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Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book I C

Reason, but because he was a Foreig-ner : And the rather, because no Au-thor names either the Pilot’s or theShip’s Name, or where slie arrived, orto what Province of Spain she belonged.One fays (continues the same Author)that the Ship was a Portuguese, ano-ther a Spaniard, another a Bi/cainer,another that she belonged to the Islandof Madera, another to fere er a ; Andthey differ as much in the Place whereshe arrived.

Be that as it will, Columbus was ful-ly convinced in his Mind, that therewere some very large Tracts of Land,to the Westward of our Continent, ’tillthen undiscovered. He was, there-fore, determined to open his Mind tothe W orld ; But well knowing that sucha Discovery was not to be undertakenany othej* Way, but by some Sove-reign Prince or State, he proposed itHe offers his co ^0 Republick of Genoa , of whichService to he was a natural born Subject ; Butthe Repub- there it was treated as a meer Chime-Ge " ra * Of this Offer his Son takes no No-tice, in his Life. He then made hisAnd to the Propolal to John, the second, King of0j/rp ° r " Portugal, who gave him, indeed, atU£ i ' favourable Hearing; But being, at thatTime, taken up with making Disco-veries on the Coast of Africa, along theOcean y he did not care to engage in somany Enterprizes at once. He refer-red the Matter, however, to the Con-sideration of certain Commissioners,who, tho’ they declared they lookedupon it as a wild Notion, yet, havingheard Columbus'’ s Reasons, and theCourse he proposed to steer, advised theDealings' 1 King to send privately a Caravel, underthat King. Pretext that it was bound for Cape Verd,to carry Provisions thither; But in Rea-lity to discover the Truth of what Co-lumbus had aver’d. This Vessel return-ing, without Success, put a Stop to allfarther Proceedings at that Court.Columbus Columbus, who was not ignorant ofpoes to the w p a t had been attempted, on his Infor-SpaTn, and mation, but without his Concurrence,his Blether took such an Aversion to Portugal, that,to England. pp -^yjf e being dead, he resolved to re-move to Spain ; And lest he should beserved there, as he had been in Portu-gal, he sent his Brother, BartholomewColumbus , at the same Time, to theCourt of King Henry VII. of England.Bartholomew spent a long Time on hisPassage to England, being taken by Pi-rates, and then staid there, to learnthe Methods of that Court, and how

to sollicit: Of which I shall fay morebelow.

Christopher, who was resolved topropose his Design to Ferdinand andIsabella, King and Queen of Spain, leftPortugal prRately about the End of theYear 1484. for Andaluzia. He landedat Palosde Moguer, and went to theCourt which was then at Cordova. Thegreatest Encouragement he met with atCordova, after he had proposed hisScheme, was FomAlonjb de Quintanilla,Comptroller of Caflile, who gave himhis Table, without which he could nothave subsisted, so long he was detainedthere. After five whole Year’s Solici- He solidsration, he found he was just as near as fivefeo sSwhen he began. He then departed, ' va,n 'very disconsolate, to Sevil, and had hisProject proposed to the Duke of MedinaSidonia, and some say to the Duke ofMedina Cell j But they rejecting it like-wise, he wrote to the King of France, ^lsi tei J 'intending, if the French refused him, to prancesgo over to England, to seek his Brother,from whom he had as yet no Manner ofIntelligence. He was, however, per-suaded to remain in Spain, and after His Pr°Fthree Year’s Sollicitation more, when f als athe was again departed, he was sent for Spain-back, and his Proposals were at last ac-cepted of, in the Year 1492.

The Conditions granted Columbus, by The CoJ'Articles signed the seventh of April, of Bons.that Year, were: (1) That he should r jdtn^be Admiral throughout all those Islands, of theor Continents, which, by his Means,should be discovered and conquered inthe Ocean, he proposed to sail to, for *

the Term of his Life, and after hisDeath to his Heirs and Successors forever ; with all the Immunities and Pre-rogatives belonging to the said Office.

(2.) That he should be Vice-roy, and 2. Vice^J ;Governour General of all the Islands or and iContinents, which, as has been said, he 0 fshould discover or conquer in the said theSeas, and that he should nominate three * n( ^ eS *Persons, for the Government of each ofthem, out of which the Kins; and Queenshould chuse one.

(30 That he should have the Tith 3. fob si"of all Commodities whatsoever, whe- tieT J ih ilther Pearls, Precious Stones, Gold, allG °°Silver, Spice, or any other, bought,bartered, found, taken, or otherwisehad within the Limits of the said Admi-ralty, the Charges being first deducted,to enjoy and dispose of the neat Productof the said Tith, at his Pleasure.

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