What joy they must have experienced when the wished-for ships arrived, and they were conveyed to St. Domingo! Columbus did not remain there long. He set sail for Spain, (September 12th, 1504,) and after losing one of his vessels, and sailing in a most perilous situIation with the other, he reached that country once again, in the month of December. There he learnt that his patroness, queen Isabella, who had been his best and steadiest friend, died about a month before. None now remained to befriend him at the court of Spain. Ferdinand had never liked him, and had often treated him with injustice.

We are now come to the last days of Columbus. He died on the 20th of May,

1506. I am sorry to find that the latter part of his life was passed away, in the vain wish and endeavour to recover his title of governor of the colonies in the West Indies; for, however just and wellfounded his claims might be, he should have renounced them at his sovereign's will, and have contented himself with the pleasant recollection of his faithful services. Besides, he well knew he was sinking into the grave, and what were earthly titles and honours to him?

But we will not leave Columbus in anger. He is now become an old friend; for we have travelled with him, by sea and land, for many a day, and we cannot part with him without doing him justice. He experienced many bitter

trials: he bore most of them like a true Christian; and when we remember his faults, we must also remember that, in every instance but one, he seems to have striven to overcome them. Even in that one instance, perhaps, if we knew more of him, we should find him with his heart full of forgiveness towards those who had injured him, before he closed his eyes in death. We will hope that he has now found a better country than he discovered for us, while here on earth a country where there is no more oppression, no more hatred !

Farewell!

LETTER XVIII.

MY DEAR JANE,

AFTER the death of Columbus,

the Spaniards continued their discoveries in the western world, and made several settlements in the different islands. In the year 1508, an expedition from Hispaniola was undertaken, which deserves to be mentioned, because it contributed to make Europeans acquainted with the form and situation of the countries about them.

Pinzon, who, you remember, was one of Columbus's first companions, and

afterwards undertook a voyage by himself, sailed once more from St. Domingo towards the American coast; and keeping more to the west than Columbus had done, he discovered the province of Yucatan, which lies by the Gulf of Mexico, and is bounded, on one side, by the kingdom of Mexico itself. Columbus had heard of this province when he touched at the island of Guiania, on his last voyage; but he preferred sailing eastward towards Darien, and so left it to be explored by future navigators.

In the year 1509, Pinzon made another voyage of discovery. He stood directly south from Hispaniola, passed the equator, and advanced a good way beyond it, keeping, for the most part, in