THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 27, 3 January 1850, Page 2

THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

You have all heard of America. It is the largest country in the world. It stretches from the North down to the far South. Thousands of our countrymen live there. The land is full of towns and churches and villages. Many hundred ships and steamers sail to and fro. Yet this country was not known to our fathers till about four hundred years ago. We all know now the shape of the earth, that it is round—that on both sides of it are large tracts of land, and many islands surrounded by the sea. We ore sure that it is lound, because our ships have sailed from London—southwards and then eastwards —on and on, and on, till ihcy have reached London again. Our fathers thought the earth was round, but they could not be sure because tlu-ir ships were too smnll to venture out far to sen. The sailors were afraid. The people of England, of France, of Spain, ai;d of other countries, lying near to them, all had ships in which they went from port to port to trade. Hut they crept along the coast much as the Maoris do now in their schooners. On dark nights or in a storm, they ran into harbour. They had no compass to guide ihem, this was the great cause why they kept near to shore. On the darkest nights when no stars shine, vessels sail on now. No one is afraid to do so, for the nccd'e in the compass box is their guide. It always points to the North. Il'you were to try to turn it to any other side of the box, to the fast or to the south, it would turn again to the North as soon as your hand was tiiken awny. There is a star close to the very spot to which the needle always points—this, therefore, the sailors call the North Star. On cloudy nights the man at the helm looks at the needle and he sees towards what part of the heavens it point?. He knows that in that pail of the heavens is the north star, although he cannot see it—and he knows whether the star is on his light hand or the left, or over the bow or at Ilia stern, and so lie can steer which ever way he wishes to go. We cannot understand why the needle turn thus to the North. A common needle would not do so. It must be rubbed with a stone called a loadstone. Our fathers were very desirous to visit other lands. Above all they had long wanted to find a way l.y sea to a distant ccuntry of which

they .had heard much. Its name is India. It lies far to the east of England. If you look at a map of the world you will see that Europe (and Asia, and Afiica, all lie close together, with no large sea in between. But India lay far away in the middle of Asia and it was a long journey overland from liurope. Some few merchants travelled thither. They had to pass through foreign countries, often they wero attacked by robbers, and .it' they got safely back, they could not bring much treasure overland. The news they brought mnde every one wish to trade with India. They brought back silks and spices and many other rare and precious things, and sold them at a great price to the kings and nobles of England and of the neighbouring countries of Europe. These travellers told their countrymen of the fruitfulness of the lands which they had visited, the abundance of rice anil of sugar there neither of which were plentiful in those days in Europe, they spoke of tho soft, fine, garments made of cotton, of tho riches of tha people, of the number of the inhabitants. Year after year sucli tales gave our fathers a growing desire to sail thither. liut their feats kept them back who would like to sail out to sea, without anything to guide him. As long as they could see the coast, the hills, the headlands, the bays, the mouths of the rivers, they had no fear, but how could they go south into an unknown sea. There was no other way. There wis land to tile south between them and the east, as far as any man had travelled. They knew that they must fail on week'afier week, month after month perhaps, and then perhaps they might find an opening by which to get 10 India. Travellers who visited the south of India had seen the sea stretching far away 011 all sides. Some had even gone with the Indians in their small ships to the glands that lay towards the south and bought treasures there. At last a c!ever man made the first compass. Then, when the good of the needle as a guide wa3 seen, men became more bold. It is 500 years since the .first compass box was made. The needle is kept in a box that it may bo kept safe from rust, and from being broken. It was m.iny years, however, before the Captains ventured out of the seas which they kne.v well. They could steer safely now by night as well as by day, and they made much quicker voyages. Hut they had other fears. There was a common belief that the middle of the earth was so hot, that no one could live then'. It was many years before any sailors would venture fnr towards the South. The first ship that sriled to nny distance, was creeping along the unknown coast of Africa, a sudden squnll of wind blew them out to se >, all thought they should be dronned; when they reached a small island, and were saved. They hastened back to their country, men to tell all that had befallen them. They were not Englishmen. Their master the King of Portugal sent out other ships thither, —iliey landed at the island, and looking south, they saw another island in the dis'ance, to which they sai'ed. Here they found plenty of wood and water, and they hastened hack to tell of ihe new land. The king sent out people to settle there, with sheep and cattle, and vine cuttings and sugar canes to plant there, for it was very warm there and the soil good. These all grew rapidly, and from this time the sailors of Poitugal were bolder, and very desiious to sail on to ilie south, and find other new lands,' Other ships sailed southwards lid they came to the const of the middlt. of Africa, where the heat is exceedingly great. They h id gone into many harbours along the co;ist, and found men as dark in colour as the Maoris. Hut when they sailed lower, and came to an anchor, llicy saw for the first time nun quite black; their hair was short and woolly, their lips thick, their noses flit. They thought that this grf at change was caused by the heat, and when the ships got back, many of the greatest men of Portugal besought ills King not to attempt to send any more vessels. They said that their forefathers had never tiicd to go into such unknown places, that it was impossible to live there, that men should be content to slay and cultivate the lands which were known of by nil. But this talk did not long keep the young men quiet; every body hoped to reach Indii, and to sec the lands of which they had heard so much. Other ships sailed southwards along the const of Africa. They passed through the great heat without being burnt up, as tluir fathers had feared; and they found countries abounding wilh men, and of a fruitful soil. The men were willing to trcde in ivory and gold, nnd many other good things with the strangers. Vessels now began to trade to and fro, many Portuguese settled ill Africa, and built towns along the coast. But still ihe way to India was not found. This was Rbout 400 years ago. At last, a very thoughtful man, a sailor, began to think to himself —I'eihaps it is of 110 use to sail to tile South to rtacli Indii? Vessels have sai'ed for many years towards the south, but they have always found land to the east. They have never found any opening thr< which to pass. Perhaps the best way will bo to sail to the west, the world is round,

and if I sail on to t/ie west, I must at last come back to the east again. The name of this man was Columbu9. He had been n sailor from his childnood, he had sailed up towards the north, and had seen the ice lying in great masses on the sea, he had sailed many times with the Portuguese along the coast of Africa. He was a brave man, and lie earnestly desired to go. But he had no money of his own to buy ships and provisions for a long voyage, lie had great trouble to persuade any one to lislen to his plan. lie went from one country in Europe to another, begging for a ship that lie depart at once. RJany laughed at liini, others were afraid to venture. Some said that the ocean stretched far away like a great plain to the west, and that he would sail on and 011 and never reach land; others said thai the earth was not round, but that a great g barrier lay between the east and the west "which no ship could pass. Columbus was quite sure there was no barrier. He had watched in his many voyages, the appearance oflhcshnre, and knew the sea was not a plain. lie knew that as you reach the harbour, you see first many miles oil", the tops of the mountains, then the wooded sides, then as the ship draws ne irer, the base of the hills with the villages laying along the shores, lie knew too that if you watch a ship sailing away to sea, you sec iirst the whole ship, then as it goes away, only the upper part, then at last, ihe lops of the masts, then it descends quite out of sight. This alone would make liini know that the earth was loutid. (To he continued ) I