cted
him to go forth in search of new discoveries.[A]

[Footnote A: _The True Discovery of America._ Captain R.N. Gambier.
_Fortnightly Review_, January 1, 1894.]

"In January, 1488, Cousin sailed west out into the Atlantic, and south,
for two months with Vincent Pinzon a practical sailor, second in command.
He sailed up the Amazon River, secured strange birds, feathers, spices,
and unknown woods, and returned to the coast of Africa for a cargo of
ivory, oil, skins, and gold dust. Pinzon quarreled with the natives,
fired upon them, and seized some of their goods, so that they fled and
would not come back to him. He thus lost a valuable return cargo. At
Dieppe the merchants were enraged; Pinzon was tried by court martial for
imperilling the trade of Africa, and banished from French soil. He
thirsted for revenge and went back to Palos to tell his brothers Alonzo
and Martin, shipowners, of the mighty Amazon; often they speculated as to
the vast lands which the Amazon drained.

"Columbus, discouraged, ridiculed, and begging his way, started out to
meet at Huelva his brother-in-law and secure promised help, so that he
could visit France. Suddenly he changed his route, stopped at the little
convent La Rabida, met Juan Perez, who knew Queen Isabella, and Fernandez
the priest, the latter a close friend of the three Pinzon brothers.
Columbus got what he wanted at court, returned to Palos, and with the
Pinzon brothers sailed west, with Vincent Pinzon, Cousin's shipmate, as
pilot. The conclusion that Jean Cousin, and not Columbus first discovered
America, seems irresistible. Pope Alexander VI., by Papal bull, had
already divided all the new discoveries made, between Catholic Spain and
Portugal. Dieppe and France were in the Pope's black books. What chance
of recognition had Cousin against Columbus, the protege of this Pope?"

"You seem to win your case," said Major Williams, "what romance in
history will be left us? William Tell is now a myth, and Washington's
little hatchet story is no more."

Lucille quieted Leo with a smile, cigars were thrown overboard, the light
on the Isle of Elba was visible, and all retired for the night, while the
alert yacht, like a whirring night-hawk, flew on towards Naples.

On the yacht "Hallena" early to bed and early to rise was an unwritten
law. By six o'clock next morning, breakfast had been served, and the
tourists were on deck with glasses, each anxious to discover objects of
interest. Du