An Historical Account of All the Voyages Round the World, Performed by English Navigators (Complete)
9781465654519
418 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
Previous to our entering upon the detail of the discoveries and adventures of the English navigators who have surrounded the globe, it may, perhaps, afford some entertainment to the curious reader, to be made acquainted with the first steps that led to so bold an undertaking, and with the characters of those happy geniuses, who not only conceived the plan, but contributed not a little by their example to facilitate the execution. We are told that the shadow seen in the moon in the time of her eclipse, first pointed out to the early navigators the true figure of the earth; and that, from this simple observation, Columbus, by revolving it in his mind, deduced the possibility of passing round its surface, or, to speak with more precision, of sailing from one side of the continent to the other; for as yet one great continent, and one great ocean, with their appendages, were thought to compose the whole material world. Full of this idea, he was naturally led to conclude, that, by sailing in a direct course from any given point of land on one side, he must of necessity arrive at another point of land in the same parallel on the opposite side, provided hisprovisions were proportioned to the voyage, and no accident from tempests or shipwreck intervened to interrupt his progress. It was on this obvious principle that Columbus founded the certainty of his discovery, the infallibility of which served to support his hopes, when absolute despair had seized the greatest part of his followers. It is true, that, though the figure of the earth was in effect conceived, yet its dimensions were wholly unknown: but as the road over-land to the eastern coasts of the continent was no secret, Columbus was persuaded that a passage by sea by a western course, if no intermediate lands prevented, would assuredly bring him to the same coasts. From his knowledge, therefore, of the position of those countries, from whence the rich productions of the East were circulated thro’ all the kingdoms of the West, he was led to steer, first, a south-west, and then a direct west course, which brought him among those broken fragments of the western continent, which he at first mistook for the islands of the Indian Ocean, and to the richest of which he imagined another voyage would certainly open a passage. The discovery being once made, the principle upon which it was grounded could no longer be concealed. Those belonging to the naval department about the Court of Spain, who had been most violent in opposing the undertaking, as appearing to them in no better light than as the visionary conceit of some crack-brained projector, now assumed another tone, and affected to speak of it as a discovery that required no extraordinary talents to accomplish; that it was not the result of science, but a thing that must follow of course to the first adventurer; and that it was fortunate for Columbus that he could prevail upon their Majesties to furnish the means to undertake it, as with such encouragement there were not wanting officers in the royal navy much better qualified to have conducted the enterprize, tho’ by his unparallelled assurance he had obtained the preference. In this slight and contemptuous manner it was the humour at Court to speak of the new discovery; and though Columbus, after his return, was for a while caressed by the Royal Family, yet the frequent repetition of these indignities could not fail in time to lessen the idea of the merit of a man who had no advocate to support his credit but the evidence of his own superior abilities. At a court-entertainment, however, to which he was invited, an incident happened that contributed not a little to heighten his character, and mortify his enemies.
