Mediaeval and modern history . but they, while vaguely accepting the view that theearth is round,thought that thehabitable part was acomparatively flat,shieldlike plain onthe top of it. All therest they thought tobe covered by thewaters of a greatocean. While agreed as tothe globular form ofthe earth and of thecurvature of the landas well as of the watersurface, scholars dif-fered as to the pro-portion of land andwater. The commonopinion among themwas that the greater part of the earths surface was water. Some,however, believed that three fourths or more of its surface was land,and that only a
Mediaeval and modern history . but they, while vaguely accepting the view that theearth is round,thought that thehabitable part was acomparatively flat,shieldlike plain onthe top of it. All therest they thought tobe covered by thewaters of a greatocean. While agreed as tothe globular form ofthe earth and of thecurvature of the landas well as of the watersurface, scholars dif-fered as to the pro-portion of land andwater. The commonopinion among themwas that the greater part of the earths surface was water. Some,however, believed that three fourths or more of its surface was land,and that only a narrow ocean separated the western shores of Europefrom the eastern shores of Asia. Columbus held this latter view,and also shared with others a misconception as to the size of theearth, supposing it to be much smaller than it really is. Conse-quently he felt sure that a westward sail of three or four thousandmiles would bring him to the Indies. Thus his very misconceptionsfed his hopes and drew him on to his great Fig. 54, — Christopher Columbus. (Afterthe Capriolo portrait; from the CohunbiisMemorial Volume) 28o BEGINNINGS OF MODERN COLONIZATION Everybody knows how Columbus in his endeavors to securea patron for his enterprise met at first with repeated repulseand disappointment; how at last he gained the ear of QueenIsabella of Castile; how a fleet of three small vessels was fittedout for the explorer; and how the New World was discovered,— or rather rediscovered (sec. 83). The return of Columbus to Spain with his vessels loaded withthe strange animal and vegetable products of the new lands hehad found, together with several specimens of the inhabitants, —a race of men new to Europeans, — produced the profoundestsensation among all classes. Curiosity was unbounded. The spiritof hazardous enterprise awakened by the surprising discovery ledto those subsequent undertakings by Castilian adventurers whichmake up the most thrilling pages of Spanish history. Co
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