1492

ངང

bour of Palos in Andalufia, and obtained a grant to be admiral of the western feas, to difpofe of all governments and employments on the continent, or new world, intended to be discovered; and befides the revenues ufually annexed to the pofts of admiral and viceroy, the tenths of all profits arifing by future conqueits of thofe fuppofed countries, were granted him.

With thefe commiffions he fet fail with his three fhips from Palos, the 3d of August 1492, and arrived at the Canary islands the 12th.

On the ift of September he fet fail again to the weftward. His men began to mutiny before fourteen days were paffed, imagining he was leading them to certain deftruction; however, he perfuaded them with great difficulty to continue the voyage till the th of October, when they were confulting to throw the admiral overboard, and return to Europe but he had the good fortune to see a light on fhore at ten the fame night, and the next day they made the land, which reconciled every body to him. But he was fo fenfible of the danger he had escaped, that he named the island St Salvador; which proved to be one of the > Bahama iflands.'

:

Columbus failed from thence to the island of Cuba, and afterwards to Hifpaniola, where he erected a fort, left forty men in it, and on the 16th of January failed for Europe, arriving at the Azores the 15th of February, and continuing his voyage, the 24th was driven by a form into Lifbon; from whence he went to Palos, where he arrived the 13th of March, having performed this voyage to the new world, and back again, in feven months and eleven days; and was received by the court of Spain, with all the honours due to a man that had discovered another continent.

The viceroyíhip of that new world, and all the islands weft of the Azores and Cape Verd, were confirmed to him, and his fleet was or dered to be augmented to fifteen fail; with which he began his fecond voyage the 25th September 1493. He touched again at the Canaries, and departing from thence the 7th of October, arrived at Dominica, one of the Caribbee iflands, the 2d of November. From thence he fail ed to Marigalante, and next to Guadalupe and Montferrat, and afterwards to Porto Rico, arriving at Hifpaniola on the 12th of November, where he found all the people he left in the fort dead, having perifhed in some skirmishes they had with the Indians, whom they had grofsly infulted and abused, as he was informed by the natives.

In this voyage Columbus difcovered gold fands in Hifpaniola, and built a fort for their protection, and a town, to which he gave the name of fabella then he failed to the weftward along the coaft of Cuba, and from thence to Jamaica, and, returning to Hifpaniola, found there had been an inturrection of the natives, whom he fubdued, and impofed a tribute on them, and built feveral other fortreffes in the ifland.

After which he fet fail for Europe on the 10th of March, and arrived on the coat of Spain on the 9th of June. But not bringing with him the mountains of gold that were expected, he was received but coolly by the court of Spain, and it was three years before he was fitted out again.

He fet fail on his third voyage on the 30th of May 1498, and touched at the Madeira's, the Canaries, and Cape Verd lands, from whence he failed to the continent of South America, made the ifland of Trini

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dad and Terra Firma, and from thence failed to Hifpaniola, arriving at St Domingo the capital, the 30th Auguft 1498, where the Spaniards he left in the ifland were engaged in a rebellion against their governor; and though he found means to recover his authority in the island, the malecontents fo represented him to the court of Spain, that a new governor was appointed, who fent Columbus home in chains.

The court of Spain, being afterwards fenfible of the wrong that had been done the admiral, restored him to his former poft, and equipped him out with another fleet; and accordingly he began his fourth voyage on the 9th of May 1502, arriving at Martinico on the 15th of June, and, in the latter end of the month, at St Domingo, where he was not fuffered to come afhore; whereupon he failed to Jamaica, and from thence to Honduras on the continent of Mexico.

But returning to Spain, and finding himself neglected after all his fervice, he retired to Valadolid, where he died on the 20th of May 1506

The court of Spain, however, were fo juft to his memory, that they buried him magnificently in the cathedral of Seville, and erected a tomb over him with this infcription:

Columbus has given a new world to the Kingdoms of Caftile and Leon.

Americus Vefputius, a Florentine, was employed by the Spaniards in the year 1497, while Columbus was living, to make further difcoveries. He touched at the Canaries, and, having failed one thousand leagues to the S. W. arrived at a country in 16 degrees N. Lat. fuppofed to be fome of the Caribbee iflands. He continued his courfe 900 leagues further weft, and arrived at a country under the tropic of Cancer, which must be fome part of Mexico.

He made another voyage the following year 1498, in the fervice of Spain, and failing S. W. pailed the equator, arriving at a country in five degrees S. Lat. which must be Brazil.

Emanuel, King of Portugal, afterwards employed Americus Vefputius in his fervice, who departed from Lisbon with three fhips, in May 1501, and arrived on the coaft of Brazil, in 5 degrees S. Lat.; from whence he failed to 52 degrees of S. Lat. along that coaft, and returned; from whom that continent obtained the name of America.

Sebaftian Cabot, an Italian, or of Italian extraction, was employed by Henry VII. King of England, to find out a north-weft paffage to China; who departed from England in 1498, and failed along the N.E. coaft of America to 67 degrees N. Lat. The fame Cabot, or his fon, attempted to find a way to China by the north-eaft, but did not fucceed in either.

Vaico Nunez de Bilboa firft failed round Cuba, found it to be an ifland, and made an entire conqueft of it. Then he failed to the river of Darien, and cultivating a correspondence with the Caciques or Indian princes, they conducted him over the vast mountains on the isthmus to the South fea, or Pacific ocean, anno 1513; and he erected the fortrefs of Panama on that fide; for which fervice he was made governor of Cuba and Panama, and admiral of the South feas.

The next great difcoverer and conqueror was Harnando Cortez, who imbarked for the island of Hifpaniola anno 1504, and from thence went to Cuba, and had a great thare in the reduction of that island: where

upon

apon Diego Valefques, the governor, made choice of him to command the forces intended to invade the empire of Mexico. Cortez failed from St Jago de Cuba on the 18th of November 1518, and, touching at the Havannah, he failed again from thence the 10th of February, arriving at the island of Cozumel, near the coaft of Jucatan, a few days after; where he mustered his forces, confifting of 508 foot, 16 horse, and 109 feamen, befides his two chaplains.

He failed from Cozumel the 4th of March 1518, and having doubled Cape Catoch, he continued his voyage to the mouth of the river Tobafco, in the bay of Campeachy, where he landed, defeated the Indians, and took the town of Tobafco; after which he imbarked his forces, and failed to St John de Ulva, where, landing his forces, he received an embaffy from Montezuma, the Emperor.

Cortez foon after burnt his fhips, and began his march for the capital city of Mexico; and coming to Tlafcala the 23d of September 1519, he was joined by that people, who were at war with the Mexicans. While Cortez remained here, he received another embaffy from Montezuma, to invite him to his capital; but Cortez, pretending this was with a treacherous design, fell upon the subjects of Montezuma, and cut feveral thousands of them in pieces. At which the Emperor was fo terrified, that he offered to refign himself to the general's pleafure; and accordingly opened the gates of his capital to Cortez, who arrived there the 19th of November 1519.

Not long after Cortez feized the perfon of the Emperor, and made him his prifoner; and his officers proceeded to plunder the city: whereupon there happened a general infurrection of the natives, who drove the Spaniards out of the city of Mexico; and Montezuma, it is prefumed, was murdered by the Spaniards, when they found they could not carry him off alive; for the Emperor was never heard of afterwards.

Cortez having received a reinforcement of Spaniards from Europe, returned towards Mexico again, and invested that city, as well by land as water, making himself mafter of it the 13th of Auguft 1521; in which fiege, it is faid, 100,000 Mexicans were deftroyed.

The rest of the provinces of this empire submitted to Cortez foon after the furrender of the capital. They were used, however, with that barbarity, that Cortez was fent for over to Spain to give an account of his conduct; but he carried treasure enough with him to purchase his peace, and get his commiffion of generaliffimo confirmed. At his return he fent fome ships to the Spice iflands in the Eaft Indies; but the Portuguese drove them from thence. He also attempted to make further discoveries in the South feas; but was unfuccefsful in both attempts: whereupon he went over to Spain again, where numerous complaints of his cruelty and oppreffion followed him, infomuch that he was not fuffered to return to Mexico again, but remained a kind of prifoner at large in the court of Spain till his death, which happened on the 2d of December 1545, in the 62d year of his age.

His body was fent over to Mexico, and interred in the cathedral of that city.

B

EAST

Boundaries.JH, by the gulph of Florida, on the east and fouth; by

AST Florida is bounded by Georgia, on the north;

Weft Florida, on the fouth-weft; and by the country of the Creek Indians, on the north-west.

West Florida is bounded by Eaft Florida, on the east; by the gulph of Mexico, on the fouth; by the river Miffifippi, and the Lake St Pier, on the weft; and by the country of the Chikitaws, on the north.

The Spaniards attempted a fettlement at St Auguftine, in Eaft Florida, in 1512; but were obliged to abandon this attempt, by reason of the favages, and other inconveniencies, they not being properly fupplied with neceffaries to go through with it. In 1565, they again took poffeffion, and erected a fort, called St Auguftine, which commanded a convenient harbour for their ships trading between Spain and America; but there being a conftant war between the Spaniards and Greek Indians, greatly prevented the enlarging their fettlements here. They maintained their garrifon (though feveral attempts were made to reduce it by the Carolinians, and afterwards by General Oglethorpe) till the conclufion of the late war; when the garrifon, and the whole territory of Florida, was ceded to the crown of Great Britain, by the treaty of Fountainbleau in 1762. His Britannic Majefty being abfolute fovereign of the foil, has the appointment of the governors in both of the Floridas.

The foil of Eaft Florida is not fo good as that of Georgia in general; but the northerly part of it, adjacent to Georgia, is much like it, and may be improved to all the purposes that Georgia is, viz. for raifing of corn, rice, indigo, filk, wine, &c.; and again, in the weft part of the province is fome very good land, capable of being greatly improved.

The centre or cape of Florida is a more fandy foil. However, there are fome good fettlements begun in this province, under the di

rection

rection of Colonel Grant, the prefent governor of it; and there is t profpect of its foon becoming a flourishing province; and as inhabitants are flocking to it from feveral countries in Europe, there is no doubt but in a fhort time it will be confiderable.

Their exports at prefent are but small, the produce of their trade with the Indians being the chief they have to fpare. As the country was three years fince almost entirely uncultivated, and the number of inhabitants as yet but fmall, no great improvements and productions are at prefent to be expected; but undoubtedly this country is capable of producing rice, indigo, filk, wine, oil, and other valu áble commodities, in great abundance. As the country is new, it has great plenty of all kinds of wild game common to the climate. The metropolis of the province is St Auguftine. The number of inhabitants, exclufive of his Majefty's troops garrifoned there, is about

2000.

It may well be fuppofed, from its foutherly fituation, that the air and climate of this province is not more agreeable and healthy than that of Georgia; and that it is no lefs infefted with poisonous and troublesome animals of various fhapes and sizes.

Weft Florida was feized upon by the French, who began a fettlement in it at Pensacola in 1720; and they enjoyed it till the before-mentioned treaty of Fountainbleau in 1762, when this was ceded to and formed into a government by his Britannic Majesty.

The principal town is Penfacola : and as many of the French, who inhabited here before the treaty, have chofen to become British fubjects, for the fake of keeping their eftates, this will contribute to the fpeedy peopling this province, and no doubt render the fettlements confiderable very foon; especially as the land in this province is moftly very good, and vaftly preferable to the eastern province, its foil being capable of producing all the valuable commodities of rice, indigo, wine, oil, &c. in the greatest abundance; and its fituation for trade is extremely good, having the river Miffifippi for its western boundary.

They already carry on a very confiderable trade with the Indians, and export great quantities of deer-fkins and furs. The French inhabitants here raife confiderable quantities of rice, and build fome veffels.

There are at prefent about 6000 inhabitants in this province, which increase very fast, it being much more healthy and inviting than Eaft Florida; especially the western parts, upon the banks of the Miflifippi, where it is faid to be agreeable enough to English conftitutions. In fhort, it is not to be doubted but that in a few years this will be a rich and flourishing province, nature having denied it nothing that is neceffary to make it fo.

Mountains.] The Apalachian mountains, which divide Carolina and the rest of the British plantations from Florida, are the most confiderable. The mountains ending in the fouth of Carolina, there is a plain level country from thence to the gulph of Mexico, which was the reafon of our fortifying the banks of the rivers Savannah and Alatamacha, in Georgia, to prevent the incurfions of the Spanish and French Indians, who used to disturb our fettlements in South Carolina.

Rivers.]