In effect, Vespucci proceeded from Seville to Toro, where the king then was, and obtained from the government a gratification of twelve thousand maravedis, and letters of naturalization, in consideration, says the patent, of his fidelity, and of some good services which he has already rendered, and of those expected of him hereafter; and was thereupon commissioned for a voyage of discovery in the East, to be made in conjunction with *Vincente Yanez Pinzon. In preparation for this voyage, Vespucci repaired to Pâlos and Moguer; and considerable time, as well as a large sum of money, was expended in the purchase and equipment of three vessels; but the remonstrances of the king of Portugal caused the intended expedition to be abandoned.

Vespucci continued to be employed in various commissions, connected with maritime affairs, until 1508, when he was appointed chief pilot, with a suitable salary and appointments, and became fixed at Seville, in the regular discharge of his official functions, as examiner of pilots, and inspector of charts and quadrants. He died there, on the 22d day of February, 1512.

Pedro Martyr informs us, that †Giovanni Vespucci, the nephew of Amerigo, inherited his skill in navigation. For, whatever division may have existed, among men of letters, with respect to the discoveries of Vespucci, none of his enemies, not even those who accuse him of the basest forgery, have denied him the merit of being superior to most of his contemporaries, in the knowledge of practical astronomy, geography, and all the nautical sciences.

Having thus run over the life of Vespucci, we shall be prepared to examine the discussion concerning his discoveries. The principal question, as I before remarked, is with respect to his first voyage; what was its date, what his rank in the squadron, and who his companions. Our knowledge of his voyages is derived entirely from the narrative of Vespucci himself, contained in three letters, written by him to his patron, Lorenzo di Pieri, Francesco de Medici, and another to §Pietro Soderini. And the history of his voyages, related by Vespucci, was always relied upon, and cited as authentic, until the publication of Herrera's History, in 1601; * Vinthaintay Yânyaith Pinthon. ↑ Jovânnee. Franchesco day Maideechee.

|| Hairraira's.

§ Peeaytro Sodereenee.

in which it was asserted, that Vespucci's first voyage was in 1499; that he sailed under the command of *Alonzo de Ojeda; that he went as a merchant; and that in the account, which he afterwards published, of his voyages, he falsified their dates, and framed his narrative with great art, in order to arrogate to himself the honor of being the first to discover the continent of America. From Herrera, this imputation was circulated by his countrymen, and by some historians of other nations.

This interesting point in Spanish history, is confessedly one of great obscurity. Mr. Irving has investigated the whole subject, with his characteristic discrimination and judgment, and arrives at the conclusion, that no voyage was performed by Vespucci in 1497, mainly upon the account that no such expedition is recognized, expressly or impliedly, in the evidence taken by Don Diego, the son and heir of Columbus, in support of his claim to the authority and succession of the deceased admiral. There is, undeniably, much force in the argument; and it derives confirmation from the investigations of Navarrete. But all the evidence is merely negative; and Mr. Irving very properly hesitates to impute imposition to Vespucci, upon a view of all the facts.

Many gross errors occur in the early printed editions of the supposed voyages of Vespucci; which, with other considerations, lead him to suppose that the whole difficulty arises from the mistakes or interpolations of 'some book-maker, eager to gather together disjointed materials, and fabricate a work to gratify the prevalent passion of the day.' And the friendly letter of Columbus to his son, in reference to Vespucci, certainly tends very strongly to show, that the latter had done nothing to injure the well-earned reputation of the admiral.

At the same time, there is nothing conclusive to be found on the subject, either in the old writers or in the original record of Spain. We may safely conclude, therefore, that there is no evidence whatever, which expressly contradicts, or is absolutely incompatible with the supposition, that Vespucci first discovered the continent of America.

*Alontho (th as in thin,) day Ohaytha (th as in thine).

10.

EXERCISE LVI.

THE CHIEFTAIN'S GRAVE.-E. Pollock.

-And where yon

brook

Uprises from the river side,

"T is said, a chief of lofty rank,

In battling for his country, died.
One was he of that band who reigned
The monarchs of this land, before
The pale-faced stranger's hand had stained
The green upon their hills with gore ;-
One was he of that band, and long
Unmoved he bore his country's wrong.
He saw with sad and sinking heart
The warriors of his youth depart;
He saw his forest-lands decay,
He saw his people pass away;
He saw his once bright council-fire,
Sink into ashes, and expire;
And yet forbore to raise an arm,
To do the intruding stranger harm.

But when, one day, his gallant boy,
Of his old age the pride and joy,
Was borne by kindred hands, and laid,
A corse, beneath his roof-tree's shade,
Such undeserved and bitter stroke,
The fiend within his bosom woke ;
And deep he vowed his future life,
To deeds of vengeance, blood, and strife.

But bootless was his fiery rage;
The stranger's arm was bold and strong;
Small cause has feeble right to wage
A warfare 'gainst a mighty wrong;
And so he fell, but nobly fell,
Before the home he loved so well!

They bore him to his grave at night,
That little mourning band;

And sadly flashed the torch's light,
Upon their knives and hatchets bright,
And on his gory hand;

For in his war attire he lay,

The same as when he died that day.
And down by yonder mighty tree,—
"T was but a sapling then,

That remnant of the bold and free,
Laid down the bravest of their men:
Then, in the dark and gurgling stream,
They sadly quenched their torch's gleam,
And without word of wail or moan,
They left him to his rest alone.

I oft have strayed at twilight there,
And thought that in the very air
There was a strange and saddening spell,
More potent far than words can tell :
For many a time, when silently

I mused beneath that mighty tree,
I've almost fancied that again

I saw that little burial train,

And marked, with awe, strange figures glide
Like ghosts along the river side.

The forms are wanting; but the sound
Of the low wind yet whispers round
At even; and the tiny wave
Comes gently murmuring to the spot
Where, calmly, in his forest grave,
That mighty chieftain sleeps forgot.

RULE FOR THE READING OF FUNERAL PIECES.

Compositions of this nature require the tone of PATHOS deepened into SOLEMNITY; which is still lower, and slower, and marked by longer pauses, but a firmer utterance, than the former.

EXERCISE LVII.

RESCUE FROM A DESERT ISLAND. - Anon.

On Sunday, the 4th of November, 1827, the ship Palmira made the desert island of Amsterdam, and passing to leeward, at a distance of about five miles, a quantity of smoke was distinguishable, on the north side, which induced the captain to run in as close as possible, supposing that some sufferers from shipwreck might have lit the fire by way of signal; and, when within a mile of the shore, two men were distinctly seen, standing on a little eminence near it. A boat was immediately lowered down; and the chief officer proceeded to ascertain the condition of the men, and afford such assistance as might be required.

In less than an hour, the boat returned with the two strangers. Their appearance, at the first glance, was truly squalid and miserable; they had long beards; their old, ragged clothes were patched with seal-skins, with the fur on. The bristly hide of a wild hog, fastened together, served for a nether garment to one of them. Their shoes were also made of hog-skin, of the form called moccasin, which consists of a circular piece, with the hair outside; and when the foot is placed in the middle of it, a cord, rove through the edges, draws the leather together round the ankle and instep.

The name of one of the men was James Paine, about twenty-two years of age, and of the other Robert Proudfoot, about forty, both sailors, natives of Edinburgh. They had been fourteen months on the island.

It appeared, from their own account of themselves, that they joined the Governor Hunter, a schooner of about sixty tons, belonging to Van Dieman's Land, at the Isle of France, that vessel being engaged on a sealing voyage; and in September, 1826, they arrived off the island above mentioned.

It is customary for these ships to land a number of their crew at the different islands, where seals and sea-lions are procurable, and take them up again a few months afterwards, with the oil and skin they may have been able to obtain. Accordingly, a boat was sent off from the schooner, with a bag of biscuit, a few pounds of flour, and other provisions; also a kettle, a frying-pan, and a considerable quantity of salt, for the purpose of curing the seal-skins.