7 INTRODUCTION DISCOVERIES. 
he thought he had landed on islands near the eastern 
toast of the fabled India of Asia, which he had set out to 
find. 
10. There was great surprise when Columbus returned, 
for no person in Spain expected to see him or his com- 
panions apyain. But when nobles and merchants heard of 
the beautiful islands he had found, of the strange people 
he had seen, and above all of the gold to be had across the 
Atlantic, surprise gave way to engerness to go there them- 
selves, and it was not many years before the Spaniards 
had spread over much of South and Central America. In 
these regions were rich mines of gold and silver, which 
led that nation to claim possession of them. In the more 
northern parts they did not discover the precious metals, 
SO were not anxious to settle the country, and thus all 
north of Mexico and Florida was left to be explored by 
the other nations of Europe. 
11. Of these, England was the first to explore the 
Consts of America. In 1497, King Henry VII sent out 
John Cabot, a merchant of Bristol, to make discoveries. 
This man arrived off the coast of N ewfoundland, which he 
was the first to see. In the next year his son, Sebastian, 
visited all the coast from Labrador to Florida, and claimed 
it in the name of England. But England was then dis- 
turbed by eivil war, arising out of the rebellion of Perkin 
Warbeck, and was not able to follow up the advantage of 
her prior discoveries in the region about the St. Lawrence, 
and thus lost her chance of peacenbly possessing what she 
afterwards acquired by conquest. 
, 12, France was the nation which ranked next in pro- 
Jects of discovery, As early as 150° French vessele camc 
to the Banks ı“ Nat as - "ag 
for the cod azl tn ‘pe. 
They also 4r'-* en * A980