Chapter I: The Conquerors of Central America

I.

Hojeda--Americus Vespucius--The New World named after him--Juan de la Cosa--Vincent Yanez Pinzon--Bastidas--Diego de Lepe--Diaz de Solis--Ponce de Leon and Florida--Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean--Grijalva explores the coast of Mexico . . . . . . 207

II.

Ferdinand Cortes--His character--His appointment--Preparations for the expedition, and attempts of Velasquez to stop it-- Landing at Vera-Cruz--Mexico and the Emperor Montezuma--The republic of Tlascala--March upon Mexico--The Emperor is made prisoner--Narvaez defeated--The _Noche Triste_--Battle of Otumba--The second siege and taking of Mexico--Expedition to Honduras--Voyage to Spain--Expeditions on the Pacific Ocean-- Second Voyage of Cortes to Spain--His death . . . . . . . . . . 224

III.

The triple alliance--Francisco Pizarro and his brothers--Don Diego d'Almagro--First attempts--Peru, its extent, people, and kings--Capture of Atahualpa, his ransom and death--Pedro d'Alvarado--Almagro in Chili--Strife among the conquerors--Trial and execution of Almagro--Expeditions of Gonzalo Pizarro and Orellana--Assassination of Francisco Pizarro--Rebellion and execution of his brother Gonzalo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

CHAPTER II. THE FIRST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Magellan--His early history--His disappointment--His change of nationality--Preparations for the expedition--Rio de Janeiro-- St. Julian's Bay--Revolt of a part of the squadron--Terrible punishment of the guilty--Magellan's Strait--Patagonia--The Pacific--The Ladrone Islands--Zebu and the Philippine Islands-- Death of Magellan--Borneo--The Moluccas and their Productions-- Separation of the _Trinidad_ and _Victoria_--Return to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope--Last misadventures . . . . . . . . . . . 279

CHAPTER III. THE POLAR EXPEDITIONS AND THE SEARCH FOR THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

I.

The Northmen--Eric the Red--The Zenos--John Cabot--Cortereal-- Sebastian Cabot--Willoughby--Chancellor . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

II.

John Verrazzano--Jacques Cartier and his three voyages to Canada--The town of Hochelaga--Tobacco--The scurvy--Voyage of Roberval--Martin Frobisher and his voyages--John Davis--Barentz and Heemskerke--Spitzbergen--Winter season at Nova Zembla-- Return to Europe--Relics of the Expedition . . . . . . . . . . . 334

CHAPTER IV. VOYAGES OF ADVENTURE AND PRIVATEERING WARFARE.

Drake--Cavendish--De Noort--Walter Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . 362

CHAPTER V. MISSIONARIES AND SETTLERS. MERCHANTS AND TOURISTS.

I.

Distinguishing characteristics of the Seventeenth Century--The more thorough exploration of regions previously discovered--To the thirst for gold succeeds Apostolic zeal--Italian Missionaries in Congo--Portuguese Missionaries in Abyssinia--Brue in Senegal and Flacourt in Madagascar--The Apostles of India, of Indo-China, and of Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

II.

The Dutch in the Spice Islands--Lemaire and Schouten--Tasman-- Mendana--Queiros and Torres--Pyrard de Laval--Pietro della Valle--Tavernier--Thevenot--Bernier--Robert Knox--Chardin--De Bruyn--Kaempfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

CHAPTER VI.

I. THE GREAT CORSAIR.

William Dampier; or a Sea-King of the Seventeenth Century . . . 409

II. THE POLE AND AMERICA.

Hudson and Baffin--Champlain and La Sale--The English upon the coast of the Atlantic--The Spaniards in South America--Summary of the information acquired at the close of the 17th century-- The measure of the terrestrial degree--Progress of cartography-- Inauguration of Mathematical Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415