the foundation of the earth, and hath shut up the sea within doors. He hath established its boundaries beyond which it cannot pass he hath chained it with his word, and said, "Hitherto shalt thou come but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed."

Through this power the Isthmus of Darien has baffled the rage of all the elements, and repelled the storms of all preceding ages. And what changes soever the earth may have undergone in these parts of the globe, through earthquakes, volcanoes, or other causes which have acted on her surface, or insidiously consumed her through subterranean fires, these ramparts have been preserved uninjured to the present time; and are striking monuments of the creating power and preserving care of God.

It is through the word of divine power that the different elements have preserved, and still preserve, their respective abodes; that an equilibrium is maintained between land and water; and that no encroachments since the universal deluge have been suffered in either case, which could unhinge the laws of nature, or, in a general view, either parch, or finally inundate the globe.

The calamities which have befallen it since that total inundation, have been either transient in their continuance, or partial in their application; like momentary eclipses which cast a shadow over the scene, that its beauties might afterwards appear in brighter perfection, and to greater advantage.

In the great volume of nature which we now contemplate, irregularities will appear before us; and they will appear like inflictions or casualties which proceed from the justice of God. But many of these irregularities are branches of a system, the whole of which we cannot fully comprehend; they are secret portions, which unite the more visible parts; and serve as connective links in the vast chain of being and of providence, which both begin and finally terminate in God.

The geographical position of this vast Archipelago which is bounded and protected as we have described, engrosses on the globe a considerable space. Extending from Trinidad southward to the northern Bahama, it includes from 10 to 27 degrees of northern latitude; and stretching from Barbadoes on the east, to the extremity of Cuba on the west, it fills from 60 to 85 degrees of longitude west of London.

The territorial dominion belongs to different European powers, of which considered in every point of view the British is the chief; the other settlements appertain to Spain, to France, to Holland, and to Denmark; but occasionally change their mas ters as the fate of war decides. In the course of those hostilities which from time to time have disturbed the tranquillity of Eu

rope, and desolated so many fertile countries, these islands have. been sometimes the theatre of devastation, and scenes of rapine and plunder have been occasionally exhibited, as they, happened to fall a prey to one or other of the opposing powers. The calamities of war in all the varied forms in which they afflict mankind, have been severely felt in these colonies, and seem to have counteracted that profusion of blessings, which the providence of God, in the productions of nature, has scattered with such a liberal hand.

The cruelties which the unhappy natives have undergone; the unheard of tortures to which they have been exposed; the depredations which have been committed upon the inhabitants by Europeans, even when they had extirpated the natives, and then thirsted for each other's blood, would half induce us to believe that these islands were marked out for the vengeance of Heaven; and that the inhabitants had been doomed to suffer those evils which so awfully overtook them, as a punishment for some most heinous crimes.

But how strongly soever the contention for empire may have been on other occasions, yet in the course of those wars which too frequently happen between Great Britain and France, after desolating with fire and sword the territories which they respectively acquired by conquest in times of hostilities, they have almost uniformly restored them to the first proprietors by treaties of peace.

The first discovery of these islands was made by Christopher Columbus. This celebrated navigator was born in some obscure village, within the territory of the republic of Genoa, A. D. 1442. Tradition reports that he was honourably descended, but time and misfortunes concurred to reduce his parents to humiliating circumstances; so that, at an early period of his life, necessity prompted him to action, and, in the end, patient and laborious merit conducted him through the rugged and uneven paths of enterprize to fame and honour.

Brought up to the sea, he became an early adept in the theory and practice of navigation, and acquired a greater share of nautical information than any of his contemporaries, either in his own, or any other country. From a combination of circumstances which fell under his observation in the course of trading voyages from his own country towards the Atlantic ocean, he concluded that undiscovered regions lay to the westward, beyond that immense body of waters.* After submitting the evidences

* That Columbus was fully persuaded in his own mind of the existence of an immense tract of land lying in some undiscovered part of the globe, appears most evident to the attentive inquirer. It was this persuasion which gave energy to his pursuits, and prompted him to exertions apparently beyond the reach of man.

which, had confirmed him in his opinion, to the investigation of the most learned men of those times, and finding no material

It was the opinion of the Abbé Raynall and others, that Columbus from an attentive survey of the world as it then stood delineated on maps, conceived that there was too great a disproportion between the land and water; and they say that this circumstance first suggested to him the idea of pursuing a westerly route, in quest of another continent which was then unknown.

There are others however who attribute this first idea of Columbus to a different motive; and imagine that the only object which he had in view in taking westerly direction, was to find a much nearer passage to India;-a country which was then known to several states in Europe, and had occasionally been visited before that time.

The spherical figure of the earth was well known to Columbus, and to many geographers who lived before, and were contemporaries with him. These geographers divided the equator into 360 portions, and invented those modes of measuring the latitudes and longitudes of places which they have handed down to us, and which we retain in use to the present day. According to their geographical calculations, they imagined that the most easterly land with which they were acquainted, lay about 225 degrees east of their first meridian, which then passed through the Canary or Fortunate Islands.

Admitting this calculation to have been just, Columbus well knew that these longitudes which stretched into such distant regions eastwardly, must leave but a comparatively small portion of the globe on the western side. For since

the whole circumference of the earth at the equator contained but 360 degrees (or 24 hours, allowing 15 degrees to an hour) and since 225 lay to the east of the first meridian, it followed as an inevitable consequence, that only 135 could remain unexplored in the western longitudes; and consequently, that could a passage be once found through the western ocean which he was about to explore, a much more expeditious mode of communication would be opened with India, than that which was then pursued by the Portuguese and others.

With these designs and under these impressions founded upon the established but grossly inaccurate geography of his age, Columbus undertook his perilous voyage; set sail, and found America much sooner than his calculations could have induced him to expect, had they been well founded. Indeed, neither he nor any of his contemporary geographers pretended to set boundaries to the land in the east; only they imagined that they could trace it into those eastern longitudes which have been mentioned, but how much further was quite unknown. If these were his views, it is not probable that he would have wilHingly relinquished his design till his arrival near the Sandwich Islands, at which part of the globe he would have fallen in with these eastern longitudes.

Under these circumstances it perhaps hard to say, whether the discovery of America under Providence may be ascribed to accident or design. But be it attributed to what it may, the bold and adventurous spirit of Columbus is equally an object of admiration and astonishment. If we impute the discovery to accident, under these views we must admit that his daring calculations must have inclined him to explore unknown oceans, much beyond those which were actually traversed by him.

Steering thus into those western longitudes, Columbus, on his seeing land, was satisfied that he had found some part of Asia, to which he gave the common name of Indies. But as this had been discovered by a westerly course of navigation, while the other lay in the east, it obtained from him through this circumstance the name of West Indies, which name was soon established in Europe, and is retained to the prescut time.

But whether the motives of Columbus in exploring those almost shoreless oceans, were to discover the extremities of Asia, or to seek after that contineat VOL. I.

G

objection in their arguments to discountenance his hypothesis, he quitted his native country, in search of powerful and opulent patrons who might enable him to prosecute his plan of demonstrating the real existence of such undiscovered territories. It is not known by what means he found sufficient interest to make application to most of the courts of Europe for encouragement, nor how he supported the expences of travelling; but it is well ascertained that he came to England, after having met with a very mortifying reception at the French court, and offered his plan to our Henry VII. whose love of money being his predominant passion, he would not adventure the requisite expenditures for so great an undertaking upon such an uncertain issue. The Portuguese rejected his proposals from timidity, not daring at that time to undertake distant voyages.* * These repeated disap→ pointments, however, did not deter him from making a final attempt at the court of Spain, where Isabella of Castile, by her marriage with Ferdinand the Catholic, the first king of Spain on whom that title was conferred, had brought him in dowry the ancient kingdom of Castile, and had thereby considerably increased not only the territorial domains but the revenue of Spain. Here after a suspense of some years, he at last beheld himself in a condition to carry his favourite project, as it was then called, into execution.

which he actually found, no positive evidence can now decide. But whatever his motive or motives were, the event which followed his undertaking is certain; his bold and enterprising spirit, under the protection of Heaven, led him to the discovery of this western world, and procured for him that fame which he has so justly acquired. On these distinct but unimportant questions the reader is left to form his own judgment, and to draw his own conclusions; for since no decisive proof can be now obtained, a train of circumstantial probabilities must be his only guide.

Every thing, however trifling in itself, becomes interesting, when it is sprinkled with the hoar of antiquity, and connected with men who have rendered themselves conspicuous in the annals of mankind. We look with anxious sympathy on suffering greatness, and by entering into their feelings, enjoy or suffer all the sensibilities which their narratives can bestow. The smallest particulars which relate to Columbus, are important; every relic is valuable; and while we write his discoveries, we can hardly avoid giving a portrait of his life. The reader on such occasions readily forgives the digression, and is willing to suspend the general narrative to peruse the history of a man, whose name is linked to time, and who cannot be forgotten till time shall be destroyed.

* Stimulated with the successes of Columbus, the Portuguese however soon embarked in an important enterprise which amply recompensed their exertions. In the year 1494, which was only two years after Columbus sailed on his first voyage, Bartholemas Dias running down the coast of Africa discovered its southern extremity, the Cape of Good Hope; but returned without making any further progress. These discoveries however were soon followed up with great success by Vasques de Gama, who in the year 1497 succeeded in his attempt in doubling the Cape, and opening the present passage into the Indian Seas,

It is asserted that his royal patroness was obliged to part with many of her most valuable jewels to defray the expences of fitting out this adventurer's expedition. Be this as it may, it is evident that neither the king nor the Spanish nation had any share in the first enterprise; for a more considerable force must have been the result of the efforts of the Spanish government; whereas, the little fleet which the queen alone was enabled to furnish, might be to the extent of her ability. It consisted only of the St. Mary, on board of which Columbus was permitted to hoist an admiral's flag, a ship of no considerable burden, and of two smaller vessels, the Pinta, and the Nina, called carravalls from their being of light burden, and not much superior to covered boats or barges. It is true, they were victualled, and provided with proper arms and ammunition for a voyage, or residence on shore, of twelve months. With this small squadron Columbus set sail from the port of Palos on the 3d day of August 1492, and in the course of his voyage had difficulties to surmount. The first and most impormany tant was the variation of the compass, which till then had not been observed; this was considered by an ignorant and unprincipled crew as an obstacle to the further pursuit of the voyage. The few gentlemen of Isabella's court, who by her orders attended on the admiral, and as companions were on board his own ship, were easily alarmed, and, wishing to return home, secretly excited the discontent of the sailors; so that a general mutiny was on the eve of breaking out, when land was providentially discovered by Columbus himself, who had constantly encouraged the mariners by the hopes he entertained of being at no great distance from the coasts he so confidently expected to find. An island about fifteen leagues in length, having the appearance of a plain without any hills, lay close aboard of the admiral's ship on the morning of the 12th of October. Columbus, transported with joy, was the first to leap on shore, and was soon followed by the crews of all the ships, when Te Deum was solemnly chanted. This offering of gratitude to God being over, the sailors, ashamed of their late conduct, threw themselves at the feet of their commander, and implored his forgiveness. Columbus then returned to his ship, arrayed himself in a rich dress, and accompanied by his retinue, with all the pomp and splendour which his situation would admit, proceeded to take possession of the island for the crown of Spain, and to give it the name of St. Salvador, as a grateful tribute of remem brance for the dangers he had escaped.

It was one of the Bahama Islands, having the appearance of a delightful country well stored with wood, and watered by a number of rivulets, but in no state of cultivation, which could