mussels, oysters, and many others; moose, a beast bigger than a stag, deer, red and fallow, beavers, wolves, foxes, wildcats, bears, otters, martens, and divers sorts of vermin whose names I know not.

All these and divers other good things do here for want of use increase and decrease. They grow to that abundance that you

water. And in the harbors we frequented, a little boy might take, of cunners and pinacks and such delicate fish, at the ship's stern, more fish than six or ten men can eat in a day; but with the casting net thousands when we

pleased. And scarce any place but cod, cuske, halibut, mackerel, skate, or such like, a man may take with a hook or line what he will. And in divers sandy bays a man may draw with a net great store of mullets, bass, and other sorts of such excellent fish, as many as his net can draw on shore.

There is no river where there is not plenty of sturgeon, or salmon, or both, all of which are to be had in abundance, observing but their seasons. But if a man will go at Christmas to gather cherries in Kent, he may be deceived, though there be plenty in summer. So here these plenties have each their seasons, as I have expressed.

CHAPTER VII

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS1

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS was born at Genoa about 1436. The family had been weavers. Columbus was probably sent to school till he was about fourteen, when he turned to the sea, and for many years made voyages in the Mediterranean, and later beyond that to England, and also south along the coast of Africa.

He became in time an expert geographer and mapmaker, and, being also an experienced seaman, he made charts for sea-captains and merchants.

His native place, Genoa, in northwestern Italy, was an important port and shipping centre for Mediterranean countries, and Columbus often returned here between his voyages and probably employed his time, while at home, in map-making. A number of interesting stories are told of his adventures and shipwreck in these early voyages, but little is definitely known except that he became a thoroughly seasoned and expert sailor and sea-captain.

About the year 1470 he made his way to Lisbon, where his younger brother, Bartholomew, had gone before, as it

1 Authorities: Fiske's "Discovery of America" and Irving's "Life of Columbus."

had become a famous centre for navigators and sea-faring Under the guidance of Prince Henry of Portugal, the Portuguese had become greatly interested in explora

men.

tions along the

west coast of

coast of COLOMBVS LYG VRNOVIORBIS REPTOR

Africa. It is

probable that Columbus sailed

as far as the equator on some of these voyages, and he himself tells of

one of his voyages to England and beyond as far as Iceland.

At Lisbon, in

1473, Columbus

married a beau

tiful Portuguese

COLUMBUS

lady, Philippa, whose father had been governor of Porto Santo, one of the Madeira Islands. Soon afterward Columbus and his wife went to live for a few years on this island. Philippa's father had left property there, including valuable charts, and it is believed that, while

dwelling upon this island, three hundred miles west of the coast of Africa, Columbus first formed the idea of sailing westward to the coast of India.

On account of their rich products the lands along the southern coast of Asia, known as India, were regarded by the people of Europe as the richest of all lands. It was supposed that any one who could find an easy way to India would gain boundless wealth. Before the time of Columbus the trade with India was carried on by ships to the Black Sea, where caravans carried goods from Bagdad and the Persian Gulf along the Tigris to Trebizond. Another caravan route was from the Tigris to Damascus and then to the Mediterranean at Tyre and Sidon. A third route was by way of Alexandria in Egypt, up the Nile and across to the Red Sea. By these different routes, there were brought from India, partly by water, partly by caravan, oil, fruits, gold and precious stones, beautiful silks and embroidered robes, spices and fine weapons. The trade in these valuable products centred in Venice and made that city very rich. But the cities along the overland route to northern Europe, like those of the Rhine and Danube, were made prosperous by this trade with the East. From Europe, cotton and woollen goods, toys, and other products were sent to India. When Columbus was a boy, the Turks conquered Constantinople and closed up the trade routes