Discoverers and Explorers | Page 2

. . . . . . . . 54
BALBOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
MAGELLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 HERNANDO
CORTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 FRANCISCO
PIZARRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 FERDINAND DE
SOTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 THE GREAT RIVER AMAZON, AND
EL DORADO . . . . . . 92 VERRAZZANO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
THE FAMOUS VOYAGE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE--1577 . . . 108
HENRY HUDSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

DISCOVERERS AND EXPLORERS.

BELIEFS AS TO THE WORLD FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Four hundred years ago most of the people who lived in Europe
thought that the earth was flat. They knew only the land that was near
them. They knew the continent of Europe, a small part of Asia, and a
strip along the northern shore of Africa.
[Illustration: The World as Known Four Hundred Years ago.]
They thought this known land was surrounded by a vast body of water
that was like a broad river. Sailors were afraid to venture far upon this
water, for they feared they would fall over the edge of the earth.
Other seafaring men believed that if they should sail too far out upon
this water their vessels would be lost in a fog, or that they would
suddenly begin to slide downhill, and would never be able to return.
Wind gods and storm gods, too, were supposed to dwell upon this
mysterious sea. Men believed that these wind and storm gods would be
very angry with any one who dared to enter their domain, and that in

their wrath they would hurl the ships over the edge of the earth, or keep
them wandering round and round in a circle, in the mist and fog.
It is no wonder that the name "Sea of Darkness" was given to this great
body of water, which we now know to be the Atlantic Ocean; nor is it
surprising that the sailors feared to venture far out upon it.
These sailors had no dread at all of a sea called the Mediterranean,
upon which they made voyages without fear of danger. This sea was
named the Mediterranean because it was supposed to be in the middle
of the land that was then known. On this body of water the sailors were
very bold, fighting, robbing, and plundering strangers and foes, without
any thought of fear.
They sailed through this sea eastward to Constantinople, their ships
being loaded with metals, woods, and pitch. These they traded for silks,
cashmeres, dyewoods, spices, perfumes, precious stones, ivory, and
pearls. All of these things were brought by caravan from the far Eastern
countries, as India, China, and Japan, to the cities on the east coast of
the Mediterranean.
This caravan journey was a very long and tiresome one. Worse than
this, the Turks, through whose country the caravans passed, began to
see how valuable this trade was, and they sent bands of robbers to
prevent the caravans from reaching the coast.
[Illustration: A Caravan.]
As time went on, these land journeys grew more difficult and more
dangerous, until the traders saw that the day would soon come when
they would be entirely cut off from traffic with India and the rich
Eastern countries. The Turks would secure all their profitable business.
So the men of that time tried to think of some other way of reaching the
East.
Among those who wished to find a short route to India was Prince
Henry of Portugal, a bold navigator as well as a studious and thoughtful
man. He was desirous of securing the rich Indian trade for his own

country. So he established a school for navigators at Lisbon, and
gathered around him many men who wanted to study about the sea.
Here they made maps and charts, and talked with one another about the
strange lands which they thought might be found far out in that
mysterious body of water which they so dreaded and feared. It is
probable that they had heard some accounts of the voyages of other
navigators on this wonderful sea, and the beliefs about land beyond.
There was Eric the Red,