover’s Prodigality—A Stratagem—Worse than
Ever—The Spaniards reduce their Commerce—Lewis Scot—John
Davis—Outrages at Nicaragua—Piratical Gains—Lolonois the Bad
and Brave—His First Wounds—And his Early Successes—Six Hundred
and Sixty Pirates—The Capture of Maracaibo and
Gibraltar—Division of the Gains—His Brutalities—And Deserved
Death | 13 |
|
[CHAPTER
III.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued).] | |
| The Second Lolonois—Captain Henry
Morgan—His first Successes—A Pirate Fleet of Seven Hundred
Men—Attack on a Cuban Town—Morgan’s Form—Not to be
Beaten—Puerto Bello—Morgan’s Strategy—The Castle
taken—Extravagant Demands—The Governor of Panama Derided—Return
to Jamaica—Their Dissipation—A Fresh Start—Maracaibo re-taken—A
Chance for Guy Fawkes—Gibraltar again—Cruel Tortures inflicted
on Prisoners—Horrible Brutalities—Arrival of a Spanish
Fleet—Morgan’s Insolence—Letter from the Spanish
Admiral—“To the Death!” | 29 |
|
[CHAPTER
IV.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued).] | |
| Attack resolved—The Fire-ship—Morgan
passes the Castle—Off for St. Catherine’s—Given up by a
Stratagem—St. Catherine’s an Easy Prey—Power of Fire—Thirty in
Three Hundred Saved—The March on Panama—A Pirate Band of Twelve
Hundred—Sufferings on the Way—A Pipe for Supper—Leather and
Cold Water—Panama at Last—The First Encounter—Resolute
Fighting—Wild Bulls in Warfare—Victory for the Pirates—Ruthless
Destruction of Property—Cruelty to Prisoners—Searching for
Treasure—Dissatisfaction at the Dividend—The Last of
Morgan | 40 |
|
[CHAPTER
V.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued).] | |
| The Exploits of Captain Sawkins—Three
Ships Attacked by Canoes—Valiant Peralta—Explosion on
Board—Miserable Sight on Two Ships’ Decks—Capture of an Empty
Ship—Dissatisfaction among the Pirates—Desertion of
Many—Message from the Governor of Panama—The Pirate Captain’s
Bravado—His Death—Fear inspired on all the Southern
Coasts—Preparations for Punishing and Hindering the
Bucaniers—Captain Kidd—His First Commission as Privateer—Turns
Pirate—The Mocha Fleet—Almost a Mutiny on Board—Kills his
Gunner—Capture of Rich Prizes—A Rich Ransom Derided—Grand
Dividend—Kidd Deserted by some of his Men—Proclamation of
Pardon—Kidd Excepted—Rushes on his Doom—Arrested in New
York—Trial at the Old Bailey—Pleadings—Execution with Six
Companions | 51 |
|
[CHAPTER
VI.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.] | |
| Difference between the Pirates of the
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries—Avery’s brief Career—A
Captain all at Sea—Capture of his Ship—Madagascar a Rendezvous
for Pirates—A Rich Prize—The Great Mogul’s Ship Taken—Immense
Spoils—The Great Mogul’s Rage—Avery’s Treachery—His Companions
abandon their Evil Ways[pg
iv]—The Water-rat beaten by Land-rats—Avery
dies in abject Poverty—A Pirate Settlement on
Madagascar—Roberts the Daring—Sails among a Portuguese Fleet,
and selects the best Vessel for his Prey—His Brutal Destruction
of Property—His End—Misson and Caraccioli—Communistic
Pirates—Their Captures—High Morality and Robbery Combined—Their
Fates | 59 |
|
[CHAPTER
VII.] | |
| [THE
PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY (concluded).] | |
| Mary Read, the Female Pirate—As Male
Servant, Soldier, and Sailor—Her Bravery and Modesty—The Pirate
Vane—No Honour among Thieves—Delivered to Justice—The brief
Career of Captain Worley—The Biter Bit—A more than usually
brutal Pirate—Captain Low’s Life of Villainy—His Wonderful
Successes—An unfortunate Black Burned to Death—Torture of a
Portuguese Captain—Of Two Portuguese Friars—The Results of
Sympathy—Low’s Cupidity defeated by a Portuguese—Eleven Thousand Moidores
dropped out of a Cabin Window—An Unpunished Fiend | 67 |
|
[CHAPTER
VIII.] | |
| [PAUL
JONES AND DE SOTO.] | |
| Paul Jones, the Privateer—A Story of
his Boyhood—He Joins the American Revolutionists—Attempt to
Burn the Town and Shipping of Whitehaven—Foiled—His Appearance
at St. Mary’s—Capture of Lady Selkirk’s Family Plate—A Letter
from Jones—Return of the Plate several Years after—A Press-gang
Impressed—Engagement with the Ranger—A Privateer
Squadron—The Fight off Scarborough—Brave Captains Pearson and
Piercy—Victory for the Privateers—Jones Dies in abject
Poverty—A Nineteenth Century Freebooter—Benito de Soto—Mutiny
on a Slave Ship—The Commander left Ashore and the Mate
Murdered—Encounters the Morning Star—A Ship without
a Gun—Terror of the Passengers—Order to spare no Lives—A
Terrified Steward—De Soto’s Commands only partially observed,
and the Ship Saved—At Cadiz—Failure of the Pirate’s
Plans—Captured, Tried, and Hanged at Gibraltar | 71 |
|
[CHAPTER
IX.] | |
| [OUR
ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.] | |
| Our Latest Arctic Expedition—Scene at
Portsmouth—Departure of the Alert and Discovery—Few Expeditions
really ever pointed to the Pole—What we know of the
Regions—Admitted and Unadmitted Records—Dutch Yarns—A Claimant
at the Pole—Life with the Esquimaux—A Solitary Journey—Northmen
Colony—The Adventurer kindly treated—Their
King—Sun-worshippers—Believers in an Arctic Hell—The Mastodon
not Extinct—Domesticated Walruses—The whole story a nonsensical
Canard | 84 |
|
[CHAPTER
X.] | |
| [CRUISE
OF THE PANDORA.] | |
| The Arctic Expedition of 1875-6—Its
Advocates—The Alert and Discovery—Cruise of the
Pandora—Curious Icebergs—The
First Bump with the Ice—Seal Meat as a Luxury—Ashore on a
Floe—Coaling at Ivigtut—The Kryolite Trade—Beauty of the
Greenland Coast in Summer—Festivities at Disco—The Belles of
Greenland—A Novel Ball-room—The dreaded Melville Bay—Scene of
Ruin at Northumberland House—Devastation of the Bears—An Arctic
Graveyard—Beset by the Ice—An Interesting Discovery—Furthest
Point Attained—Return Voyage—A Dreadful Night—The Phantom
Cliff—Home again | 91 |
|
[CHAPTER
XI.] | |
| [THE
ALERT AND DISCOVERY.] | |
| Nares’ Expedition—Wonderful Passage
through Baffin’s Bay—Winter Quarters of the Discovery—Capital
Game-bag—Continued Voyage of the Alert—Highest Latitude ever
attained by a Ship—“The Sea of Ancient
Ice”—Winter Quarters, Employments, and Amusements—The
Royal Arctic Theatre—Guy Fawkes’ Day on the Ice—Christmas
Festivities—Unparalleled Cold—Spring Sledging—Attempt to Reach
the Discovery—Illness and Death
of Petersen—The Ravages of Scurvy—Tribute to Captain Hall’s
Memory—Markham and Parr’s Northern Journey—Highest Latitude
ever reached—Sufferings of the Men—Brave Deeds—The Voyage
Home | 99 |
|
[CHAPTER
XII.] | |
| [THE
FIRST ARCTIC VOYAGES.] | |
| Early History of Arctic Discovery—The
Hardy Norseman—Accidental Discovery of Iceland—Colony Formed—A
Fisherman Drifted to Greenland—Eric the Red Head—Rapid
Colonisation—Early Intercourse with America—Voyages of the
Zeni—Cabot’s Attempt at a
North-West Passage—Maritime Enterprise of this Epoch—Voyage of
the Dominus Vobiscum—Of the
Trinitie and Minion—Starvation and
Cannibalism—A High-handed Proceeding—Company of the Merchant
Adventurers—Attempts at the North-East—Fate of
Willoughby—Chancelor, and our First Intercourse with
Russia | 115 |
|
[CHAPTER
XIII.] | |
| [EARLY
ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.] | |
| Attempts at the North-West Passage—Sir
Humphrey Gilbert’s Advocacy—The One thing left
undone—Frobisher’s Expeditions—Arctic “Diggins”—A Veritable Gold Excitement—Large
Fleet Despatched—Disaster and Disappointment—Voyages of John
Davis—Intercourse with the Natives—His Reports concerning
Whales, &c.—The Merchants Aroused—Opening of the Whaling
Trade—Maldonado’s Claim to the Discovery of the North-West
Passage | 123 |
|
[CHAPTER
XIV.] | |
| [THE
VOYAGES OF BARENTS.] | |
| North-Eastern Voyages of the
Dutch—Barents reaches Nova Zembla—Adventures with the Polar
Bears—Large Trading Expedition organised—Failure of the
Venture—Reward Offered for the Discovery of a North-East
Passage—Third Voyage—Dangers of the Ice—Forced to Winter on
Nova Zembla—Erection of a House—Intense Cold—Philosophical
Dutchmen—Attacks from Bears—Returning Spring—The Vessel
Abandoned—Preparations for a Start—The Company Enfeebled and
Down-hearted—Voyage of 1,700 miles in Two Small Boats—Death of
Barents and Adrianson—Perils of Arctic Navigation—Enclosed in
the Ice—Death of a Sailor—Meeting with Russians—Arrival in
Lapland—Home once more—Discovery of the Barents Relics by
Carlsen—Voyages of Adams, Weymouth, Hall, and Knight | 129 |
|
[CHAPTER
XV.] | |
| [VOYAGES OF HUDSON AND HIS
SUCCESSORS.] | |
| Henry Hudson’s Voyages—Projected
Passage over the Pole—Second Expedition—A Mermaid Sighted—Third
Voyage in the Dutch Service—Discovery of the Hudson River—Last
Voyage—Discovery of Hudson’s Bay—Story of an Arctic
Tragedy—Abacuk Pricket’s Narrative—Their Winter Stay—Rise of a
Mutiny—Hudson and Nine Companions Set Adrift and Left to
Die—Retribution—Four of the Mutineers Killed—Sufferings from
Starvation—Death of a Ringleader—Arrival in Ireland—Suspicious
Circumstances—Baffin’s Voyages—Danish Expeditions to
Greenland—Jens Munk and his Unfortunate Companions—Sixty-one
Persons Starved to Death—Voyage of Three Survivors across the
Atlantic—An unkingly King—Death of Munk—Moxon’s Dutch
Beer-house Story—Wood and Flawes—Wreck of Wood’s
Vessel—Knight’s Fatal Expedition—Slow Starvation and Death of
the whole Company—The Middleton and Dobbs’ Agitation—£20,000
offered for the Discovery of the North-West Passage | 144 |
|
[CHAPTER
XVI.] | |
| [EXPEDITIONS IN THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY.] | |
| Paucity of Arctic Expeditions in the
Eighteenth Century—Phipps’ Voyage—Walls of Ice—Ferocious
Sea-horses—A Beautiful Glacier—Cook’s Voyage—A Fresh
Attempt—Extension of the Government Rewards—Cape Prince of
Wales—Among the Tchuktchis—Icy Cape—Baffled by the Ice—Russian
Voyages—The two Unconquerable Capes—Peter the Great—Behring’s
Voyages—Discovery of the Straits—The Third Voyage—Scurvy and
Shipwreck—Death of the Commander—New Siberia—The Ivory
Islands | 154 |
|
[CHAPTER
XVII.] | |
| [THE
EXPEDITIONS OF ROSS AND PARRY.] | |
| Remarkable Change in the Greenland
Ice-Fields—Immense Icebergs found out of their Latitudes—Ross
the First’s Expedition—Festivities among the Danes—Interviews
with Esquimaux—Crimson Snow—A Mythical Discovery—The Croker
Mountains—Buchan’s Expedition—Bursting of Icebergs—Effects of
Concussion—The Creation of an Iceberg—Spitzbergen in
Summer—Animated Nature—Millions of Birds—Refuge in an
Ice-pack—Parry and his Exploits—His Noble Character—First
Arctic Voyage—Sails over the Croker Mountains | 162 |
|
[CHAPTER
XVIII.] | |
| [PARRY’S EXPEDITIONS (continued).] | |
| Five Thousand Pounds Earned by Parry’s
Expedition—Winter Quarters—Theatre—An Arctic Newspaper—Effects
of Intense Cold—The Observatory Burned Down—Return to
England—Parry’s Second Expedition—“Young” Ice—Winter at Lyon’s Inlet—A Snow
Village in Winter and Spring—Break-up of the Ice—The Vessels in
a Terrible Position—Third Winter Quarters—Parry’s Fourth
Winter—The Fury Abandoned—The Old
Griper and her Noble
Crew | 170 |
|
[CHAPTER
XIX.] | |
| [PARRY’S BOAT AND SLEDGE
EXPEDITION.] | |
| Parry’s Attempt at the Pole—Hecla
Cove—Boat and Sledge Expedition—Mode of Travelling—Their
Camps—Laborious Efforts—Broken Ice—Midnight Dinners and
Afternoon Breakfasts—Labours of Sisyphus—Drifting Ice—Highest
Latitude Reached—Return Trip to the Ship—Parry’s Subsequent
Career—Wrangell’s Ice Journeys | 178 |
|
[CHAPTER
XX.] | |
| [THE
MAGNETIC POLE—A LAND JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA.] | |
| Sir John Ross and the Victory—First Steam Vessel
Employed in the Arctic—Discovery of the Magnetic Pole—The
British Flag Waving over it—Franklin and Richardson’s Journeys
to the Polar Sea—The Coppermine River—Sea voyage in Birch-bark
Canoes—Return Journey—Terrible Sufferings—Starvation and Utter
Exhaustion—Deaths by the Way—A Brave Feat—Relieved at
Length—Journey to the Mouth of the Mackenzie—Fracas with the
Esquimaux—Peace Restored | 186 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXI.] | |
| [VOYAGE
OF THE TERROR.] | |
| Back’s effort to reach Repulse
Bay—Nine Months in the Ice—The Terror Nipped and Crushed—A
General Disruption—Extreme Peril—Increase of
Pressure—Providential Delivery—Another Nip—Bow of the Ship
Split—Preparations for Emergencies—The Crew—An early
Break-up—Frozen Again—A Tremendous Rush of Ice—The Day of
Release | 196 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXII.] | |
| [FRANKLIN’S LAST VOYAGE.] | |
| Sir John Franklin and his Career—His
Last Expedition—Takes the Command as his Birthright—The last
seen of his Ships—Alarm at their Long Absence—The Search—A few
Faint Traces Discovered by Parry—A Fleet beset in the
Ice—Efforts made to Communicate with Franklin—Rockets and
Balloons—M’Clure’s Expedition—Discovery of the North-West
Passage—Strange Arrival of Lieutenant Pim over the Ice—The
Investigator Abandoned—Crew
Saved—Reward of £10,000 to M’Clure and his Ship’s Company | 201 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXIII.] | |
| [THE
FRANKLIN SEARCH.] | |
| The Franklin Expedition—The First
Relics—Dr. Rae’s Discoveries—The Government Tired of the
Search—Noble Lady Franklin—The Voyage of the Fox—Beset in the Ice for
Eight Months—Enormous Icebergs—Seal and Bear Hunts—Unearthly
Noises under the Floes—Guy Fawkes in the Arctic—The Fiftieth
Seal Shot—A Funeral—A Merry Christmas—New Year’s
Celebration—Winter Gales—Their Miraculous Escape—Experience of
a Whaler—Breakfast and Ship Lost together | 215 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXIV.] | |
| [THE
LAST TRACES.] | |
| M’Clintock’s Summer Explorations—The
Second Winter—Sledging Parties—Snow Huts—Near the Magnetic
Pole—Meeting with Esquimaux—Franklin Relics Obtained—Objection
of Esquimaux to Speak of the Dead—Hobson’s Discovery of the
Franklin Records—Fate of the Erebus and Terror—Large Quantity of
Relics Purchased from the Natives—The Skeleton on the
Beach—Fate of Crozier’s Party—“As they
Fell they Died”—The Record at Point Victory—Boat with
Human Remains Discovered—The Wrecks never Seen—Return of the
Fox | 223 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXV.] | |
| [KANE’S
MEMORABLE EXPEDITION.] | |
| Dr. Kane’s Expedition—His short but
eventful Career—Departure of the Advance—Dangers of the
Voyage—Grinding Ice—Among the Bergs—A Close Shave—Nippings—The
Brig towed from the Ice-beach—Smith’s Sound—Rensselaer
Harbour—Winter Quarters—Return of an Exploring Party—Fearful
Sufferings—To the Rescue—Saved—Curious Effects of Intense
Cold | 232 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXVI.] | |
| [KANE’S
EXPEDITION (continued).] | |
| Arrival of Esquimaux at the Brig—A
Treaty Concluded—Hospitality on Board—Arctic Appetites—Sledge
Journeys—A Break-down—Morton’s Trip—The Open Sea—The Brig
hopelessly Beset—A Council Called—Eight Men stand by the
Advance—Departure of the
Rest—Their Return—Terrible Sufferings—A Characteristic
Entry—Raw Meat for Food—Fruitless Journeys for Fresh Meat—A
Scurvied Crew—Starving Esquimaux—Attempted Desertion—A Deserter
brought back from the Esquimaux Settlements | 238 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXVII.] | |
| [KANE’S
EXPEDITION (concluded).] | |
| A Sad Entry—Farewell to the
Brig—Departure for the South—Death of Ohlsen—Difficult
Travelling—The Open Water—The Esquimaux of Etah—A Terrible
Gale—Among the broken Floes—A Greenland Oasis—The Ice
Cliff—Eggs by the Hundred—An Anxious Moment—A Savage Feast—The
First Sign of Civilisation—Return to the Settlements—Home once
more | 247 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXVIII.] | |
| [HAYES’
EXPEDITION—SWEDISH EXPEDITIONS.] | |
| Voyage of the United
States—High Latitude attained—In Winter
Quarters—Hardships of the Voyage—The dreary Arctic
Landscape—Open Water once more—1,300 Miles of Ice
traversed—Swedish Expeditions—Perilous Position of the
Sofia | 255 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXIX.] | |
| [THE
SECOND GERMAN EXPEDITION.] | |
| The First German
Expedition—Preparations for a Second—Building of the
Germania—The Hansa—The Emperor William’s
Interest in the Voyage—The Scientific Corps—Departure from
Bremerhaven—Neptune at the Arctic Circle—The Vessels Separated
among the Ice—Sport with Polar Bears—Wedged in by the Grinding
Ice—Preparations to Winter on the Floe—The Hansa lifted Seventeen Feet
out of the Water—A Doomed Vessel—Wreck of the Hansa | 258 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXX.] | |
| [ON AN
ICE-RAFT.] | |
| A Floating Ice-Raft—The
Settlement—Christmas in a New Position—Terrible
Storms—Commotion under the Ice—The Floe breaks up—House
Ruined—Water on the Floe—A Spectre Iceberg—Fresh Dangers and
Deliverances—Drifted 1,100 Miles—Resolution to Leave the
Ice—Open Water—Ice again—Tedious Progress—Reach Illuidlek
Island—Welcome at the Greenland Settlements—Home in
Germany—Voyage of the Germania—Discovery of Coal—A
New Inlet—Home to Bremen | 263 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXI.] | |
| [HALL’S
EXPEDITION—THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN
EXPEDITION—NORDENSKJÖLD.] | |
| Captain Hall’s Expedition—High
Latitude Attained—Open Water Seen—Death of Hall—The
Polaris Beset—An Abandoned
Party—Six Months on a Floating Ice-floe—Rescue—Loss of the
Steamer—Investigation at Washington—The Austro-Hungarian
Expedition—The Tegethoff hopelessly Beset
in the Ice—Two Long Weary Years—Perils from the Ice
Pressure—Ramparts raised round the Ship—The Polar Night—Loss of
a Coal-hut—Attempts to Escape—A Grand Discovery—Franz Josef
Land—Sledging Parties—Gigantic Glaciers—The Steamer
Abandoned—Boat and Sledge Journey to the Bay of Downs—Prof.
Nordenskjöld’s Voyage—The North-East Passage an accomplished
Fact | 268 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXII.] | |
| [THE
ANTARCTIC REGIONS.] | |
| Has the South Pole been Neglected?—The
Antarctic even more Inhospitable than the Arctic—The Antarctic
Summer—Search for the Terra Australis—Early
Explorers—Captain Cook’s Discoveries—Watering at Icebergs—The
Southern Thule—Smith’s Report—Weddell’s Voyage—Dead Whale
Mistaken for an Island—D’Urville’s Adélie Land—Wilkes
Land—Voyages of James Ross—High Land Discovered—Deep Beds of
Guano—Antarctic Volcanoes—Mounts Erebus and Terror—Victoria
Land | 276 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXIII.] | |
| [DECISIVE VOYAGES IN
HISTORY.—DIAZ—COLUMBUS.] | |
| An Important Epoch in the History of
Discovery—King John II. of Portugal and his Enterprises—Diaz
the Bold—Ventures out to Sea—Rounds the Cape—Ignorant of the
Fact—The Cape of Storms—King John re-christens it—Columbus and
the Narrative of his Son—His Visit to Portugal—Marriage—An
un-royal Trick—Sends his Brother to England—His
Misfortune—Columbus in Spain—A prejudiced and ignorant
Report—The One Sensible Ecclesiastic—Again Repulsed—A Friend at
Court—Queen Isabella Won to the Cause—Departure of the
Expedition—Out in the Broad Atlantic—Murmurs of the Crews—Signs
of Land—Disappointment—Latent Mutiny—Land at Last—Discovery of
St. Salvador—Cuba—Natives Smoking the Weed—Utopia in
Hispaniola—Columbus Wrecked—Gold Obtained—First Spanish
Settlement—Homeward Voyage—Storms and Vows—Arrival in
Europe—Triumphant Reception at Barcelona | 281 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXIV.] | |
| [DECISIVE VOYAGES IN
HISTORY.—COLUMBUS—VASCO DA GAMA.] | |
| Columbus and his Enemies—Unsuitable
Settlers—Outrageous Conduct of the Colonists—The Second
Expedition of Columbus—Discovery of Jamaica—Dangerous Illness
of Columbus—Return to Spain—The Excitement over—Difficulty of
Starting a New Expedition—Third Voyage—Columbus reaches the
Mainland of America—Insurrection in Hispaniola—Machinations at
Home—Columbus brought to Spain in Chains—Indignation in
Spain—His Fourth Voyage—Ferdinand’s Ingratitude—Death of the
Great Navigator—Estimate of his Character—Vasco da Gama—First
Voyage—The Cape reached—First Sight of India—At
Calicut—Friendship of the King of Cananore—Great Profits of the
Expedition—Second Voyage—Vengeance on the Ruler of Calicut—His
Brutality—Subsequent History of Da Gama | 294 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXV.] | |
| [THE
COMPANIONS AND FOLLOWERS OF COLUMBUS.] | |
| The Era of Spanish Discovery—Reasons
for its Rapid Development—Ojeda’s First Voyage—Fighting the
Caribs—Indians and Cannon—Pinzon’s Discovery of Brazil—A Rough
Reception—Bastides the Humane—A New Calamity—Ships leaking like
Sieves—Economical Generosity of King Ferdinand—Ojeda’s Second
Voyage—The disputed Strong-Box—Ojeda Entrapped—Swimming in
Irons—Condemned Abroad—Acquitted at Home—A Triumphant Client,
but a Ruined Man—A Third Voyage—Worthy La Cosa—Rival
Commanders—A Foolish Challenge | 300 |
|
[CHAPTER
XXXVI.] | |
| [THE
COMPANIONS AND FOLLOWERS OF COLUMBUS (concluded).] | |
| Nicuesa and the Duns of San
Domingo—Indian Contempt for a Royal Manifesto—La Cosa’s Advice
Disregarded—Ojeda’s Impetuosity—A Desperate Fight—Seventy
Spaniards Killed—La Cosa’s Untimely End—Ojeda found Exhausted
in the Woods—A Rival’s Noble Conduct—Avenged on the Indians—A
New Settlement—Ojeda’s Charm fails—A Desperate Remedy—In Search
of Provisions—Wrecked on Cuba—A Toilsome March—Kindly
Natives—Ojeda’s Vow Redeemed—Dies in Abject Poverty—The
Bachelor Enciso and Balboa—Smuggled on Board in a Tub—Leon and
his Search for the Fountain of Youth—Discovery of
Florida—Magellan—Snubbed at Home—Warmly Seconded by the Spanish
Emperor—His Resolute Character—Discovery of the Straits—His
Death—The First Voyage round the World—Captain Cook’s
Discoveries—His Tragical Death—Vancouver’s Island | 308 |