Within four years of the discovery of the West India Islands by Columbus, Cabot had sailed past Newfoundland, and Vasco da Gama had doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and laid the foundation of the Portuguese empire in the East Indies.  In 1499 Ojeda, one of the companions of Columbus, and Amerigo Vespucci discovered Brazil.  In 1500 Cortereal, a Portuguese, explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  In 1505 Francesco de Almeira established factories along the coast of Malabar.  In 1510 the Spaniards formed settlements on the mainland at Panama.  In 1511 the Portuguese established themselves at Malacca.  In 1513 Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Darien and reached the Pacific Ocean.  The year after that, Ponce de Leon had visited Florida.  In 1515 the Rio de la Plata was navigated; and in 1517 the Portuguese had begun to trade with China and Bengal.  As early as 1520 Cortes had taken Mexico, and completed the conquest of that rich country the following year.  In 1522 Cano circumnavigated the globe.  In 1524 Pizarro discovered Peru, which in less than twelve years was completely subjugated,—­the year when California was discovered by Cortes.  In 1542 the Portuguese were admitted to trade with Japan.  In 1576 Frobisher sought a North-western passage to India; and the following year Sir Francis Drake commenced his more famous voyages under the auspices of Elizabeth.  In 1578 Sir Humphrey Gilbert colonized Virginia, followed rapidly by other English settlements, until before the century closed the whole continent was colonized either by Spaniards, or Portuguese, or English, or French, or Dutch.  All countries came in to share the prizes held out by the discovery of the New World.

Colonization followed the voyages of discovery.  It was animated by the hope of finding gold and precious stones.  It was carried on under great discouragements and hardships and unforeseen difficulties.  As a general thing, the colonists were not accustomed to manual labor; they were adventurers and broken-down dependents on great families, who found restraint irksome and the drudgeries of their new life almost unendurable.  Nor did they intend, at the outset, permanent settlements; they expected to accumulate gold and silver, and then return to their country.  They had sought to improve their condition, and their condition became forlorn.  They were exposed to sickness from malaria, poor food, and hardship; they were molested by the natives whom they constantly provoked; they were subject to cruel treatment on the part of royal governors.  They melted away wherever they settled, by famine, disease, and war, whether in South or North America.  They were discontented and disappointed, and not easily governed; the chieftains quarrelled with each other, and were disgraced by rapacity and cruelty.  They did not find what they expected.  They were lonely and desolate, and longed to return to the homes they had left, but were frequently without means to return,—­doomed to remain where they were,