ern continent, are questions which probably can never be satisfactorily decided.

It is the opinion of many learned men, that the two continents were formerly united. That this earth has experienced great changes since the deluge, will not admit of a doubt. Earthquakes have swallowed up large tracts of land in some places-subterraneous fires have thrown up others-the sea, in some places, has been forced to retreat many miles from its former shore-in others, it has made encroachments, and, in many instances, it has separated territories which once were united. It is possible that the equinoxial countries of America and Africa were once connected by an isthmus, the remains of which are seen in that chain of islands, of which Cape de Verd, Fernando, Ascension, and St. Matthews make a part. It is also possible that the peninsula of Kamschatka may have joined the northeastern parts of Asia to the northwestern parts of America, which are now separated only by a very narrow strait. Admitting this supposition to be true, the animals peculiar to hot countries passed over the isthmus that once connected South America with Africa; and those of cold climates migrated from the northeastern parts of Asia. As the Esquimaux and Greenlanders perfectly resemble each other, and both resemble the Lappes or Laplanders of Europe, it is rendered probable that they originated from thence. But all this is uncertain.

History of its Discovery. The first discovery of America has generally been ascribed to CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. But, it being now universally admitted that Greenland forms a part of the American continent, the date of the first discovery must be carried back to the year 982, when the Norwegians first visited Greenland. In the year 1003, the Norwegians also discovered a country, which they call. ed Vineland, where they planted a colony. This is suppos ed to have been on the coast of Labrador; but all their attempts to establish colonies proved unsuccessful, and the knowledge of the country was soon lost.

These partial discoveries of the Norwegians, however, do not, in the least degree, derogate from the merits of Columbus for Behaim, who was the most complete geegrapher of his time, evinces that there was no prior dis covery upon the route followed by that great navigator.

The discovery of Vineland could scarcely have been known to him; and that of Greenland was so remove, that there was no room for a suggestion that it formed part of a prodigious continent * Columbus has therefore

a fair claim to the glory of discovering the NEW WORLD. Columbus was a native of Genoa; from a long and close application to the study of geography and navigation, he had obtained a knowledge of the true figure of the earth, much superior to the general notions of the age in which he lived. That the terraqueous globe might be properly balanced, and the land and sea proportioned to each other, he conceived that another continent was necessary; this continent he supposed to be connected with the East Indies.

To prove the truth of this system, he found it necessary to obtain the patronage of some of the Eur opean powers. After several fruitless applications to the governments of Genoa, Spain, Portugal, and others of less note, he procured assistance from Ferdinand and Isabella, who then governed the united kingdoms of Castile and Arragon. A squadron, of three small vessels, was fitted out, victualled for twelve months, and furnished with ninety men. this squadron, Columbus was appointed admiral.

Of

He sailed from Palos, in Spain, on the third of August, 1492; and steered directly for the Canary islands, where he arrived and refitted, as well as he could, his crazy and ill appointed fleet. Hence he sailed, September 6th, a

due western course into an unknown ocean.

Columbus now found a thousand unforeseen hardships to encounter, which demanded all his judgment, fortitude and address to surmount. Beside the difficulties unavoidable from the nature of his undertaking, he had to struggle with those which arese from the ignorance and timidity of the people under his command. On the 14th of September he was astonished to find that the magnetic needle in their compass did not point exactly to the polar star, but varied toward the west; and as they proceeded, this variation increased. This new phenomenon filled the companions of Columbus with terror. Nature itself seemed to have sustained a change; and the only guide they had left, to point them to a safe retreat from an unbounded and

• PINKERTON.

trackless ocean, was about to fail them. Columbus, with no less quickness than ingenuity, assigned a reason for this appearance, which, though it did not satisfy himself, seemed so plausible to them, that it dispelled their fears, or silenced their murmurs. On other trying occasions, he displayed all that cool deliberation, prudence, soothing address and firmness, which are necessary for a person engaged in a discovery the most interesting to the world of any ever undertaken by man.

On the 11th of October, 1492, at 10 o'clock in the evening, Columbus, from the forecastle, descried a light. At. two o'clock next morning, Roderick Trienna discovered land. The joyful tidings were quickly communicated to the other ships. The morning light confirmed the report; and the several crews immediately began Te Deum, as a hymn of thanksgiving to God, and mingled their praises. with tears of joy, and transports of congratulation. Columbus richly dressed, with a drawn sword in his hand, was the first European who sat foot in the New World which he had discovered. The island on which he first landed he called St. Salvador, one of that large cluster, known by the name of the Lucaya or Bahama Isles. He afterwards touched at several of the islands in the same cluster. In steering southward, he discovered the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, inhabited by a humane and hospitable people. He returned, and arrived at Palos in Spain, whence he had sailed the year before, on the 15th of March, 1493.

In September, 1493, Columbus sailed upon his second voyage to America; during which he discovered the isl ands of Dominica, Marigalante, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Porto Rico, and Jamaica; and returned to Spain, 1496.

In 1498, he sailed a third time for America; and on the first of August discovered the CONTINENT. He then coasted westward, making other discoveries for 200 leagues to Cape Vela, whence he crossed over to Hispaniola, where he was seized by a new Spanish governor, and sent home in chains!

In 1502, Columbus made his fourth voyage to Hispaniola, thence he went over to the continent; and made many new discoveries, particularly the harbor of Porto Bello, and the Gulf of Darien.

The latter part of the life of this great man was made wretched by the cruel persecutions of his enemies. Queen Isabella, his friend and patroness, was no longer alive to afford him relief. He sought redress from Ferdinand, but in vain. Disgusted with the ingratitude of a monarch, whom he had served with so much fidelity and success; exhausted with hardships, and broken with the infirmities which these brought upon him, Columbus ended his active and useful life at Valladolid, on the 25th of May, 1506, in the 59th year of his age. He died with a composure of mind suited to the magnanimity which distinguished his character, and with sentiments of piety, becoming that respect for religion, which he manifested in every occurrence of his life. He was grave, though courteous, in his deportment, circumspect in words and actions, irreproachable in morals, and exemplary in all the duties of his religion. The court of Spain was so just to his memory, notwithstanding their ingratitude toward him during his life, that they buried him magnificently in the cathedral of Seville, and erected a tomb over him with this inscription :

COLUMBUS has given a NEW WORLD

To the KINGDOMS of CASTILE and LEON.

Among other adventurers to the new world was Americus Vespucius, a Florentine, whom Ferdinand had appointed to draw sea charts, and who accompanied Ojeda, an enterprising Spaniard, to America, in 1499. On his return, Americus published an account of his voyage, and a description of the new continent. It circulated rapidly, and was read with admiration. In this narrative he insinuated, that the glory of having first discovered the continent in the New World belonged to him. This was in part believed, and the country began to be called after the name of its supposed first discoverer. The unaccountable caprice of mankind has perpetuated the error; so that now, by the universal consent of all nations, this new quarter of the globe is called AMERICA. The name of Americus has supplanted that of Columbus, and mankind are left to regret an act of injustice, which, having been sanc tioned by time, they can never redress. F

NORTH-AMERICA.

Boundaries, Situation, Extent. THIS division of the western continent includes all that part lying north of the Isthmus of Darien. It is bounded east by the Atlantic, and west by the North Pacific Ocean. Its southern boundary line is the parallel of 7 30 N.; whence it extends to the north pole; in length about 80 degrees, or 5200 miles. Its greatest extent, from west to east, is generally reckoned from the promontory of Alaska, in about 90° W. lon. to Cape Charles, the most easterly point of Labrador, in 20° E. lon. from Philadelphia; in breadth 4570 miles. If Greenland be considered as a part of North America, to which it is probably united, its extreme eastern limit will extend nearly to 55° E. lon. Its average breadth is about 1500 miles.

Climate. In a region of such vast extent, as NorthAmerica, the climate must of course be various. It experiences every temperature of the atmosphere, from the burning heats of the torrid zone, to the intolerable colds of the polar regions. Almost every division of the continent has a climate of its own, which will be noticed in its proper place.

Seas. Baffin's Bay, is the largest and most northerly of any yet discovered. It lies beyond the 70th degree of N. lat. and opens into the Atlantic ocean through Davis's Straits, between the coasts of Labrador and Greenland. This bay has never been explored, except by its discoverer, William Baffin, in 1662, and many modern geogra phers doubt its existence; it however still occupies a place on maps. The strait, which connects it with the Atlan tic, is as wide as the Baltic sea.

Hudson Bay was discovered in 1610, by Henry Hudson, and lies between 55° and 65° N. lat. 300 leagues broad, communicating with the Atlantic ocean by Hudson's Strait. The gulf or sea, called Davis's Strait, may be considered as a part of Hudson Bay, and most prob ably joins the Arctic ocean. Hudson Bay abounds with the beluga, or white whale. Large sturgeons are also caught in some parts of it.