wealbk04-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


first　establishment；　and　was　not　the　motive　either　of　that

establishment　or　of　the　discoveries　which　gave　occasion　to　it；

and　the　nature；　extent；　and　limits　of　that　utility　are　not；

perhaps；　well　understood　at　this　day。

　　　　　The　Venetians；　during　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth

centuries；　carried　on　a　very　advantageous　commerce　in　spiceries；

and　other　East　India　goods；　which　they　distributed　among　the

other　nations　of　Europe。　They　purchased　them　chiefly　in　Egypt；　at

that　time　under　the　dominion　of　the　Mamelukes；　the　enemies　of　the

Turks；　of　whom　the　Venetians　were　the　enemies；　and　this　union　of

interest；　assisted　by　the　money　of　Venice；　formed　such　a

connection　as　gave　the　Venetians　almost　a　monopoly　of　the　trade。

　　　　　The　great　profits　of　the　Venetians　tempted　the　avidity　of

the　Portuguese。　They　had　been　endeavouring；　during　the　course　of

the　fifteenth　century；　to　find　out　by　sea　a　way　to　the　countries

from　which　the　Moors　brought　them　ivory　and　gold　dust　across　the

desert。　They　discovered　the　Madeiras；　the　Canaries；　the　Azores；

the　Cape　de　Verde　Islands；　the　coast　of　Guinea；　that　of　Loango；

Congo；　Angola；　and　Benguela；　and；　finally；　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。

They　had　long　wished　to　share　in　the　profitable　traffic　of　the

Venetians；　and　this　last　discovery　opened　to　them　a　probable

prospect　of　doing　so。　In　1497；　Vasco　de　Gama　sailed　from　the　port

of　Lisbon　with　a　fleet　of　four　ships；　and　after　a　navigation　of

eleven　months　arrived　upon　the　coast　of　Indostan；　and　thus

completed　a　course　of　discoveries　which　had　been　pursued　with

great　steadiness；　and　with　very　little　interruption；　for　nearly　a

century　together。

　　　　　Some　years　before　this；　while　the　expectations　of　Europe

were　in　suspense　about　the　projects　of　the　Portuguese；　of　which

the　success　appeared　yet　to　be　doubtful；　a　Genoese　pilot　formed

the　yet　more　daring　project　of　sailing　to　the　East　Indies　by　the

West。　The　situation　of　those　countries　was　at　that　time　very

imperfectly　known　in　Europe。　The　few　European　travellers　who　had

been　there　had　magnified　the　distance；　perhaps　through　simplicity

and　ignorance；　what　was　really　very　great　appearing　almost

infinite　to　those　who　could　not　measure　it；　or；　perhaps；　in　order

to　increase　somewhat　more　the　marvellous　of　their　own　adventures

in　visiting　regions　so　immensely　remote　from　Europe。　The　longer

the　way　was　by　the　East；　Columbus　very　justly　concluded；　the

shorter　it　would　be　by　the　West。　He　proposed；　therefore；　to　take

that　way；　as　both　the　shortest　and　the　surest；　and　he　had　the

good　fortune　to　convince　Isabella　of　Castile　of　the　probability

of　his　project。　He　sailed　from　the　port　of　Palos　in　August　1492；

nearly　five　years　before　the　expedition　of　Vasco　de　Gama　set　out

from　Portugal；　and；　after　a　voyage　of　between　two　and　three

months；　discovered　first　some　of　the　small　Bahamas　or　Lucayan

islands；　and　afterwards　the　great　island　of　St。　Domingo。

　　　　　But　the　countries　which　Columbus　discovered；　either　in　this

or　in　any　of　his　subsequent　voyages；　had　no　resemblance　to　those

which　he　had　gone　in　quest　of。　Instead　of　the　wealth；

cultivation；　and　populousness　of　China　and　Indostan；　he　found；　in

St。　Domingo；　and　in　all　the　other　parts　of　the　new　world　which　he

ever　visited；　nothing　but　a　country　quite　covered　with　wood；

uncultivated；　and　inhabited　only　by　some　tribes　of　naked　and

miserable　savages。　He　was　not　very　willing；　however；　to　believe

that　they　were　not　the　same　with　some　of　the　countries　described

by　Marco　Polo；　the　first　European　who　had　visited；　or　at　least

had　left　behind　him；　any　description　of　China　or　the　East　Indies；

and　a　very　slight　resemblance；　such　as　that　which　he　found

between　the　name　of　Cibao；　a　mountain　in　St。　Domingo；　and　that　of

Cipango　mentioned　by　Marco　Polo；　was　frequently　sufficient　to

make　him　return　to　this　favourite　prepossession；　though　contrary

to　the　clearest　evidence。　In　his　letters　to　Ferdinand　and

Isabella　he　called　the　countries　which　he　had　discovered　the

Indies。　He　entertained　no　doubt　but　that　they　were　the　extremity

of　those　which　had　been　described　by　Marco　Polo；　and　that　they

were　not　very　distant　from　the　Ganges；　or　from　the　countries

which　had　been　conquered　by　Alexander。　Even　when　at　last

convinced　that　they　were　different；　he　still　flattered　himself

that　those　rich　countries　were　at　no　great　distance；　and；　in　a

subsequent　voyage；　accordingly；　went　in　quest　of　them　along　the

coast　of　Terra　Firma；　and　towards　the　Isthmus　of　Darien。

　　　　　In　consequence　of　this　mistake　of　Columbus；　the　name　of　the

Indies　has　stuck　to　those　unfortunate　countries　ever　since；　and

when　it　was　at　last　clearly　discovered　that　the　new　were

altogether　different　from　the　old　Indies；　the　former　were　called

the　West；　in　contradistinction　to　the　latter；　which　were　called

the　East　Indies。

　　　　　It　was　of　importance　to　Columbus；　however；　that　the

countries　which　he　had　discovered；　whatever　they　were；　should　be

represented　to　the　court　of　Spain　as　of　very　great　consequence；

and；　in　what　constitutes　the　real　riches　of　every　country；　the

animal　and　vegetable　productions　of　the　soil；　there　was　at　that

time　nothing　which　could　well　justify　such　a　representation　of

them。

　　　　　The　Cori；　something　between　a　rat　and　a　rabbit；　and　supposed

by　Mr。　Buffon　to　be　the　same　with　the　Aperea　of　Brazil；　was　the

largest　viviparous　quadruped　in　St。　Domingo。　This　species　seems

never　to　have　been　very　numerous；　and　the　dogs　and　cats　of　the

Spaniards　are　said　to　have　long　ago　almost　entirely　extirpated

it；　as　well　as　some　other　tribes　of　a　still　smaller　size。　These；

however；　together　with　a　pretty　large　lizard；　called　the　ivana；

or　iguana；　constituted　the　principal　part　of　the　animal　food

which　the　land　afforded。

　　　　　The　vegetable　food　of　the　inhabitants；　though　from　their

want　of　industry　not　very　abundant；　was　not　altogether　so　scanty。

It　consisted　in　Indian　corn；　yams；　potatoes；　bananas；　etc。；

plants　which　were　then　altogether　unknown　in　Europe；　and　which

have　never　since　been　very　much　esteemed　in　it；　or　supposed　to

yield　a　sustenance　equal　to　what　is　drawn　from　the　common　sorts

of　grain　and　pulse；　which　have　been　cultivated　in　this　part　of

the　world　time　out　of　mind。

　　　　　The　cotton　plant；　indeed；　afforded　the　material　of　a　very

important　manufacture；　and　was　at　that　time　to　Europeans

undoubtedly　the　most　valuable　of　all　the　vegetable　productions　of

those　islands。　But　though　in　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century　the

muslins　and　other　cotton　goods　of　the　East　Indies　were　much

esteemed　in　every　part　of　Europe；　the　cotton　manufacture　itself

was　not　cultivated　in　any　part　of　it。　Even　this　production；

therefore；　could　not　at　that　time　appear　in　the　eyes　of　Europeans

to　be　of　very　great　consequence。

　　　　　Finding　nothing　either　in　the　animals　or　vegetables　of　the

newly　discovered　countries　which　could　justify　a　very

advantageous　representation　of　them；　Columbus　turned　his　view

towards　their　minerals；　and　in　the　richness　of　the　productions　of

this　third　kingdom；　he　flattered　himself　he　had　found　a　full

compensation　for　the　insignificancy　of　those　of　the　other　two。

The　little　bits　of　gold　with　which　the　inhabitants　ornamented

their　dress；　and　which；　he　was　informed；　they　frequently　found　in

the　rivulets　and　torrents　that　fell　from　the　mountains；　were

sufficient　to　satisfy　him　that　those　mountains　abounded　with　the

richest　gold　mines。　St。　Domingo；　therefore；　was　represented　as　a

country　abounding　with　gold；　and；　upon　that　account；　（according

to　the　prejudices　not　only　of　the　present　time；　but　of　those

times）　an　inexhaustible　source　of　real　wealth　to　the　crown　and

kingdom　of　Spain。　When　Columbus；　upon　his　return　from　his　first

voyage；　was　introduced　with　a　sort　of　triumphal　honours　to　the

sovereigns　of　Castile　and　Arragon；　the　principal　productions　of

the　countries　which　he　had　discovered　were　carried　in　solemn

procession　before　him。　The　only　valuable　part　of　them　consisted

in　some　little　fillets；　bracelets；　and　other　ornaments　of　gold；

and　in　some　bales　of　cotton。　The　rest　were　mere　objects　of　vulgar

wonder　and　curiosity；　some　reeds　of　an　extraordinary　size；　some

birds　of　a　very　beautiful　plumage；　and　some　stuffed　skins　of　the

huge　alligator　and　manati；　all　of　which　were　preceded　by　six　or

seven　of　the　wretched　natives；　whose　singular　colour　and

appearance　added　greatly　to　the　novelty　of　the　show。

　　　　　In　consequence　of　the　representations　of　Columbus；　the

council　of　Castile　determined　to　take　possession　of　countries　of

which　the　inhabitants　were　plainly　incapable　of　defending

themselves。　The　pious　purpose　of　converting　them　to　Christianity

sanctified　the　injustice　of　the　project。　But　the　hope　of　finding

treasures　of　gold　there　was　the　sole　motive　which　prompted　him　to

undertake　it；　and　to　give　this　motive　the　greater　weight；　it　was

proposed　by　Columbus　that　the　half　of　all　the　gold　and　silver

that　should　be　found　there　should　belong　to　the　crown。　This

proposal　was　approved　of　by　the　council。

　　　　　As　long　as　the　whole　or　the　far　greater　part　of　the　gold；

which　the　first　a