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Vol.1.

G. BROWN GOODE COLLECTION

Winterbotham WDISCOVERY OF AMERICA. view of U.S.A.

Vst 3 venturers could reach in the time employed in their voyages, which was comprehended in a very small space. There appears no reason to doubt of the difcovery; but as the land was never colonized, nor any advantages made of it, it may fairly be conjectured, that they reached no farther than the barren country of Labrador. In short, it is from a much later period that we must date the real discovery of America *.

Towards the clofe of the 14th century, the navigation of Europe was fcarcely extended beyond the limits of the Mediterranean. The mariner's compafs had been invented and in common ufe for more than a century; yet with the help of this fure guide, prompted by the most ardent fpirit of difcovery, and encouraged by the patronage of princes, the mariners of thofe days rarely ventured from the fight of land. They acquired great applaufe by failing along the coaft of Africa and discovering fome of the neighbouring iflands; and after pufhing their researches with the greatest industry and perfeverance for more than half a century, the Portuguefe, who were the moft fortunate and enterprifing, extended their difcoveries Southward no farther than the equator.

The rich commodities of the East, had for feveral ages been brought into Europe by the way of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean; and it had now become the object of the Portuguefe to find a paffage to India, by failing round the Southern extremity of Africa and then taking an Eaftern course. This great object engaged the general attention of mankind, and drew into the Portuguese fervice adventurers from every maritime nation in Europe. Every year added to their experience in navigation, and feemed to promife a reward to their induftry. The profpect, however, cf arriving at the Indies was extremely diftant; fifty years perfeverance in the fame track, had brought them only to the equator, and it was propable that as many more would elapfe before they could accomplish their purpose, had not COLUMBUS, by an uncommon exertion of genius, formed a defign no lefs aftonishing to the age in which he lived, than beneficial to pofterity.

Among the foreigners whom the fame of the difcoveries made by the
Portuguese had allured into their fervice, was Chriftopher Colon or
Columbus, a fubject of the republic of Genoa. Neither the time nor

* In the 2d Vol. of the Tranfactions of the Philofophical Society at Philadelphia, Mr. OTTO, in a Memoir on the Discovery of America, ftrenuously contends, that one BEHEм, a German, difcovered the American Continent prior to its being discovered by Columbus. For the ingenious arguments in fupport of this opinion, the reader is referred to the Memoir.

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