A history of the American nation . yages of Columbus the lands of deceit and disappointment—a place of sepulchersand wretchedness to Spanish hidalgos. It is important to remember that the desire of Europewas not to discover a new continent, but to reach Asia. Men believed that the new discoveries lay along thereach^Asia coast of China, and the idea only gradually took hold of them that the lands out in the westernocean were parts of a new continent. South America, whichbecame known in rough outline before the northern continentwas well known, was supposed to be a new island or a pro-jection fr
A history of the American nation . yages of Columbus the lands of deceit and disappointment—a place of sepulchersand wretchedness to Spanish hidalgos. It is important to remember that the desire of Europewas not to discover a new continent, but to reach Asia. Men believed that the new discoveries lay along thereach^Asia coast of China, and the idea only gradually took hold of them that the lands out in the westernocean were parts of a new continent. South America, whichbecame known in rough outline before the northern continentwas well known, was supposed to be a new island or a pro-jection from Asia; and, after the coast line quite well to thenorth was put down on maps and charts, the hope of many DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION 9 voyagers was to get around these troublesome barriers orthrough them, and to find their way to the coveted riches ofIndia. Even after European settlements were made in the newland there were many patient explorations of bays and riversin hopes of finding a thoroughfare. Slowly, through the proc-. A Sketch of a Portion of the B eh aim Globe, 1492, with an OutlineOF the American Continents Superimposed Upon It ess of decades, the Western World was uncovered and openedup to be a part and parcel of the known geography of the Columbus had completed his four voyages otherimportant discoveries had been made. In 1497, seeing thatthe most serene kings of Portugal and Spain had occupiedunknown islands, John Cabot, an Italian, sailing from Bris-tol, England, found land in the western ocean, and returned 10 HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN NATION to tell ofhis discoveries, saying he had discovered, seven hun^dred leagues away, the mainland of the country of the GreatCham, the monarch of China. He seems to have touchedupon the coast of Labrador or Cape Breton. An entry in theprivy purse of shrewd Henry VII notes that £io were givenhym that founde the new isle,—not a magnificent gift inlight of the fact that upon this voyage of the Cabots Englandlat
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