ery now and then for the purpose of trading with the Indians.
The Spaniards, finding but little gold and none of the rich spices
for which they were looking, at last decided to return home.

Just before sailing, some friendly Indians helped the Spaniards to
make an attack upon a cannibal island. The attack was successful, and
about two hundred cannibals were taken prisoners and carried to Spain,
where they were sold as slaves.

Vespucci made a second voyage in 1499, in which he sailed down the
African coast to the Cape Verde Islands, and then headed his ship
almost directly west. He sighted land at Cape St. Roque, and then
sailed northwest, exploring the north coast of South America, then
called the Pearl Coast. After this he returned to Spain.

Shortly after the return of Vespucci to Spain, he accepted an offer
to take service under the Portuguese flag.

In 1501 he set sail from Lisbon with three caravels, under this flag.
He reached the coast of South America near Cape St. Roque, and sailed
south as far as the South Georgia Islands.

As he proceeded southward, he found the country was inhabited by fierce
Indians, who ate their fellow-creatures. He did not like the natives,
as you may suppose; but he thought the country was beautiful, with
the wonderful verdure and foliage of the tropics, and the queer animals
and bright-colored birds.

Great was the joy of Vespucci when he discovered in the forests large
quantities of a sort of red dyewood which was prized very highly by
Europeans. This wood, which had hitherto been found only in Eastern
countries, was called brazil wood; and because of its abundance there,
he gave the name Brazil to that part of the country.

The expedition sailed slowly on and at length lost sight of land. It
is thought that Vespucci headed the ships southeast because he wished
to find out whether there was land or not in the Antarctic Ocean.

As they sailed farther and farther south, the climate became very
disagreeable. The winds grew cold and forbidding, fields of floating
ice hindered the progress of the vessel, and the nights became very
long.

The sailors grew frightened, fearing that they were entering a land
of constant darkness. Their fear became greater when a terrific storm
arose. The sea grew rough, and the fog and sleet prevented the sailors
from seeing whether land was near or not. The land which they had hoped
to find now became an added danger.

One day, through the sleet