986. Biarne Heriulfsen, a Northman, sailing from Greenland, sees coast of Labrador and Newfoundland.

1000. Lief Eiriksen, sails to Nantucket Island, Nova Scotia (Markland), Newfoundland (Helluland), Massachusetts (Vinland), and Cape Cod (Kjalarnes). Scandinavian Settlements formed there, and in Virginia and North Carolina (Huitramannaland), as the results of his voyages.

1101. Eric Upsi, first Bishop of Greenland, goes on a mission to Vinland (Massachusetts) 1147. Voyage of Arabs from Spain, doubtful as to the identity of the land reached, which some suppose to have been America, others some of the islands west of Africa. 1170. Madoc Gwyneth, son of Owen Gwyneth, King of North Wales, founds a colony (doubtful).

1285. Icelandic priests visit Vinland (Massachusetts).

1347.

Greenlanders visit Nova Scotia to collect timber.

1380 (About). Voyages of the Brothers Zeno, and history of the Frisland fisherman. 1431. Gonçalo Velho Cabral (Portuguese) explores the Atlantic and discovers the Azores. 1463. Pretended discovery of Newfoundland by João Vas Cortereal (Portuguese). 1476. Alleged voyage of Jean Szkolny, a Pole in the service of Denmark, to Labrador. (Proof wanting.)

NOTE.-Vague traditions of an Irish colony, prior to A.D. 1000, principally founded on philological grounds, exist, and Charles IX. of France claimed that the Breton fishermen had frequented the cod banks of Newfoundland as early as 1465, but there are no firm grounds for these claims. There is no doubt, however, that the Breton and Basque fishermen did frequent the cod banks early in the XVIth, and probably in the last decade of the XVth century.

S

(B.) FIFTY YEARS OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION IN AMERICA

(FROM 1492 TO 1542).

1492. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, a native of Genoa, on behalf of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, sails from Palos, August 3rd, 1492, discovers Guanahani (Watling Island, or San Salvador) 12th October; Santa Maria de la Concepcion, 16th October; Fernandina, Isabela (Saomete), 19th October; Colba (Cuba), 28th October; Tortuga and Hispaniola (Hayti or San Domingo), December 6th; sails for home 16th January; reaches the Azores 16th February; Tagus, 4th March, 1493. The brothers Martin Alonso and Vicente Yañez Pinzon commanded each a ship on this expedition.

1493.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (2nd voyage) with Juan de la Cosa, Alonzo de Hojeda, and
Ponce de Leon, sails from Cadiz, 25th September, 1493; discovers Dominica, 3rd
November; Marigalante, Santa Maria de Guadalupe, 4th November; San Juan
Baptista, reaches Hayti, 12th November; builds the town of Isabela and Fort S.
Thomas, reaches Cuba; discovers Yamayé (Jamaica) 4th May; Evangelista
(Isle of Pines); sails for Spain, 20th April, 1496, reaches Cadiz, 11th June, 1496.

1494. Doubtful private adventure voyage by John and Sebastian Cabot.

1497. Apocryphal voyage of Amerigo Vespucci to Venezuela. The account of this voyage is drawn solely from statements contained in a letter written by Vespucci in 1504. The accuracy of it is disproved by Humboldt (Examen Critique, Vol. IV.)

1497. JOHN CABOT, and his son, SEBASTIAN CABOT, Venetians, settled in Bristol, under a Patent granted 5th March, 1497, by Henry VII. of England, sail from Bristol in the Spring, discover the Continent of America 24th June, 1497, in Labrador between 56° and 58° N. Lat.; also Newfoundland and Nova Scotia; reach England early in August, 1497.

1498. SEBASTIAN (and perhaps John) CABOT (2nd voyage), Summer of 1498. Reaches Labrador and coasts southward to 38° N. Lat. (Maryland), or, perhaps, to 25° N. Lat. (Florida); returns to England in the Autumn of 1497.

1498. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (3rd voyage) sails from San Lucar de Berrameda 30th May, 1498, discovers the Island of Trinidad. First sees the continent of America, by the mouths of the Orinoco, 1st August, 1498; calls the land Isla Santa, and afterwards La Gracia; sails through the gulf of Paria, reaches Hispaniola; summoned by Francisco de Bobadilla (sent to enquire into alleged mal-administration of Columbus, and, if proved, to supersede him); put in irons and sent in chains to Spain, arrives there November, 1500, and is immediately released, but superseded as Viceroy by Nicholas de Ovando.

1499. ALONSO DE HOJEDA, accompanied by JUAN DE LA COSA and AMERIGO VESPUCCI.

A private adventure for pearl fishing. Sails from Cadiz 16th or 20th May, 1498,
Surinam and gulf of Venezuela; visits Hispaniola, sails thence 22nd July, 1500,
Cadiz 8th September.

1499. ALONSO NIÑO and CHRISTOVAL GUERRA, June, 1499, to April, 1500, from Seville to coast of Paria; private adventure; no discovery of importance.

1499. VICENTE YAÑEZ PINZON, sails from Palos December, 1499, reaches Brazil, Cape St. Augustin, the Amazon (Rio Marañon); returns September, 1500.

1499. DIEGO DE LEPE sails from Palos December, 1499; explores coast of Brazil, South of Cape St. Augustin.

1500. GASPAR CORTEREAL (Portuguese) sails from Lisbon in the Spring; explores coast of Labrador, between 60° and 50° N. Lat., and Straits of Belle Isle. Brings back cargo of slaves. Returns to Lisbon 8th October, 1501.

1500. PEDRO ALVAREZ CABRAL (Portuguese) sails for India, round Cape of Good Hope, 9th March. In seeking a missing ship loses his course, and sights coast of Brazil 22nd or 24th April, about 15° S. Lat., Porto Seguro; sends a ship home to announce discovery; proceeds on his voyage and reaches Calicut, round Cape of Good Hope, 13th September, 1500.

1500. RODRIGO DE BASTIDAS, with Juan de la Cosa and Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, sails from Cadiz October, 1500, coasts from Paria to Isthmus of Panama; returns September, 1502.

1501. GASPAR CORTEREAL (2nd voyage) sails 15th May for Labrador on a slaving voyage; never returned.

1501. Amerigo Vespucci, André Gonçalves commanding. Another apocryphal voyage of Vespucci. (Examen Critique, Vol. IV.)

1502. ALONSO DE HOJEDA (2nd voyage), with Juan de Vergara, sails from Cadiz January, 1502; Paria, Margarita, Cape Codera, Curiana, Curaçao (Isla de Gigantes), Coquibacoa. A mutiny takes place in May, 1502, and Hojeda is taken a prisoner to Hayti. Returns to Spain January, 1503.

1502. MIGUEL CORTEREAL sails from Lisbon 10th May, 1502, towards Hudson's Bay, in search of his brother Gaspar. Expedition lost.

1502. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (4th and last voyage) sails from Cadiz 11th May, 1502; Islands of Guanaia (Bonacca, Roatan and Utila), Honduras to Mosquito gulf; returned 7th November, 1504; dies at Valladolid 20th May, 1506, poor and neglected.

1503. GONÇALO COELHO (Portuguese), sails from Lisbon 10th June, to 18° S. Lat.; returns to Lisbon 18th June, 1504. Vespucci claims to have made this voyage. 1504. JUAN DE LA COSA (1st voyage as commander) to the Gulf of Uraba; returns 1505. 1505. ALONSO DE HOJEDA (3rd voyage) sails beginning of year to Coquibacoa, west of Gulf of Venezuela. 66 Voyage certain, mais tres obscur" (Humboldt). 1506. VICENTE YAÑEZ PINZON (2nd voyage) and JUAN DIAZ DE SOLIS; the Guanaia Islands, Gulf of Honduras and Yucatan.

1506. DENIS, a Frenchman, of Honfleur, explores Gulf of S. Lawrence.

1507. JUAN DE LA COSA (2nd voyage as commander) from Cadiz to Uraba.

1508. VICENTE YAÑEZ PINZON (3rd voyage) and JUAN DIAZ DE SOLIS; sail 29th June, coast to 40° S. Lat.; return October, 1509.

1508. THOMAS AUBERT and GIOVANNI VERRAZANO, sent by merchants of Dieppe, sail beginning of year, enter Gulf of S. Lawrence, and explore the river for 80 leagues; begin to ascend it 10th August, S. Lawrence's Day, whence its name. 1509. ALONSO DE HOJEDA (fourth voyage) and JUAN DE LA COSA, sail from Hayti, 11th November, for Uraba, where Hojeda had been appointed Governor of New Andalusia. In a fight with Indians, near Carthagena, de la Cosa is killed. Hojeda founds S. Sebastian in Darien (the first town on the mainland), returns to Hayti, 1509, and dies there poor and forgotten, about 1515.

1511. DIEGO VELASQUEZ conquers Cuba.

1512. JUAN PONCE DE LEON, Spanish Governor of Borriquen (Porto Rico), in search of the fountain of Bimini, which was reputed to renew youth, sails from Porto Rico, 3rd March; on 27th March, Easter Sunday (Pascua Florida), sees an island, and the mainland of Florida (Cautio) 2nd April; doubles the Cape of Florida, 8th May; Martyr's Island, and Northward eight days to N. Georgia, returns in September or October, 1512.

1513. VASCO NUÑEZ DE BALBOA, then alcade of Santa Maria de la Antigua de Darien, crosses the Isthmus of Darien, and discovers the Pacific (Mar del Sur), of which he takes possession, for Ferdinand of Spain, returns to S. M. de Antigua, 19th January, 1514.

1515. GASPAR MORALES and FRANCISCO PIZARRO cross the isthmus, and visit the Isla Rica.

1515. JUAN DIAZ DE SOLIS sails from Lepe, Spain, 8th October, sights Cape San Roque, coasts southward to the Rio de la Plata (Mar Dulce), while exploring which he is killed and eaten by the natives.