CHAP.
II.]
CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS.
279
land, coasted Labrador to the fifty-sixth degree of north latitude, and then returning, ran down southwest to the Floridas, when, his provisions beginning to fail, he returned to England.* But vague and scanty accounts of this voyage exist, which was im portant, as including the first discovery of the northern continent of the New World. The discoveries of rival nations, however, which most excited the attention and jealousy of the Spanish crown, were those of the Portuguese. Vasco de Gama, a man of rank, and consum mate talent and intrepidity, had, at length, accomplished the great design of the late Prince Henry of Portugal, and by doubling the Cape of Good Hope in the year 1497, had opened the longsought-fbr route to India. Immediately after Gama's return, a fleet of thirteen sail was fitted out to visit the magnificent countries of which he brought accounts. This expedition sailed on the 9th of March, 1500, for Calicut, under the command of Pedro Alvarez de Cabrai. Hav ing passed the Cape de Verde Islands, he sought to avoid the calms prevalent on the coast of Guinea, by stretching far to the west. Suddenly, on the 25th of April, he came in sight of land unknown to any one in his squadron ; for, as yet, they had not heard of the discoveries of Pinzon and Lepe. He at first sup posed it to be some great island ; but after coasting it for some time, he became persuaded that it must be part of a continent. Having ranged along it somewhat beyond the fifteenth degree of southern latitude, he landed at a harbor which he called Porto Securo, and taking possession of the country for the crown of Portugal, dispatched a ship to Lisbon with the important tidings.† * Hakluyt's Collection of Voyages, vol. iii. p. 7. † Lafiteau, Conquetes des Portugais, lib. ii.