^ E ,:::, .ECLECTIC READINGS STORIES OF ERICAN DISCOVERERS Jr wAX X^l 1 1 LJLw' /\iVl. jLl/'JKulw/\i\,v^ BY ROSE LUCIA AMERICAN^ BOOK* COMPANY MEW YORK-aNQNNATI- CHICAGO SERIES OF ECLECTIC READINGS FOR CHILDREN PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY For Youngest Readers Bakewell's True Fairy Stories . . $0.^^ Baldwin's Fairy Reader 35 Fairy Stories and Fables 35 Fifty Famous Stories Retold ... .35 Defoe's Robinson Crusoe Retold (Baldwin) 35 Eggleston's Stories of Great Ameri- cans for Little Americans . . . .40 Lane's Stories for Children 25 Logie & Uecke's Story Reader . . . .30 — 6 to 8 Years of Age McCullough's Little Stories for Little People $0.25 Schwartz's Five Little Strangers . . .40 Shaw's Big People and Little People of Other Lands 30 Discoverers and Explorers • • . .35 Simms's Child Literature 30 Smythe's Reynard the Pox 30 Stafford's Animal Fables 30 Wood's Children's First Story Book . .25 Abbott's Boy on a Baldwin's Golden Old Greek Stori Old Stories of tl Thirty More Fai Bartlett's Animals Bradish's Old Nors Stories of Count Dickens's Child's ( David Copper Story of Little N Eggleston's Storit Life and Adve Foote & Skinner's Founders of A Hall's Homeric St( Hawkes's Trail to Home & Scobey's Artists . . Johnson's Waste Stories , . Class Book. F/Q/ Gopyriglit]^"- T s of Our Shy ;?o.50 the Hawaiian 45 45 Stories Worth 45 ful Animals . . .50 nd Their Wild 50 Water, Land, •. 50 in Poem and ...... .50 : for Children . .40 ^"riends . . , .50 >ries of Great 40 Trees . . . .40 ad Biographi- 35 GOPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Arnold's Stories of Baldwin's Abraham Conquest of the Discovery of the Clarke's Story of /Lneas 45 Arabian Nights 60 Story of Caesar 45 Sti>ry of Troy 60 Story of Ulysses 60 Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (Stephens) .50 Dickens's Tale of Two Cities (Kirk) Twelve Christmas Stories (Gordon) Dutton's Little Stories of France Little Stories of Germany Guerber's Story of the English Story of the Thirteen Colonics Story of the Great Republic . Story of the Greeks . . . . Romans . $0.60 People ... .60 imal Life . . .60 Lower Animals .60 Half Hours with Fishes, Reptiles, and Birds Half Hours with Mammals . . Marden's Stories from Life . . . Markwick & Smith's True Citizen Needham's Outdoor Studies . . Pitman's Stories of Old France Scott's Kenilvvorth (Norris) . . Quentin Durward (Norris) . . Talisman (Dewey) Smiles's Self-Help (Bower) . . Walker's Our Birds and Their Nest- lings 60 Winterburn's Spanish in the Southwest .55 .60 .60 •45 .60 40 .60 .50 .50 .50 .60 For latest additions see inside back cover. STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS FOR LITTLE AMERICANS BY ROSE LUCIA PRINCIPAL OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS MONTPELIER, VERMONT / have hut opened the gate for others to enter" — Columbus NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI ■:• CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY Elo ^ Copyright, 1910, by ROSE LUCIA. Entered at Stationers' Hall, London. american discoverers. \v. p. I C CI. A 25081 8 Co M. G. R. WHO MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WORLD OF FLASHING SWORDS AND WAVING PLUMES PREFACE The study of history is not ordinarily enjoyed by chil- dren. This is perhaps due to the fact that the text-book employed is dull, or that the subject is not of interest to the teacher presenting it, or to the fact that the pupil's previous experience with the primary grade history sto- ries has not been such as to create any desire for fuller knowledge of the subject. Now and then a girl or a boy is found to whom the study appeals, who sees the plan of action, who delights in the carrying out of large and small designs, to whom accidents have their meanings. Such a pupil has a mind for more than dry facts. He seizes upon the romance of the situation, whether it be in the case of Columbus with his handful of men crossing an unknown sea, or in the case of the last political campaign. It is in the hope of helping more minds to attain to this condition that these stories have been written. The discoverers and explorers of the Western Hemi- sphere have, in their adventures, given us a fair field from which to glean stories wonderful enough to hold the attention of young children The swords and helmets of these men shine as brightly as those of even fairy prince- lings. What they dared and did is not less than the deeds VI PREFACE of him who cHmbed the glass hill or of Jack of Beanstalk fame. What they searched for is not less wonderful than the bird from whose wings dropped golden feathers, or the cambric which was drawn through the eye of a needle. And what they found appeals to the imagination in as great a degree as the finding of enchanted castles and fairy gold. It is the aim of these stories so to deal with the adven- turers and the adventures that the first touch of history shall come to the pupil in the form of tales as amazing as those in the well-loved fairy books. That these tales are true should not detract from their power to interest. Live men instead of tinseled princes played the great games herein recorded — at what cost of peril and hard- ship ! As nearly as possible the stories are written in chrono- logical order, and in several instances are somewhat con- nected, since the lives of many of the adventurers were interwoven. An attempt has been made to define so plainly the explorations by the different nations that the reason for the occupation of the two continents in parts by the Spanish, English, French, and Dutch will be readily comprehended and perhaps remembered. CONTENTS PAGE Little Christopher Columbus i The First Voyage of Columbus 3 Columbus plans a Long Voyage 6 King John of Portugal 9 Columbus and Diego go to Spain 12 Queen Isabella of Spain 15 The Three Ships 19 Land at Last 22 Sailing back to Spain . . . . . . . -27 America 31 John Cabot 33 The New Continent 36 Don Diego 39 The Search for Fairyland 41 The Southern Continent 45 The Man who hid in the Barrel 47 The South Sea . . .51 Sailing to Mexico 54 The First Treasures . . - 57 The Sinking of the Ships 60 Wonderful Sights 64 The City of Mexico 66 Aztec Children at School 70 vii VIU CONTENTS The Empekor Montezuma The Captuue of Mexico Another Great Sailor . The Discovery (jf the Passage The Ships that sam.ed around the World PiZARRO AND Al.MAGRO PizAKRo's Second Advh;nture The Peruvians .... The Peruvians {continued) The Inca Atahuallpa . A Room Full of Gold . The Golden Country at Last The Adventuke of a French Sail The Frenchmen and the Indians What Jacques Cartier Found Up the St. Lawrence JIiver . The March of Hernando de Soto The Discovery of thic Mississippi Kivi;r Lost in North America .... The King's Treasure House . Francis Drake's Wish .... The English Dragon .... Samuel de Champlain .... How Champlain went on the. Warpath. The Dutch Ship Half Moon- Locked in the Ice Adrift on Hudson B\v . Words to be Explained and Pronounced STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS FOR LITTLE AMERICANS T LITTLE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HIS story is about a little Italian boy who became a great sailor when he grew up. He thought about so many new things, and traveled so far to see if they were true, that the world has seemed larger ever since to most of the people who have lived on it. He was born in the city of Genoa more than four hundred years ago. He lived there with his father and mother, his brothers and sister, until he was fourteen years old. His home was a narrow house, such as city people live in. It had windows in the front and back, and high buildings close against it on each side, and no yard at all. 2 STORIES OF AiMERICAN DISCOVERERS So little Columbus liked to go down to the wharf to play, where he could look at the big blue sea, and watch the ships sail in and out of the harbor. Genoa has high mountains on one side of it, and the sea on the other, so that when one looks out, he is sure to see either the blue water or the blue sky. Maybe that was why the boys who grew up there liked so well to become sailors. At any rate they used to go down to the wharf to play, and Christopher was often with them. He used to watch the sailors unload the cargo from the ships that came sailing in, and to wish he could see the lands from which they came. He learned how the great sails were pulled up and down, and how the ships were steered, and many other things that were useful to him afterwards. Some one has made a beautiful statue of him as he looked when he sat on one of the big posts to which the ships were fastened, while they stayed in the harbor. He has a book in his hands. He looks as if he might be dreaming of what he would do when he should be the captain of a ship. This statue is in Boston. But Christopher didn't spend all his time dream- ing of great things to do by and by. He studied THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 3 his lessons at school. He could write and draw so well that his father was really proud of him. His father was a wool comber. He wished Chris- topher, who was his eldest son, to learn the same trade. Then they could work together. But he saw that Christopher liked the sea too well to be willing to stay at home and work in the shop. So, when Christopher had learned all he could at his first school, his father sent him to another higher school away from home. There he could be taught more about arithmetic, and the stars, and how to draw maps. For all these things help men to become good sailors. THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS C HRISTOPHER'S father had a cousin who was a sailor; and when Christo- pher was fourteen years old, this cousin took him to sea. We do not know just where he sailed, nor how long he was gone on this first voyage. He liked it so well that he was glad to go again and STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS again. Whenever he came home, he would help his father in the shop for a while. But he always sailed away as soon as he could find a captain who wanted a boy to work in his crew. Sometimes the ships went to other countries, and brought back loads of goods to sell to the merchants in Genoa. Sometimes they went to wars, and fought with the enemy's ships at sea. Once, when Christopher was on board a ship from Genoa, there was a fight between his crew and the crew of another vessel which they met. At last the two ships were lashed together so that the men could fight the harder. They threw bombs over into each other's ships. The ships caught fire. The sailors had to jump into the water to save themselves from burning. Christopher was a very good swimmer. By the help of an oar, which he found floating in the sea. ^% j^^vE".; HE SWAM MORE THAN FI\'E MILES. THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 5 he swam more than five miles to the coast of the nearest country. This country was called Portugal. Columbus re- mained there for several years, earning his living by drawing maps and charts. Near his home was a convent church. Here he used to pray and give thanks that he had been saved from drowning in the stormy sea. And here he often saw a young girl named Filippa. Her father was a sailor, and she was staying in the convent while he was away on a long voyage. The good nuns who lived in the convent were tak- ing care of her. Columbus loved her and married her. She used to show Columbus the maps her father had made and the stories he had written about his voyages and about the strange things he had seen and heard far from home. Columbus liked to read these stories. He thought of almost nothing else, until at length he began to plan a voyage that no one had ever undertaken. STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS COLUMBUS PLANS A LONG VOYAGE COLUMBUS had learned a queer thing about the world when he went to school. His teacher had taught him that it was flat — very long and wide — but perfectly flat, with the great sea all around the edge. How wide the sea was, or what would happen if one went too near the edge, one hardly dared think. But when Columbus became a man, he learned that some wise people had begun to believe that this was a round world instead of a flat one. Columbus studied about it and remembered all the strange stories he had heard, and he knew this must be true. He believed, too, that there were far-away lands which none of his countrymen had seen. For once it happened that some sailors, who had lost their way at sea, found a paddle flcfating in the water. It was carved in a curious way, quite different from anything they had ever known. They brought it home and everybody wondered about it. Who had made such a queer paddle ? " It must be some man who lives in a far land we have never seen," they said. " One day perhaps he lost it from his boat, and the waves carried it out to sea." COLUMBUS PLANS A LONG VOYAGE And the peo- ple wished they knew what the boat looked like and what the man looked like. Some of the wise men who were studying about these things wished THEY knew what that far-away land looked like. Columbus also wished he knew. He wished it so much that when another sailor came home and told him he had seen some new islands, — so distant that they looked like clouds, — Colum- bus felt as if he must go and find those islands. But he would need a large ship, and much money to pay the men to sail it, and whole boxes of food to eat while they were gone. WHO HAD MADE SUCH A QUEER PADDLE? 8 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Now Columbus was poor. He earned his living by making maps and charts for other people to sail by. He made very good ones, but he couldn't earn money enough to go sailing himself. His wife had died, and he wished to take good care of his little son, Diego. What could he do ? One night, when he was thinking about it, he de- cided to 2:0 to the Kinsrof Portuo^al and tell him what he wished. For of course the king had plenty of money, and perhaps he would like to find out about those strange islands. Perhaps he would like to be king of the islands and get more money. For maybe there would be gold in that new land. This King John of Portugal traded with a dis- tant country that sent him gold and spices and other precious things. It was called India. It took a long time for people to go to India. First they sailed for many days. Then they had to leave the ships and travel miles and miles on land before reaching that country. Columbus thought that perhaps, besides finding the new islands, he could find a shorter way to get to that rich country. " F'or," he said, " if the earth is round, there must be two ways of reaching a place. And if it is a long way to India traveling toward the east, maybe 'tis a KING JOHN OF PORTUGAL 9 short way sailing west. Maybe you can sail all the way by going west and not have to travel on land at all. I will tell King John about it." KING JOHN OF PORTUGAL O Columbus went to King John. King John was interested in his story. He called in some wise men to tell them about it, and to ask them what he had belter do. Some of them told him to try what Columbus planned. But most of them said he had better use his money to make a war. So King John decided not to buy any ships for Columbus. But he kept thinking what a splendid thing it would be to own those new islands - — if there really were any islands. And he thought how grand it would be to find a new way to India without Columbus to help. So he did a very un- fair thing. He asked Columbus to bring him the map he had made to sail by. He said he should like to look it over. Columbus brought it. The king 10 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS had a man make one just like it. Tlien he gave it back to Columbus and said it was a very foolish map, after all, for of course the world was flat. Then King John sent out a ship and some sailors, and they took a copy of Columbus's map to help them find their way across the sea. But very soon they went back and told the king that there was nothing but clouds out there. COLUMBUS BROUGHT HIS MAP TO KING JOHN. " C O 1 U U^ h U S must be crazy," they said. " There are no new islands, and there is no new way to go to India." But these sailors of King John hadn't dared to go far enough out to sea to find anything new. Maybe they were afraid the ship would fall off the edge of the world. So they had sailed back and told the king a wrong story. Columbus was discouraijed because no one would KING JOHN OF PORTUGAL II help him. But after a while he thought perhaps some other king might listen to him. So he took little Diego by the hand, and they set out to walk to Spain. Perhaps the King of Spain would like him to search for a short way to sail to India. It was hot and dusty on the roads, and little Diego couldn't walk very fast or very far. Colum- bus used to carry him when he grew tired. They were often hungry and thirsty. When no one would let them have a bed, they slept by the roadside. They were so poor that sometimes they begged for their food. I think little Diego must have wished his father had never heard of those strange lands. Yet some- thing told Columbus not to give up, but to keep on trying. And people say he had a look in his eyes as if he saw beyond the seas already. 12 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS COLUMBUS AND DIEGO GO TO SPAIN AFTER they had walked many days and were 1^ very tired, Columbus and little Diego came one night to the gate of a convent. A good monk let them in, and told them that they might have supper and a li^ji . I ffe'L bed in the convent. Sometimes when men wish to think about God and how to be good, they go away from the villages and cities and live apart in a big lonely house that is called a convent. I hese men are called monks. Here they pray and study and give food and rest to the poor who come to ask for it. The oldest and wisest monk is called the prior. The name of this convent was La Rabida, and the prior was called Prior Juan. After supper he called Columbus to him and asked him why he had come to Spain. Columbus told him all about what he hoped to do, and how badly King John had treated him. He told how he hoped to see King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and to ask them if they would help him sail across the sea and find new lands. COLUMBUS AND DIEGO GO TO SPAIN 1 3 Now Prior Juan used to live at court with Queen Isabella ; he knew the queen very well and she liked him. He was interested in what Colum- bus told about his great plan of finding new islands and a shorter route to India. He said he would send a messenger to the queen to ask her if Colum- bus might come to tell her about it. But going to see a queen is quite different from going to see some other people. A queen never comes to the door herself. There are a great many doors to go through and a great many people to pass, before one really comes to a queen upon her throne. So the letter that the prior wrote to the queen about Columbus had to be carried to several men, before it could be taken to the palace at all. One of the men, when he read it, decided that the letter was so foolish it wouldn't do to trouble King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella with it. So he tore the writing up and Columbus waited and waited at the convent. After a long time he left Diego with the monks and went on to the city. The king and the queen were making a war, Co- lumbus thought, perhaps, if he waited until the war was over, the king and the queen would have time to listen to him. So he worked hard to earn some 14 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS money, and he kept studying and thinking about his great plan. When the king and the queen moved to another city, Columbus moved, too. He followed them every- where, to be sure to be near, if there should come a chance to tell his story. A MESSENGER FROM THE KING AND THE QUEEN. People used to think he was a crazy man. When children met him on the street, they would tap their foreheads with their fingers. They meant by this that Columbus had something the matter with his head. At last the war w^as over. One day when Colum- bus was out at La Rabida to visit little Diego, there came a messenger from the king and the queen. The messenger said that Columbus might come soon to tell them his story. The queen sent him QUEEN ISABELLA OF SPAIN 1 5 money to buy new clothes and a mule to ride upon. Columbus was more glad than we can think. When the day came, he rode to the palace. Then he walked through the great hall to the throne where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were sitting. The wise men and nobles of Spain were all around them, and Columbus looked as wise and noble as any one. He was very tall and walked slowly, with his head up and his shoulders straight .like a soldier. His hair was white, perhaps because he had worked so hard and suffered so much. He had a beautiful high forehead and eyes that looked as if he could see around the world. When he spoke, his voice was deep, and everybody listened. QUEEN ISABELLA OF SPAIN OLUMBUS explained his whole plan to the king and the queen, the wise men, and the nobles. They asked him questions; they said it couldn't be true that the earth is round. So he patiently began at the beginning of the story and told it all over again. The queen believed it. So did some of the wise i6 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS men. But the others couldn't understand about It. They told the king it would be foolish to buy ships and send such a man out on the Sea of Darkness. It would be much better to put the money in a box where it could not get lost. THE SEA OF DARKNESS. Then they asked Columbus, " If you should find the new islands, and there should be people there, and gold and other precious things, what would you do } "' Would you sail straight home and tell the king and the queen about it and give everything to them — the gold, and the land, and the people ? " " No," said Columbus. " If I find the islands, one eighth of all the gold and precious things must belong to me, and I must be governor of the people." QUEEN ISABELLA OF SPAIN 1 7 They were surprised at this. They told him that he must indeed be a crazy man to ask so much. For, of course, if the king gave him the money to buy ships and to pay the sailors, the land which he found ought to belong to the king. So ought all the gold and precious things. But Columbus said, "The king has never thought about all those strange lands. He has never learned how to sail a ship, nor how to make a map to go by. All these things that would be my part to do are worth yellow gold and the honor of being governor, too. I will not go without the promise of these things." Then they said, "You'll never go at all, for you ask too much of us." So Columbus left the court and went away very, very sorrowful. He had tried so hard, and waited so long, and hoped so much, and now it was of no use. But he never thought of giving up his plan. He started away to see the King of France. Maybe he would be wiser and kinder than King Ferdinand. He was riding sadly along, when he heard gallop- ing hoofs behind him. He turned to find a mes- senger from Queen Isabella hurrying to catch up with him. The messenger brought good news. Some of the wise men had "one to Oueen Isa- l8 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS bella and talked with her. They had said, " What a pity if there really are some new lands, to let Columbus go away and find them for the king of some other country 1 " That king will then own lands which Spain might have owned. If there arc riches in the new islands, his country and not ours will be the richer. Is this best for Spain ? " Queen Isabella was a good woman, as well as a queen. She wanted to do what was right for Co- lumbus, and for her country. So she said, " If King Ferdinand will not take the money out of his strong box, I will sell my jewels, and give the money for Columbus's ships. All my bracelets and rings and chains I will sell to furnish the ships needed for this voyage." She sent a messenger to tell Columbus not to go to France. The messenger overtook him on a little bridge and told him the good news that Queen Isabella would help him. How glad Columbus was, as he turned and rode back to the city ! It seemed to him as if at last his dreams would all come true. His long waiting was over, and soon he would start on his wonderful journey. THE THREE SHIPS 19 THE THREE SHIPS COLUMBUS had three ships in which to go saiUng. He himself went in the largest, called the Santa Maria. Another was called the Pinta, and the smallest one of all was the Nina — a Spanish word for baby. Each ship had a captain, and Columbus was the admiral, or commander, of them all. There were about one hundred men on the three ships, and it was hard to get as many as that. People were afraid to go on such an uncertain voyage. They feared that they might drop off the edge of the sea ; that the sea was boiling water ; that great dragons might fly down and eat them. They feared all sorts of foolish things. Some of the men who promised to go with Columbus were so frightened, when the time came to leave, that they wouldn't keep their promise, and had to be dragged on board the ships. Their poor wives and sisters cried, because they thought they should never see them again. A priest went down to the shore to say a prayer for Columbus and his men. Altogether it was a very solemn and sorrowful time. 20 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Columbus was the only one who had good courage. He had waited so long and tried so hard to get started that he was veiy glad and hopeful now. So they sailed out of the little Spanish town of Palos, early one Auoriist morninir in 1492. By and by the sailors be- came more cheer- ful, for thev knew the part of the ocean they were in. But, when a month had passed, and they had sailed out farther than any of them had ever been, they were afraid again. Columbus did all he could to quiet them. He didn't tell them how far the ships had sailed. He thought, if they knew what a long way it was, they would be still more frightened. COI.UMIiUS WOULD STAND IN THE PKOW OF THE SUIP. THE THREE SHIPS 21 He tried to keep up their courage by talking about the gold and the beautiful things they would find in the new country. He told them it would be a fine thing to see that wonderful land, and then go back to Spain and tell everybody about it. But sometimes at night it would all look doubtful to them again. Things do not seem the same when it is dark and lonely. The sailors would scold Columbus for bringing them way out to the edge of the world. Then they would go to sleep and per- haps dream of falling off. Columbus and the captain of the Santa Maria used to talk together in the evening. The captain would say, " What , shall I tell them to-morrow morning, when they ask me why we don't see the islands } " " Tell them to sail on ! " Columbus would reply. " What shall I say if they tell me the boiling water will swallow us up?" " Sail on ! " Columbus would say. And he made the same answer to all the captain's questions. Then the captain would go to bed and leave Columbus alone upon the little deck. He would stand in the prow of the ship and look at the dark water beneath and at the stars overhead. He could hear the waves lapping against the side 22 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS of the ship, and the ropes and the sails creaking in the wind. He thought how far they had come over the sea ; how far they might still have to go before they found land. He thought how great was the world that God had made, and how small the ships that man had made. He watched for a light in the night, and listened for some sound that would tell of land near by. But always he saw only the black water, and heard the creaking sails. By and by the sun would rise over the rim of the sea, and another day would begin. LAND AT LAST FTER a great many such days and nights of waiting and watching, the sailors were at last discouraged. They said to Columbus, " If you do not let us turn the ships around and go home, we will throw you over- board, and steer for ourselves." Columbus talked to them and tried to make them promise to sail on a little farther. They said, "We will sail three more days and LAND AT LAST 23 nights, and then if there is no land in sight, you must oro home." There was nothing for Columbus to do but to promise them this. So the last day was the most anxious one of all for him. He said to himself, " If we do not come in sight of land to-night, then this great voyage will end in nothing, and I must go home disgraced." He had offered a prize to the sailor who should first see land. That very night Columbus himself saw a light that moved up and down, as if some one were carrying a torch along the shore. Early the next morning, October 12, 1492, the cry of " Land ! Land ! " came from one of the ships. Everybody looked out to see where it was. There before them was a long green island, not very far away. The shore was of bright yellow sand ; there were woods of green trees, and above that was the blue sky. Here and there could be seen some queer huts, shaped like pointed beehives. Copper-colored men, women, and children were running up and down the shore. The sailors fell down at Columbus's feet and begged his forgiveness for not having believed what he told them about new lands. For there one lay before their eyes. 24 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THEY KOWKD SLOWLY TO THE ISLAND. Then they all sang a Spanish hymn, " Glory be- to God in heaven and earth." As soon as they had finished the "Amen," Columbus put on his beauti- ful scarlet cloak, and took in his hand the great Spanish flag that Queen Isabella had given him. LAND AT LAST 2$ He stepped into a little boat with some of his men. A boat put out from each of the other ships. They rowed slowly to the island, and Columbus was the first one to step upon the shore of the New World. He knelt down and kissed the earth that was so precious to him. Then he raised a cross in the yellow sand of the shore. He said, " I take pos- session of this land in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella." The copper-colored men were standing a little way off, looking at these strange white people and wondering what it all meant. They had never seen any people like them before. They thought that they were gods come down out of the sky on great white-winged birds, as they called the ships. But Columbus made signs for them to come near, and at last they dared to walk up to the strange white men. They became quite well acquainted afterwards, for Columbus and most of his men landed on the island next day and stayed a long time. They walked into the thick forests, and up and down the shore, to see if they could find any gold or pearls. They saw strange birds and trees and flowers, but they did not see gold. The copper-colored 26 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS people knew about gold, but they said Columbus would have to go a very long way to find it. Columbus named these dark-colored people In- dians, because he thought he had sailed halfway round the world and was near India. He did not know that he was near a new continent. Columbus visited other islands. One of them he liked so much that he called it Hispaniola, which means " Spanish land." The climate of the islands was so warm that many beautiful things grew there, but Columbus did not find any gold. When he had learned all he could about these new islands, he decided to sail back to Spain and tell Queen Isabella about them. The captain of the Piiita had deserted Columbus and sailed for home. The Santa Maria had been broken to pieces on the rocks outside the harbor. So Columbus took the ship's timbers and built a little fort on the shore of Hispaniola. He left a few men in it to keep guard over the place until he could come back. He sailed away with the rest, taking some of the Indians to show to the Spanish people. SAILING BACK TO SPAIN 27 SAILING BACK TO SPAIN T wasn't so hard for Columbus to sail back to Spain, because, of course, he knew the way. It was a very- stormy voyage, but it was different from sailing away from Spain, out on an unknown sea. The men all liked Columbus now, because they knew how wise and kind he was. They were proud to think they had sailed with him. All the sailors were in a great hurry to get home and tell people about the wonderful things they had seen. The ship could not go fast enough to suit them. When they sailed, at last, into the Spanish har- bor, crowds of people rushed down to the wharf to see them land. It was quite different from the day when they sailed away. No tears and good- byes now, but glad times for everybody. When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella heard that Columbus had reached home, they sent for him to come at once to tell them his story. So he put on his fine clothes again for this solemn occasion. He took with him his captains and the Indians from over the sea. The Indians 28 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS were all decked out in feathers and paint. All to- gether they made a great procession. Queen Isabella was so glad and proud to see Columbus that she allowed him to sit down when he talked to her. They talked a long time, and everybody bowed low to him when at last he left the court. Another day the queen and all those wise men who had once thought that Columbus was crazy had a grand dinner to honor him. One of them said at dinner, "After all it is not such a great thing that you have done. It wasn't very hard to find the east by sailing west." Then Columbus took an egg and asked, " Can you make this stand on one end .'' " The man tried, but of course it fell over at once. The others tried, but no one could make the egg stand up. So Columbus took it, broke off a bit from one end, and stood it up quite straight on the table. Then he said, " Of course it is easy enough to do almost anything, if some one first shows you the way." And that wise man said no more. After Columbus had rested a little while in Spain, and had told Queen Isabella all about the new islands, he wished to set sail again. This time it was very easy for him to start. The queen was glad to help him, and many Spanish men wished SAILING BACK TO SPAIN 29 ALL TOGETHER THEY MADE A GREAT PROCESSION. to sail with him. So he had many ships, and sailed away very grandly. When they landed on the island which Columbus had named Hispaniola, they looked for the little fort that he had built. It was not there. All the men 30 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS who had been left to take care of the fort were gone, too. It took Columbus a long time to find out what had become of them. Finally he learned that his men had been cruel to the Indians. So the Indians had killed them and burned the fort. This was the very beginning of the trouble between the Indians and the white men. It has lasted long years and makes a sad story. On this second trip Columbus found other new islands, and still others when he came again, a few years later, on his fourth voyage. It was on his third voyage that he found land which he supposed to be another island near India. But we know now that it was the shore of a very large body of land, which is called the conti- nent of South America. You must remember that all the rest of his life Columbus thought he had sailed halfway round the world and had found the short route to India. He did not know that a great continent and an- other great ocean lie between. He thought that the world was much smaller than it really is. AMERICA 31 AMERICA fT is a pity that Columbus never knew how large is the New World that he found. When he was older, he had many sad days, and things were discouraging again. Queen Isabella died. She was his best friend. King Ferdinand didn't care to help Columbus as she had done. Some of his men told untruths about him. Once he was put in prison be- cause one of his captains told untrue stories to the king. All his life he was trying to find out about new things, and much trouble and sorrow it cost him. All the things he found out made the world seem bigger and better for us to live in. This new country, which Columbus found, should have been named for him. Sometimes in poems it is called Columbia. There is a song which people Hke to sing about " Columbia, the gem of the ocean." But we always speak of our land as America, and in books and on maps the name is printed so-. This happened because another man came to the New World after Columbus had found it. 32 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Then he wrote a book about his voyage and about the lands he saw. His name was Amerigo Ves- pucci. He had been with Columbus on one of his voyages. Vespucci did not believe that he had sailed around the world to India. He believed the land that had been found was a new continent. And so it proved to be. People read his book and began to call the new land America. So Columbus was almost forgotten for a while. He had never written a book about his travels. All the records he left when he died were the maps and charts he had sailed by, and the letters he had written to the queen, when he was away at sea. But since then many men in many lands have remembered to honor Columbus. And the three ships which crossed the Sea of Darkness on Co- lumbus's first voyage have become famous. JOHN CABOT 33 JOHN CABOT of Spain explorer. NOT HER Italian boy, born in Genoa, as Columbus was, grew up to sail the seas. He made great discoveries for the king of a far country. Columbus made his voyages with the help of the King and the Queen John Cabot was the name of this other He set sail to find new lands for King Henry VH of England. He lived in Venice for a while, and then moved to England with his three sons. He was a mer- chant, but he was interested in maps and ships and the great blue sea, just as Columbus was. He told King Henry he should like to sail away to find lands for him. Everybody knew now that Columbus had really crossed the ocean and found new lands for his king. So King Henry gave John Cabot some ships and men. Cabot took his son Sebastian, and put out into the northern ocean in May, 1497. This was before Columbus had landed on South America. So, while Columbus was sailing for the King of Spain, Cabot was sailing for the King of England. Cabot had more men and ships than Columbus. 34 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS His voyage was more dangerous, because of the cold winds and icebergs he met. Icebergs are huge blocks of floating ice, some- times as large as mountains. They come from the Northland. They are very dangerous, for a ship may run against them on dark nights, and be smashed to pieces. Columbus did not see any icebergs. He sailed across the sea farther south, where it is warmer. But if Cabot's voyage was more dangerous than Columbus's in some ways, it was far better in others. His sailors obeyed him, and they were not so much afraid to set out to cross the sea. Columbus had shown that it could be done with- out falling off the edge of die earth. It is easier to do things after the way has been shown, as Colum- bus once said. When Cabot found land at last, it seemed a very cold country, for they had crossed the sea so far to the north. It was quite different from the warm islands Columbus had found. This land was the new continent of North America. Cabot took possession of the land for the King of England. He planted a great English flag in the earth to show that he did so. Then right beside it he placed the flag of his own country, Venice. He must have said to himself, " I am sailing for JOHN CABOT 35 the King of England, I claim this new land for King Henry. But I am not an Englishman. I will place my own flag here, too. This will show that I have not forgotten my love for Italy." There were no people to be seen where Cabot landed, but he knew men had lived there. He found some trees cut down, a snare that had been made to catch animals, and a big bone needle. The people must have used this to mend their fishing nets. He took the snare and the needle home to show to the king. He thought the men had run away when they saw the ship coming. Cabot did not stay and explore as long as Colum- bus did, but he sailed home and told the king about the cold country. Now King Henry wasn't satisfied with what Cabot told him. He wished to know more about North America. He wished to know if gold and silver could be found there. 36 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE NEW CONTINENT HE very next year King Henry of England sent Sebastian Cabot across the ocean to see what he could find. John Cabot had probably died, but no one knows. Nothing more is ever told about him in history books. This seems strange when we remember that he discovered the continent of North America. It seems strange that the English people should have forgotten him. But he had taught his son Sebastian about boats and geography, so Sebastian could go to sea. The king gave Sebastian a big ship for himself and three other smaller ones. Sebastian and his men carried some bright-colored cloth and caps and shiny beads to please the Indians, if they found any. They sailed about as long and as far as John Cabot had sailed. Then they turned toward the south, because a great pack of ice from the north floated down in their way. A little farther south, Sebastian Cabot discovered an island, which he named New Found Land. Near there he saw a great many large codfish in the water. One sailor told a story about this when he got THE NEW CONTINENT ^7 home. He said, " We used to watch from the deck of the ship and see white bears come down to the shore and catch fish out of the water." Cabot followed the coast of North America, which is the continent where we live, for many miles, sailing toward the south all the time. But he did not find any gold or riches. The food in his ships was almost gone, so he sailed back to England. King Henry was disappointed because Sebastian Cabot had found no gold. Cabot told the king about the good place to catch cod, but he wasn't interested in that. He wished for gold. WHITE BE.\KS CAME DOWN TO THE SHORE. 38 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS A few years later the English people began to go over near Newfoundland to fish. Ever since then the "Grand Banks," as they are called, have fur- nished plenty of fish for England to buy and sell. Although King Henry did not care much about it, the land that the Cabots had discovered belonged to England, just as the land that Columbus had dis- covered belonged to Spain. And we must always remember that John Cabot and his sons were the first to discover North America, the great continent where we live. After a few years, Sebastian Cabot went to Spain and made some voyages for the king of that coun- try. On one voyage he crossed the ocean farther south, as Columbus had done. He discovered the mouth of a great river in South America. But the Spanish king wanted gold, too, and did not care about finding new rivers. So Cabot went back to England to live. Here he died, an old man of eighty. There is a picture of him which shows how old and wise he looked then. He has a globe in his hand and is pointing out places on it with a compass. His hair is very white, and he wears a little black velvet cap. DON DIEGO 39 DON DIEGO HEN Columbus set sail on the Sea of Darkness, the King of Spain promised him many things, if he found new lands. He was to have his share of treasure, and he was to be governor of any lands he might discover. Then, when he died, his son Diego was to be governor in his place. But you remember that Columbus had a very hard time again, after his friend Queen Isabella died. People were jealous of him, because he had been so wise and brave. He was thrown into prison in spite of all he had done for his country. And King Ferdinand did not keep his promises to him about the new lands. This unkind treatment nearly broke Columbus's heart. At last, he, who should have been honored by all Spain, died a poor and neglected man. After Columbus had died, his son Diego went to law against the king. He wished to be made the governor of the group of islands that his father had discovered. These islands are called the West Indies, because Columbus thought he- had sailed to the Indies or India. 40 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS By this time people had begun to think that Co- lumbus had not sailed round the world to India, but had really found a new country. Amerigo Vespucci was one of the first to believe this. Finally the king made Don Diego governor of the West Indies. He sailed away with his wife and relatives across the ocean to Hispaniola. Here he lived for many years and became very rich by pearl fishing. When Don Diego went to the West Indies, there was a Spaniard in Hispaniola named Ponce de Leon. De Leon was one of those who had sailed to the new land with Columbus on his second voyage. He stayed in the West Indies for many years, and was made governor of a part of Hispaniola. But when Don Diego was given Hispaniola, he did not wish de Leon there. So de Leon took Porto Rico, another island, for his own. Here he became very rich, but he was so cruel to the poor Indians that the king took the island away from him. So he set about to find some new place, where he could govern as he pleased. THE SEARCH FOR FAIRYLAND 4I THE SEARCH FOR FAIRYLAND those olden times people believed many strange things — things we should call fairy stories. They believed that there was a way to turn iron and other metals into gold. Wise men were always trying to do this. They believed that a drink could be made which would keep people who tasted it alive forever. This drink was called the Elixir of Life. So, when de Leon lived in the West Indies, many wonderful stories were told and believed about the new lands. One of the strangest was the story of a wonder- ful spring or fountain surrounded by precious stones. This was a fairy fountain, from which flowed beauti- ful, sparkling water. The water was the Elixir of Life. Whoever could find the magic fountain and bathe in it would be made young and strong. Whoever should drink of the water would remain young for- ever. De Leon was an old man. He wished more than anything else for the two things which this fountain 42 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS could give him. He wished to be made young, and then to remain young forever. So he made up his mind he would find the Foun- tain of Youth. He fitted out some ships w^ith his own money, and sailed away to fairyland to search for the Fountain of Everlasting Youth. For only in fairyland can such fountains be found. De Leon and his men saw many new islands, large and small. They landed upon each one, for they did not know where the wonderful fountain might be. They spent many days and tramped weary miles over the islands to make sure they should not miss what they were searching for. They found many springs. At every one de Leon stopped and bathed and THKV lUUNU MANY SPRINGS. THE SEARCH FOR FAIRYLAND 43 drank of the water. Each time he did so, he thought to be changed from an old man to a youth. But nothing ever happened. So he knew he had found only common springs. Finally, one Sunday, they came in sight of the most beautiful shore they had yet seen. They sup- posed it to be another island, and named it Florida. This is a part of the Spanish name for Easter Sunday. It was early spring and warm, and the leaves were bright. The land was so covered with flowers that their fragrance was carried from the shore to the ship. It looked like fairyland indeed to the tired Span- iards. Surely here they must find the fairy fountain, surrounded by sparkling gems. But the waves were high, and they could not land at once. There were no wharves built, such as we have now. Only Indians lived there then. So they waited for quiet weather. When de Leon stepped on shore, he claimed the land for Spain, because that was his country. Then he searched and searched for the magic fountain, but it was not there. How discouraged he must have been 1 At last the Spaniards gave up and sailed away. They followed the shore of Florida for many 44 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS miles. They explored the coast and found new islands. Finally they sailed for home, with de Leon still an old man. How sad he must have felt to give up his dream of becoming young again ! The land which de Leon named Florida was not an island at all. It was a part of our own great con- tinent of North America, which Cabot had dis- covered. We still call it by the Spaniards' name. Every spring when the orange trees are in blossom, it looks as fair as it did to the Spaniards, when they first saw it. The king made de Leon governor of the new country he had found. Now Spain owned that part of North America, as well as a part of South America. Some years later, de Leon sailed for Florida again with many people. He hoped to make a settlement there. But the Indians attacked them. Many of his men were killed, and he himself was wounded by an arrow. He sailed back to Cuba and died of the wound. THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT 45 THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT WE remember that, on one of Columbus's last voyages, he discovered a very large body of land. He thought that this was another island near India, but we know now that this land is larger than any island. It is called the continent of South America. Our land was named America after Amerigo Vespucci. The northern con- tinent is called North America ; the southern con- tinent is called South America. Between America and India is another large ocean, which we call the Pacific. So Columbus hadn't been near India at all, for the world is much larger than he thought The lands which Columbus had discovered be- longed to the King of Spain. That was the way they used to do things. If any one sailed away and found a new country, it belonged to his king or his queen. England claimed North America where the Cab- ots had explored. Spain claimed the part of North America which de Leon had called Florida. Besides, Spain owned the part of this great continent of South America that other Spaniards 46 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS had explored. This was much larger than Spain itself. And all because Queen Isabella had helped Columbus to sail away across the Atlantic Ocean. Spain was glad of her new possessions. It made her feel very rich to own so much land. Besides, every one thought that gold and other precious things would be found in the new country. So it became the fashion for men in Spain to cross the Atlantic to explore and search for treas- ures. Every one who sailed back to Spain had some tale to tell of the wonderful things to be seen. Some told of golden temples. Some told of giants eight or nine feet tall. Others told of countries where " the sands sparkled with gems, and golden pebbles, as large as birds' eggs, were dragged in nets out of the rivers." Of course none of these things were exactly true. But the men who visited the New World were much excited about it. Perhaps it seemed to them as if they really had seen all the wonderful things they told about. How men must have longed to sail away from Spain across the ocean to see what they them- selves could find ! And so a little of the eastern coast of South America was explored within a few years after THE MAN WHO HID IiN THE BARREL 47 Columbus had first crossed the Sea of Darkness. Many of the islands he found were settled by Span- iards. But no one had sailed around the end of the new continent, and no one had journeyed across it. So the Spaniards did not know what was on the west- ern coast, and none of them had ever seen the Pa- cific Ocean. Now the continent of North America and the continent of South America are joined together. A narrow neck of land called the Isthmus of Panama connects them. In the next story we shall read of a man who marched across this isthmus and saw the mighty ocean on the western side. THE MAN WHO HID IN THE BARREL S OME ten years after Columbus's last voyage, the Spaniards made the first settlement on the continent. This was on the Isthmus of Panama, which they called the Isthmus of Darien. One of the officers of this settle- ment, or colony, was a man named Vasco Nunez de Balboa. This is the way it happened. 48 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Balboa had been living in Hispaniola, an island which Columbus found. He wished to join a ship that was sailing to the Isthmus of Darien. But he owed many debts in Hispaniola. Now men who owed money could not leave the island without permission. Balboa was afraid he could not get permission. Yet he wished very much to sail in this ship. So, before the ship started, he hid himself on board in a large barrel or cask. When the ship was far away from shore, Balboa jumped out of the cask. How surprised the men were ! They had thought that the barrel held provisions. Instead it held a man. " Who is this ? " the men cried. " Who is this that hid in our cask ? " Then Balboa told them about it. The captain was very angry at the trick played upon him. He did not wish to help Balboa break the law. He thought of landing Balboa on some barren island to punish him. But Balboa begged him not to do this. And the captain did not. It would have been too cruel. By and by their vessel was shipwrecked near the mainland. Balboa had been on that coast before. He remembered an Indian village where they might THE MAN WHO HID IN THE BARREL 49 get help. So he led the starving men through the forests to this village. It was there that the Span- iards made the first settlement on the conti- n e n t . And that is the story of how Balboa came to be with them. One day Bal- boa heard from some Indians that there lay a great ocean on the other side of the high mountains west of the settle- ment. When Balboa heard this, he was weighing some gold that the Indians had brought to him. A young Indian chief, who had given him the gold, said to him, " Is this yellow stuff what you leave your homes to find? I can tell you of a country where they eat and drink out of golden dishes, and gold is as cheap as iron is with you. ' WHO IS THIS ? " THE MEN CRIED. 50 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS But you must sail on a great ocean to find this country. And you must take many men with you." Balboa was a brave man. He felt as if he must go and find out about the new ocean and about that golden country. So he, with some other soldiers, set out to climb over those hiQ:h mountains west of the settlement. One of the soldiers was named Francisco Pizarro, and by and by you shall hear more of him. You shall hear how he really found the golden coun- try, of which Balboa had heard. It was not a pleasant journey that the Spaniards made. There were no paths and the way was long and rough. They suffered from heat and hunger. They fought their way through tribes of unfriendly Indians. These Indians had never seen guns. They thought that the Spaniards held thunder and light- nino: in their hands. Finally, after many days of toil and hardship, the Spaniards succeeded in reaching the top of the line of mountains. How slad Balboa must have been! Soon he would know whether he was to see a new ocean. How proud he would be if it were truly there ! THE SOUTH SEA 51 THE SOUTH SEA HE Indians with Balboa told him that from the highest point of all he could see the new ocean. So Balboa made his soldiers halt. Then he climbed alone to the top. We suppose he did this that he might be the first white man to look upon the new ocean. He reached the top and looked down the other side. There, far below him, lay a great blue sea. It was shining in the sunlight and stretched as far as the eye could reach. North, south, and west it stretched, to where sky and water seemed to meet. Balboa threw himself upon his knees and gave thanks. He thanked God that he had been the man to find it. Then he called to his men to climb. After they, too, had seen, they all sang a hymn of praise. Balboa was glad and proud to be the first Span- iard to find that ocean. He marched down the mountain side to get to it. When he reached the shore, he waded straight into the sea. Taking out his sword, he waved it over the water. He named it the South Sea, but we call it the 52 STORIES OP' AMERICAN DISCOVERERS _.^'!^*»jv-j^,^> Pacific Ocean. And he said, " I take posses- sion of this sea in the name of the King of Spain," just as Columbus had said, when he stepped on -— the new is- lands he found on his first voyage. Now Balboa heard from the In- dians near the ocean more news of the golden country he was seeking. He heard stories of gold and precious stones and kings and wonderful palaces. Some one showed him a drawing of a queer looking animal which lived there. This animal was called a llama. The people used it for food, for. wool which grew on its back, and to carry burdens. HE WADED STRAIGHT INTO THE SEA. THE SOUTH SEA 53 The llama was about as tall as a sheep. It had a long neck and a head like that of a camel. Its feet were made for climbing, and it could go up steep places which horses could not climb. Afterwards the Spaniards used the llamas to carry loads of gold from one place to another. Balboa returned to Darien another way. He visited many different tribes of Indians. He made nearly all of them his friends. From all he got riches. One gave him two hundred forty large pearls. Balboa was told of some near-by islands where there were plenty of them. One of these he called the Island of Pearls. Other chiefs gave him golden ornaments worth much money. So his journey was a successful one. He had discovered the South Sea. He had made the Indians friendly. And he had gathered much gold. Now Balboa's good fortune began to change. A new governor was sent to Darien. This governor was not like Balboa. His captains were sent out to explore, but they made enemies of Balboa's Indian friends. They stole the Indians' gold. Sometimes they burned their towns and killed the Indians. And, worst of all, they took hundreds back to Darien for slaves. 54 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Finally the governor sent Balboa to explore. Balboa thought he should like to go to the Pearl Islands. While he was gone, the governor heard untrue stories about him. These stories made the governor very angry. He sent for Balboa to come to him. While Balboa was on his way, he was met by some soldiers. The governor had sent them to arrest him. Their cap- tain was Francisco Pizarro. The soldiers took Balboa to the governor. He would not believe that Balboa was his friend. He wished to be rid of him. So, without giving him a fair trial, he had Balboa put to death. SAILING TO MEXICO W HILE the Spaniards explored the eastern coast of South America and made settlements in the West ies, Cabot sailed along the eastern coast of North America. ut no white man had stepped foot in a country which lies between North and South America. This country is called Mexico. SAILING TO MEXICO 55 The Spaniards wished to own all the new lands they could. They wished to have many people belong to the King of Spain. And they wished to become rich quickly by finding gold and precious stones. The island of Cuba is not far from one part of this new country of Mexico. Cuba is the second island which Columbus found. A rich man named Cordova, who lived in Cuba, sailed away to search for slaves on other islands. His pilot was a man who had been, when a boy, with Columbus on one of his voyages. This pilot steered the ship so that it came to the mainland between North and South America. The Spaniards found so many strange and won- derful things in this new country that they were very much surprised. When they sailed home and told what they had seen, the governor of Cuba was surprised, too. The very next year he sent another man to Mexico to see what he could find. This man ex- plored more of the coast between North and South America. He was so pleased with the country he visited that he named it " New Spain," after his own land. He found the Indians quite different from those on the islands. They built houses of stone ; they 56 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS wore more clothes and had more gold and silver. He traded for some of the gold and silver to take back to Cuba. When he returned, he found that the governor of Cuba was sending other ships to Mexico. The people who sailed in them were to learn more about the country and the people. And they were to try to teach the people about God. For none of the Indians had heard of Him. The governor of Cuba had a friend whose name was Hernando Cortez. He made Cortez the cap- tain of the fleet. Just before the ships were ready to start, the governor became very angry with Cortez. Then he wished to take the ships away from Cortez and make some one else captain. But Cortez heard about it, and this is what he did. He did not wait to get all his provisions or guns or powder, but he set sail one night without telling the governor. When he landed on the mainland, he found a Spaniard there. The Spaniard had been ship- wrecked on the coast some years before. He could not get back to his home. His companions had been killed by the Indians. But the Indians had allowed him to live with them. How glad this Spaniard must have been to see his own countrvmen once more ! THE FIRST TREASURES 57 He went with Cortez to tell him what the Indians said, for of course he had learned to speak as they did. Then Cortez sailed away along the coast toward the north and landed again. There he was met by some Indians who had rich presents for him. They had heard of Cortez from the Indians where he first landed. So they were all ready to greet him. They thought if they gave him presents he would not harm them. B THE FIRST TREASURES Y this time word had been taken to the King of Mexico about the strange white men who were in his country. The name of this king was Monte- zuma, and he lived in the City of Mexico. Along all the roads in his kingdom swift runners were always waiting. One runner would take a messaore and run as fast as he could to the next man. He would take it and run with it to the next. Each runner 58 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS could go very fast, for he did not have, to run very far. The Spaniards were still near the coast. The City of Mexico, where Montezuma lived, was about two hundred miles away. But it did not take him long to hear of the Spaniards. Cortez said to the Indians he met, " I have come from a great king across the ocean. 1 wish to see Montezuma. My king wishes to send a greeting to the Mexican king." This speech frightened Montezuma. It fright- ened him to have such strange white people in his country. He did not know wliat they might do. Maybe they would try to take his kingdom away from him. So he sent messengers to Cortez, saying that he must not march to the City of Mexico. These messengers took to Cortez shields and helmets made partly of gold. They gave him bracelets and sandals of gold, statues of birds and animals made of gold, and mantles of beautiful feather work. Best of all were two round plates of gold and silver, as large as carriage wheels. Cortez was delighted with these treasures. He shared them with his men and put one fifth away for the King of Spain. The Indians had never seen horses nor heard THE FIRST TREASURES 59 guns. So Cortez had his horsemen ride up and down. At first the Indians thought the man and the horse were one animal. Then Cortez had his cannon fired. The Indians were astonished and frightened at the noise. CORTEZ HAD HIS HORSEMEN RIDE UP AND DOWN. Cortez thought that the messengers would be afraid of him and would tell Montezuma how wonder- ful the white men were. He saw some Indians busy with pencils. He found they were making pictures of his men and ships and cannon to send to Montezuma. The 6o STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Mexicans had a way of writing with pictures, not with words. Of course so much gold and silver made Cortez wish all the more to go to the City of Mexico. He decided not to mind Montezuma, but to go in spite of what he had said. So he and his men marched northward, while his ships followed along the coast. THE SINKING OF THE SHIPS E should remember that the governor of Cuba had become an enemy of Cortez. When Cortez thought of this, it troubled him. He did not know what the gov- ernor would tell the King of Spain about him. Maybe the governor would persuade the king to send to Cortez and bid him leave Mexico. Cortez did not wish to do that. So he took all the presents w^hich Montezuma had given him and sent them to King Charles of Spain. This King Charles was Queen Isabella's grand- son. Cortez also WTote the king a letter, tell- THE SINKING OF THE SHIPS 6l ing about the rich country he had found. He hoped this would make King Charles friendly toward him. The Indians whom Cortez met on his march were kind to him. These Indians belonged to Montezuma's kingdom. They were called Mexi- cans, or Aztecs. All the Aztecs worshiped different gods, not one God as we do. There was a god of fire, a god of water, a god of wind, a god of grain, and many others. The god of war they worshiped most of all. They built temples and set up statues or idols. They covered these idols with gold and precious stones. On the altars of the temples they kept fires always burning. These fires were not allowed to go out. On the darkest nights they made the cities light. Some of the Aztecs believed that Cortez and his men were gods. This was very lucky for Cortez. There was an old Aztec storv about the orod of the air. Hundreds of years before, some higher god had become angry with him. So the god of the air had to go far, far away into another place. But when he was getting into his magic canoe, he said, " I will come back sometime. Either I or my children will come back to Mexico." 62 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS And so, when they saw the Spaniards, some of the Aztecs believed that this old story had come true. Of course those who believed it were friendly to Cortez and helped him and his men. The Spaniards found that Montezuma had so manv < imillW^iife • ivv i ALT, THE SHIPS EXCEPT ONE WERE SUNK. soldiers that it would be hard to conquer him. They began to be afraid they would be killed. Some of them longed to sail back to Cuba. Cor- tez was not willing to do this. He did not wish to meet his enemy, the governor of Cuba, and he did wish to stay in Mexico and conquer the country. THE SINKING OF THE SHIPS 63 So he made up his mind to have his ships sunk, and then there would be no way for his men to go home. This was a daring thing to do, for, after that, whatever happened, he and his men would be obliged to stay in Mexico. Even if Montezuma should conquer them, they could not get away. So, when all the ships except one were sunk, he and his men really began their march inland toward Montezuma and his City of Mexico. The Spaniards and the friendly Indians had built a town so that Cortez could have some place of his own in that strange country. This town was named Vera Cruz. Vera Cruz means the " true cross." Some of the Spaniards were left at Vera Cruz to guard it while Cortez was away. 64 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS WONDERFUL SIGHTS ^HIS march of Cortez and his men through T vf ■ Mexico was a very hard one. At first ^^ ^ the country was level. Soon they ^^ j^S;^^ began to climb the mountains. Cold winds blew. Many of the Indians with Cortez died. They were used to a warmer climate in the valleys. Some of the horses died, too. Cortez could not well spare the horses. He needed them because the Mexicans were afraid of them. The Spaniards saw many things that were new to them — strange birds and trees and flowers. At one place they saw a volcano. That is a mountain which sometimes has smoke and fire pouring out of its top. All along the march the Spaniards passed Aztec villages and cities. They found the people paid taxes to the king, of things which they made. Cotton dresses, robes of feather work, vases, plates and bracelets of gold, reams of paper, and also grains and wild animals were paid to the king. In the large cities, storehouses were built to hold these things. If a man did not pay his taxes, he was sold for a slave. WONDERFUL SIGHTS 65 There were courts to settle disputes. The judges were appointed by the king. The people were very honest. They had no fear of thieves. The houses had no bolts nor locks. If a person stole, he was sold for a slave or put to death. Cortez had heard of a country called Tlascala, which was always at war with Montezuma. He thought to himself, " If I can gain the Tlascalans for my friends, we can all fight Montezuma together. That will give me many more men." So he turned his march toward Tlascala. When he reached the country, he found a wonderful thing. A stone wall nine feet high and as wide as a large room had been built by the Tlascalans. This wall ran around the level part of their country to the mountains. It was to protect their country from the Aztecs. Every Aztec king had wanted Tlascala for part of his kingdom. Great armies were sent out to capture it. It was surrounded by enemies all the time. So the Tlascalans had to live on what grew in their own country. They had no cotton, nor any salt. But they did not care, for they had their country safe from the Aztecs. At first they would not make friends with Cortez. 66 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS But he fought with them until he had conquered them. Then they said to him, "We promise to be your friends and to help you fight Montezuma." We shall see how well they kept their promise. After resting with the Tlascalans some days, Cor- tez went on his way toward the City of Mexico. Many of his new friends marched with him. THE CITY OF MEXICO HE Tlascalans and the Spaniards were many days in reaching the T j^ City of Mexico. On their way iW''mk. they were set upon by the idM'^^'P^'^ Aztecs. But they won all f^^ the battles. They marched through fields of grain, and climbed over high mountains. They saw a very high moun- tain covered with snow. It was a volcano. The Indians said, "No man can climb that and live." Cortez sent some of his men to do so. This was to show how^ brave the Spaniards were. They climbed almost to the top. Then smoke, sparks, and cinders came out from the crater and THE CITY OF MEXICO 6^ nearly choked them. So they went back. But they took some icicles with them, to show that they had been near the top. At last the Spaniards came in sight of the City of Mexico. It was situated in a valley. Many other cities were in the same valley. Two large lakes were near the center of it. One was salt water and one fresh water. These lakes were divided by a water gate. The City of Mexico was built in the salt water lake. Great roads of stone were made right through the lake from the shore to the capital. Many of the streets of the capital were canals, so canoes could float through the city. In the lakes were floating islands. These were huge rafts covered with earth. On these grew flowers and vegetables. Some of them looked like fairy gardens floating upon the water. The tops of many of the houses were covered with earth, so that flowers could grow there. In the gardens grew rriany things that we know. Bananas, vanilla for flavoring, cacao, from which we make chocolate, tobacco, and Indian corn were plentiful. A wonderful tree grew there. Its name is the aloe tree. From its leaves the Aztecs made paper and a thatch for their roofs. A drink came from its juice. Its roots when cooked were good to eat. 68 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Thread, from which cloth was made, came from its fibers. Pins and needles came from the thorns on the end of the leaves. Near the middle of the City of Mexico was a great open space. This was the market place. There were no stores in the city, but people brought theirgoods to the market place. Fairs were held there the last day in every week. For money they used gold dust in quills, pieces of tin, or bags of cacao. Every kind of thing was sold in the market place. Vases, plates, fish and animals made of gold, cloth made of cotton and of rabbits' hair, tools, provisions, and flowers were sold. Most beautiful of all was the feather work. This was made by pasting feathers on fine cotton cloth. They were pasted so closely together that the cloth did not show at all. Beautiful robes of different colors were made of feathers. No one could do this work so well as the Aztecs. AZTEC MAKING A FEATHER ROBE. THE CITY OF MEXICO 69 All these things the Spaniards saw when they came to the City of Mexico. It seemed a wonderful place to them. When Montezuma heard that Cortez was near, he sent messengers to invite him into the city. He thought it best to seem friendly toward him. Then the Spaniards marched across the lake on one of the wonderful stone roads or causeways. Montezuma and many of his nobles met them and gave them presents of gold. When Aztecs met each other, they did not shake hands as we do. Each man would touch the earth with his right hand and then raise it to his head. Cortez put around Montezuma's neck a chain made of pieces of glass. The Mexicans did not make glass, so it seemed valuable to them. Then Montezuma took the Spaniards into his city. 70 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS AZTEC CHILDREN AT SCHOOL NE of the first things the Spaniards did in the city was to visit the great temple. This was a high tower made of stones. Near the temple lived hundreds of priests. It was their duty to keep the fires on the altars always burning. The priests were also the teachers. They had schools for girls and schools for boys. The children learned to sing, to read and write picture writing, and to do arithmetic. The girls learned to weave cloth and to make feather work. The boys were taught to be priests and soldiers. Many history stories of the country were made into hymns. The picture writing was really like drawing. It was done on cotton clotli, on nicely dressed skins, or on a kind of paper made from the aloe. No one knows just how to read this writing now. Sometimes the writing was rolled up when no one was using it. Sometimes it was folded like a screen. Then it had covers of wood. This kind of book was more convenient. The arithmetic the Aztec girls and boys studied AZTEC CHILDREN AT SCHOOL 71 was not like ours. They did not use figures as we do. The first nineteen numbers they wrote with dots. Six was six dots, twelve was twelve dots, and so on. Number 20 was a picture of a flag. Two flags AZIEC PICTURE WRITING. meant 40. Three flags meant 60. A plume was 400. A purse was 8,000. For a fraction they would draw only a part of the picture. For ^ of 20 they would draw one half of a flag. They did not learn : 7 days = I week 4 weeks = i month 12 months = i year 72 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Instead, they learned : 5 days = i week 4 weeks = i month 1 8 months = i year At the end of their last month there were five extra days that did not belong to any month. These made 365 days just like our own year. THE EMPEROR MONTEZUMA HEN the Spaniards had been in the City of Mexico a -week, they began to feel very much afraid. This was because there were so few of them and so many Aztecs. Montezuma was kind, but they did not know when he might set his soldiers against them. They were no better off than before they had entered the city. They had not conquered Montezuma, and at any moment he might try to kill them. They could not run away, for their ships were sunk. At last Cortez thought of a plan to help them. It was to capture Montezuma and keep him a pris- oner. Then the Mexicans would not harm the THE EMPEROR MONTEZUMA 73 Spaniards, because they would be afraid of harm- ing their king. So the Spaniards took Montezuma to the palace where they lodged and made him a prisoner. Cortez then persuaded Montezuma to say that he and his land should belong to the King of Spain. After this was done, the Spaniards went through the temples and pulled down all the idols. Montezuma was a prisoner all through the win- ter. He governed his people, but he governed them as Cortez told him. In the spring Cortez heard that many ships had come to Vera Cruz. He did not know whether they were sent by the governor of Cuba. He was afraid the men had come to capture him. He could not tell how many men would be against him. Here was a new enemy even worse than the Aztecs. His own countrymen would be harder to beat, for they would have guns and weapons like his own. But at least he must go to the coast and see what could be done. He took a few of his comrades and marched toward Vera Cruz. He found the men were sent by the governor of Cuba to fight him. They did fight, but he won the battle and made the soldiers 74 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS his friends. So his enemy really gave him more men to help him. Then Cortez started back to the City of Mexico. When he reached there, he found that the Aztecs and his soldiers were fighting together. Cortez thought that Montezuma could make the Aztecs stop. So he took Montezuma to the top of a high tower and had him make a speech to the people. At first they listened. They were glad to hear their king's voice. Then they grew angry with him, because he told them not to fight against the Span- iards. They began to shoot arrows and throw stones. Montezuma was hit. He was wounded so badly that in a few days he di^d. How sad he must have felt to have his own people turn against him ! Then the new Mexican king told Cortez that the Aztecs intended to fight until they killed all the Spaniards. So Cortez made up his mind to leave the city if he could. He could not march over the causeways, for the Mexicans were guarding them. • One night he had a bridge built of boats. The Spaniards started to march over that, but the Aztecs discovered them. Then there was a terrible battle, and many of THE EMPEROR MONTEZUMA 75 tlie Spaniards were killed. They lost their cannon, and all their gold and treasures. Those who were not killed marched toward Tlas- cala. The Aztecs followed them, and they had to fight all the way. Cortez won- dered whether the Tlas- calans would be friendly now that he had been beaten by the Aztecs. MONTEZUMA MAKES A SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE. If they should turn against him, all would be lost. He and his soldiers would surely be killed. So he was anxious to find the Tlascalans still his friends. 76 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE CAPTURE OF MEXICO WHEN the Spaniards reached Tlascala, they were glad to find the Tlascalans (^^ as friendly as ever. Then they made 1^1 "P their minds to go back and conquer fflnj the Aztecs. ji^»ii«__ So Cortez got together all the men that he could and marched again toward the City of Mexico. Thousands of the Tlascalans marched with him to fight for him. Cortez had boats built in Tlascala, so that he could attack the City of Mexico from the lake. These boats were carried in pieces from Tlascala to the lake, and then put together. The Tlascalans did this. The pieces had to be carried many miles through the enemy's country. It was a wonderful thing to do, because the Aztecs attacked them all the way. The Aztecs tore up places in the great stone causeways that led across the lake to their city. Then their soldiers guarded the causeways. When the Spaniards came to the broken places, they filled them in and kept on fighting. So they pushed their way slowly toward the City of Mexico, fighting all the time. THE CAPTURE OF MEXICO 17 After nearly three months of struggle, the Span- iards again stood in the center of the city. The Aztec capital did not look so splendid as when they first saw it. Many beautiful buildings had been destroyed by their cannon. Hundreds of poor Aztecs had been killed in the terrible battles. Hundreds had died of hunger and thirst. The city was built in a salt lake. The drinking water for the people came from a mountain near the shore of the lake. It was brought to the city in pipes laid along a causeway. Cortez had the pipes de- stroyed. Then those in the city had nothing but salt water to drink. Of course that is not good to drink. It was a pity to spoil so many wonderful things that the Aztecs had made. The City of Mexico was after- wards built up again by the Aztecs and the Span- iards. But it was never so beautiful as at first. A TLASCALAN WARRIOR, yS STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS The place where Montezuma's lovely gardens had blossomed became dry earth. The thick forests were cut down by the Spaniards. They did not seem to care for these things. They cared most of all for gold. Cortez did not become very rich. Other people got the treasures as well as himself. King Charles was not always grateful to Cortez. He forgot how well Cortez had served him. He became so unfriendly that at one time he forbade Cortez to come to court. So Cortez lived many years in Mexico. But he was not content to stay in one place. He explored the countries south of Mexico and found other in- teresting people. He sent parties to find the South Sea, of which he had heard from the Indians. This was the same ocean that Balboa had discovered. Because of Cortez, Mexico, or New Spain, as it was called, belonged to Spain. It was a large and rich country, and Spain owned it for many years. ANOTHER GREAT SAILOR 79 ANOTHER GREAT SAILOR THE very same year that Cortez sailed from Cuba to Mexico, another brave man started out from Spain on a long voyage. This man was Ferdinand Magellan. He was a Portuguese. Portugal, we remember, was the country where Columbus lived for some years. People were still searching for a short way to sail to India across the Atlantic Ocean. They had sailed along the shore of North America, and found no way to cross the continent. They had sailed along the shore of Mexico, and found no way there. They had sailed along a part of the eastern coast of South America. But they found no way there. Ferdinand Magellan thought that perhaps they had not sailed far enough south to find the way. He wished to try in that direction. So he went to the King of Portugal for ships and men. But the king would not help him. King Manuel of Portugal already had one way to 80 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS sail to India. This way had been found by a man named Vasco da Gama. Da Gama did not sail across the Atlantic Ocean, but sailed around the end of the continent of Africa. Then, by steering north and east, he reached the land of spices. So the King of Portugal did not care for another route. Then Magellan went to King Charles of Spain, and this king gave him ships and sailors. So, while Cortez was conquering Mexico, Magellan searched for a short route to India. Both men were serving King Charles of Spain. Magellan set out from Spain a few months after Cortez left Cuba. He had to cross the Atlantic Ocean before he came to South America. Many ships had safely crossed the sea since Columbus's first voyage. And many had started out and never reached the other shore. It was a dangerous undertaking in such small ships. Magellan had five vessels, and he and his men searched the coast for a passage to the South Sea. This was the ocean which Balboa had dis- covered. Magellan knew that the South Sea was on the western side of South America. But what was on the other side of the South Sea ? Perhaps beyond it lay the Spice Lands. If he could ANOTHER GREAT SAILOR 8l only discover a way to get into that sea, he could sail across it and find out. For many months Magellan searched the shore for a passage from one ocean into the other, going always southward. Each time he came to the mouth of a great river, he sailed his ships up the stream. Perhaps one of these rivers might lead him across the continent. But he always had to turn his ships about and sail back to the Atlantic Ocean. Many times he must have been disappointed. The continent was always in his path. Finally some of his men grew so discouraged that they banded together against Magellan. They took some of his ships and tried to sail home to Spain. But Magellan could not have this. He needed all his ships and his men to help him. So he captured those vessels and made the bad sailors prisoners. Then he sailed on southward, deter- mined to find a passage. 82 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE DISCOVERY OF THE PASSAGE HILE Magellan was sailing south, the weather grew colder and colder. For the southern part of our earth is as cold as the northern part. Winter came on, and this made it very un- comfortable for the men. But if one tries hard enough to do a thing, some- time he will succeed. And Magellan was like Co- lumbus. No matter how hard his voyage was, he never thought of giving up. So at last he succeeded. He sailed so far south that he came to the end of South America. There he found what seemed to be a passage between South America and some islands. The story is told that one night Magellan was standing on the deck of his little ship. As his vessel sailed along, he was watching the dark line of the shore. He was wondering if he should ever find a way through it. Suddenly the shore seemed to open and there the passage lay before him. He sent two of his ships in to see if it was really a passage. A great storm came up. The ships were absent for several days. Magellan thought that they were lost. THE DISCOVERY OF THE PASSAGE 83 But at last they came sailing back with all their flags flying at their masts. They were sure that this water would lead them into the South Sea. Then Magellan set sail with all his ships to find his way through the passage. It took him more than a month. There were so many openings among the islands that he could not tell which to take. The people in this part of the world were not like the Indians on Columbus's islands. They were not like the Aztecs. They were so tall that they were almost giants. They used fires at night for signals. The Spaniards saw so many of these fires that they called the country Tierra del Fuego, that is, " Land of Fire." The men on the largest ship did not wish to sail through the opening. They wished to return to Spain. So one night they deserted Magel- lan. Most of the pro- THEY USED FIRES AT NIGHT FOR SIGNALS. 84 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS visions were on this vessel, and it left Magellan without much food. At last, after many days, Magellan found the passage growing very wide. Soon he was out on a big, blue ocean again, and he knew that he had found the way ! He was so glad that he wept. Then the guns were fired, for the sailors were glad, too. We call a passage between two pieces of land a strait. We call this passage the Strait of Magellan, after the one who discovered it. This is a good way to honor the man who tried until he succeeded. So the way to the South Sea was found at last. It was not between North and South America, but around the end of the southern continent. Still Magellan was not satisfied. He wished to know whether India was on the other side of this big, blue ocean. So he steered his ships north again and west, to see if he could find India. SHIPS THAT SAILED AROUND THE WORLD 85 THE SHIPS THAT SAILED AROUND THE WORLD HEN Magellan sailed through his strait, he steered north. This was to find a warmer climate. Then he turned west. |\ His vessels were not well filled with provisions, and he was not well prepared to cross a wide ocean. He hoped to find land soon, where he could get fresh water and food. But day after day and day after day he sailed without seeing land. The water in his casks was so stale the sailors could scarcely use it. The biscuits had become worm-eaten. Then at last he found an island. How glad every one was ! But on the island there was noth- ing to eat nor to drink. No one lived there. So the disappointed men turned the ships away and sailed on. They were almost starved. They caught and ate rats that lived in the ships. They tore the thick hide from the masts and ate that. And all this time the ships sailed on over that big, blue sea. For nearly four months they sailed on and on. 86 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS They had good weather all the time. Because there were no storms, Magellan named this ocean the Pacific. Pacific means " peaceful," and the ocean has been called by this name ever since. Perhaps the sailors did not care about their won- derful voyage. They were starving. They had come to a part of our world where it is very hot. The fierce sun beat down upon them. Many fell sick and died. And all this time the ships sailed on and on. How the sailors must have watched and watched for land ! At last they came to an island where people lived. Here they found fruit and other things to eat. Then they sailed away and soon came to more lands. Magellan named these the Philippine Islands in honor of Philip, King Charles's son. Here Magel- lan found many natives. They gave him oranges, cocoanuts, spices, and meat. There was a quarrel between the Spaniards and some of the natives, and poor Magellan himself was killed. Then two new leaders were chosen and the ships started away. Finally they reached India, the land of Magellan's dreams, the land Columbus wished so much to find. By that time, one ship alone was fit to sail the SHIPS THAT SAILED AROUND THE WORLD 87 sea. This was the Victoria. The crew loaded her with spices and then started for home. They steered south of Africa. That was the route which the Portuguese, Vasco da Gania, had found. After a terrible voyage, they reached Spain at last. So the little Victoria had sailed around the world. We can guess how her crew must have fired their guns when she came into port at last ! Think of the eager people running to the wharf to see the wonderful men who had really sailed around the world. Then remember that brave Magellan lay dead in a far-away land, and could not hear the bells ring in his honor. THE ROUTE OF MAGELLAN'S SHIP "VICTORIA." STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS PIZARRO AND ALMAGRO 'E know that the first settlement made in South America was on the eastern shore of the Isthmus of -Darien. We know how Balboa crossed the Isthmus and dis- covered the Pacific Ocean. After a few years, a new governor made a new colony, called Panama, on the western side of the Isthmus. Then ships could be built there to sail up and down the western coast of South America. The soldiers who went in the ships often landed and explored the country inland. They made their way across forests and mountains and among war- like tribes of Indians. Many Spaniards ^vere killed. Others found their way back, after visiting new countries. They were all hunting for gold. And there was another reason that made some of them journey through the wilds. It was to tell the Indians about God. Finally the Spaniards explored so far toward the north that they came to some of the men who had been with Cortez in Mexico. These men had been sent toward the south to explore. When they had met the soldiers from Panama, they had proved that there was no passage for ships between North and South America. PIZARRO AND ALMAGRO 89 All this time many strange stories were being told in the new colony of Panama. These were about a wonderful country full of gold, that was toward the south. At last two men became much interested in the stories of this golden land. They decided that they would go to see if they were true. One of these men was Francisco Pizarro. He had been with Balboa when Balboa discovered the South Sea. Pizarro had been a poor boy who tended swine. He could not read nor write. The other man was Diego de Almagro. Both men had lived in Spain and had gone to South America in the hope of finding adventures and gold. Neither had money enough to buy ships 'or to hire men to go in search of Peru. It was hard to get any one to lend them money. People did not quite believe there was such a place as Peru. At last a priest got from a rich man enough money for Pizarro to start with one ship. Alma- gro stayed behind to get more money and more men. Pizarro followed the coast of South America for many miles. He did not know how far he must go before reaching the Golden Country. It was the time of year when there are many storms near that coast. Pizarro's ship was nearly wrecked. 90 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS He and his men landed at different places along the shore and went inland searching for Peru. They found vast forests where the trees and vines were so thick that they could hardly push their way along. They found great swamps and were sometimes lost in them. Many of the soldiers caught a fever in the swamps and died there. They saw many strange animals, bright-colored birds, and snakes as large as the trunks of trees. But they found not a trace of the Golden Land of Peru. Then Pizarro had to send his ship back to Panama for supplies, food, and ammunition. While it was gone, he and his men nearly starved to death. They had nothing left them to eat. They picked up shellfish on the shore. They gathered berries that grew wild in the woods. Sometimes the berries poisoned the men who ate them. Once they came to a small Indian village where they found a little food. Some of the Indians wore about their necks chains and beads of gold. The gold was better than food to the Spaniards, for it was what they had come to seek. So they took courage. By and by their ship came back to them loaded with food. Pizarro and his men went on board and sailed still farther south. PIZARRO AND ALMAGRO 91 ■jftWfiiiiiwiiin. 'mmmi'—»»»i » But their vessel had become so battered by storms that she could not stand the rough seas much longer. So Pizarro decided to go north near Panama and try to get a better ship and more men to help him. He carried with him all the golden trinkets which his men had taken from the Indians. He thought to himself, " If I show my gold to the governor and the people, they will begin to believe in the Golden Country. " Some one will surely lend me more money, and more men will wish to go with me to search for Peru." He and Almagro had decided that they would never give up. They would search until they found the land of their desires, the Golden Country of Peru. THEY PICKED UP SHELLFISH ON THE SHORE. 92 STORIES OF AMERICAxN DISCOVERERS PIZARRO'S SECOND ADVENTURE FINALLY Pizarro and Almagro borrowed enough money to buy more ships and supplies. Then they again set sail for their Golden Land. This time they went even farther south, and nearly the same things hap- pened to them as before. They found more gold. They had to fight against hunger and thirst, and against the Indians, whose gold they took away. Always on their voyage they saw near the shore of the continent, lines or ranges of very high moun- tains. These were higher than any they had ever seen before They were so high that their tops were always covered with snow. They were so high that often clouds hid a part of them. But when the clouds blew away, there were still the mountains, their white tops shining in the sun. They stood like sentinels, keeping guard over the coast. The Spaniards could not sail away from them. These were the Andes mountains. At last the Spaniards came to Tumbez, a large Indian village on the coast. Here they were kind to the people, so the people did not fight against them. PIZARRO'S SECOND ADVENTURE 93 They saw many wonderful things. They saw the llamas or Peruvian sheep, of which Balboa had been shown a drawing. They saw men with huge orna- ments of gold attached to their ears. They saw a temple, the walls of which were covered with silver and gold. The Indians had never seen white men. They could not understand where they came from, nor why they came. Pi- zarro said to them, "We have come to teach you about our God, of whom you have never heard." The Indians had never seen horses. They had never heard guns. When these were fired, they thought some one was shouting. The Spaniards had on board the ship some fowls. The Indians heard the rooster crow, and they asked what he was saying. There was a negro with Pizarro. The Indians could not believe his face was really so dark. They thought it was painted, and they tried to rub off the color. HUGE ORNAMENTS OF GOLD ATTACHED TO THEIR EARS. 94 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS The Spaniards learned that all the country belonged to a powerful Indian king, called an Inca, They began to think that so few of them could never go to war and conquer the Inca, for the Inca had thousands and thousands of soldiers. And if they did not conquer him and his people, how could they get the gold that was in his country? They found that the Indians worshiped the sun. It was their god. They built temples where the priests prayed to it. They believed that all the Incas were the Children of the Sun. The Inca owned all the country. He owned all the gold mines. The people did not use the gold for money. It was used to make the palaces and the temples beautiful. Finally the Spaniards learned a great deal about the Inca and his country and his large armies. Then they knew that they must sail back to Panama to get more ships and men before they went inland to conquer the Indians. So they did; and when they reached Panama, Pizarro was sent across the Atlantic Ocean. He was to ask the King of Spain to give them more money and more men to go back and conquer Peru. The king took the golden ornaments that Pi- zarro had brought him for a present. He was well pleased with them. He liked the thought of getting PIZARRO'S SECOND ADVENTURE 95 more gold. So he agreed to help Pizarro and Almagro, if he should be given one fifth of all the treasures that they found in Peru. He made Pizarro governor of the new country. He sent with him some men who were to weigh all the gold and see that the king received his share. Pizarro had much trouble in getting men enough to go back with him. He needed a large army to conquer the Inca. Hernando Cortez, who was then in Spain, helped him. Cortez believed what Pizarro told him about the Golden Country, because he himself had seen such wonderful things in Mexico. But most of the people did not believe the stories. Besides, they had heard what hard times Pizarro's men had had on his other voyages. And they were afraid they should never get back home, if they went to see if the stories were true. Pizarro had four brothers, whom he took with him. He made one of them captain of the fleet of ships that the king helped him to buy. As soon as he could, he sailed back to the Isthmus of Darien. He took his supplies and his soldiers across it, and made ready to go on his last adven- ture to seek for Peru. 96 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE PERUVIANS WHILE Pizarro and Almagro were sailing south, I must tell you more about the Indians who lived in the Golden Country. That country, we remember, was called Peru by the Spaniards. The people who lived there were called '^ ' Peruvians. They were Indians, but they were not like the natives that Columbus found, when he landed on his new islands. They were more like the Aztecs. The Peruvians had lived in South America for many, many years before the Spaniards sailed across the sea. Nobody knows how long they had been there, nor where they came from. We have read that they were governed by a king, or Inca, as they called him. The Peruvians be- lieved that the very first Inca and his wife came from the sun. So they called the Incas, Children of the Sun. That was why they worshiped the sun. They thought it gave them their first Inca. When an Inca died, one of his sons would be- come the Inca. So the boy who was to be Inca in his father's place was trained very carefully. He was taught how to be a good soldier, and how THE INCA WAS CARRIED IN A COVERED CHAIR. to be a priest. He was taught all the laws, and many wise things about the people, and how to govern them. If he would not learn these things, then he could not be the next Inca. Some brother of his must be taught instead. Peru was divided into four parts. Each part 97 98 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS was governed by a relative of the Inca. Four great roads were built from the capital of Peru. One road went to each of the four parts of the kingdom. The capital of the country was a city called Cuzco. It was in the center of the kingdom. It was the richest and most wonderful city of all. It had , palaces and convents and temples, all decorated with gold and silver. Along the great highways that led to the four quarters of the kingdom were buildings of stone, several miles apart. These were used for resting places by the Inca or his army, when they were traveling. The Inca went about his kingdom every few years. He was always carried in a covered chair on the shoulders of chosen men. It was a great honor to help carry the Inca. If any one of the men fell, he was put to death. This was because the Inca was so precious to his people that no one must be careless. When the Inca traveled, all the people along the way would crowd the roads to see him. They would sweep the stones from the roads, and then strew the way with flowers. They would take the Inca's baggage, and carry it to the next village. Sometimes the Inca stopped and spoke to them, THE PERUVIANS 09 or held a court to settle disputes. Then the In- dians were very happy. There were no horses in Peru, until the Spaniards took them there. The only way the Inca had of sending messages or news was for people to carry word. So, like the Aztecs, the Peruvians had sta- tions along their great roads. Houses were built, five miles apart, where swift runners lived. A runner would take a messao^e and run as fast as he could to the next station. Then a new man would take the message from there to the next house, and so on. Of course this was much quicker than having one man take the message the whole distance. For he would soon get tired of running. Sometimes these runners brought to the Inca fish from the ocean, or game or fruit from some distant part of his kingdom. They ran so fast that it was always quite fresh when it reached the Inca. 100 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE PERUVIANS {conthmed) HE Peruvians had no way of writing down their thoughts. They had not made up a picture writing, as the Aztecs had. They kept account of things by tying knots in cords made of different colored threads. This was much harder to learn than our arithmetic and writing. The Inca owned the whole country. A part of it he gave to the Sun. Everything raised on that part belonged to the priests in the different temples of the Sun. Everything that was raised on another part was for the Inca and his relatives. And the last part was for the people. At a certain time of year, all the men and women worked together to plant the land belonging to the Sun. Next they planted the land belonging to those who were old, or sick, or to soldiers off at the wars. Then they tended their own lands. Lastly they tended the lands of the Inca. The Inca owned large flocks of llamas. Once a year they were driven together! Then many were killed for food for the people at Court. The rest were sheared. The officers of the Inca would give to each family THE PERUVIANS lOl as much llamas' wool as was needed for clothing. The people would spin and weave and make their clothes. The officers would furnish them with cot- ton, too, for thinner clothes. A FLOCK OF LLAMAS. When their own things were made, then they were obliged to labor for the Inca. Everybody, even the children, had to keep busy in this country of Peru. You can see now why the Inca did not have the gold and the silver made into money. The people did not need it. They had everything they needed 102 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS given them by the Inca, or they raised it themselves. So the Inca kept the gold and silver, and made beautiful things with them. Of course nobody could get rich in tliis country, for after his own work was done, he must labor for the Inca. He must fill the Inca's storehouses, or plant his land, or make roads or bridges or canals. But then nobody could be poor, either. Everybody had enough. The Incas kept making Peru larger and larger. Their soldiers would fifjht with some tribe of In- dians living near Peru, and conquer them. Then the Inca would own their land, and they must be- come his people. The Inca's soldiers had no guns. They had bows and arrows, spears, and lances, tipped with stone or copper. They did not know about iron. They had slings, too, and could shoot very well with them. THE INCA ATAHUALLPA 103 THE INCA ATAHUALLPA N their third voyage, PMzarro and Al- magro had more men, more horses, and more supplies than ever. They sailed at once to the friendly town of Tumbez, where they had seen such wonderful sights. As soon as they landed, a few natives set upon them. When the natives were driven off, the Span- iards found that the village was deserted. All the Indians had gone away. They had pulled down their temples. The gold that had covered the walls was nowhere to be found. The Spaniards were greatly disappointed. Pizarro spent several months exploring the coun- try near the coast. He was kind to all the natives, and soon they were friendly again. He found much gold, which he sent back to Panama to pay for his ships. He heard that the Inca knew he was in Peru, and had made a camp with a great army to await him. So he began to march inland toward the Inca's camp. The Indians were very friendly and gave the 104 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Spaniards food, as they passed through their vil- lages. And in every village the Spanish priest told them about our God. The Spaniards had with them two young Indians, who had been to Spain with Pizarro. They had learned to speak Spanish. They could tell the Peru- vians all that the priest said. One day the Inca, whose name was Atahuallpa, sent a messenger to Pizarro. The messenger took a present of fine cloth embroidered with gold and silver. He invited Pizarro to visit the Inca's camp. Pizarro thought that the Inca invited him to go to the camp just to get him into a trap. Pizarro had less than two hundred men ; the Inca had a great army. He could easily kill all the Spaniards, if they went to his camp. But Pizarro decided to 2:0 and see what would come of it. So he and his men began to climb across the Andes. The way was so steep that the Spaniards had to walk and lead their horses. There were paths, but they had been made for Indians, and not for horses. Sometimes these paths ran along the edge of a high cliff. If any one slipped, he would fall down hundreds of feet, and be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. The tops of the mountains were covered with THE INCA ATAHUALLPA I05 snow. The men nearly froze, because they were used to the valleys, where it was very warm. Some of the horses died of cold. At last they were across and near the Inca. He was camped at a place where there were some hot springs. The water from such a spring is warm enough for a bath, instead of being cold enough to drink. Pizarro sent his brother and Hernando de Soto and twenty of the soldiers to see the Inca. He was waiting for them. About him were gayly dressed Indian nobles. The Inca's clothes were not so gay, but he wore around his head a fringe of red. Only the king could wear this. Hernando de Soto was a soldier of the governor of Darien, who killed Balboa. He was a splendid horseman. He knew that the Inca had never seen a horse. So he struck spurs to his, and dashed over the plain, wheeling him round and round. Then coming back, he rode straight toward the Inca. He did not stop his horse until it was al- most near enough to touch Atahuallpa. It seemed as if he would ride over him. The Inca was a brave man and did not run away. He did not even show that he was astonished. Then the Indians gave the Spaniards wine to drink out of large golden vases. When it was io6 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS finished, the Spaniards invited the Inca to visit their camp. Then they rode back to Pizarro. They told Pizarro of the golden vases and of the great army. Pizarro knew that his few men could not conquer that army. So he thought of a plan to capture the Inca and keep him from his soldiers. UK SOXO RVDii. aiKAlGHX iOWARD THE INCA. A ROOM FULL OF GOLD 10/ A ROOM FULL OF GOLD PTZARRO told his men his plan to capture the Inca. The next day Atahuallpa came to visit the Spaniards. He sat in a covered chair made of pure gold. His highest nobles carried the chair. A priest met him and said to him, " We Spaniards have been sent to Peru by the King of Spain. He is a great king, greater than you. All Peru belongs to him." This made Atahuallpa very angry. He said, " Peru is my country." Just then the soldiers fell upon his guards and killed many of them and took the Inca prisoner. The Inca's soldiers did not know what to do without him, so they did not attack Pizarro. This was just as Pizarro had planned. Pizarro now began to march inland. He took Atahuallpa with him. He took the gold and the silver dishes that were in Atahuallpa's camp. In every city he found precious things. He found o-reat storehouses full of grrains and beautiful linen and woolen cloths. The Peruvians kept these houses always full in case they should be in need. Atahuallpa did not like to be a prisoner. He io8 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS saw that the Spaniards longed for gold. So he thought he would try to buy his freedom. One day he was in a room with Pizarro. He said to Pizarro, " I will fill this room, as high as I can reach, with gold, if you will let me go. And I will fill the next room with silver." Pizarro answered, " If you will do this, I will set you free." The Inca asked for two months to fill the rooms. It took many days for the swiftest runners to go to the distant parts of his king- dom. Then it took still longer for men to come back to him, carry- ing heavy loads of gold. So the Spaniards waited. For many weeks they saw the Indians come into camp carrying silver and gold dishes, platters and vases. They brought goblets and ornaments from the royal palaces. They brought golden imitations of different plants and animals. Among the plants, the most beauti- CARRYING HEAVY LOADS OF GOLD. A ROOM FULL OF GOLD IO9 ful was the Indian corn. The ear was of gold ; the husk, the broad leaves, and the stalk were of silver; the silk, too, was of silver. One day Pizarro heard that the messengers the Inca had sent out for gold were telling all the In- dians to join together and kill the Spaniards, and set the Inca free. So he decided that he must kill Atahuallpa, if he wished to be out of danger. Then the Indians would never have any one to lead them again. It was a dreadful deed to do, but he did it. Soon after the Inca was killed, Pizarro began his march farther inland to Cuzco. He had heard that the city was full of treasures, and he wished to get still more. But the Indians were now very angry with Pi- zarro. They destroyed many storehouses so that the .Spaniards could not find food. They also began to hide their silver and gold in caves in the mountains. It seemed a dreadful thing to them to have strangers come to their land, take away their treasures, kill their king, and make slaves of them. no STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE GOLDEN COUNTRY AT LAST PIZARRO and his men had a wonderful journey to Cuzco. They found many strange things made by the Peruvians. There were swinging bridges to cross. These hung over deep canons. They were made for foot passengers and not for horses. They would swing back and forth when the cavalry crossed. Sometimes horses and men fell off and were dashed to pieces on the rocks below. The Spaniards found hard roads miles long, as good as our roads now. They found steps cut in the rocks on the sides of the mountains, up which their horses must climb. They found farms everywhere. In places where the ground was too dry for things to grow, the In- dians had built canals, miles long, to bring water from some river. At the foot of the mountains, where it was warm, the Indians planted things that grow best in hot climates. On the sides of the mountains, where it was cooler, they planted what would grow best there. Nearer the top, where nothing but grass would grow, was the pasture for the llamas. The soldiers THE GOLDEN COUNTRY AT LAST 1 1 1 saw immense flocks of these llamas, which all belonged to the Inca. They were watched by his shepherds. The soldiers found buildings made of better bricks than we have now. They found houses, palaces, and forts, built of huge stones. The shoes of the Spaniards' horses wore out on this march. As they had no iron, they shod their horses with shoes of silver! In many places the Indians attacked Pizarro and his men and fought them as hard as they could. But the Spaniards had better weapons and coats of mail. They always won the battles. At last they entered Cuzco, the capital of Peru, SOMETIMES HORSES AND MEN FELL OFF. 112 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS and saw that wonderful city and the Temple of the Sun. They found many gold and silver statues in the temple. The lovely gardens outside were filled with gold and silver flowers. But the Spaniards never had enough treasures. They had become too greedy to be satisfied. They had to fight against the Indians for many years, because the Indians did not wish the Span- iards to govern them. The white men were cruel to the Peruvians and made slaves of them. They forced them to work so hard in the fields and mines that many died. And all this time the Spaniards could not agree with one another. They quarreled about every- thing. Almagro was killed and then Pizarro. So neither of them had a chance to go home to Spain and enjoy his riches. Then the king sent over to Peru other governors to take care of the country. It was such a rich land that he wished to keep it always for Spain. - So for many a day Spain owned much of the continent of South America. The Spanish people used the mines of silver, gold, and precious stones to make themselves more rich and powerful. THE ADVENTURE OF A FRENCH SAILOR 113 THE ADVENTURE OF A FRENCH SAILOR FEW years after Cabot had crossed the ocean, some Frenchmen began to sail their Httle boats to Newfoundland. So did the English and Portuguese and Spaniards. They were all jealous of one another. Each thought the wonderful fishing place belonged just to his king. But Francis, the King of France, was not satisfied with the good fishing. He wished to have his share of the New World. He had heard of the country of He had heard that King Charles of Spain had become rich with the gold Cortez sent him. Francis of France also wished to become rich. So the very year that Pizarro started for Peru, King Francis sent an Italian, named Verrazzano, across the Atlantic. Verrazzano was to explore the northern continent and to search toward the north for a passage to the Indies. Perhaps he might find a shorter way than Magellan had found. King Francis hoped that he would. Then, in the rich Indies, the king could 114 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS make a new and richer kingdom for himself. For France was quite poor at this time. Verrazzano sailed along the coast of North America just where Cabot had sailed. Only Verraz- zano steered north, and Cabot had steered south. The French sailors had not been in that part of the world before. They could not believe that people lived there. Yet when they came in sight of the shore they saw fires burning. They saw strange looking people crowding down to the edge of the water. These were Indians, watching the ships of the white men. The ships seemed wonderful to them. They wished the Frenchmen to land and pointed out a good place. They made signs of welcome. But many of the Frenchmen had not seen In- dians before. The copper-colored people looked very strange to them. Their skins were dark. They wore no clothes as did the Frenchmen. They had feathers stuck in their long, black hair. Worst of all, the Frenchmen could not understand what the Indians were saying. They were not quite sure they really wished to go among them. But they needed in their ship? fresh water to drink. So a boat was rowed to the shore with casks to be filled with water. The surf was very high and the men could not THE ADVENTURE OF A FRENCH SAILOR 115 land. There were no wharves in those days. But one very brave sailor jumped overboard and swam toward the Indians with a present of beads. When he reached them, he became afraid. He threw his gift among them. Then he turned and THE INDIANS ANSW ERED HIM WITH YELLS. tried to swim back to the boat. But the waves dashed him upon the shore among the Indians. They seized him by his arms and legs and carried him away from the water. He called for help, and the Indians answered him with yells. They did not know that he was afraid, and he did not know that they were his friends. Next they lighted a fire. The Frenchman thought they were going to roast and eat him. The sailors watching in the ships thought so, too. Il6 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS But no ! They carefully warmed him and dried his clothes. Then they led him to the water and watched him until he reached the boat. THE FRENCHMEN AND THE INDIANS ERRAZZANO'S ships sailed toward the north, searching for a passage to India and China. One day a party of the sailors landed on the shore. They found some native women and children hiding in the grass. It was then that the Frenchmen forgot how kind the Indians had been to one of them. They did a wicked deed. They stole one of the little Indian children and carried him on board their ship. Then Verrazzano sailed on north, until he reached the place where New York City now stands. He did not see houses and stores and busy streets. He saw nothing but rocks and trees and land and water. And he saw a great harbor dotted with canoes. These canoes were filled with Indians dressed in skins and wearing feathered headdresses. Their faces were daubed with paint. They had come out to welcome the white men. THE FRENCHMEN AND THE INDIANS 117 As Verrazzano sailed along the coast farther north, he found that the natives were not so friendly. Perhaps fishermen from Newfoundland had visited that coast and ill-treated them. At any rate, they would not let the Frenchmen go on shore. They shot arrows at them when they tried to do so, and gave yells which we call war whoops. But they were willing to trade with the sailors. They gave beautiful furs for fishhooks, knives, and pieces of iron. This is the way they traded. They stood on high rocks at the edge of the sea, and the French- men rowed close to the rocks. Then the natives dropped one end of a cord down to the boat. The sailors tied to the cord what they wished to trade. When the Indians pulled it up, they threw down their furs. These Indians were not like the Aztecs. They were not like the Peruvians. They were not so civilized. They did not live in houses. Their homes were wigwams made of skins or bark. They did not have one king to govern all the people. But each company or tribe had a head man, called a chief. He was their captain. There were many different tribes of Indians. Il8 STORIES OP^ AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Often the tribes went to war against one another. They called this going on the warpath. They painted their faces and bodies and took their weapons. Then they went silently through the woods, hunting for their enemies. But when they found them, they were not silent. They would give their horrible war whoops. Then they would kill as many as they could. The natives had no guns, but shot with bows and arrows. The arrows were tipped with sharp pieces of stone. They had stone hatchets, too, which -we call tomahawks. They used these for weapons. We call an Indian man a brave; an Indian woman, a squaw; and a baby, a papoose. The squaws had to work very hard while the braves hunted or went on the warpath. When Verrazzano reached Newfoundland, he had to sail home, for his food was nearly gone. He had found no rich country, nor any northern passage to the Indies or to Cathay. This was the name which people gave China. But his sailors were so excited over the voyage that they made up strange stories about it. One story was that they had sailed near a wondei-ful country called Norumbega. They said that in this country there was a city THE FRENCHMEN AND THE INDIANS 119 whose houses were raised on posts of glass and silver. These posts were decorated with precious stones. This rich city was said to be in what is now the state of Maine. Many Frenchmen be- lieved this story. It was no stranger than the true things about THIS IS THE WAY THEY TRADED. I20 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Mexico. People wished more ships to be sent across the ocean to explore. France be^an to feel as if she owned a share in the New World. In a few years a man named Jacques Cartier set sail from France to search for a northern route to the Indies and to Cathay. WHAT JACQUES CARTIER FOUND HE King of France next sent Jacques Cartier across the ocean to search for a way to Cathay. Cartier had been a sailor all his life. So he was glad to sail away to a new country and see what he could find. He steered past Newfoundland and found himself in a large gulf leading westward. So he felt sure that at last he was on the road to the Indies. This was the gulf of St. Lawrence. When he landed on the mainland, he raised a great cross made of rough timbers. On the middle of the cross was a shield with three fieurs-de-lis. The fleurs-de-lis were the lilies of France. They were the sign of the French king, just as WHAT JACQUES CARTIER FOUND I2I the eagle is the sign of our own country. Many French explorers raised a cross with fleurs-de-lis, to show that the place belonged to their king. Cartier liked very much this new land, which he had discovered. He found wild strawberries, wheat, and peas growing there. He saw lovely red and white roses blossoming. But winter was coming on, so he turned his ships toward home. The very next year, Cartier set out again for America. He steered at once for the new grulf which he had discovered. Sailing through this, he came to the opening of a passage, leading westward. Then he felt sure that he had at last found the way. How disappointed he must have been when he found that his passage was only a river ! He did not think of the honor that would be his for discovering this great river. He did not seem to care because he was the first white man to sail upon its waters. He wished it were a strait, leading to the Indies. But at least he must explore this new country that he had gained for France. So he sailed up the great river, which we call the St. Lawrence. He landed upon an island where the trees were covered with wild grapevines. Then he sent some of his large boats still farther up the river to ex- plore. 122 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS UP THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER HE Indians were very friendly to Cartier. But for some reason they did not wish him to sail up their river. They thought they could frighten him away. So three of them dressed in black and white dog skins. They painted their faces black and fastened on long horns. Then they got into a canoe and floated down the stream to where Cartier was. They pretended that they came from an Indian god who lived up the river. They said, " Our god has sent us to warn the white men that they will die if they go on up the stream." Of course this did not frighten Cartier. He laughed at the Indians. Then he sailed up the river to see what he could find. It was autumn. He found the banks of the St. Lawrence covered with trees whose leaves had turned to red and yellow. He saw wild grapevines heavy with grapes. He saw waterfowl and many wild animals. He heard the chirp of blackbird and thrush. But he saw and heard nothing to frighten him. UP THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER 123 At last he reached the place where the city of Montreal now is. He found a thousand Indians crowding the bank. They were dancing and yell- ing with delight. They gave presents of fish and maize to the Frenchmen. Then they took the Frenchmen into their town. THE INDIANS THOUGHT THEY COULD FRIGHTEN CARTIER. These Indians lived in long houses made of poles and covered with bark. Nlany families lived in one house. They did not move about as some other tribes did. They lived by fishing and planting. They dried and smoked their fish. They pounded their grain 124 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS between flat stones, to make flour. Then they made it into dough and cooked it on hot rocks. The Indians thought that Cartier was a strange god. They wished him to touch all who were lame or blind or ill. They thought this would make them well. Cartier gave them knives, hatchets, beads, and rings. Soon he sailed down the river to his ships. Winter came on and this was hard for the French- men. They longed for sunny France, where the winter is not cold. But where Cartier built his little fort, it w^as different. The ground froze, the river froze, and the sailors nearly froze. Great snowdrifts rose above the sides of their ships. The masts and sails were covered with ice. Then a still worse thing happened. The French- men began to fall sick. Cartier did not know how to cure them. Soon many died. Cartier became afraid that the Indians would find this out and kill the rest. He did not dare let the red men visit the fort. If any came near, he had his men make noises and hit the walls of the fort. He did this so that the Indians might think they were well and very busy. One day Cartier saw a native who had been ill just as his sailors were. This Indian told Cartier UP THE ST. LAWRENCE RiVER. 125 to make a drink from spruce boughs for his sick sailors. Cartier did so and they began to get well. When this dreadful winter was over, Cartier sailed back to France. He took with him some Indian chiefs. One of them was a great story teller. He told of a land of gold and rubies ; of a tribe of white Indians; of men who lived without food; of others who had but one leg. He was such a story teller that Cartier wished the king to hear him. Cartier sailed to America once more. He hoped to make a colony in New France. This was the name given to Canada, the part of the continent he explored. But he did not succeed. His men would not work hard enough. They hunted for what was probably quartz crys- tal, because they thought it diamonds. They picked yellow stuff out of slate, because they thought it gold. How people must have laughed at them if they took it back to France ! Sometimes we call it fools' gold. They did not like to clear the forest away and plant seeds. And they dreaded the cold winter that was coming. So Cartier took them home. It was not until years later that the French did make a settlement in the country which Cartier found for his king. 126 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS THE MARCH OF HERNANDO DE SOTO H ERNANDO DE SOTO was a soldier of the governor of Darien when Bal- boa was beheaded. Afterward he fol- lowed Pizarro to Peru. He was the horseman who tried to yf-ZiX JJ^V frighten the Inca by riding his horse ^4«£^^^;;^HI^^» almost over him. He became very rich in Peru. He liad a large share of the treasures that Pizarro found. When he returned to Spain, he asked the king to make him the governor of Florida. Now Spanish Florida went as far west as the land goes. It was not just the little piece which de Leon had explored. It was a very large part of our continent. Several companies had tried to explore this great tract of land. Many Spaniards had lost their lives there. Some had wandered in the forests for years. But whoever returned had wonderful tales to tell of riches which he could not carry home with him. Hernando de Soto was very rich with the Incas' gold. He believed Florida was another wonderful country like Peru. He wished to go and see for himself. THE MARCH OF HERNANDO DE SOTO 127 THE SOLDIER CAUGHT HIM UP ON HIS SADDLE. So he took several ships and many men and sailed to Cuba. From there he went to Florida. He had with him priests and workmen and soldiers. He also had two or three hundred horses, a large herd of swine, and many bloodhounds. 128 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS The very first night that the Spaniards slept in the new land their troubles began. The Indians fell upon them and tried to kill those who were camped on shore. If only the Spaniards could have known that they would never be safe from these enemies, perhaps they would have sailed back to Cuba. But instead they spent three dreadful years wandering over our continent. De Soto's men found, near their camp, a deserted Indian villaoe. So de Soto moved his soldiers there. Every day he sent out men to capture the natives who had lived in this village. He wished them for guides, and he wished to learn from them things about the country. He could not talk to them well, for he did not know their language. But he gave every Indian he caught a present for his chief, and then let him go. The presents made the chief very angry. " I hate the white men," he said. " Have you forgotten those Spaniards who killed my mother.-^ Have you for- gotten how they hurt me.'* Bring me no presents from them, until you can bring me their heads." That was the way most of the Indians felt. For the Spaniards who had explored their country, before de Soto came, had been very cruel to them. THE MARCH OF HERNANDO DE SOTO 129 De Soto learned from the natives that there was a Spaniard Hving with another tribe. He sent men to rescue him. One party came upon a small band of Indians. All the Indians but two got away and hid in the forest. The soldiers were just about to kill one of these men, when he cried out, using a Spanish word: " Are you a Spaniard .^^ " shouted a soldier. "Yes, yes!" answered the man. So the soldier caught him up on his saddle and rode off with him to de Soto. De Soto thanked God that this poor man was found. He had been a captive of the Indians for many years. He could hardly speak his own language at first. He had almost forgotten how it sounded. But he had learned the languages of many Indian tribes. De Soto was glad to have some way of making the natives understand him. The poor Spaniard was glad to be with his countrymen once more. Now de Soto marched toward the north. The country was full of swamps. Sometimes the Indian guides led the Spaniards into them. The march was very hard. The soldiers lost courage. They found no gold and they wished to give up the search. But de Soto would not give up. Always he heard of countries a little farther on, where gold could be I ^o STORIES OF AiMERICAN DISCOVERERS found. And should he turn back when gold was within reach ? Along the march the Spaniards stole the maize which the Indians had raised. Sometimes this left the Indians starving. They captured the natives and made them their slaves. They chained them in couples so that the slaves could not run away. They stole the Indian women for servants. They were so cruel that they did not act at all like Christians. Everywhere the Indians learned to' hate them. And so the first year of the Spaniards' wandering was passed. THE DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER n)¥ THE country through which the Spaniards marched was often beautiful. The soil was rich. But they could not stop to plant things. They must hurry on for gold. Their provisions began to The woods were full of deer and wild There were fish in the streams. But the soldiers were not good hunters and fishermen. So they often went hungry. give out. turkeys. THE DISCOV^ERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 131 They did not dare kill all their pigs. They must keep some of them. So at last they suffered much from want of meat. Still they found no gold. But always they heard of it from the Indians, and it seemed only a little farther on. So on they wandered. At one place an Indian queen came to meet de Soto. She was not afraid of him. She threw around his neck a heavy string of pearls, which she had worn. She gave him presents of mantles made of feathers. She saw that he liked the pearls best. So she told him where her people had buried large quan- tities of them. The Spaniards dug where she told them and found many pounds of pearls. But they were not very valuable ones. When de Soto marched away, he took this kind queen captive. He meant to carry her with him, but she escaped. De Soto then turned toward the south. If he had keep on northward, he would have found a little gold. But he did not know this, and so he traveled away from it. At last he came to a large Indian village. It had many houses and was surrounded by palisades. A palisade is a high fence made of pointed sticks, set close together. 132 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS De Soto attacked this town. His men set it on fire. Many Indians were killed. The Spaniards did not care for this. But they did care be- cause most of their own baggage was lost in the fire they themselves had kindled. Their clothing was burned and so was the food their slaves carried for them. Perhaps they wished they had not set fire to the Indian village. De Soto learned that he was within a week's march of the coast. He heard that two ships, filled with provisions, were sailing up and down, searching for him. He tried to keep this news from his soldiers. He feared they would desert him and go back to Cuba. But some of his men heard of the ships, and they did plan to desert. Now de Soto was a very proud man. He did not wish news of his bad luck to reach Cuba. One hundred of his men had died since he started. He had lost his pearls. He was ashamed to have people know that he had not found gold. So he did not even send word to his wife, who was governor of Cuba while he was away. When he learned that some of his soldiers planned to desert him, he started at once to march on again. One night the Indians attacked him and his men. They shot arrows covered with burning THE DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 133 grass among the huts of the Spaniards. These set the huts on fire. The Spaniards were so surprised that they could not save even their clothes. Their blankets and "no," said others, "it must be a river." saddles and weapons were burned. Nearly all their hogs and many of their horses were lost. So they had to forge new swords and make spears. They dressed themselves in skins, and braided mats of dried grass for blankets. This was hard for them, but they had deserved it. On and on they wandered through the wilder- ness, until one day they came in sight of a large piece of water. 134 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS " Another lake," some cried. " Now we must travel far around this." " No," said others. " This is not a lake. See how swiftly the water runs past us. Who ever heard of a lake flowing along? It must be a river." " But whoever saw such a wide river .? " said some of the soldiers. And indeed it was wide. It was so wide that the Spaniards could not tell an Indian from a deer, on the farther side. The water was thick and yellow with the mud it carried along. The Spaniards called it the " Grand River," but we call it by the Indian name Missis- sippi, which means "The Great Father of Waters." De Soto and his men were not glad to find this great river. It was in their way. They wished to march on, and this mighty stream stopped them. They must halt and make boats in which to cross. So they set to work building boats to take the army across the wide Mississippi. LOST IN NORTH AMERICA 135 LOST IN NORTH AMERICA lT last de Soto's boats were fin- ished, and his whole army was across the Mississippi. Now the Spaniards wan- dered on, still hunting for gold. They found none, but they found some wonderful springs. These were salt water, instead of fresh water springs. They learned about the bison, or American buf- falo, which lived farther north. They bought skins of these animals from the Indians. These skins made very warm robes. At last de Soto, too, became discouraged. He said he would turn his march toward the ocean. Then he could send to Cuba for more soldiers and supplies. He sent out men to find the nearest way to the sea. When they returned, they brought bad news. In eight days they had been able to go but a little way because of the great swamps and dense forests. De Soto was worn out with hardships and dis- appointments. He could not bear this last mis- fortune. He fell ill with a fever. Then one day he died in his camp near the " Father of Waters." 136 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS His soldiers did not wish the natives to know this. They had been told that de Soto was the son of the San and could not die. So one dark night they wrapped him in mantles made heavy with sand. Then they rowed to the middle of the river. They gently sunk de Soto's body there. And there he has slept ever since — his grave in the wonderful river he discovered. His soldiers and their new leader then tried to find their way to the Spanish settlements in Mexico. TIIEY GKNTI.Y SUNK DK SOTO S BODY. LOST IN NORTH AMERICA 137 They wandered far to tlie west and lost themselves in the great forest. They asked the Indians they found, but none of them knew the way. The In- dians everywhere attacked them. The Spaniards were sick, starving, and in despair. At last they turned back to the great river. They would try one more way to save themselves from dying. They did not know where the river flowed, but they would sail down it and perhaps find help. In six months they had built seven frail boats. They used every scrap of iron they had for nails and spikes. Then they twisted the inner bark of a tree for ropes. The Indians gave them mantles of matting for sails. They stole the Indians' maize for food. They killed all the hogs and most of the horses for meat. They were many days reaching the mouth of the Mississippi. Then they did not know that they were in the Gulf of Mexico. They noticed that the water was not salt for many miles after they had left the bank of the river. They knew that sea water is salt. Could they really be out on the sea then ? This was because the great river is so strong that it sends its fresh water many miles from land. But the Spaniards did not understand it. 138 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS They did not know which way to steer, but they turned their ships westward. They kept close to the coast to watch for a settlement. They sailed nearly two months in their frail ships, looking and looking for help. Then one day they saw a Spanish flag floating in the breeze. They knew they had at last found friends. How they must have shouted when they saw their own flag once more ! They were half naked and nearly starved. They looked more like wild beasts than like men. But they fell on their knees and kissed the ground when they landed among their own people. They thought of their many friends left in the pathless forests. Some were dead ; some were cap- tives of the Indians. They thought of brave de Soto, laid to rest in the deep river. Then they thanked God that they were saved and with their countrymen once more. THE KING'S TREASURE HOUSE 139 THE KING'S TREASURE HOUSE THERE was a brave Englishman whose name was Francis Drake. He sailed "^ the Spanish Seas and captured many treasures from the Spaniards. Spain bad become a rich and power- ful country. She was not willing to share her riches. She owned much new land. She wished to own all the new waters. So she claimed the Gulf of Mexico for herself. She also claimed the wide Pacific. No English ship had ever sailed on the Pacific, and Spain made up her mind that no English ship ever should. Since Magellan's voyage, no one had sailed through his passage. The waters were too stormy. So Spain felt very sure about keeping the South Sea for her own. Her treasure ships from Peru sailed safely to Panama. Then the gold was car- ried on mules across the Isthmus of Darien. It was stored at Nombre de Dios, a town on the Atlantic shore. At this place there was a building called the King's Treasure House. It was filled with gold and silver belonging to the Spaniards. In those days the English and Spaniards were not friends. They hated each other. The English 140 STORIES OF AiMERICAN DISCOVERERS sailors would often fight against the Spanish sailors. Sometimes they would capture or sink each other's ships. Brave Englishmen would sail over the waters Spain claimed, seeking for ships to attack. These waters were called the Spanish Main. At last one Englishman planned a daring deed. This was Francis Drake. He planned to sail across the Atlantic to N ombre de Dios. Then he meant to capture from the Spaniards the gold and silver in the King's Treasure House. So Francis Drake sailed his ships near to Nom- bre de Dios. Then he hid them in a little cove. When it was dark, he and his men silently rowed toward the town. They made no noise. They spoke in whispers. They wished HE RAN TO RING THE ALARM BELLS. tO SUrpriSC thC THE KING'S TREASURE HOUSE 141 Spaniards. Then their enemies would not be guarding the Treasure House. But the moon came out. And as Drake's men were creeping up the stairs of the wharf, a Spanish sentinel saw them. At first he thought them ghosts. He did not know that any EngHshmen were in that part of the world. Then he turned and ran with all his might to ring the alarm bells. The bells waked all the Spanish soldiers. They came running to see what was the trouble. Drake was caught. But he knew what to do. He began to fight the Spaniards in the market- place. While he was fighting, he said to some of his men, "Run to the King's Treasure House. You will not find many guards there. Break open the doors. Take what treasure you can. Carry it to the boats. I will keep these soldiers busy fighting." So the Spanish soldiers fought Drake, and did not think to watch their Treasure House. When Drake's men broke down the doors, they saw piles and piles of bars of solid silver. Just then mules came galloping to the door, driven by some Spaniards. These mules were to take the treasure away to a safe place till the fight should be over. 142 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS But the Englishmen captured them. They loaded the silver on their backs. Then they drove them swiftly down to the boat. Drake and his soldiers soon came, too. Drake had been wounded and his men carried him. But they hurried on board and started toward their ships. Soon they and their silver were safe. FRANCIS DRAKE'S WISH RANCIS DRAKE sailed the Span- ish Main for six months after he ' captured his first treasures. He did not go home to England. He wished to trouble the Spaniards more. He hated them and lono^ed to take all their treas- ures from them. He learned from the Indians when a mule train, loaded with o^old, would cross the Isthmus. This gold came from Peru. It would -go into the King's Treasure House at Hombre de Dios. There was no use in trying to attack the Treasure House again. The Spaniards would be sure that FRANCIS DRAKE'S WISH 143 UP THE TRUNK OF A GREAT TREE DRAKE CLIMBED. it was better guarded. But one thing Drake could do. He could leave his ships and march inland. Then he could lie in wait for the caravan of mules. He could attack the Spaniards in charge of them. Maybe he could capture the gold they carried. Led by an In- dian guide, a few of the Englishmen started. They marched by night and hid by day. They were always At last the guide Up the trunk of in fear of meeting Spaniards, led Drake to the top of a hill a great tree Drake climbed. Then he looked about him. He looked toward the south. He saw some- thing that no Englishman had ever seen. Far beyond the mountains, and hills, and valleys something blue4ay shining in the sun. It was the South Sea, the great Pacific Ocean. 144 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Never had English eyes looked upon those waters. Never had English ships sailed upon them. When Francis Drake saw that blue ocean stretchins: west- ward, he wished to sail upon it. He seemed to care for nothing so much as to steer his ship through those waters. He fell on his knees and prayed a prayer. His prayer asked God to grant him his wish of sailing an English ship on that Spanish Sea. That night an Indian came to camp with news that the mule train was near. Drake hid his men in the tall grass near the trail and waited. One hour passed. All was quiet. Two hours passed. The English still waited patiently. Then came the sound of hoofs. Soon the pack train was in sight. Now was Drake's time to capture it. But before he could tell his men what to do, some- thing happened. A foolish Englishman leaped up and yelled. In a second the mule train had run away. So Drake and his men never s^ot that Q:old. The Spaniards hid it in the woods and hid themselves, too. Then the Englishmen had to get back to their ships. The Spaniards were now on the lookout for them. But they dodged their enemies safely and reached the coast. They built a raft and floated 1 FRANCIS DRAKE'S WISH 145 about on it until they reached their ships. Then they were safe from the Spaniards. They had had adventures enough, and Drake turned home at last. One Sunday his ships an- chored in Plymouth Harbor in England. The people who were in church heard that Drake had come home. They could not wait for the serv- ice to be over. Out rushed every man, woman, and child, leaving the pews empty — they were in such a hurry to see bold Francis Drake and his ships, loaded with Spanish treasures. The silver which Drake had taken from the King's Treasure House made him very rich. He was so rich that he could buy a fine castle and have many servants. But Drake did not care for these. He wished for one thing only. This was to sail an English ship on the South Sea. He wished to show the Spaniards that the South Sea was not theirs. He wished to prove to them that he was not afraid to sail upon it. The Queen of England was Queen Elizabeth. She was glad to have such a brave man as Francis Drake for her sailor. She was willing he should sail the South Sea if he could. So Drake set out with five ships. Every one thouorht he was oroino- to Africa to trade. If he had told where he really was going, the Spaniards 146 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS would have heard of it. Then they would have been on their guard. THE ENGLISH DRAGON RANCIS DRAKE and his five ships sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. They reached the coast of South America. They anchored in a harbor where Magellan had anchored more than fifty years before. Two of Drake's ships gave out and he was left with only three. Drake meant to sail through the Strait of Magellan and into the Pacific Ocean. Then he meant to cruise about, capturing Span- ish ships. It was a daring thing to do. He did not seem to think that some of them might capture him. When Drake reached the Pacific Ocean, he re- named his ship the Golden Hind. A great storm came up and Drake was driven far below South America. He saw the waves of the Atlantic and the Pacific sweep together. One of his ships was lost and one sailed back to England. THE ENGLISH DRAGON I47 So the little Golden Hind was left all alone to sail the South Sea. Drake steered the Golden Hind northward into the forbidden waters of the Pacific. Not a Spaniard was seen, till he came to a Spanish town on the coast. Here were Spanish ships in the harbor. They had no thought of seeing an English vessel on that side of South America. So they saluted and beat a welcome on their drums. But Drake soon showed that he was an English- man. He captured the ships and sacked the town. He got from the fort gems and wedges of pure gold. Then he sailed on north. At one place where Drake landed, he found a Spaniard asleep, with thirteen bars of silver piled beside him. He was waiting for a Spanish ship. When he awoke, he found a -ship had called, but it had been an English one. Drake had taken the silver. Farther on, Drake landed again to see what treasures were coming over the hills to the coast. Along a trail came a boy whistling, as he drove eiQ:ht llamas. Each llama carried black leather sacks full of gold. The sailors were wild with delight. So much Spanish gold for their own! But Drake meant to have still more. He had heard of the treasure ship 148 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS which carried gold from Peru to Panama. What if the Gdldeii Hind could capture her ? Already news was being sent up the coast by THE FIGHT WAS SOON OVER. land that " The English Dragon " was near. That was the Spanish name for Drake. He knew he must sail swiftly, to be ahead of the messengers. THE ENGLISH DRAGON I49 He heard that the treasure ship had started. He knew he must overtake her before she reached Panama. It was a race for gold. The wind fell, but Drake's brave sailors towed the Golden Hmd by rowing the small boats. They hardly stopped to eat or to sleep. They must catch The Glory of the South Sea, the Span- ish treasure ship. They must not lose her. One afternoon the lookout shouted, " Sail ho ! " Every man on board knew that a fight was coming. Soon they were close to The Glory of the South Sea. She stopped and waited for them. Her captain did not know that " The English Dragon " was near. He thought the Golden Hind was a Spanish ship. The fight was soon over and the treasure ship was Drake's. On her were emeralds and pearls, tons of silver, and pounds of gold. There was treasure enough to make all of Drake's men rich. They had no need to look for other ships to capture. The Golden Hind could hold no more heavy gold and silver. So now for England ! Drake did not dare go home by the Strait of Magellan. All the Spanish ships would be waiting to catch him. He must go some other way. He I50 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS steered up the coast of North America, hunting for a passage through. But he found none. Then he knew that he must sail across the wide Pacific as Magellan had sailed. He had taken some charts of the Pacific from a captured Spanish ship. This was good luck, for only the Spaniards knew the way across the ocean. He steered by these charts to the Philippines, then around Africa, and so back to Plymouth Harbor. " The English DraQ:on " was at home once more. Bells were set ringing. Messengers rode to London to tell the queen. The news spread. People said, "Francis Drake has come home." — " His ship is loaded with Spanish treasure." — " He has sailed around the world." Every one was glad to have him safe in England. So Francis Drake's wish came true. He wished to sail an English ship over that Spanish Sea. He wished to show the Spaniards that the sea was not theirs. All of this he did. ■i^:'-? vT^- SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 151 SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN T'HIS is a story of another Frenchman. His name was Samuel de Champlain. He came across the sea to find out all he could about New France. People had learned that there were many wild animals in the new country. Their fur was very valuable. France wished to keep all these furs. She did not wish any other nation to be able to buy and sell them. So it seemed best to make settlements in New France. If the French made vil- lages, other nations could not claim that part of North America. The people who settled there could buy furs from the Indians. They could trap animals and get the skins themselves. Then they could send the skins to France to be sold. So Samuel de Champlain crossed the ocean sev- eral times to explore New France. He looked for good places to make settlements. He noticed whether the climate was hot or cold, and whether the soil was rich enough to make good farms. He looked to see what trees, berries, and vege- tables were found in New France. He learned all he could about the Indians who lived there. 152 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS One day he landed in what is now the state of Maine. There he found Indians who did not plant maize. They lived by hunting and fishing. They made snowshoes to use when the snow was deep in winter. The heavy animals they hunted would sink in the soft snow at every step. The Indians on their snowshoes would not sink, so they could overtake the animals and kill them. These snowshoes looked very queer to the Frenchmen. They were like racquets, with which they played a game. But who ever heard of walk- ing on racquets ? Farther south Champlain found Indians who lived in big huts. These huts were covered with oak bark and surrounded by palisades. Several families lived in each one. They painted their faces red and black. They shaved the tops of their heads. The rest of their hair grew long. In the long hair they twisted feathers. They did not live by hunting. They had gar- dens. In these they planted corn, several grains in a hill, as we do. With the corn they planted beans. Besides these vegetables, they, raised squashes, pumpkins, and tobacco. All these things grew in the New World and did not need to be brought from France. SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 153 The Indians had no plows with which to turn up the eartii. They used a sort of spade made of wood. They also used the shells of large crabs for shovels. In another place Champlain found that the Indians used hollow logs for canoes. The inside of the log was burned out with fire. THE FRENCHMAN STARTED AFTER THE RED MAN. It took great care to make these canoes, for the fire must not burn the edge of the log. If it blazed too fast, they poured on water to stop it. Canoes like these tipped over very easily. The Indians had to sit carefully in the middle of them, unless they wished a ducking. Champlain visited the harbor of Plymouth, where the English settled fifteen years later. There he found the Indians living in round wigwams covered 154 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS with mats. At the top of each wigwam was an opening for smoke to pass out. Near almost every wigwam was a garden. These Indians did not have storehouses for their corn. They did not keep it in their wigwams during the winter. Instead they put it into sacks of grass. They dug trenches in the earth and laid the sacks in the trenches. They covered them with piles of sand. At every place where Champlain stopped, he learned more about the Indians. Sometimes he learned good things, sometimes bad things. He found that they were not always honest, that they would steal if they could. And at last he found that he could not trust them to be friendly. For at one place some of his men landed to get water at a spring. An Indian ran up and snatched a kettle from one of them. Of course the French- man started after the red man to get his kettle. He was shot with arrows by other red men, who were watching. The French on board the ship then fired at the Indians. Champlain's gun burst and nearly killed him. But the Indians ran into the woods, and the sailors got back to their ship. Soon after this Champlain steered north again. He had learned more about the coast of New Eng- HOW CHAMPLAIN WENT ON THE WARPATH 155 land than any other man knew. And he could tell his king much about the Indians and how they lived. HOW CHAMPLAIN WENT ON THE WARPATH SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN had made a little settlement at Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. One day a young Indian chief visited Quebec. He belonged to the Algonquin tribe of Indians. Everything he saw at the white men's village astonished him. He wished to have the white men for his friends. So he said to Champlain, " In the spring my people go upon the warpath. We go to fight our enemies, the Iroquois. Come with us and help us." Champlain was always glad to travel. He liked to see new places. So he promised that he would go. When spring came, Champlain and some of his men went to meet his friends, the Algonquins. Most of them had never seen white people. They could hardly stop looking at the Frenchmen. Champlain and the Indians paddled up the St. 156 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Lawrence. After a few days they came to the mouth of anotlier river. This empties into the St. Lawrence. We call it the Richelieu. Up this river they turned. Their enemies, the Iroquois, lived toward the south. The Algonquins had told Champlain that he could go all the way in his sailboat. But Champlain found, in the Riche- lieu, rapids which he could not pass. He had heard from the hidians about a great lake near them. He wished to see it for himself. He wished to see the islands in it and the forests about it. He wished to see the high mountains which surround it. He said to the Algonquins, " My friends, the Algonquins, have not been honest with me. They have not told me the truth. But I will be honest with them. I promised to go on the warpath against the Iroquois. I will keep my promise." He sent most of his men back to Quebec in his sailboat. But he and two of his soldiers went on with the Indians. The Algonquins were much pleased because Champlain did not turn back. They kept saying that they would show him beautiful things. They carried their canoes through the woods past the rapids. When they came to smoother water, they got into the canoes again. HOW CHAMPLAIN WENT ON THE WARPATH 15; THEY CARRIED THEIR CANOES THROUGH THE WOODS. At night the party always stopped. The Indians built shelters of bark. They cut down trees around their huts to protect them . from the enemy. Several braves would go out from camp to see if any Iroquois were near. If they found none, they all went to sleep. No 158 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS one kept watch. They had no sentinels. Cham- plain did not like this. He thought it was careless. He said, " Some night your enemies will surprise you. You will not be ready to fight them. Then they will kill you." But the Algonquins said, " We are too tired to sit up all night and watch. This is the way we have always done." And they would not listen to Cham- plain. The Algonquins believed in dreams. . Eveiy morning they asked Champlain what he had dreamed. One night he dreamed that he saw the Iroquois drowning in the lake. When he told the Indians this, they were very happy. They said, " This means that we shall kill our enemies." At last the Richelieu became very wide. Soon they entered the lake which now bears Champlain's name. It stretched as far south as Champlain could see. On the left rose the ranges which we call the Green Mountains. On the opposite shore were the Adirondacks. Champlain said that he saw snow on the tops of the Green Mountains. But he . must have been mistaken. It was July, and no snow would have been there in the middle of summer. The Algonquins told Champlain that the Iro- HOW CHAMPLAIN WENT ON THE WARPATH 159 quois lived among the mountains on both sides of the lake. They were now near the enemies' coun- try. So they traveled by night and hid in the woods by day. One night, as they paddled silently along, they saw canoes moving on the lake in front of them. These canoes were the boats of the Iroquois. The Iroquois landed and began to cut down trees to protect themselves. All night long the Algon- quins staid in their canoes, singing and shouting. When morning came, they landed, too, and the battle began. The Algonquins said to Champlain, " Shoot the Iroquois chiefs if you can. You will know them because they wear tall plumes." Champlain answered, " I will do my best." The Iroquois moved toward the Algonquins. Just then the Algonquins parted and Champlain stepped in front of them. The Iroquois were as- tonished. They had never seen a white man. They stopped. » Champlain raised his gun and fired. One of the chiefs fell. Then his soldiers fired, too. The Iro- quois were afraid of the guns. They did not know what to do. So they turned and ran into the forest and the battle was over. This is the way that Samuel de Champlain went i6o STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS on the warpath with his friends, the Algonquins, and found beautiful Lake Champlain. THE DUTCH SHIP "HALF MOON" NCE upon a time there lived an Englishman named Henry Hudson. He was a wise sailor. Many kings wished him to explore for them. But he decided to explore for the Dutch people. Hudson started on his trip in the very same year that Cham- plain discovered Lake Champlain He was to search for a short route ^^ to Cathay by sailing east and around Asia. But the sea so far north was full of ice, and the sailors suffered with cold. So Hudson said he would turn west and search the shore of North America for a passage. We have read about other men who hunted for that same passage. Hudson steered his ship along the coast where Champlain had sailed. He found many things which Champlain had found. His men did not trust the Lidians, and were often cruel to them. THE DUTCH SHIP "HALF MOON" l6"i He saw French vessels, but kept out of their way. He was not sure the French would wish him to explore the country they claimed. At last the Dutch ship sailed as far south as that part of our country which we call Virginia. There, Hudson knew, was an English settlement. And there lived a friend of his, Captain John Smith. But Hudson did not stop. He did not think the English would wish him to explore the country which they claimed. So he turned his ship north again and entered what is now New York Harbor. Verrazzano had stopped at this same spot nearly ninety years before. It was September and about two months after Champlain had discovered his lake. The Dutch and English sailors were delighted with the harbor they had found. The water was deep and there were many fish. The Indians they saw were dressed in deerskins. They were friendly and willing to trade with the crew. But the sailors could not trust them. Once the Indians set upon a small boat load of white, men, who had been exploring the shore. They shot arrows at the sailors. It began to rain, and the sailors' guns would not go off in the rain. One man was killed. It became dark, and they could not find their ship. So they rowed to and fro l62 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS during that long, stormy night. At last morning came and they saw the Half Moon. The Half Moon then sailed up the stream which we call the Hudson River. When the vessel ancliored, she was visited by many canoes filled with men, women, and children. The crew did not allow any of these Indians to go on board. But they traded with them. They exchanged knives, beads, and hatchets for oysters, beans, corn, pumpkins, tobacco, grapes, and furs. At last the Half Moon reached the place where the city of Albany now is. Hudson decided to turn back, for the water was growing shallow. On the way down the river he had trouble with the Indians. One Indian kept his canoe close to the stern of the Half Moon. When no one was looking, he climbed up the rudder to the cabin window. From the cabin he stole a pillow and two shirts. A sailor saw him and shot at him. The next day .many Indians attacked the Dutch vessel. The crew fired iruns at them and drove them off. Soon after this, the Half Moon sailed away for the Dutch city of Amsterdam. But when she reached England, some of the sailors made Hudson land. He did not wish to stop. He wished to get THE DUTCH SHIP -'HALF MOON" 163 back to the Dutch people, who had sent him on the voyage. He wished to tell them where he had been and what he had seen. He wished them to know of the river he had explored and of the great bay where he had anchored. Before he could // set sail from Eng- King land, King James forbade him to leave the country. Probably the king did not wish him to discover lands for other nations. Hudson was an Enorlishman. He had to obey his own king. So he did not explore again for the Dutch. But they must have been well satisfied with his voyage. He did not find the way to Cathay, but he claimed for the Dutch a part of North America. Some years later the Dutch made a settlement where the city of New York now stands. HE CLIMBED UP THE RUDDER. 164 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS LOCKED IN THE ICE HENRY HUDSON was next sent out by England to explore. He was to find a northwest passage to Cathay, People could not give up searching for that short route. When his vessel reached Iceland, his men saw a mountain which spouted fire. This was a volcano. The sailors were afraid of it. They thought it meant that they would have bad luck on their voyage. They found on the shore a hot spring. Here all the Englishmen bathed. One of the men said, " The water was hot enough to scald a fowl." Near the coast of Greenland they saw many whales. Two came so close to them that the sailors were much frightened. They feared the whales would knock the vessel over. One swam under the ship, but did not upset it. Then they began to see huge icebergs. One of these turned over in the water when they were quite close to it. This showed the sailors that they must keep away from icebergs, if they did not wish their vessel smashed into pieces. LOCKED IN THE ICE 1 65 The men became more and more afraid. Every- thing frightened them. Some of them really fell sick with fear. They began to hate Hudson for taking them to that dreadful place, just as Columbus's men had hated him. They would hardly do their work. Hudson did not know what to say. But there was another brave man on that ship. This was the ship's carpenter. He talked to the other sailors, and at last they went back to their work. At one place, where some of the men landed, they found many round heaps of stones like hay- cocks. These mounds were hollow, and filled with birds hanging by their necks. They were Eskimo storehouses. The sailors wished Hudson to take the fowls for provisions. But he would not stop long enough. He was in a hurry. Every day he expected to discover the passage. He had sailed to the westward and was now in Hudson Bay. All the summer and all the autumn he searched and searched. He searched so long that cold weather came on. Then he knew that he must spend the winter in that bay. During November his ship was frozen fast in the ice. He had provisions for only six months. He 1 66 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS knew it would be longer than that before his vessel would be free from the ice which held it fast. His crew were angry because they were caught in that cold country. They were angry when they thought of the store- houses full of birds. If only Hudson had taken those, they were sure they would have had plenty of food. That winter was a dreadful time. They were so far north that the cold was terrible. Some of the men died. Most of them had their feet frozen. They had very little to eat. When spring came, the ice in the bay broke. The men could see open water about them. But their vessel was still frozen fast, and they could not sail away in her. They wandered here and there in search of some- thing to eat. Sometimes they even ate a kind of moss. This is good food for reindeer, but not for HIS SHIP WAS FROZEN FAST IN THE ICE. ADRIFT ON HUDSON BAY 167 men. One of the sailors said, "I believe the powder of a post would taste much better." And so these poor people lived, and watched the ice melt from their ship. They expected Hudson to sail at once for England v^hen the ship was free. We shall see whether he did so. ADRIFT ON HUDSON BAY AT last the vessel was free from the ice. /~\ Did Henry Hudson turn toward home.? No, he still wished to search for that passage. He was sure he should soon find it. Then he could sail onward to Cathay. There he could get plenty of food. His sailors did not wish to do this. They had had enough of searching. They longed for England. So they tried to find some excuse to disobey their captain. Hudson divided among his men what little food remained. He gave each one an equal share. But the sailors pretended that they thought he had kept more for himself than he gave to them. One night they all rose, seized the ship, and made l68 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Hudson a prisoner. The next morning they put Hudson, his son, and six men who were sick into a little boat and set them adrift. When the carpenter saw what was going on, he said, "You are murderers. Don't you know that these men will die? They have no food. They cannot sail in this little open boat. If you do this, you will be hanged when you reach England." But the sailors said, "We do not care." Then what do you suppose that brave carpenter did } He said, " You are not honest men. I will not sail with you any longer. I would rather die than leave my captain as you are doing. If you are bound to set him adrift, I will go with him." He took a gun, some powder and shot, an iron pot, and some meal. With these few supplies the little boat was left alone on that great bay. The sailors then steered for home. But many of them became so weak from want of food that they died before reaching England. Those who lived suffered terribly. They were well punished for their dreadful deed. And what became of those poor sick men set adrift in Hudson Bciy? What became of Henry Hudson and the brave carpenter, who chose to lose his life rather than to desert his captain } No one knows. When the English people heard ADRIFT ON HUDSON BAY 169 what had been done to Hudson, they sent out a ship to search for him. But the ship never found a sign of that boat load of brave men. Perhaps they starved to death. Perhaps their boat was wrecked. Perhaps the fierce animals of the Northland killed them. We shall never know. WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED AND PRONOUNCED Little Christopher Columbus Columbus and Diego go to Spain Italian statue monk court Genoa fastened prior route wharf Boston La Rabida messengei harbor wool comber (lara'be-da) palace cargo arithmetic Juan (hoo-an') foreheads Ferdinand nobles The First Voyaee of Columbus Isabella suffered cousin bombs crew Portugal Queen Isabella of Spain countries remained explained France merchants charts enemy convent patiently governor honor bracelets furnish vessel Fihppa wonderful lashed (fe-le'pa) sorrowful journey Columbus plans a Long Voyage perfectly traded The Three Ships countrymen distant Santa Maria frightened paddle spices (san'ta ma-re'a) promise islands precious Pinta (pen'ta) solemn Diego (de-a'go) India Nina (nen'ya) courage Spanish Palos King John ( )f Portugal admiral (pa'los) interested discouraged commander doubtful decided Spain uncertain prow splendid dragons creaking 171 172 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS Land at Last D5n Diego anxious Indians treasure relatives disgraced continents jealous Ponce de Leon beehives Hispaniola honored (pon'tha da la-on') copper-colored (es-pan-yo'Ia) neglected Porto Rico forgiveness climate group (por'to re'ko) scarlet deserted West Indies knelt timbers The Search for Fairyland possession fort metals fragrance acquainted elixir Spaniards fountain wharves Sailing Back to Spain surrounded claimed occasion South magic settlement procession America everlasting attacked youth wounded America Florida Cuba discouraging records The Southern Continent Columbia famous Pacific eastern Amerigo Vespucci Atlantic western (a-ma-re'go ves-poot'che) fashion Isthmus exactly of Panama John Cabot excited connects discoveries dangerous The Man who hid in the Barrel explorer icebergs TA • England Englishman Darien mainland Venice Italy permission unfriendly Sebastian snare provisions toil northern satisfied barren hardship shipwrecked succeeded The New Continent Vasco Nune2 : de Balboa (vas'ko non'yat h da bal-bo'a) disappointed compass Francisco Pizarro globe (fran-thes'ko p e-thar'ro) WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED AND PRONOUNCED 173 The South Sea stretched ornaments llama successful burdens Sailing to Mexico Cordova Hernando (kor'do-va) Cortez pilot (er-nan'do kor'tez) The First Treasures Montezuma helmets (mon-te-zoo'ma) statues Mexican mantles shields The Sinking of the Ships persuade altars Aztecs conquer worshiped Vera Cruz idols (va'ra krooz) Wonderful Sights volcano Tlascala reams (tias-ka'la) disputes Tlascalans (tlas'ka-lanz) The City of Mexico crater vegetables icicles vanilla situated flavoring capital chocolate cacao thatch (ka-ka'o or ka'ko) fibers plentiful quills aloe causeways (al'o) valuable Aztec Children at School weave fraction convenient The Emperor Montezuma capture comrades governed weapons terrible The Capture of Mexico struggle grateful destroyed Another Great Sailor direction Africa Manuel undertaking (ma-no-el') determined Ferdinand Magellan (ma-jel'an) Portuguese Vasco da Gama (da ga'ma) The Discovery of the Passage Tierra del Fuego (te-er'ra del fwa'go) strait 174 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS The Ships that sailed around the World prepared natives scarcely biscuit Victoria port Philippine eager (fil'ip-in) Pizarro and Almagro (al-ma'gro) The Inca Atahuallpa (a-ta-hwal'pa) embroidered spurs gayly astonished fringe Hernando de Soto (er-nan'do da so'to) A Room Full of Gold linen freedom proved ammunition woolen imitations swine poisoned adventures supplies trinkets The Golden Country at Last canons quarreled Pizarro's Second Adventure ranges Peruvian The Adventure of a French Sailor sentinels attached P'renchmen gift guard powerful Francis welcome Andes Inca Verrazzano surf Tumbez (in'ka) (ver-ra-tsa'no) (toom'bath) fleet The Frenchmen and the Indians The Peruvians feathered horrible Cuzco (koos ko) strew daubed war whoops decorated stations ill-treated tomahawks civilized squaw The Peruvians {cont^ clothing canals wigwams papoose silently Cathay Norumbega obliged lances Jacques Cartier labor (zhak kar'tya) WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED AND PRONOUNCED 175 What Jacques C artier Found The King's Treasure House gulf fleurs-de-lis Drake alarm westward (fler'de-le') daring bars St. Lawrence cove solid Up the St. Lawrence River canoe spruce pretended dreadful ghosts Nombre de Dios (nom'bra da de'os) warn waterfowl Montreal families dough rubies quartz crystal diamonds Francis Drake's Wish caravan anchored trail Plymouth dodged EHzabeth The Meirch of Hernando de Soto The English Dragon beheaded rescue cruise sacked tract captive Golden Hind wedges wandered couples forbidden leather bloodhounds Christians saluted emeralds guides The Discovery of the soil quantities escaped Mississippi River kindled forge braided Samuel de nation racquets squashes Champlain crabs trenches northward wilderness palisades Lost in North America How Champlain went on the Warpath Quebec rapids Algonquin smoother finished despair (al-gon'kwin) shelters bison buffalo frail spikes Iroquois (Tr-o-kwoi') protect opposite disappointments naked Richeheu Adirondacks dense pathless (re-she-loo') (ad-i-ron daks) 176 STORIES OF AMERICAN DISCOVERERS The Dutch Ship "Half Moon" Hudson oysters Asia Albany Virginia rudder Amsterdam Locked in the Ice northwest spouted scald Eskimo whales November carpenter reindeer Adrift on Hudson Bay murderers sign weak SUPPLEMENTARY READING By EDWARD EGGLESTON STORIES OF GREAT AMERICANS FOR LITTLE AMERICANS $0.40 THIS book is eminently suited to second year pupils. Not only does it make learning to read an easy task, but it provides matter which is stimulating and enjoy- able. By means of interesting personal anecdotes, the child is made familiar with the history of our country and some of its leading figures. Famous warriors and patriots, states- men, discoverers, inventors, men of science and letters, find a place in these tales. Some of the stories should be known to every American, because they have become a kind of national folk-lore. The words are not too difficult, while the sentences and paragraphs are short. STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE $0.50 HERE are presented for third year pupils exciting stories which tell of the adventurous pioneer life of this country, and which show why the national character is distinguished by traits of quick-wittedness, humor, self- reliance, love of liberty, and democratic feeling. These historical anecdotes include stories of Indian lite, of frontier peril and escape, of adventures with the pirates of Colonial times, of daring Revolutionary feats, of dangerous whaling voyages, of scientific explorations, and of personal encounters with savages and wild beasts. With them are intermingled sketches of the homes, the food and drink, the birds and animals, the schools, and the children's plays of other times. AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY (.7) HISTORICAL READERS Bv H. A. GUERBER Story of the Thirteen Colonies So. 6 5 Story of the Great Republic 65 Story of the English 65 Story of the Chosen People 60 Story of the Greeks 60 Storv of the Romans 60 A LTHOUGH these popular books are intended primarily X\_ for supplementary reading, they \yill be found quite as valuable in adding life and interest to the formal study of history. Beginning with the fifth school year, they can be used with profit in any of the upper grammar grades. ^ In these volumes the history cf some of the world's peoples has taken the form of stories in which the principal events are centered about the lives of great men of all times. Through- out the attempt has been made to give in simple, forceful lan- guage an authentic account of famous deeds, and to present a stirring and lifelike picture of life and customs. Strictly mili- tary and political history have never been emphasized. ^ No pains has been spared to interest boys and girls, to impart useful information, and to provide valuable lessons of patriotism, truthfulness, courage, patience, honesty, and in- dustry, which will make them good men and women. Many incidents and anecdotes, not included in larger works, are interspersed among the stories, because they are so frequently used in art and literature that familiarity with them is in- dispensable. The illustrations are unusually good. ^[ The author's Myths of Greece and Rome, Myths of Northern Lands, and Legends of the Middle Ages, each, price ^1.50, present a fascinating account of those wonderful legends and tales of mythology which should be known to everyone. Seventh and eighth year pupils will delight in them. AMERICAN BOOK COM PA NY (.8) CARPENTER'S READERS By FRANK G. CARPENTER GEOGRAPHICAL READERS North America . . $0.60 South America . . -60 Europe . . . . .70 Asia . . . . .60 Africa .... $0.60 Australia, Our Colonies, and Other Islands of the Sea .... .60 READERS ON COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY How the World is Fed . ^0.60 I How the World is Clothed ^0.60 CARPENTER'S Geographical Readers supplement the regular text-books on the subject, giving life and interest to the study. They are intensely absorbing, being written by the author on the spots described, and presenting an accurate pen-picture of places and peoples. The style is simple and easy, and throughout each volume there runs a strong personal note which makes the reader feel that he is actually seeing everything with his own eyes. ^ The books give a good idea of the various peoples, their strange customs and ways of living, and to some extent of their economic condition. At the same time, there is included a graphic description of the curious animals, rare birds, wonder- ful physical features, natural resources, and great industries of each country. The illustrations for the most part are repro- ductions of photographs taken by the author. The maps show the route taken over each continent. ^ The Readers on Commerce and Industry give a personal and living knowledge of the great world of commerce and industry. The children visit the great food centers and see for themselves how the chief food staples are produced and prepared for use, and they travel in the same way over the globe investigating the sources of their clothing. The journeys are along geographical lines, and while studying the industries the children are learning about localities, trade routes, and the other features of transportation and commerce. AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY ELEMENTARY HISTORIES BARNES'S NEW HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES Elementary, $0.60; School $1.00 ^j In their new form these books are thoroughly up-to-date, both as to contents and as to dress. The Elementary History has been entirely rewritten in a series of biogra- phies by that charming writer for children. Dr. James Baldwin. Only such biographies are presented as are necessary to the continuity of the narrative as a whole. The School History has been completely revised, and gives greater prominence to the life of the people, and to the wonderful development of our industries. The illustrations are numerous and notable. EGGLESTON'S NEW CENTURY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES . . . . $1.00 ^ The author's purpose was to tell the story of our country so briefly that it might be mastered within the usual time allotted to the study, and yet to preserve its interest un- impaired by condensation. He has been especially successful in presenting those facts of the home life of the people, and their progress in civilization, which are essential to history. One novel feature of the book is a collection of brief biogra- phies of the most important men. The illustrations are numerous, and the maps clear and not overcrowded. McMASTER'S HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES Primary, ^0.60; School ^i.oo *l\ These books are remarkable for their freshness and vigor, their authoritative statements, and their historical and im- partial treatment. The illustrations are historically authentic; the maps are clear and well executed. The Primary History contains work for one school year, and is simply and interest- ingly written. The School History directs the attention of the pupil particularly to causes and' results, to social and eco- nomic development, and to domestic life and institutions. AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY