 CHAPTER 38 The West Indies The city-dector self-to-meet-me roared my name. The king, the queen, bade me seated, speak and tell them all the story of my voyage. And when I ceased to speak, the king, the queen, sank from their thrones and melted into tears, and knelt, and lifted hand and heart and voice, and praised a god, who led me through the waste. Tennison Seven months had passed since Columbus had sailed from Spain in the dim light of that summer morning. Now he was back. Through tempestuous seas and raging winter gales he had guided his ship well, and Spain knew how to do him honour. His journey from the coast to the court was like a royal progress. The wonderful news of his return had spread far and wide. The roads were lined with excited villagers, the air was rent with shouts of joy. His entrance into the city was not unlike the triumph decreed by the old Romans to their heroes. First came six natives, brought back from the islands by Columbus, painted in their savage fashion and decorated with ornaments of gold. Bearers followed, with forty parrots and other birds of strange and brilliant colouring. Skins of unknown animals, and priceless curious plants. On horseback rode Christopher Columbus, his stately figure and gray hair marking him out among the mounted chivalry of Spain. The king and queen rose to receive him, and as he stooped to kiss their hands they bade him be seated. A rare honour in that proud Spanish court. Not Spain only, but the whole civilised world was filled with wonder and delight. The opinion of Columbus was adopted. Cuba lay off the coast of Asia. The island was not far from the land of the great Khan, Marco Polo's country. It lay in the Indian seas, together with the other newly discovered island. So they were called the West Indies, which named they have borne ever since, though we know now that they are not near Asia at all, but close to the coast of South America. The departure of Columbus on his second voyage was a brilliant contrast to the gloomy start of a year ago. The Bay of Cadiz, the gates of the old Phoenicians, was full of his ships. The fifteen hundred men who were to sell with him were in the highest spirits, for were they not bound for the golden realms of the new world, where wealth, wonder and enjoyment awaited them. The start was made on September 25th, 1493. Two months later Columbus sailed into the beautiful Bay of Haiti, an island he had discovered on his first voyage, lying to the south of Cuba. Here he built a town, and called it Isabella, after the Queen of Spain. Sailing on, he found a new island, which the natives called Jamaica. Still, he had dreams of finding India, perhaps sailing home by the Cape of Good Hope, as yet only dimly shadowed by Bartholomew Diaz. But his ships were leaky, his men proved troublesome, he himself grew ill, and they were obliged to put back to the new colony of Isabella to recruit. More troubles here. Complaints broke from the new settlers. They had thought they would become rich men at once, and this was impossible. Columbus was not a Spaniard like themselves, but an Italian. Reports reached the years of the king and queen in Spain. The colonists returned, spreading false stories of the cruelty of the new viceroy and the conditions of the newly found country. A Spaniard was sent out to the new colony to inquire if this was all true or not, and to take charge of Isabella. Columbus was away when he arrived on an exploring expedition. He returned to find himself accused of tyranny, cruelty, deceit, and failure. Columbus made up his mind to return at once to Spain and see the king and queen. The ships were ready to depart when a terrific storm swept the island of Haiti, sinking ships in the harbor. The natives were overwhelmed for never had they known such a tremendous storm. Out of the wrecks a new ship had to be made and another repaired to carry Columbus home. Meanwhile a rich gold mine was discovered inland. This would be good news for Columbus to carry to Spain. For himself he made sure he had found the oafer of the ancients, possibly the very mines from which King Solomon procured the gold for the building of the Temple of Jerusalem. It was June 11th, 1496, before he found himself again in the harbor of Cadiz. People had crowded down to greet the great discoverer, but instead of a joyous crew, flushed with new success and rich with the spoils of golden indies, a feeble train of wretched men crawled on shore, thin, miserable, and ill. Columbus himself was dressed as a monk and a long gown girded with a cord. His beard was long and unshaven. The whole man was utterly broken down with all he had been through. The king and queen listened to his explanation and soon preparations were set on foot to send him out again to the new country. CHAPTER 39 Columbus in Chains When shall the world forget thy glory and our debt, indomitable soul? WATSON Columbus While Columbus was pleading his cause in Spain and preparing for another expedition, Vasco de Gama was sailing for the first time round the dreaded Cape. And it is curious to think that he made the coast of India just ten days before Columbus sailed for the third time for the new world he had discovered. Thus India and the East were to Portugal at this time, what America and the West were to Spain. It was in the month of May 1498 when Columbus started off again. After passing the Cape Verde Islands he steered to the south west, hoping to make for new islands to the south of Cuba and Haiti. He soon found himself in a dead calm sea. The air was like a furnace, the tar melted from off the ships, the seams yawned, the salt and meat went bad, the sailors lost strength and spirits, and Columbus himself lay in raging fever. He had reluctantly to alter his course and steer to the north again. It was three months since they left Spain, when a sailor from the masthead saw land. Three mountains seemed to rise up out of the sea, and when Columbus reached the island, for island it was, he called it the Trinity, or Trinidad, which name it bears today. Then he sailed between this island and the mainland, little knowing that the land was South America, the great continent for which he had been searching all these long years. Here he obtained a large quantity of pearls from the natives, and he would gladly have spent longer in the neighborhood, but his stores were at an end, and he himself was nearly blind, with eyes worn out from over-watching and anxiety. Passing through the narrow straits between Trinidad and the mainland, he was nearly wrecked. A foaming, roaring current rushed through the narrow passage which Columbus called the Dragon's Mouth. But he reached Haiti in safety, to be received with open arms by his brother who had been ruling over the little Spanish colony in his absence. Things had gone ill with the colony, and Columbus did not improve matters by his presence. He was no statesman, no leader of men. He punished the leading colonist, he made slaves of the natives, and took other measures for reducing the colony to order. Complaints, again, reached the king and queen, who at once sent out a Spaniard to replace Columbus in his command. This high-handed knight at once put Columbus in chains and shut him up in a fortress. One day an officer entered, and Columbus thought they were going to hang him. "'Whither are you taking me?' he asked hopelessly. "'To the ship, Your Excellency, to embark,' was the answer. "'To embark? Do you speak the truth?' asked the Admiral of the Ocean Sea. "'Indeed, it is true,' answered the officer. He was taken on board a ship, and in October 1500 sailed once more for home. The captain would have taken off his chains, but Columbus refused. "'No,' he said proudly, by royal order I am in chains. I will wear them till my king and queen order them to be taken off, when I will keep them as relics of the reward of my service.' It is said that the eyes of Queen Isabella filled with tears as the white-haired discoverer stood before her, his face lined with suffering. As for Columbus himself, his long pent-up feelings overcame him, and in an agony of weeping he threw himself at her feet. Once more he was restored to favor. Once more he was given ships to sail again for the new country. But there was no more success in store for Christopher Columbus. His fourth voyage revealed little new. Driven to seek shelter in the harbor of Haiti, he was refused an entrance by the new governor of the island, which he, Columbus, had given to the world. Still his dream never left him. He must reach India. He must find the home of Marco Polo's great con before he died. He still believed that Cuba was the coast of Asia, and he was to die in this belief. He had shown the way to the east. It was for others to follow. Hardships, disaster, failure. These were now to be his lot. He returned to Spain a broken man, only to hear the news that the Queen of Spain was dead. She had befriended him when no one else was ready to believe in him. She had understood his sufferings and mingled her tears with his. Now he was friendless. Not only this, he was penniless. I receive nothing of the money that was due to me, he says pitifully, as he nears the end. I live by borrowing. After twenty years of toil and peril I do not own a roof in Spain. I, lying here, bed ridden and alone, cast off, put by, scouted by court and king, the first discoverer starves. And so Christopher Columbus sailed forth on his one last voyage. He died in May, 1506, still dreaming of some vaster Spain he might give his adopted country, the mightiest, wealthiest realm on earth. But all unconscious of the great continent of America, which he had made known to the Wondering World. CHAPTER 40 A GREAT MISTAKE The lamp burns low, and through the casement-bars gray morning glimmers feebly. Browning The great Columbus of the heavens. So they called Copernicus, the man who about this time discovered as much about the heavens as Columbus had discovered about the earth. For he found that for all these hundreds of years the whole world had been laboring under a wrong idea about the relation of the earth to the sun. That the wise and clever men of the past had made a great mistake. Let us see how this man, Copernicus, discovered the truth. He was born in distant Poland in the year 1473, just about the time when Prince Henry was busy sending out his Portuguese ships into the Sea of Darkness to find the Cape of Good Hope. When he died, an old man of seventy, Vasco de Gama had found the route to India by the Cape. Columbus had discovered America, Balboa had seen the Pacific Ocean, Magellan had sailed round the world, Cortez had conquered Mexico, and Pizarro had conquered Peru. Men were stretching out their hands for a new earth. This man was to show them a new heaven. As a boy Copernicus showed great taste for mathematics and astronomy, and such was his ability that he was sent to Rome to lecture on the stars to the students there. But he soon returned to his home in Poland, for he wished to learn more of the sun, moon, and stars, and to have plenty of time for quiet study. The old astronomers told him that the earth was fixed and motionless, while the sun, moon, and stars moved right round her once every twenty-four hours. In this way they accounted for the changes of night and day, darkness and light. But this theory did not satisfy Copernicus at all. He was convinced that the old astronomers were wrong, and yet it seemed almost easier to believe that he himself was wrong than that all the clever men who had lived before him had made such a mistake. He worked on and on, pondering, observing, making instruments to try and learn more about the heavenly bodies. At last, one day there flashed into his mind this idea. Was it possible that the earth was not fixed and motionless after all? Could it be that the earth moved round the sun, and the sun did not move round the earth? There was an old Greek philosopher who had lived twenty centuries before, and he had hinted that this was the case. Eagerly Copernicus turned to the old Greek writings. With breathless interest he read again of this suggestion that the earth was not fixed but moving. Feverishly he worked out his observations on this new theory. It is impossible to imagine the amazement and wonder that filled his mind at the discovery of what is to us today a well-known fact. We know now that day and night are caused by the earth revolving on its own axis, turning first one side to the sun and then the other. That the earth, apparently so still and motionless beneath our feet, is really moving round and round at a pace that no train can touch for speed. As this fact burst on the mind of Copernicus he was awestruck. He did not make known his discovery at once. He went on working as before until he became more and more certain that he was right. When at last he proclaimed his discovery he was simply laughed at. As Columbus had been ridiculed for suggesting that the world was round as he stood before the king and queen of Spain, so Copernicus was scoffed at for his suggestion that the earth moved round the sun. He is suffering from delusions of two childish a character, cried his friends. Think how absurd a jest that neither heavens nor stars do turn at all nor dance about this great round earthy ball. But the earth itself, this massy globe of hours, turns round but once every twice twelve hours. So scoffed the poets at the man who had toiled for thirty-six long years at his theory before he gave it to the world. Fortunately some believed in him and persuaded him to write a book about it. While he sat day after day writing his book he suffered many things from ignorant folk who looked with horror on this man who affirmed that the earth was moving. When at last it was finished Copernicus was an old man, worn out with work, anxiety, and pain. One of his faithful disciples took the precious manuscript to the printing press at Nuremberg. But when it became known that the book was actually being printed all the ignorance and jealousy of his countrymen burst forth. Men tried to get at the press to destroy the book. The printers worked with a loaded pistol ready at their side, while two faithful friends guarded the manuscript day and night. The excitement of the author was intense. It utterly broke him down. He became very ill and it was feared that he would never see his book in print. It was the twenty-third of May, fifteen forty-three. Copernicus was sinking rapidly. Silence reigned in the sick room where he lay dying. His book had not come. Suddenly the flicker of a smile lit up the old man's face. The sound of a horse's hooves were coming nearer and ever nearer. Another minute and the printed book containing his life's work was gently laid in his almost nervous hands. His wasted fingers grasped the volume for which he had longed and waited. He had not lived his life in vain. Sinking back with a deep sigh of satisfaction, he murmured faintly the pathetic words only caught by those near him. Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in peace. THE DISCOVERY OF NEW WORLDS by M. B. Singh Chapter forty-one FOLLOW THE LEADER Go from the east to the west, as the sun and the stars direct thee. Go with the girdle of man. Go and encompass the earth. Not for the gain of the gold, for the getting, the hoarding, the having. But for the joy of the deed, but for the duty to do. Once Columbus had led the way to the new world, it was easy enough for others to follow. He had resolutely plunged across the unknowly sea of darkness and found land beyond. There is a story told of him that shows that he, too, knew how great had been the plunge. He was sitting at dinner when a Spaniard, somewhat jealous of his fortune, suggested that if he, Columbus, had not found the new country, some other Spaniard might easily have done so. Columbus said nothing, but taking an egg, he asked if any one present could make it stand. All tried, but in vain. Then Columbus took the egg, and having cracked one end on the table, he stood it up. All saw his meaning. Once the thing was done, it was no hard matter to do it again. Columbus had just returned from his discovery of land across the Atlantic, though he had not found the mainland of the new world, when John Cabot started off, full of enthusiasm for a voyage across the ocean. Like Columbus he was an Italian by birth, and like him, Cabot had applied to the two courts of Portugal and Spain for ships and money. But finally he was sailing from England. Bristol, the chief sea port of England at this time, traded with Venice and Lisbon, and her merchants had already ventured some distance out into the broad Atlantic. It was from Bristol that John Cabot and his son Sebastian sailed one bright May morning in the famous year 1497, a year which they were to make yet more famous by their further discoveries. They sailed with one small ship and only eighteen sailors, and soon found themselves tossing on the yet dimly known ocean. By the end of June they had fallen in with land. It was really Newfoundland, off the coast of North America, but they thought it was China, the land of the Great Con. Never since the old Viking days had white men been seen on these shores, and they had left no trace. By July the Cabots were home again, telling the King of England Henry VII of their good fortune. It is amusing to find the thrifty king bestowing on him that found the new isle the famous grant of ten pounds, but other honors were heaped upon him. He was called the Grand Admiral and dressed in silk, and we hear further that the English ran after him like madmen. Again and again after this Sebastian Cabot sailed to North America, ever bringing back news of fresh lands discovered and fresh wonders seen. But as yet no colonists felt tempted to settle in the Bleak North. The inhospitable shores of Labrador offered no attraction, and it was a long time before any use was made of these discoveries. Neither did Cabot himself ever know the value of them. But he died, as his great leader had died, still thinking that he had found the coast of China, the Golden Cathay of Marco Polo. The story of Amerigo Vespucci, who also followed his leader to the new country, is curious, for it was named after him America. He had made several voyages to the West, while Columbus was yet going backwards and forwards to his newly discovered lands. He had sailed under a Spaniard through the dragon's mouth between Trinidad and the main land of South America. Had found a village, forty-four large houses built on huge tree trunks and connected by bridges. It was like the Italian Venice rising out of her lagoons, and is known today as Venezuela, or Little Venice. But it was not till after the death of Columbus, after Amerigo Vespucci had been many times to the West and coasted down the East Coast of South America, much farther than Columbus had ever done, that the idea began to dawn on men that this land was neither Asia nor Africa, that it was not the land of the great Khan nor the India of Vasco da Gama, but a new continent altogether. It is proper to call it a new world, says Amerigo Vespucci. And why? Because these lands were unknown to the men of old. They said over and over again that there was no land south of the equator. But this last voyage of mine has proved them wrong, since in southern regions I have found a country more thickly inhabited by people and animals than our Europe or Asia or Africa. Thus he wrote to a friend in Italian. It was translated into Latin, printed and published in Paris as a little four-leaved tracklet, and eagerly read. Amerigo Vespucci had discovered another world beyond the equator, they said. It was not the land of Columbus, but altogether something new and strange. For the first time, the vague idea of a new continent began to take shape in the public mind. Vespucci's voyages were widely read. And in the year 1507, we find these words in a little old geography book written at this time to tell people all that was known about the world. The earth was divided into three parts, says the little old book. But now it goes on. These parts have been more thoroughly explored, and another fourth part has been discovered by Amerigo Vespucci. Wherefore, adds the author, I do not see what is rightly to hinder us from calling it America, the land of Americas, after its discoverer, Americas. The name was taken up, and in the maps of the time we find a vague piece of land somewhere away in the Atlantic Ocean called America. It was left for others to discover that the land of Columbus, of Cabot, and of Amerigo Vespucci were one and the same. End of Chapter 41 Chapter 42 of the Discovery of New Worlds. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M.B. Singh. Chapter 42. Discovery of the Pacific. This day is full of glorious victory. Echoes of conquest whisper from afar in every wave of the remembering sea. H. Begbie. Among all the wonderful stories in the Discovery of America, there is none more thrilling than that of the Spaniard Balboa, the Stowaway, who found the Great Pacific Ocean, lying beyond the newly discovered country. All eyes were now turned towards America. Ship after ship still sailed westward. Still no one had a jet across the mainland. No one knew for certain that a great sea washed the farther coast of the New World, which lay between Europe and Asia, Spain, and China. Among others who left Spain to settle in the new colony of Haiti, founded by Columbus, was Vasco Nunes de Balboa. He had not been a successful tiller of the soil and before long he found himself in debt. By law, no debtor was allowed to leave the country, so Balboa had been forced to see expedition after expedition depart from Haiti for adventure and conquest, leaving him always behind. One day a ship sailed away from the new colony. On board were soldiers, sailors, arms, and food. In the midst of the cargo stood a barrel, supposed to contain food, but it contained a live man instead. The ship was well out to sea when the Stowaway crawled out of his barrel and appeared on deck. It was Balboa, the Spanish Knight. The captain was very angry and threatened to land him on a desert island. But Balboa's entreaties touched him and he was allowed to sell on with the rest of them. They were close to land when the ship ran upon a rock and was very soon dashed to pieces. Balboa, a man who was never deterred, now rose to the occasion. He led the shipwrecked party to a friendly Indian village near Darien. The Spaniards were on the narrow neck of land now known as the Ismas of Panama, which joins North and South America, though they knew it not. Arrived here, Balboa deposed the captain, sent him back to Haiti, and made himself governor of the Little Colony. He explored the neighborhood, finding Indian villages rich in gold, and the chiefs ready to give information about the new country. One day some gold was being weighed out to the Spaniards, who were quarreling over the quantity. When the Prince, who was disgusted with their behavior, dashed the gold from the scales, crying, What is this, Christians? Is it for such a little thing that you quarrel? If you have such a love of gold that to obtain it you harass the peaceful nations of these lands, I will show you a country where you may fulfill your desires. You will have to fight your way with great kings. Among them, one whose country is distant from our country, six sons. The Prince pointed away to the south, where he said, lay a great sea. There were sails and oars on the sea, and if they crossed it, they would find a land of great riches, where people drank out of golden cups. A feverish longing to find this great sea seized Balboa, but he could not reach it with so few men. So he sent a messenger back to the King of Spain to beg for help. Storms raged in the Atlantic Ocean, and it was eight months before the messenger reached Spain. Then he found that the captain deposed by Balboa had been before him and poisoned the King's mind against his subject. Something of this reached the years of Balboa in distant Darien. He felt his dismissal would come, and he must find the great new sea first. So he collected about two hundred men and started on his perilous expedition. Making friends of the Indians he met, Balboa reached at last the high range of mountains which divided him from the other coast. Led by the native guides, the Spaniards struggled up the steep sides, up and ever upwards. At last the guides signed to Balboa that he was near the top. He bathed his men sit down. He must be alone to see that great sight for which his soul had yearned. It was all true. As he reached the summit of the peak he looked down over the vast Pacific Ocean, bathed in the brilliant light of a tropical sun. He was the first man from the Old World who had seen it. Falling on his knees he thanked God, for that he had discovered the Sea of the South. Then he beckoned up his men. You see here, gentlemen and children mine, he said, when they had gathered at the top and were feasting their eyes on the view before them, the end of our labours. It was not unlike the moment when Hannibal stood on the top of the snowy Alps and pointed to his men the land of Italy lying below in the sunshine. Then having sunned the Tadeum, they made a cross, heaped up stones and took formal possession of the sea and all that was in it in the name of the King of Spain. After this they made their way down the farther side of the mountain to the beach. Finding two native canoes on the shore, two men sprang in and pushed off, crying aloud that they were the first Europeans to sail on the new sea, while Balboa waded in up to his hips, sword in hand, to take possession of the sea for Spain. Thus on September 29, 1513, was completed the first discovery of the Pacific Ocean. The discoverer, Balboa, was made governor of the new sea, but five years later he was beheaded by one who was jealous of his powers. End of Chapter 42 Chapter 43 of the Discovery of New Worlds. They were the first that ever burst into that silent sea, Coleridge. Before relating how Magellan started off on his voyage round the world, let us turn back for a moment and see how former discoverers had prepared the way for this wonderful voyage. It was just one hundred years since Prince Henry of Portugal had set up his watchtower on the bleak southern coast of Spain, dispatching ship after ship to explore the western coast of Africa. Forty-six years later the equator was passed. After forty years and Bartholomew Diaz had sighted the mysterious cape at the south of Africa, which was discovered by Vasco de Gama eleven years later on his way to India. So much for the Portuguese voyages to the east. Meanwhile Columbus was sailing to the west in the service of Spain, discovering islands off the coast of North America, to be followed by Cabot to Newfoundland, Cabral to Brazil, and Amerigo Vespucci to the mouth of the Great River La Plata, to the south of Brazil. All these explorers had touched the coast of America at different points, fondly dreaming that it was the coast of Asia. Other ideas were, as we have seen, slowly taking shape when Balboa discovered the great sea on the far side of America, thus enlarging the geography of the world. There was a young Portuguese sailor called Magellan. He had sailed with Albuquerque in the expedition to Goa, after which he had accompanied him to the islands beyond India, now known as the East Indies, in the first European ships which had ventured beyond Ceylon. Here is a story told of Magellan, which shows him to be made of the stern stuff of heroes. While the ships were preparing to take in a cargo of pepper and ginger from the city of Malacca, the king was plotting for their destruction. The commander of the expedition was sitting on the quarter-deck of his flagship, deep in a game of chess, which the dark faces of the natives watched intently. No one suspected them of treason. A shore, the houses rose one above another on the hillside, while the tall tower of the citadel glistened in the September sunshine. On time to time the natives on the shore and on board glanced to the top of the tower, expecting every moment to see the puff of smoke which would tell them to fall upon the foreigners and put them to death. But the secret had just leaked out. Information reached the nearest ships and suddenly the Portuguese sailors began chasing the natives from their decks. Magellan sprang into a boat and made for the flagship, shouting, treason, treason. He was just in time to save the chess-loving commander. Meanwhile one Serrano, in charge of the cargo, was being pursued by the light skiffs of the Malay natives. He was struggling against fearful odds when Magellan rode up and joined battle with such strength and fury that he saved Serrano. The European guns soon did the rest, and the Malays attacked no more. This was the beginning of a devoted friendship between Magellan and Serrano, out of which grew perhaps the most wonderful voyage ever related in history. Soon after this Magellan returned to Portugal. For seven long years and more he had fought with wind and wave. He had suffered the hardships which belonged to the life of a sailor in those early days of navigation. He was longing to be off again, to explore farther among those islands beyond India. Dreams of finding his way to them by sailing westwards past the New World of Columbus never left him. There must be some straight through which he could reach the Indian Ocean and the Spice Islands, as some of these East India islands were called. He laid his plan before the King of Portugal, but he refused to listen or help. Magellan then asked whether he might go and lay his scheme before some other master. You can do as you please, answered the King. Upon this Magellan desired to kiss his hand at parting, but the King would not offer it. As Columbus, Cabot, and Vespucci had done before him, Magellan now passed from Portugal into Spain. He soon found favor in the eyes of Charles V, the Boy King of Spain, who ordered an expedition to be fitted out under his command. Away into the great South Sea, discovered so lately by Balboa, Magellan was to sail. His scheme was not unlike that of Columbus. His dream was to be realized yet more fully than that of the famous discoverer of America. Sail to the West and the East will be found. End of Chapter 43 Chapter 44 of the Discovery of New Worlds This Libervox recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M.B. Singh Chapter 44 Magellan's Straits Beneath the southern stars-cold gleam he braves, and stems the worlds of land-surrounded waves, forever sacred to the hero's name, these foaming straits shall bear his deathless fame. Come on. It was on September 20th, 1519, that Magellan's little fleet put out to sea. There were five ships, all small, all old, and the worse for the ware. The flagship was the Trinidad, though it was not the largest. The smallest ship was commanded by another Serrano, the brother of Magellan's friend, who was still in the East Indies. One was called the Victoria. Little did they think that she alone would struggle back to tell the tale of the wonderful voyage round the world. She alone, and without her commander, Magellan. Some two hundred and eighty men sailed with the fleet, a medley crew of Spaniards and Portuguese, Italians, French, Germans, Greeks, one Englishman, and some Black men. But the King of Portugal was determined that the expedition smiled on by the young King of Spain should not succeed, and the seeds of mutiny were sown among the captains, who actually sailed out of port with treason in their hearts. Though this came to the ears of the commander, yet, be they true men or thoughts, I will fear them not, said Magellan, I will do my appointed work. It was three months before they reached the coast of Brazil in South America. Great Atlantic storms had driven the frail ships out of their cores. Water had grown scarce. Food ran short, and mutiny was brewing. The Spaniards whispered among themselves that the Portuguese commander was not loyal. One day the captain of one of the ships came on board the Trinidad and faced Magellan with threats and insults. He was not a little astonished when Magellan, a strong man with fierce black eyes, seized him and had him bound in irons and sent on board another ship as a prisoner. This firm conduct on the part of the commander quieted matters for a time. They sailed on south to the River La Plata and satisfied themselves that it was a river and no strait. On they went, coasting ever south and looking for some opening which should lead them into the Great South Sea, seen by Balboa six years before. The cold now became intense, so that finding a sheltered harbor at last and plenty of fish Magellan anchored for the winter months. It was Easter time when another mutiny, long smoldering, burst forth in its full fury. The hardships of the voyage had been intense. The terrific Atlantic storms had strained the worn-out ships. The Spaniards felt that they had done enough. But like Vasco de Gama the commander was firm. They had put their hands to the plow. There must be no turning back. It was Easter day when two of the Spanish captains boarded one of the other ships, seized its loyal captain, put him in arms, and handed round a generous supply of food. With three ships now in their hands it seemed easy enough to capture the flagship, murder Magellan, and seize the faithful Serrano. But Magellan heard of their design. He sent a messenger with five men bearing concealed arms to summon one of the traitor captains on board the flagship. I am not to be caught thus, smiled the Spanish captain, as he read the command and shook his head. As he refused, Magellan's messenger drew his dagger and stabbed him. He fell dead on the deck of his ship. The crew surrendered at once to Magellan's brother-in-law, who now took command of the ship. Magellan blockaded the two remaining ships in the harbor. One of the captains was then beheaded, the other being kept in chains till the fleet sailed off once more, when he was put ashore and left to his fate. Such prompt measures put down Mutiny for the rest of the voyage, and once more the ship sailed on their way. It was now August in the year 1520, nearly a year since they had left home. But it was not till October that they at last found the bay for which they were searching. With headwinds and bad weather, the ships fought their way inch by inch between broken land and islands with strong currents running. In this way a month passed by. The crew's begged to turn back. They were riding to distraction. If we have to eat the leather on the ship's yards, yet we will go on, answered the brave Magellan. His words came truer than he knew. For later on, broken down with famine and sickness, they actually did eat the leather on the yards. At last came a day when they reached a cape beyond which lay the open sea, Baoboa's Sea of the South. It was the end of the straits through which they had fought for five long weeks. Anne says the old story. When the captain Magellan was past the strait and saw the way open to the other main sea, he was so glad thereof that for joy the tears fell from his eyes. The broad expanse of calm waters looked peaceful to his tired eyes after the heavy storms through which he had passed, and he called the still sea before him the Pacific Ocean, which name it bears to-day. End of Chapter 44 Chapter 45 of the Discovery of New Worlds This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M.B. Singh Chapter 45 Round the World The far-famed ship Victoria, men shall sight, anchored in safest waters by Seville, when she had girdled ocean plain profound and circled earth in one continuous round. Camoans It was the 28th of November, 1520, when three ships sailed out into the open sea. Two had already deserted and basely made for home to spread ill reports about the stout-hearted Magellan. They now sailed northward along the far coast of South America to escape the intense cold. The violent sudden tempests of the Atlantic had given place to steady winds which drove them gently over the calm surface of the Pacific Ocean. This lasted for three months and twenty days, but during this time their sufferings were intense. Once more a sea of darkness must be crossed. The brave hearts despaired as day after day passed by, week after week, month after month, and their straining eyes could catch no side of land. As they sailed on and on over the immense waste of waters, the great size of the world began to dawn on them. It was so much larger than anyone had ever imagined. They had thought on leaving the shores of America that they would soon find the coast of Asia or India. All December and January they sailed on. Daily their sufferings became more intense. The old historian tells us the heart-rending details. Having consumed all their biscuits and other victuals, he says, they fell into such necessity that they were forced to eat the biscuit powder that remained, now full of worms. They did eat skins and pieces of leather which were folded about certain great ropes of the ships. But these skins being made very hard by reason of the sun, rain, and wind, they hung them by a cord in the sea for the space of four or five days to soften them. By reason of the famine and unclean feeding some of their gums grew so over their teeth that they died. Indeed, nineteen died and thirty more lay too ill to do any work. Still they sailed on over this everlasting stretch of water, vast beyond all knowing. Still that iron will of the commander never bent. With resolute eyes Magellan gazed westward for that land that he knew they must reach sooner or later, for the world he knew was round. At last, after ninety-eight days of weary sailing, they came upon some islands where they could get fresh vegetables and fruit and end their acute sufferings. After ten days' refreshment they left the islands and sailed on in search of more land. They soon reached another group which were afterwards named the Philippine Islands after Philip of Spain, who was born six years after their discovery. Though no Europeans had been here before, yet traders from China were here, and Magellan soon realized the importance of the place. He must be near the famous spice islands too, for the natives brought spice to exchange, as well as bananas and coconuts. With a good supply of food, the six sailors soon grew better, and for some time Magellan cruised about the islands, making friends as well as Christians of the natives. The Easter services were performed on one of the islands with great ceremony. A cross and crown of thorns was presented to the native king, to be set up on the highest mountain in the island that all might see and worship. Thus April passed away in teaching the natives, trading and establishing the power of Spain everywhere. But on one island his religious enthusiasm carried Magellan too far. Deciding to subdue a troublesome chief, Magellan landed on one of the islands. It was early dawn on the morning of April 27, 1521. He at once sent a message to the king to beg him to pay tribute to Spain, or he should learn how lances wounded. The answer was defiant. If the Spaniards had lances, the islanders had reeds and stakes hardened by fire. With forty-eight armed men Magellan stepped ashore to be met by hundreds and thousands of natives. The fight was desperate and against fearful odds. Again and again Magellan was wounded, until at last says the old historian who fought by his side all through that last day. At last the Indians threw themselves upon him with iron-pointed bamboo spears and every weapon they had and ran him through. Our mirror, our light, our comforter, our true guide, until they killed him. So died Magellan in a miserable skirmish at the last. With a dauntless courage in the face of tremendous odds he had accomplished his work. He had sailed westward over the unknown part of the ocean to a part already reached by Europeans going eastward, thus proving once and forever that the world was round. The foaming straits at the foot of South America will ever bear his name, which is one of the most famous in the history of Discovery. And who took home the great news? The little ship Victoria alone. On the sixteenth of May, with starvation thinning her ranks, one mast gone, her timbers strained and worn, she cleared the Cape of Good Hope on her homeward way and a friendly current bore her over the equator. So starving were the sailors of whom there were but eighteen left that they had to stop at the Cape Divert Islands to recruit. And it was not till September 8 that the welcome shores of Spain hove in sight, and the famine-stricken Spaniards stepped ashore to tell the story of their three years' voyage. It was a story without equal in its sufferings and misery, its failure and success, a story without equal in the annals of history, for it told of the first circumnavigation of the globe by Magellan. We now come to one of the most romantic chapters in the world's history, The Conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortez and the tragic end of Mexico's native king, Monizuma. A new and glorious world had been thrown open. No longer did the Spanish sailors recoil with horror at the thought of the dark and stormy waters of the broad Atlantic. There was treasure beyond. Was it not a land of gold and pearls? Ship after ship sailed across in safety, always making for Haiti or Cuba, the West Indies of Columbus. From these centers the Spaniards sailed to unknown coasts and wondered about strange new countries. One day in the year 1518 some Spaniards, sailing west from Cuba, landed on soil and met natives whom they at once recognized as different to any they had seen before. They were astonished to see houses built of stone and lime. The soil cultivated, gold ornaments on the people, and delicately made cotton garments. They gave the Spaniards rich treasures of jewels and golden ornaments of wondrous form and workmanship. Surely here was a rich country, a country which must be conquered for Spain as soon as possible. A messenger was sent off to the mother country with news of this rich discovery and its treasures of gold. The king, no longer Ferdinand, was pleased, and he soon selected a rich subject, Hernando Cortes, to take charge of an expedition to this new country which the natives called Mexico. Cortes had already been to Cuba. He was delighted at the prospect of his new work. He received his instructions from the king of Spain. He was to convert the Indians of Mexico to the Christian faith. He was to impress on them the greatness of Spain, to which country they should in future look for protection, showing their goodwill by presence of pearls, gold, and precious jewels. All was to be done for the service of God and the king. On the 18th of November 1518 Cortes set sail from Spain. His banner was a red cross set amid flames of blue and white, on a background of black velvet and gold, bearing the motto, Friends, let us follow the cross, and under this sign we shall conquer. Arrived at Cuba, he mustered his forces. There were 110 sailors, 553 soldiers, 200 natives from Cuba, together with 10 heavy guns and 16 horses. A small enough force for the conquest of Mexico. Before embarking, Cortes addressed his men. I hold out to you a glorious prize, he said, but it is to be warned by incessant toil. Be true to me, as I will be true to you. You are few in number, but strong in resolution, and if this does not fail, the Almighty who has never deserted the Spaniard in his contest with the heathen, will shield you, for your cause is a just one, and you are to fight under the banner of the cross. With great enthusiasm for their leader Cortes, they crossed over to the coast of Mexico. It was April 21st, Good Friday, in the year 1519, when Cortes landed his little force on the very spot where now stands the modern town of Vera Cruz. Little did he think, as he set foot on this desolate beach, that one day a flourishing city should arise to be a market of eastern trade, and the commercial capital of New Spain. Natives now flocked to the shore, bringing presents to the Spanish general, fine cottons, featherwork cloaks, and ornaments of gold, till the men grew enthusiastic over the riches of Mexico. Cortes asked if he could see the ruler of this rich country. He told them all about the great king of Spain, who had sent him thither, that there should be another ruler in the world, as great as their great emperor Montezuma, surprised the natives not a little. They must go and tell him all this news. Then a curious thing happened. One native took a pencil and sketched on a piece of canvas or cotton, pictures of the Spaniards, their dress, their shining helmets, their pointed beards, their arms. Nothing was lost on these Mexican painters. They drew the ships, the water houses, as they called them, with their dark hulls and snow white sails, as they swung lazily at anchor in the bay. To impress them yet more deeply, Cortes ordered his soldiers to go through some of their military exercises on horseback. The clever management of the fiery horses on the wet sand, the shrill blast of the trumpets, the shining swords, filled the natives with surprise. But when they heard the thunder of the guns, and saw the smoke and flame of the cannon, they were filled with terror. They must indeed go and tell their great Montezuma of all they had seen and heard, and they would bring the Spaniards word again, whether he would grant Cortes an audience. End of Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Of the Discovery of New Worlds This looper-box recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M. B. Singh Chapter 47 Montezuma The ports ye shall not enter, the roads ye shall not tread. The natives went back to Montezuma at Mexico. They showed him the pictures of the Spaniards, and he was sore troubled. He had reigned over his country for sixteen years. A sad, severe, somewhat melancholy man, he had a great idea of his own importance. He never set foot on the ground in public, but was carried on the shoulders of noblemen. Whenever he alighted, they laid down rich tapestry for him to walk on. No man, under the rank of a knight, might look on his face. He never put on the same garment twice. He never ate or drank out of the same dish more than once. The people looked on him as a god. Cortes now resolved to pay him a visit in his capital, and he began quietly to prepare for the journey. First he built the little town of Vera Cruz, the True Cross, on the seashore as a basis of future operations. It was dawning on him, too, that there were timid souls in the camp. He did not feel sure they would wait for his return from Mexico, so he made up his mind to do a desperate thing. He destroyed the ships in the harbor of Vera Cruz, all save one. The news created a panic among the Spaniards, now cut off from home and friends. They were on a hostile shore, a mere handful of men against a powerful kingdom. Murmers grew louder and louder. Mutiny threatened. Cortes spoke. If there be any so cowardly as to shrink from sharing the dangers of this glorious enterprise, let them go home. There is one ship left. Let them take it and return to Cuba. They can tell how they deserted their commander and their comrades, and wait till we return, laden with spoils from Mexico. They had put their hands to the plow. There must be no turning back. Enthusiasm for their leader revived. His banner should lead them to victory. Not a man stirred away as the air rang with shouts. To Mexico, to Mexico. The march was long and tedious, and it was three months before Cortes and his army reached the capital. With the first faint streak of dawn on the 8th of November, Monizuma's beautiful city of Mexico came into sight. Forward, soldiers, the holy cross is our banner, and under that sign we shall conquer, cried the commander. With beating hearts and trumpets sounding, the Spaniards strained their eyes over the gorgeous sight before them. The sacred flames on the altars, dimly seen through the mists of the early morning, showed the sight of temples and towers. The palace itself was soon seen in the glorious morning sunshine as it rose and poured over the wondrous valley. Mexico was one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Who shall describe Mexico? cries the enthusiastic historian. Only one who has seen all the wonders of the world. No wonder the Spaniards looked with envy on the fair city. No wonder they longed for the wealth, the boundless wealth, of this wondrous land. At the walls of the city Cortes heard that, after all, Monizuma was coming out to meet them. And true enough the Spaniards soon saw, amid a crowd of nobles, the royal chair blazing with gold. It was born on the shoulders of barefooted knights who walked with downcast eyes. Over the king was a canopy of featherwork, powdered with jewels and fringed with silver. As the king alighted, the Spaniards could see his cloak was sprinkled with precious stones and pearls. On his feet were golden sandals. On his head were plumes of royal gold. Cortes explained his mission. He spoke to the king of his mission to teach the heathen of Christ. He begged Monizuma to give up his idols and strange gods and to abstain from human sacrifices. The king refused. Cortes saw that as long as Monizuma sat on the throne of Mexico, no conversion of the people could take place. They must dethrone the king. In vain to argue with him, he was resolute. Why do we waste time on this barbarian? he cried. Let us seize him, and if he resists, plunge our swords into his body. The fierce tone of the Spaniards alarmed the king. If death were the alternative, then he must go. He looked at the stern faces and iron forms of these strange Spaniards and he felt that his hour was come. One day the Mexicans held a great festival. Monizuma was not allowed to take part in it, but six hundred of his people, decked out in mantles of featherwork and collars of gold, were dancing their sacred dance, when a party of Spaniards rushed on them with drawn swords and without mercy or pity slew them to a man. Then the long pent-up fury of the people burst forth in a great cry for revenge, and they rushed upon the Spaniards. A frantic fight took place until the Spaniards begged Monizuma to intercede. Dressing himself for the last time in his royal robes, the king mounted one of the battlements of his palace. His mantle of blue and white flowed from his shoulders, held together by a rich clasp of green. Emeralds set in gold shone on his dress. His feet were shod in golden sandals, on his head shone the crown of Mexico. As he appeared the clang of war and fierce cries were hushed and a death like silence reigned. All eyes were cast down. Monizuma, the king, was among them. Why do I see my people here in arms? He cried to the crowds below. Is it to release your king? Your king is not a prisoner. These strangers are my guests. Return to your homes then and lay down your arms. Murmers ran through the crowd. Was Monizuma then the friend of these hated Spaniards? Did he not mind all the insults and injuries that had been heaped on their unhappy nation? Their fierce Mexican blood boiled. Base, woman, coward? Such words they flung at the unhappy king. Then a cloud of stones and arrows were aimed at the solitary figure standing aloft on the turret of his palace, and Monizuma fell senseless to the ground. He was borne away by his faithful knights, but he had nothing more to live for. He had tasted the last drop in his bitter cup. His own people had turned against him. A few days later he died. Mexico was no longer a safe place for the Spaniards, and Cortes left the city the following night, hoping to escape under cover of darkness. But the Mexicans were not asleep. They fell upon the Spaniards as they crept noiselessly forth, killed numbers, and took the gold they were carrying away with them. When morning dawned and Cortes gazed at this shattered army, and missed the familiar faces of those who had braved so much for him, he sat down upon a rock, buried his face in his hands, and wept. End of Chapter 47 Chapter 48 of The Discovery of New Worlds This Lubrivox recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by N. B. Singh Chapter 48 Siege and Fall of Mexico So shall inferior eyes that borrow their behavior from the great, grow great by your example, and put on the dauntless spirit of resolution. Shakespeare Not for one moment, however, did the brave Cortes flinch in his purpose of taking Mexico. The melancholy night, as it has since been called in history, had wrought sad havoc with his troops. But such was the determination of the man that ten months later he was ready to besiege the city of Mexico. It was April 28th, 1521, the day after Magellan had died in the Philippine Islands, though Cortes knew it not, for news traveled very slowly in those days. The story of the Siege of Mexico is one of the most striking in the world's history. The dauntless heroism of the Mexicans in their wonderful defense was equaled only by the determination of the Spaniards to suffer no defeat at their hands. With extra supplies of men and ships from Spain Cortes marched to the great city on the waters. Before long on the great lake surrounding the city, sailed the Spanish ships, with music sounding, and the royal flag of Spain proudly floating in the air. The ships, like snowy sea-birds, bounded over the waters, until a shout of admiration broke from the Mexicans. Then guns roared from the shore, and the stern Spaniards felt that success was at last going to crown their efforts. Once more Cortes roused them to enthusiasm. I have taken the last step, he cried. I have brought you to the goal for which you have so long panted, the capital from which you were driven with so much disgrace. We are fighting the battles of the faith, fighting for our honor, for riches, for revenge. I have brought you face to face with your foe. It is for you to do the rest. A thundering chorus of voices declared that every man would do his duty under such a leader as Ferdinand Cortes. So by water and land they attacked the beautiful city, and assaulted the brave defenders. It was a time of unceasing toil, almost beyond the strength of the stubborn Spaniards. Through long, wet, cold nights, and scorched by the tropical sun by day, they had to stand at their posts. Their sufferings were great indeed, but their firm resolve to take the city was greater. Meanwhile, famine was striding through the heart of Mexico. The stores of the Mexicans were exhausted. They had eaten all the Spaniards they could take, as well as rats, lizards, and other reptiles. But their hatred of the enemy was undying, and animated by despair they fought on. Cortes sent message after message to urge surrender. The game was up. The fair city was crumbling into ruins. Spain shall take your city under her protection, ended the proposal. The eye of the young king, Monizuma's nephew, kindled. His dark cheek flushed with sudden anger as he listened to such a message. He called his wise men together. Peace is good, they said, but not with these white men. Better, if need be, give up our lives at once for our country than drag on in slavery and suffering among strangers. Then, cried the young king, let no man henceforth talk of surrender. We can at least die like warriors. But their strength was not equal to their spirit. Their very streets were full of dead and dying men. A man could not set his foot down, said Cortes afterwards, except on the corpse of an Indian. Death was everywhere. Calm and courageous in the midst of dead and dying, his fair capital in ruins before his very eyes, the young king stood firm. In vain Cortes sought an interview to persuade him that his noblest path was now to surrender. Messengers came and went, but the young king refused to see Cortes. Go then, cried Cortes at last, impatiently, and prepare your countrymen for death. Their hour is come. So the ruler of Mexico was captured. Better dispatch me with this and rid me of life at once, he cried desperately, drawing his sword as Cortes came forward to receive him with studied courtesy. The proud bearing of the young Mexican was worthy the spirit of an ancient Roman. Fear not, replied Cortes, you shall be treated with all honor. You have defended your capital like a brave warrior. A Spaniard knows how to respect valor even in an enemy. So the Spaniards conquered Mexico at last. Soon a new city rose on the ruins of the last, still more beautiful, and still more important, until the old riders cried in their ecstasy. Europe cannot boast a single city as fair and rich as Mexico. End of Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Of the Discovery of New Worlds This looper-box recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M. B. Singh Chapter 49 Conquest of Peru Not to be wearied, not to be deterred, not to be overcome Saudi on Pizarro The dazzling conquest of Mexico gave a new impulse to American Discovery. If gold is what you prize so much that you are willing to leave your distant homes in even risk life itself, the Indian Prince had said to Balboa, I can tell you of a land where they drink out of golden vessels and gold is as cheap as iron in your own country. He spoke of Peru on the western coast of South America, washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Among those who heard him was one Pizarro, who as a young man had climbed the steep mountain with Balboa and looked his fill on the hitherto unknown waters of the Pacific Ocean. But it was not till three years after Magellan had sailed across the Pacific Ocean and five since Cortez had conquered Mexico that Pizarro got his chance and started off from the little port of Panama in search of the golden kingdom of Peru. The first expedition was a dismal failure, and after untold hardships Pizarro returned to Panama in a sorry state. Still undaunted in spirit, he again started forth. The land of gold was farther away than he had imagined. The coast was stormy and inhospitable, the natives unfriendly. At last, however, an expedition was fitted out and guided by the clever pilot Ruiz, who was well experienced in the navigation of the Pacific. They reached the island of Galo, near the equator. Here they determined to wait and send back for more troops from Panama as there was clearly fighting to be done on the coast of Peru. But this proposal caused a great outcry. What? Faulted the faint-hearted. Are we to be left in this obscure spot to die of hunger? What did they care for lands of gold? They only wanted to go home. But the ship sailed away for help, and Pizarro was left alone on the far island with his discontented crew. They survived on crabs and shellfish, picked up on the shore, till the two welcome ships returned well laden with food and men. By this time Pizarro's men had made up their minds to return to Panama at all costs. Pizarro was determined to go on. Drawing his sword one day, he traced a line on the sand from east to west, then turning to the south, he cried. Friends and comrades on that side are toil, hunger, nakedness, the drenching storm, desertion and death. On this side ease and pleasure. There lies Peru with its riches, here, Panama and its poverty. Choose each man what best becomes a brave Spaniard, for my part I go south. Saying this he stepped across the line. The brave pilot and twelve others followed him, while the rest turned their faces homewards. The old historian speaks with enthusiasm of this little band of men who in the face of difficulties unequaled in history, with death rather than riches for their reward, never deserted their leader in the hour of his greatest need. An example of loyalty for all future ages. It was the crisis of Pizarro's life. The little band now sailed southwards, six hundred miles south of the equator, touching at various points along the coast. After a year and a half's absence they found themselves once more in the port of Panama, telling their eager listeners that they had indeed found the land of gold, and they had only come back to fit out a new expedition to go and conquer it. Pizarro now returned to Spain, where he obtained leave from the king to attempt the conquest of Peru, of which he was named governor, on a promise to pay the king one fifth part of all the treasure he might get. In February 1531 he landed in Peru with two hundred men and fifty horses. He at once marched south along the coast, built a town which he called San Miguel, as headquarters, and learned more of the country he meant to conquer. Pizarro then started off on his inland journey to find the monarch, or Inca as he was called, of these parts. It was September 1532 when he began his great march over the Peruvian city of Caxamaca, where the king was to be found. It was a daring enterprise, for between the Spaniards and the old city of Peru rose a great mountain range which numbered some of the highest peaks in the whole world. This range was known as the Andes. After a few days' march they saw the stupendous range rising before them, their crests of everlasting snow glittering amid the clouds. It needed some courage to plunge across those lonely mountain ways to the capital of the Incas. Let each man take heart and go forward like a good soldier, cried Pizarro. Lead on, wherever thou thinkest best, shouted his devoted followers, we will follow. Scrambling up rocks, winding along narrow ledges with yawn and chasms below, always leading their horses by the bridle, the brave Spaniards struggled through the very heart of the mountains. At the top they looked down on the little old city of Caxamalia, glittering in the sunshine. Meanwhile the news had reached the Inca that white bearded strangers had come up from the sea, clad in shining array, riding upon unearthly monsters, and wielding deadly thunderbolts. The ruler of Peru at once sent messengers laden with presents to make friends with these strangers. As the conquerors neared the city the Inca was carried on his golden litter to meet them. A solitary white man came forth. It was the Spanish priest who proceeded to give him a long account of Bible history from the creation to the call of Saint Peter, begging him at the same time to accept a Spanish Bible, and thus acknowledge the power of Spain. As the Inca hurled the Bible from him, a number of armed Spaniards rushed out of the houses surrounding the marketplace, where they had been in hiding, seized the terrified Inca and slew his followers. Pizarro had the Inca shut up in a room till his fate should be decided. Making a mark on the wall, as high as his hand would reach, the poor deposed ruler offered the Spaniards as ransom for his life, gold enough to fill the room up to the height he had marked. Pizarro accepted the offer, but afterwards he easily put the Inca to death. A year later Pizarro entered the city of Cusco, the capital of Peru. The city was full of treasure as he had expected. There were figures of pure gold and planks of solid silver. The women wore sandals of gold, and their dresses glittered with beads of gold. So the children of the sun entered into possession of the old town of Cusco, and the conquest of gold and Peru was practically complete. When the loads of gold from this rich city and the wonderful tales of adventure reached Spain, there was such excitement as had hardly been felt since Columbus had returned from his first voyage across the Sea of Darkness. Again Spaniards flocked across the seas to the New World, and ships plied between Spain and Peru. Pizarro himself was made a marquee, and his name was on every lip, for had he not surmounted every obstacle to win this great country for Spain. End of Chapter 49 Chapter 50 of the Discovery of New Worlds This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Discovery of New Worlds by M. B. Singh. Chapter 50 A Great Awakening. And the voices of the day are heard across the voices of the dark. Tennyson. Let us now gather up the threads of our story of the Middle Ages and see how men's eyes were open to all the beauty and the glory of the world around them. The dark ages had passed away forever, the gloom of the 14th century would never return. The tide of barbarianism had swept over the smiling fields of Europe like a torrent of mud, quenching all life and joy. But the seeds were still there, and as time passed on they were to spring up again through the mud, to become yet more beautiful, yet more glorious than they were before. The world had been asleep, and now its time for awakening had come. Partly it came with Christianity. The Crusades showed the spirit that was spreading through Europe, as Christ became more and more a world power, and the eyes of men were turned to the holy city, away in distant Syria. The Great Empire of Rome had fallen, but a far grander empire of the world had arisen from its ashes. As Dante began to sing, the world was turning in its sleep. Its long slumber was disturbed by broken fragments of dream, by gleams of light, by voices in the night, fitting it throw off its world fetters and venture forth into the radiance of the morning light. One of the first to awake had been Prince Henry of Portugal. Over the sea of darkness he had shed a light until the whole ocean was slowly revealed in the brightness of the day. The awakening was slow. Gradually men ventured forth until the Portuguese sailors had doubled the Cape of Good Hope and anchored their merchant fleets in the harbors of India. Columbus added a new world to the old. Magellan proved beyond dispute that the world was round. Meanwhile Copernicus had discovered new wonders in the heavens, and the invention of printing had placed the new wonders in the hands of all. So this sudden contact with new wonders, new lands, and new creeds opened men's eyes to new and glorious possibilities. But there was something else which helped Europe to awake and claim her manhood again. Constantinople, the old capital of the East, had fallen into the hands of the Turks. This important city, away on the Golden Horn, had been the center of learning for centuries, and there had been stored the masterpieces and art treasures of the old world. Now a general flight of her scholars, her artists, her poets, her philosophers had to take place. And with her should they flee save to the shores of Italy, to the little city under the Tuscan Hills, to the old home of Dante, Florence. And so the poetry of Homer and the philosophy of Plato woke to life again in that little city by the River Arno, which was ever the home of learning and art. Here the great thoughts and writings of the Greeks were translated into other languages. The long silence of centuries was broken at last. The ships from Venice brought back manuscripts from the East as the most precious part of their cargo. Scholars from Germany, England, France flocked over the snowy Alps to learn Greek, so that they might carry back the new learning to their own countries. Greece has crossed the Alps, cried one, on hearing a Greek translation of one of the old masters read in Germany. I have given up my whole soul to Greek learning, ceterasmus with enthusiasm, and as soon as I get any money I shall buy Greek books, and then I shall buy some clothes. So a new and joyous life took hold of Europe. Men had been bound, and now they were free. For the first time they opened their eyes and saw. And what they now saw was the beauty of the world, the glory of learning for learning's sake, the love of all that was good and noble on earth. Each man longed to write more beautiful poems, to paint more beautiful pictures, to build more beautiful houses. And this slow awakening of Europe is one of the most wonderful things in the world's history. END OF CHAPTER FIFTY END OF THE DISCOVERY OF NEW WORLDS BY M. B. SING