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court, as to create uneafinefs and distrust in the jealous mind of Ferdinand, and made it neceffary for Columbus again to return to Spain, in order to counteract their machinations, and to obtain fuch further fupplies as were neceffary to his great political and benevolent purposes.

$5. On his arrival at court, and ftating with his usual dignity and confidence the whole history of his transactions abroad, every thing wore a favorable appearance. He was received with ufual honors, and again folicited to take charge of another fquadron, to carry out further fupplies to purfue his discoveries, and in every refpect to use his difcretion in extending the Spanish Empire in the New World. In this third voyage he discovered the continent of America, at the mouth of the river Oronoke.

56. He rectified many diforders in his government of Hifpaniola, which had happened in his abfence; and every thing was going on in a profperous train, when an event was announced to him, which completed his own ruin, and gave a fatal turn to the Spanish policy and conduct in AmeThis was the arrival of Francis de Bovadilla, with a commiffion to fupercede Columbus in his government; and with power to arraign him as a criminal, and to judge of his former administration.

rica.

57, It feems that by this time the enemies of Columbus, defpairing to complete his overthrow by groundlefs infinuations of misconduct, had taken the more effectual method of exciting the jealoufy of their fovereigns.

58. From the promifing famples of gold and other valuable commodities brought from America, they took occafion to reprefent to the King and Queen, that the prodigious wealth and extent of the countries he had difcovered, would foon throw fuch power into the hands of the Viceroy, that he would trample on the royal authority, and bid defiance to the Spanish power.

59. Thefe arguments were well calculated for the cold and fufpicious temper of Ferdinand, and they muft have had fome effect upon the mind of Ifabella. The confequence was, the appointment of Bovadillo, who had been the inveterate enemy of Columbus, to take the government from his hands. This first tyrant of the Spanish nation in America, began his adminiftration by

ordering Columbus to be put in chains on board a fhip and fending him prifoner to Spain.

60. By relaxing all difcipline, he introduced diforder and licentioufnefs throughout the colony. He fubjected the natives to a moft miferable fervitude, and apportioned them eut in large numbers among his adherents. Under this fevere treatment perifhed, in a fhort time, many, thousands of thufe innocent people.

61, Columbus was carried in his fetters to the Spanish court, where the King and Queen either feigned or felt a fufficient regret at the conduct of Bovadilla towards this illuftrious prifoner. He was not only released from confinement, but treated with all imaginable respect.

62. But although the King endeavored to expiate the offence, by cenfuring and recalling Bovadilla, yet we may judge of his fincerity from his appointing Nicholas de Ovanda, another bitter enemy of Columbus, to fucceed in the government, and from his ever after efufing to reinftate Columbus, or to fulfil any of the conditions on which the difcoveries were undertaken..

63. After two years folicitation for this or fome other employment, he at length obtained.a fquadron of four fmall veffels, to attempt new difcoveries. He now fet out with the ardor and enthufiafin of a young adventurer, in quest of what was always his favorite object, a paffage into the South Sea, by which he might fail to India. He touched at Hifpaniola, where Ovado, the Governor, refused him admittance on fhore, even to take shelter during a hurricane, the prognoftics of which his experience had taught him to difcern.

64. By putting into a finall creek, he rode out the ftorm and then bore away for the continent. Several months in this moft boifterous feafon of the year, he fpent in explor ing the coaft round the gulph of Mexico, in hopes of finding the intended navigation to India. At length he was hipwrecked, and driven afhore on the Inland of Jamaica.

65. His cup of Calamities feemed now completely full. He was cast upon, an Iland (of favages without provifions, without any veffel, and thirty leagues from any Spanish setsement. But the greatest providential misfortunes are

capable of being imbittered by the infults of our fellow

creatures.

66. A few of his hardy companions generously offered, in two Indian canoes to attempt a voyage to Hifpaniola, in hopes of obtaining a veffel for the relief of the unhappy crew. After fuffering every extremity of danger and hardhip, they arrived at the Spanish colony in ten days. Ovan、 do, through perfonal malice and jealoufy of Columbus, after having detained thefe meffengers eight months, difpatched a veffel to Jamaica in order to fpy out the condition of Cơlumbus and his crew, with pofitive inftructions to the Captain not to afford them any relief.

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67. This order was punctually executed. The captain approached the fore, delivered a letter of empty compli ment from Ovando to the Admiral, received his answer and returned. About four months afterwards a veffel! came to their relief; and Columbus, worn out with fatigues and broken with misfortunes, returned for the Taft time to Spain.

68. Here a new diftrefs awaited him, which he confi dered as one of the greateft he had fuffered in his whole life. This was the death of Queen Ifabella, his laft and greatefl friend.

69. He did not fuddenly abandon himfelf to defpair... He called upon the gratitude and juftice of the King, and In terms of dignity, demanded the fulfilment of the former

contract.

70. Notwithstanding his age and infirmities, he even folicited to be further employed in extending the career of difcovery, without a profpect of any other reward but the confcioefnefs of doing good to mankind. But Ferdimand, cold, ugrateful, and timid, dared not to comply with a fingle propofal of this kind, left he fhould increase his own obligations to a man, whofe fervices he thought it dangerous to reward.

71. He therefore delayed and avoided any decifion on thefe fubjects, in hopes that the declining health of Colum-. : bus would foon rid the court of the remonftrances of a man, whofe extraordinary merit was, in their opinion, a fufficient occafion for destroying him..

72. In this they were not difappointed. Columbus languished a short time, and gladly refigned a life, which had a

been worn out in the most effential fervices that perhaps were ever rendered, by any human character, to an ungrate ful world.

2.

A SKETCH of the HISTORY of the late WAR in
AMERICA.

THE attempts of the British Parliament to raife a revenue in America, without her confent, occafioned the late war, which feparated this country from GreatBritain.

2. The first attempt of confequence was the famous Stamp Act, March, 1765. By this the Americans were obliged to make ufe of ftamped paper, for all notes, bonds and other legal inftruments; on which paper a duty was to be paid.

3. This act occafioned fuch general uneafiness in America, that the parliament thought proper to repeal it the year after it was made.

4. But the next year (1767) the Tea Act was framed, by which a heavy duty was laid upon tea, glafs, paper, and many other articles, which were much ufed in America. This threw the colonies into confufion, and excited fuch refentment among the people, that the Parliament, three years after, took off three fourths of the duty.

5. The duty was ftill disagreeable to the Americans, whe entered into refolutions not to import and confume British manufactures.

6. A few years after (in 1773) the people of Bofton, who were determined not to pay duties on tea, went on board, fome hips, belonging to the Eaft-India company, which lay in the harbour, and threw all the tea overboard. In other parts of America, violent oppofition was made to Britifh taxation.

7. This oppofition enkindled the refentment of the British Parliament, which they expreffed the next year (1774) by fhutting the port of Boston, which ruined the trade of that flourishing town. This act was followed by others, by which the conftitution of Maffachusetts was new modelled, and the liberties of the people infringed.

8. Thefe rafh and cruel measures, gave great and univerfal alarm to the Americans. General Gage was fent

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to Bofton, to enforce the new laws; but he was received" with coldness, and oppofed with fpirit in the execution of his commiffion.

9. The affemblies throughout America, remenftrated and petitioned. At the fame time many contributions of money and provifions from every quarter, were fent to the inhabitants of Bofton, who were fuffering in confequence of the port bill.

10. The fame year, troops arrived in Boston, to enforce the wicked and unjuft acts of the British parliament. Fortifications were erected on Boston neck, by order of Gene-ral Gage; and the ammunition and ftores in Cambridge and Charlestown were feized and fecured.

11. In September, deputies from most of the Colonies, met in Congress at Philadelphia. Thefe delegates approved of the conduct of the people of Maffachusetts; wrote a letter to General Gage; published a declaration of rights; formed an affociation not to import, or ufe British goods; fent a petition to the King of Great Britain; an addrefs to the inhabitants of that kingdom; another to the inhabitants of Canada; and another to the inhabitants of the colonies.

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12. In the beginning of the next year (1775) was paffed the Fishery Bill, by which the northein colonies were forbid to fish on the Banks of Newfoundland, for a time. This bore hard upon the commeree of thefe colonies, which was in a great meafure fupported by the fishery.

13. Soon after another bill was paffed, which restrained the trade of the middle and northern colonies, to Great-Britain, Ireland, and the Weft-Inies, except under certain conditions. These repeated acts of oppreffion on the part of Great Britain, alienated the affections of America from her parent and fovereign, and produced a combined oppofi. tion to the whole fyftem of taxation.

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14. Preparations began to be made, to oppofe by force, militia of the execution of thefe acts of Parliament. The the country were trained in the ufe of arms, great encod ragement was given for the manufacture of gun-powder, and measures were taken to obtain all kinds of military ftores.

15. In February, colonel Leflie was fent with a detachment of troops from Bofton, to take poffeffion of

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