Discoverers and Explorers | Page 8

brilliant plumage. Every inhabitant of
Barcelona rejoiced, and the bells were rung in honor of the great
discoverer.
It was a happy time for Columbus. He felt repaid for all his suffering
and trouble.

[Illustration: The Return of Columbus.]
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella now wished Columbus to go again
to these newly discovered islands and search for the gold that was
thought to be there. You may be sure Columbus was willing to go. So
they fitted out seventeen vessels, manned by fifteen hundred men, and
placed Columbus in command of this fleet. It was no trouble to find
men who were willing to go on this voyage. All wanted to see the new
world that had been found.
During this second voyage, which was made in 1493, Columbus
discovered Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and some small islands in the
Caribbean Sea.
On the island of Jamaica the Spaniards came upon the footprints of
some strange animal which they thought to be a dragon. This dragon
they believed was guarding the gold which they supposed was on the
island. So they ran back to their ships in fear. Later on they became
used to seeing these footprints, and found that they were those of
alligators. At Puerto Rico they suffered from a savage attack made by
the natives, who shot poisoned arrows and threw javelins at them. But
in most other places the natives were very friendly.
Columbus thought this land was a part of the east coast of Asia, and he
could not understand why he did not find cities such as Marco Polo had
described.
Columbus then sailed to Hispaniola, where he planted a colony, of
which he was made governor. It was not an easy matter to govern this
island, because of the jealousies and quarrels of the Spaniards. At
length Columbus returned to Spain, ill and discouraged.
Columbus made a third voyage in 1498, during which he sailed along
the coast of Brazil, and discovered Trinidad Island. Here his ships
encountered currents of fresh water which flowed with great force into
the ocean. This led Columbus to think that so large a river must flow
across a great continent, and strengthened his opinion that the land was
a part of the great continent of Asia.

[Illustration: Map Showing how Columbus Discovered America.]
After sailing farther north along the Pearl Coast, which was so called
because of the pearls found there, he returned to Hispaniola. Here he
found the Spaniards engaged in an Indian war, and quarreling among
themselves. Some officials became jealous of him, bound him with
chains, and sent him back to Spain a prisoner. Ferdinand and Isabella
were much displeased at this treatment of Columbus, and set him free.
A fourth voyage was made by Columbus in 1502, during which he
explored the coast of Honduras in search of a strait leading to the
Indian Ocean. In this venture he was unsuccessful. On his return to
Spain he found his friend Queen Isabella very ill, and nineteen days
after his arrival she died.
After Isabella's death the king treated Columbus cruelly and
ungratefully. The people had become jealous of him, and his last days
were spent in poverty and distress. He never knew that he had
discovered a new continent, but supposed that he had found India.
Seven years after his death the king repented of his ingratitude, and
caused the remains of Columbus to be removed from the little
monastery in Valladolid to a monastery in Seville, where a magnificent
monument was erected to his memory. In 1536 his bones were removed
to the Cathedral of San Domingo in Hispaniola, and later they were
taken to the cathedral in Havana.
When the United States took possession of Cuba, the Spanish
disinterred the bones of Columbus again and carried them to Spain,
placing them in the cathedral of Seville, where they now are.

VASCO DA GAMA.
Both the Spaniards and the Portuguese were cut off from trade with the
East, because the Turks had taken possession of Constantinople. In
consequence of this, the navigators of both countries were making
earnest efforts to find a water route to India.

[Illustration: Vasco da Gama.]
Spain, as you know, had faith in Columbus, and helped him in his plan
of trying to reach India by sailing westward. But the Portuguese had a
different idea. They spent their time and money in trying to sail round
the African coast, in the belief that India could be reached by means of
a southeast passage.
This southeast passage could be found only by crossing the "burning
zone," as the part of the earth near the equator was called; and all
sailors feared to make the attempt.
It was thought almost impossible to cross this burning zone, and the
few navigators who had