Without question the expeditions of the Crusaders from the west of Europe to Palestine and the The Orient. east beyond the Mediterranean Sea in the

tenth and eleventh centuries, opened up the Oriental world with its treasures of spices, jewels, rich fabrics, and plenty of gold and silver to an extent hitherto undreamt of on the hard, rocky coast of Western Europe. In the fourteenth century a most adventurous Englishman, Sir John Mandeville, voyaged eastward through Asia to the far country and left in his printed book an account of Cathay as a land of wonderful riches, and even roused the imagination of Western Europe more than the story of Marco Polo, who had preceded him on his eastern journey, had done. The appearance of the printed book, as had been made possible by the discovery of printing, stirred up the interest of the educated classes, while the improvement of the astrolabe-a scientific instrument used for taking observations-and the invention of the mariner's compass showed that the time in the mind of the Creator for the opening up of the New World had come.

Section II.-Search for the Rich Cathay

To Italy belongs the intellectual impulse that in the fifteenth century led to the discovery of Cathay. America. Marco Polo, who had preceded

Mandeville on his Oriental journey, was a Venetian. Toscanelli, a native of Florence, eighteen years before the discovery of America, had maintained in Portugal that there was an open sea to the west of Europe by which Asia could be reached. Columbus, who succeeded-first-in reaching the western continent, belonged to Genoa. Americus Vespucius, who succeeded Columbus and gave his name to the new-found continent, was a Florentine. John and Sebastian Cabot, who in the service of England were first to reach the continent of America, were from Venice. Verrazano, who first led France to take an interest in western exploration, was from Florence, and the influence

was strongly Italian which led Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese, after the discovery of America, to go upon his great expedition around the south of Africa and feast his eyes on the east coast of Asia-on the longed-for Cathay. Viva Italia!"

The French
King.

Section III.-Jacques Cartier discovers Canada Francis I., the great King of France, could not remain a silent spectator of the discoveries being made and the world-influences being gained by Spain and Portugal to the south of his kingdom, and by England, his rival, on the north. More interested in European politics than in far-off discovery, his strong desire for obtaining treasure was to carry on his ambitious and warlike schemes in Europe. He too, with the glamour of a rich Cathay before his eyes, would send out an expedition to bring back gold. It was this that led Francis, as has been already mentioned, to send out Verrazano. About this navigator much mystery gathers, but one thing is clear-he brought back no gold or diamonds to the French king's treasury. King Francis next looked about among his hardy Breton seamen, who had for many years been crossing the Atlantic to the Baccalaos to visit the rich fisheries of the Newfound

land seas. His eye fell upon Jacques Cartier, a native of Brittany.

Cartier.

Trained in the school of hardy Breton fishermen, Cartier was the fitting instrument for Francis. Born Jacques in 1494 in St. Malo, of a family traceable back for some time in that locality, the young captain, with the reputation of having acquitted himself well in his sea-going expeditions, was plainly suited for the task imposed upon him.

He had married, in 1519, at the age of twenty-five, Catherine, daughter of Messire Honoré des Granches, chevalier of the king, and constable of the town of St. Malo, and so was brought within the circle of royal influence. The young navigator had been presented to

First Voy

Philippe de Chabot, grand admiral of France, and had himself proposed to go on an expedition to Terre Neuve. On the 20th of April, the voyage which was alike to make Cartier famous and to add New World possessions to France, was undertaken. Cap- age, 1534. tains, mates, and men of the two vessels, of sixty tons each, were sworn to faithfulness to their commander, Cartier, by Charles de Moüy, vice-admiral of France. Each vessel had sixty-one men, and a good passage awaited them. On the 10th of May a prosperous voyage had brought the explorers to the New World, at Cape Bonavista (48 N. lat.) in Newfoundland. The ice was, however, so heavy that the vessels made a run for a neighbouring harbour, which they named St. Catherine, now Catalina.

On the 21st of May, running before a west wind, they reached an island called by them "Ile des Oiseaux, now Funk Island. The navigators so called the island because of the vast quantity of birds upon it, and they salted for use four or five tons weight of this game. Coasting westward, Cartier explored the coast of Labrador, a bleak, rocky shore, of which he says: "This land, I believe, is that which God gave to Cain." The inhabitants are described as having been clothed with skins of animals; they painted with red colours; their boats were made of a wood resembling oak; with these boats they captured large quantities of sea-wolves.

Coming back again to the west coast of Newfoundland, among the fertile islands, the explorer found them "full of great trees, of meadows, of fields filled with wild wheat, and of peas which were in flower as thick and good as can be seen in Brittany, which seem to have been sown by the husbandman." Going south-west along the coast, on the 27th of June the Magdalen Islands were passed. On the 8th of July the ships ran up the Gulf of Chaleur, and the sailors traded trinkets, arms, and other merchandise with the natives. The savages consisted of wandering tribes, living chiefly on fish. The explorers declared that they regarded "the country to be better