iver meeting the sea. It was the "Oronooko," afterward called
Orinoco; and from its volume Columbus and his shipmates concluded that
it must drain part of a continent or a very large island.

Where Orinoco in his pride,
Rolls to the main no tribute tide,
But 'gainst broad ocean urges far
A rival sea of roaring war;
While in ten thousand eddies driven
The billows fling their foam to heaven,
And the pale pilot seeks in vain,
Where rolls the river, where the main.

That was the first glimpse which they had of America proper, still
imagining it was only a part of eastern Asia. In the following voyage,
his last, Columbus coasted part of the Isthmus of Darien. It was not,
however, explored till the visit of Balboa.

[Illustration:

Cipher autograph of Columbus.

The interpretation of the cipher is probably:

SERVATF Christus Maria Yosephus (Christoferens).]

It was during his third voyage that the "Great Admiral" suffered the
indignity at San Domingo of being thrown into chains and sent back to
Spain. This was done by Bobadilla, an officer of the royal household,
who had been sent out with full power to put down misrule. The monarchs
of Spain set Columbus free; and soon afterward he was provided with four
ships for his fourth voyage. Stormy weather wrecked this final
expedition, and at last he was glad to arrive in Spain, November 7,
1504. He now felt that his work on earth was done, and died at
Valladolid, May 20, 1506. After temporary interment there his body was
transferred to the cathedral of San Domingo--whence, 1796, some remains
were removed with imposing ceremonies to Havana. From later
investigations it appears that the ashes of the Genoese discoverer are
still in the tomb of San Domingo.

It was in the cathedral of Seville, over his first tomb, that King
Ferdinand is said to have honored the memory of the Great Admiral with a
marble monument bearing the well-known epitaph:

A CASTILLA Y ARAGON
NUEVO MUNDO DIO COLON.

or, "_To the united Kingdom of Castile-Aragon Columbus gave a New
World_."

After the death of Columbus, it seemed as if fate intended his family to
enjoy the honors and rewards of which he had been so unjustly deprived.
His son, Diego, wasted two years trying to obtain from King Ferdinand
the offices of viceroy and admiral, which he had a right to claim in
accordance with the arrangement formerly made with his father. At last
Diego began a suit against Ferdinand be