the story of mankind-第35部分

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and　his　captains　discovered　the　Canary　Islandsre…discovered

the　island　of　Madeira　which　a　century　before　had　been　visited

by　a　Genoese　ship；　carefully　charted　the　Azores　which　had

been　vaguely　known　to　both　the　Portuguese　and　the　Spaniards；

and　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　mouth　of　the　Senegal　River　on

the　west　coast　of　Africa；　which　they　supposed　to　be　the　western

mouth　of　the　Nile。　At　last；　by　the　middle　of　the　Fifteenth

Century；　they　saw　Cape　Verde；　or　the　Green　Cape；　and　the

Cape　Verde　Islands；　which　lie　almost　halfway　between　the

coast　of　Africa　and　Brazil。



But　Henry　did　not　restrict　himself　in　his　investigations　to

the　waters　of　the　Ocean。　He　was　Grand　Master　of　the　Order

of　Christ。　This　was　a　Portuguese　continuation　of　the　crusading

order　of　the　Templars　which　had　been　abolished　by

Pope　Clement　V　in　the　year　1312　at　the　request　of　King

Philip　the　Fair　of　France；　who　had　improved　the　occasion　by

burning　his　own　Templars　at　the　stake　and　stealing　all　their

possessions。　Prince　Henry　used　the　revenues　of　the　domains

of　his　religious　order　to　equip　several　expeditions　which　explored

the　hinterland　of　the　Sahara　and　of　the　coast　of　Guinea。



But　he　was　still　very　much　a　son　of　the　Middle　Ages　and

spent　a　great　deal　of　time　and　wasted　a　lot　of　money　upon　a

search　for　the　mysterious　‘‘Presser　John；''　the　mythical　Christian

Priest　who　was　said　to　be　the　Emperor　of　a　vast　empire

‘‘situated　somewhere　in　the　east。''　The　story　of　this　strange

potentate　had　first　been　told　in　Europe　in　the　middle　of　the

twelfth　century。　For　three　hundred　years　people　had　tried

to　find　‘‘Presser　John''　and　his　descendants　Henry　took　part

in　the　search。　Thirty　years　after　his　death；　the　riddle　was

solved。



In　the　year　1486　Bartholomew　Diaz；　trying　to　find　the　land

of　Prester　John　by　sea；　had　reached　the　southernmost　point

of　Africa。　At　first　he　called　it　the　Storm　Cape；　on　account　of

the　strong　winds　which　had　prevented　him　from　continuing　his

voyage　toward　the　east；　but　the　Lisbon　pilots　who　understood

the　importance　of　this　discovery　in　their　quest　for　the　India

water　route；　changed　the　name　into　that　of　the　Cape　of　Good

Hope。



One　year　later；　Pedro　de　Covilham；　provided　with　letters

of　credit　on　the　house　of　Medici；　started　upon　a　similar　mission

by　land。　He　crossed　the　Mediterranean　and　after　leaving

Egypt；　he　travelled　southward。　He　reached　Aden；　and　from

there；　travelling　through　the　waters　of　the　Persian　Gulf　which

few　white　men　had　seen　since　the　days　of　Alexander　the　Great；

eighteen　centuries　before；　he　visited　Goa　and　Calicut　on　the

coast　of　India　where　he　got　a　great　deal　of　news　about　the

island　of　the　Moon　（Madagascar）　which　was　supposed　to　lie

halfway　between　Africa　and　India。　Then　he　returned；　paid

a　secret　visit　to　Mecca　and　to　Medina；　crossed　the　Red　Sea

once　more　and　in　the　year　1490　he　discovered　the　realm　of

Prester　John；　who　was　no　one　less　than　the　Black　Negus　（or

King）　of　Abyssinia；　whose　ancestors　had　adopted　Christianity

in　the　fourth　century；　seven　hundred　years　before　the　Christian

missionaries　had　found　their　way　to　Scandinavia。



These　many　voyages　had　convinced　the　Portuguese　geographers

and　cartographers　that　while　the　voyage　to　the　Indies

by　an　eastern　sea…route　was　possible；　it　was　by　no　means　easy。

Then　there　arose　a　great　debate。　Some　people　wanted　to　continue

the　explorations　east　of　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　Others

said；　‘‘No；　we　must　sail　west　across　the　Atlantic　and　then　we

shall　reach　Cathay。''



Let　us　state　right　here　that　most　intelligent　people　of　that

day　were　firmly　convinced　that　the　earth　was　not　as　flat　as　a

pancake　but　was　round。　The　Ptolemean　system　of　the　universe；

invented　and　duly　described　by　Claudius　Ptolemy；　the　great

Egyptian　geographer；　who　had　lived　in　the　second　century　of

our　era；　which　had　served　the　simple　needs　of　the　men　of　the

Middle　Ages；　had　long　been　discarded　by　the　scientists　of　the

Renaissance。　They　had　accepted　the　doctrine　of　the　Polish

mathematician；　Nicolaus　Copernicus；　whose　studies　had　con…

vinced　him　that　the　earth　was　one　of　a　number　of　round　planets

which　turned　around　the　sun；　a　discovery　which　he　did　not　venture

to　publish　for　thirty…six　years　（it　was　printed　in　1548；

the　year　of　his　death）　from　fear　of　the　Holy　Inquisition；　a

Papal　court　which　had　been　established　in　the　thirteenth　century

when　the　heresies　of　the　Albigenses　and　the　Waldenses

in　France　and　in　Italy　（very　mild　heresies　of　devoutly　pious

people　who　did　not　believe　in　private　property　and　preferred

to　live　in　Christ…like　poverty）　had　for　a　moment　threatened　the

absolute　power　of　the　bishops　of　Rome。　But　the　belief　in　the

roundness　of　the　earth　was　common　among　the　nautical　experts

and；　as　I　said；　they　were　now　debating　the　respective

advantages　of　the　eastern　and　the　western　routes。



Among　the　advocates　of　the　western　route　was　a　Genoese

mariner　by　the　name　of　Cristoforo　Colombo。　He　was　the　son

of　a　wool　merchant。　He　seems　to　have　been　a　student　at　the

University　of　Pavia　where　he　specialised　in　mathematics　and

geometry。　Then　he　took　up　his　father's　trade　but　soon　we　find

him　in　Chios　in　the　eastern　Mediterranean　travelling　on　business。

Thereafter　we　hear　of　voyages　to　England　but　whether

he　went　north　in　search　of　wool　or　as　the　captain　of　a　ship　we

do　not　know。　In　February　of　the　year　1477；　Colombo　（if　we

are　to　believe　his　own　words）　visited　Iceland；　but　very　likely

he　only　got　as　far　as　the　Faroe　Islands　which　are　cold　enough

in　February　to　be　mistaken　for　Iceland　by　any　one。　Here

Colombo　met　the　descendants　of　those　brave　Norsemen　who

in　the　tenth　century　had　settled　in　Greenland　and　who　had

visited　America　in　the　eleventh　century；　when　Leif's　vessel

had　been　blown　to　the　coast　of　Vineland；　or　Labrador。



What　had　become　of　those　far　western　colonies　no　one

knew。　The　American　colony　of　Thorfinn　Karlsefne；　the　husband

of　the　widow　of　Leif's　brother　Thorstein；　founded　in　the

year　1003；　had　been　discontinued　three　years　later　on　account

of　the　hostility　of　the　Esquimaux。　As　for　Greenland；　not　a

word　had　been　heard　from　the　settlers　since　the　year　1440。

Very　likely　the　Greenlanders　had　all　died　of　the　Black　Death。

which　had　just　killed　half　the　people　of　Norway。　However

that　might　be；　the　tradition　of　a　‘‘vast　land　in　the　distant　west''

still　survived　among　the　people　of　the　Faroe　and　Iceland；　and

Colombo　must　have　heard　of　it。　He　gathered　further　information

among　the　fishermen　of　the　northern　Scottish　islands　and

then　went　to　Portugal　where　he　married　the　daughter　of　one

of　the　captains　who　had　served　under　Prince　Henry　the

Navigator。



From　that　moment　on　（the　year　1478）　he　devoted　himself

to　the　quest　of　the　western　route　to　the　Indies。　He　sent　his

plans　for　such　a　voyage　to　the　courts　of　Portugal　and　Spain。

The　Portuguese；　who　felt　certain　that　they　possessed　a　monop…

oly　of　the　eastern　route；　would　not　listen　to　his　plans。　In

Spain；　Ferdinand　of　Aragon　and　Isabella　of　Castile；　whose

marriage　in　1469　had　made　Spain　into　a　single　kingdom；　were

busy　driving　the　Moors　from　their　last　stronghold；　Granada。

They　had　no　money　for　risky　expeditions。　They　needed　every

peseta　for　their　soldiers。



Few　people　were　ever　forced　to　fight　as　desperately　for

their　ideas　as　this　brave　Italian。　But　the　story　of　Colombo

（or　Colon　or　Columbus；　as　we　call　him；）　is　too　well　known　to

bear　repeating。　The　Moors　surrendered　Granada　on　the　second

of　January　of　the　year　1492。　In　the　month　of　April　of　the

same　year；　Columbus　signed　a　contract　with　the　King　and

Queen　of　Spain。　On　Friday；　the　3rd　of　August；　he　left　Palos

with　three　little　ships　and　a　crew　of　88　men；　many　of　whom

were　criminals　who　had　been　offered　indemnity　of　punishment

if　they　joined　the　expedition。　At　two　o'clock　in　the　morning

of　Friday；　the　12th　of　October；　Columbus　discovered　land。　On

the　fourth　of　January　of　the　year　1493；　Columbus　waved　farewell

to　the　44　men　of　the　little　fortress　of　La　Navidad　（none

of　whom　was　ever　again　seen　alive）　and　returned　homeward。

By　the　middle　of　February　he　reached　the　Azores　where　the

Portuguese　threatened　to　throw　him　into　gaol。　On　the　fifteenth

of　March；　1493；　the　admiral　reached　Palos　and　together　with

his　Indians　（for　he　was　convinced　that　he　had　discovered　some

outlying　islands　of　the　Indies　and　called　the　natives　red

Indians）　he　hastened　to　Barcelona　to　tell　his　faithful　patrons

that　he　had　been　successful　and　that　the　road　to　the　gold　and

the　silver　of　Cathay　and　Zipangu　was　at　the　disposal　of　their

most　Catholic　Majesties。



Alas；　Columbus　never　knew　the　truth。　Towards　the　end

of　his　life；　on　his　fourth　voyage；　when　he　had　touched　the　mainland

of　South　America；　he　may　have　suspected　that　all　was

not　well　with　his　discovery。　But　he　died　in　the　firm　belief

that　there　was　no　solid　continent　between　Europe　and　Asia

and　that　he　had　found　the　direct　route　to　China。



Meanwhile；　the　Portuguese；　sticking　to　their　eastern　route；

had　been　more　fortunate。　In　the　year　1498；　Vasco　da　Gama

had　been　able　to　reach　the　coast　of　Malabar　and　return　safely

to　Lisbon　with　a　cargo　of　spice。　In　the　year　1502　he　had

repeated　the　visit。　But　along　the　western　route；　the　work　of

exploration　had　been　most　disappointing。　In　1497　and　1498

John　and　Sebastian　Cabot　had　tried　to　find　a　passage　to　Japan

but　they　had　seen　nothing　but　the　snowbound　coasts　and　the

rocks　of　Newfoundland；　which　had　first　been　sighted　by　the

Northmen；　five　centuries　before。　Amerigo　Vespucci；　a　Florentine

who　became　the　Pilot　Major　of　Spain；　and　who　gave　his

name　to　our　continent；　had　explored　the　coast　of　Brazil；　but

had　found　not　a　trace　of　the　Indies。



In　the　year　1513；　seven　years　after　the　death　of　Columbus；

the　truth　at　last　began　to　dawn　upon　the　geographers　of

Europe。　Vasco　Nunez　de　Balboa　had　crossed　the　Isthmus　of

Panama；　had　climbed　the　famous　peak　in　Dari