Mendez having seen the ships depart, proceeded to Spain on the further concerns of the admiral. When King Ferdinand heard of the faithful services of Mendez, he bestowed rewards upon him, and permitted him to bear a canoe on his coat of arms. He continued devotedly attached to the admiral, serving him zealously after his return to Spain, and during his last illness. Columbus retained the most grateful and affectionate sense of his fidelity. Mendez afterwards engaged in voyages of discovery in vessels of his own, but met with many vicissitudes, and appears to have died in impoverished circumstances. In his will he desired that a large stone should be placed upon his sepulchre, on which should be engraved certain words which he directed, and on the model of which there should be carved an Indian canoe, with the word CANOA engraved above it in large letters.*

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 2, p. 158, 9.

17

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the voyage of Americus Vespucius to Brazil in 1503; and the name of America given to this part of the world.

In the preface of the French editor to the History of the Province of Santa Cruz, referred to on page 108, it is stated that after the voyage in 1501, under Gonsaloe Coella, the coast of that province was, in the succeeding years, visited several times by Portuguese navigators who went to the Indias; among others, by Alfonso d'Albuquerque in 1503.

The letter of the 4th of September 1504, from Americus Vespucius to Piero Soderini, giving an account of his last voyage under the King of Portugal, states that six ships sailed from Lisbon on the 10th of May 1503 to make discoveries with regard to an island in the east, called Malacca; that after stopping three days at the Cape de Verd islands, they sailed in a southerly direction; that the superior captain went to reconnoitre Sierra Leone, without there being any necessity for it; that they sailed from there to the south, and bore southwest; that after sailing three hundred leagues through the great sea, being then three degrees south of the equinoctial line, an island was discovered about twenty-two leagues distant, very high, and not more than two leagues in length and one in width, and the superior captain there lost his ship upon a rock, and went himself to the bottom; that his (Vespucius') ship and one other arrived in seventeen

days at the Bay of All Saints, distant three hundred leagues from the island they had left, and after waiting two months and four days in this harbour, without being joined by any other ship, proceeded along the coast two hundred and sixty leagues, where they built a fortress; that they were in this port five months, building the fortress and loading the ships with dye wood; and during this time some of the men went forty leagues inland; that being unable to proceed farther for want of men and equipments, they determined to return to Portugal, leaving twenty-four men in the fortress with provisions for six months, twelve pieces of cannon and many other arms; that this country was situated eighteen degrees south of the equinoctial line, and fifty-seven degrees farther west than Lisbon; that in seventy-seven days the two ships entered Lisbon, to wit, on the 15th of June 1504, the other ships of the fleet having been lost.*

The name of America was first given to the province explored by Americus in his two voyages of 1501 and 1503. Next it embraced the whole southern continent. And afterwards it became the appellation of the whole of the new world.† More than two centuries ago it was said that it "most justly should have been called Columbina, and a great deal better might have been styled Cabotiana than America."‡ A few years ago it was attempted to give to the British provinces of the northern continent the name of Cabotia.

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 2, p. 250, 51, Appendix No. 10. Life of Americus Vespucius, by Lester and Foster, p. 238 to 243. †N. A. Review April 1821, p. 339, 340. Irving's Columbus, vol. 2, p. 250, Appen

dix No. 10. Life of Americus Vespucius, p. 248 to 255.

Purchas's Pilgrims, vol. 4, book 6, ch.

4, p. 177.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of the return of Columbus from the West Indias to Spain in 1504, and his death in 1506: observations on his character.

Though Columbus and his men left Jamaica on the 28th of June 1504, adverse winds delayed his arrival at San Domingo till the 13th of August. The sojourn of Columbus at San Domingo was but little calculated to yield him satisfaction. He was grieved at the desolation of the island by the oppressive treatment of the natives and the horrible massacres which had been perpetrated. The sanguinary acts of Ovando awakened equal horror and indignation in Isabella. With her dying breath, she exacted a promise from Ferdinand that Ovando should immediately be recalled from his government.*

On the 12th of September, Columbus sailed with his son and brother. They had a tedious voyage; it was the 7th of November that his shattered bark anchored in the harbour of San Lucar. Hence Columbus had himself conveyed to Seville. Soon afterwards he lost the friend on whom he most relied. After four months of illness, Isabella died on the 26th of November 1504, at Medina del Campo. During the winter and a part of the spring, Columbus continued at Seville, detained by painful illness. He had to rely

* Irving's Columbus, vol. 2, p. 160 to 182.

upon others to support his applications to the court. One of these was Americus Vespucius, who being at Seville early in 1505, on his way to the Spanish court, in quest of employment, became the bearer of the following letter from Columbus to his son Diego; it is dated February 5.*

"MY DEAR SON,-Diego Mendez departed from hence on Monday, the third of this month. After his departure I conversed with Amerigo Vespucci, the bearer of this, who goes there (to court) summoned on affairs of navigation. Fortune has been adverse to him as to many others. His labours have not profited him as much as they reasonably should have done. He goes on my account, and with much desire to do something that may result to my advantage, if within his power. I cannot ascertain here in what I can employ him, that will be serviceable to me, for I do not know what may be there required. He goes with the determination to do all that is possible for me. See in what he may be of advantage and co-operate with him, that he may say and do every thing, and put his plans in operation; and let all be done secretly, that he may not be suspected. I have said every thing to him that I can say touching the business, and have informed him of the pay I have received, and what is due, &c."t

Mr. Lester argues that Columbus would not have written a letter like this if Vespucius had been engaged in injuring his reputation. This argument would be very proper if it could be shewn that Vespucius had before the date of this letter, asserted to Columbus, or in any public manner, the pretension of

*Irving's Columbus, vol. 2, p. 190; also p. 251, Appendix No. 10.

Navarrete, Collec. Viag. T. 1, p. 351.

Life of Vespucius, p. 105.