THE NEW YORK 170183 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FUUNANDNERTISEMENT. 1900. The historical portion of this volume is extracted from the best authorities, but it has been deemed unnecessary to introduce references. Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to wit: ttttttt BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the thirtieth day of L. S. April, in the fifty-third year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1829, Paul Beck, jun. Treasurer, in trust for the American Sunday-School Union, of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit: The Life of George Washington. Written for the American Sunday-School Union. Revised by the Committee of Publication. Am. S. 6. U. In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States intituled, "an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned", and also to the act, entitled, an act supplementary to an act, entitled, an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprie tors of such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. INTRODUCTION. In the year 1486, a foot traveller, holding a boy by the hand, stopped at the gate of a convent in Spain, to ask for some bread and water for his wearied child; while he was receiving it from a kind Friar, he gave him a history of himself, and told him for what purpose he had come into that country. At that time, the inhabitants of Europe, Asia, and Africa, did not know that there was any other land than those continents, and some islands not very distant from them. The most learned men, who were endeavouring to increase their knowledge of geography, thought that the ocean surrounded those countries like a great belt, and Christopher Columbus, the stranger who stood at the convent gate, was perhaps the first person who thought that belt might be crossed to the land on the opposite side; which was supposed to be the eastern part of Asia. He was born about the year 1436, and was the son of a wool-comber, who lived in a city of Italy, called Genoa, and who was too poor to give him much education; but Columbus was very attentive to the instructions which he re ceived in the few years that he went to school. When he was a child, he said he would like to be a sailor, and he was very diligent in using every opportunity to gain a knowledge of geography and navigation. At the age of fourteen, he went to sea. A seafaring life was, at that time, a very dangerous and toilsome one; and the years of his boyhood were passed in hardships, which were severe but useful lessons to teach him to command his naturally hasty temper, and to endure sufferings without shrinking or complaining. He reflected on what he observed in his voyages, and on what he had learned of geography, and felt convinced, that if a vessel sailed from Europe towards the west, it might reach a land which was then unknown; and that land, he thought, it was probable was an inhabited one. He had early learned from the Bible, that a time will come when "All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," and he felt the religious hope, that he should be permitted to carry the glad tidings to the unknown land, which he began to speak of with as much certainty as if he had seen it. He considered his almost infant desire to become a sailor, as a proof that God was thus early preparing him to be the discoverer of that land; and this confidence never left his mind, but cheered him in his darkest hours of disappointment. He thought deeply on the subject for many years, and at length, resolved to undertake a voyage of discovery, which the more he thought of, the stronger became his hope that it would be successful. He was too poor to fit out even a small vessel, and he could not persuade any person to assist him, in what was considered a wild and useless project. He formed the bold resolve to go to Portugal, and ask assistance from the king, who at first seemed willing to grant it, but after raising his hopes, disappointed them, and Columbus returned to his own country, and made an application there to the government for aid, but his request was disregarded. Poor as to earthly treasures, but rich in the possession of the divine promise, "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established," he persevered in his intention, and was on his way to seek assistance from Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain, when he stopped at the convent gate to ask for refreshment for his child, whom he was taking with him. The kind man, to whom he related his plan, became interested for his success, and offered to keep his son, Diego, and educate him; and said he would give him a letter to a friend, who he thought could assist him to gain the favour of the queen. Columbus left his son with him, and travelled to the city, where the king and queen resided. They would not even listen to his proposal to discover a new country for them, but he determined to remain there for some time, and he supported himself by designing maps. He was very pleasing in his appearance, and as he was master of his hasty temper, his manners were agreeable. In a short time, he gained the good will of some persons who interested themselves for him, and introduced him to the Archbishop of Spain, to relate to him the favourite subject of his thoughts. The Archbishop obtained permission for him to appear before the king and queen, and then the favourable manner in which they listened to him, gave him lively hopes that they would grant to him the assistance which he desired. They appointed persons to examine his plan for a voyage of discovery, who kept him for a long time uncertain as to what opinion they would give, and then said that they disapproved of it entirely. Discouraged, but not despairing, Columbus resolved to leave Spain, and seek for assistance elsewhere, and was on his journey when he received a letter from a friend, desiring him to return immediately. That friend had succeeded in gaining permission to speak to the queen, and he had interested her so much by an eloquent account of the views of Columbus, that she said, "I |