Christopher Columbus

oorish war

one cared enough about his grand idea to give him a few ships! Who could tell when the Moorish war would end? And who could

considered how humiliating it would be for them to turn away this opportunity that was knocking at their door, and send it to rival kingdoms. They decided, war or no war, to have all the learned men of Spain come together and listen to the Italian's project. If a majority of these wise men thought the voyage might prove profitable, then they would immediately give Columbus the necessary ships and men. Accordingly they issued three important orders: one, bidding Columbus to appear before a learned council in Sevilla; another, commanding every town through which he might pass in reaching Se

do, whose mother was a Spanish woman, was born in Cordova,

Columbus made another fruitless appeal to Portugal we shall never know. We only know that, instead of going from Lisbon to England, he went back to procrastinating Spain. That he came back by King Ferdinand's summons is almost positive, for another royal decree was issued for every city thro

e waiting navigator again resided with the Duke of Medi

royal splendor and held court like a king. When Spain went to war, the duke could fit out a whole army from his own dominions and send them forth under his own banner to fight for t

ned because the years were slipping away, announced to his host that he would start for France. At this the duke wrote to the queen personally, telling her what a pity it would be to let France have the profits of

ajority of wise men, it is sad to relate, again pronounced Columbus's enterprise vain and impossible; the Atlantic Ocean could not be crossed; but the minority, headed by the wise monk, Diego de Deza of Salamanca, who was now tutor to young Prince John, upheld it vigorously, and told the queen that the plan

ed life,-an incident that takes us again to that hot, dusty, southwestern c

view, he again presented himself (and again afoot, for he was far too poor to ride a mule) before the gate of the low, white monastery near Palos. The first time he had rung that bell it was with hope in his heart; this time he was dejected. He had no hope

onounced Hwan Pair'eth), possessed, fortunately, an imagination and a certain amount of influence at court. Having imagination, he loved an

he is talking about the king and queen, and the conquest of Malaga; and now he is asking for our little pupil Diego-wh

the cell of Juan Perez and told all that had happened to him during his various sojourns at court. At last (for Christopher was very wordy) he

vent before Christopher's second coming, the prior had learned all about the Italian navigator from the other brothers. The story had interested him greatly, for he too had studied geography; a

m Pinzon and Doctor Fernandez what they think of your scheme. If they s

ouble. The queen is interested only in the Moorish war. Not even the great Diego de Deza,

he honor of being Queen Isabella's confessor, and had great influence with her. If"-and h

it would sound too improbable; but down in this corner of Spain, where all men followed the sea, the story had got about (whether through the monk Marchena, or through sailors who had been to Madeira, is uncertain) and nearly everybo

f touch with mariners and their doings, and these trips must have given him deep pleasure. For this is his true place,-among men who have known the rough hardships of seafaring life, and not among grandees and courtiers. He breathes in the salt air and chats with every man he meets. A pilot of Palos, Pedro de Velasco by name,

iled far west from the Irish coast and saw the shores of Tartary! Christopher probably has some doubts of this, so he merely shrugs his shoulders and

bout Cipango. He has been reading Marco Polo, and Japan, or Cipango, is very much on his mind. Perhaps on Christopher's, also, but he is content to stick to his "western lands." About this scheme the two men of Palos, Pinzon and Doctor Fernandez, are as enthusiastic as ever; Martin Alonzo Pinzon repeats his offer to sail as captain of one of the ships; he even goe

n interview on "an important matter." In those days it took two weeks, at least, for a courier to ride from Palos to Granada and back. On the fourteenth day, we may b

. "I shall start this very nig

his beast awhile, though he never would have lent him to any other man than the good prior of La Rabida! Then he ventured to hope th

ith intense fervor he pleaded Columbus's cause. The Marchioness of Moya-the lady who had been wounded by the Moor at Malaga in mistake for the queen-was present, and she added her persuasions. The result was that Isabella not only commanded Col

rt swims in a sea of comfort and my spirit leaps with joy in the Lord. Start at once, for the queen waits

man was that Rabida prior! May his spi

things were going very badly for the beleaguered Moorish city of Granada. It was the enemy's last citadel and, said he, it could not hold out much longer. Columbus, perhaps, took the news with moder