[Illustration: THE HOUSE IN WHICH COLUMBUS DIED _This house is in Valladolid, Spain, and stands in a street named after the great discoverer_] [Sidenote: =Naming the country=] In 1501 Amerigo Vespucci made a voyage to South America. He was sent out by Portugal. It was thought that Vespucci had discovered a different land than that seen by Columbus. Without intending to wrong Columbus, the country he saw, and afterward all land to the northward, was called America. [Sidenote: =Honor to his memory=] Spain was too busy exploring the new lands to give proper heed to the death of the man whose discoveries would, after a few years, make the kingdom richer even than India. But it was left to the greatest nation in all the western world to do full honor to the memory of Columbus in the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1892-1893). PONCE DE LEON, WHO SOUGHT A MARVELOUS LAND AND WAS DISAPPOINTED [Sidenote: =A magic fountain=] =12. Ponce de Leon.= When the Spaniards came to America they were told many strange stories by the Indians about many marvelous places. Perhaps most wonderful of all was the story of Bimini, where every day was perfect and every one was happy. Here was also the magic fountain which would make old men young once more, and keep young men from growing old. When Columbus sailed to America for the second time he brought with him a brave and able soldier, named Ponce de Leon. De Leon spent many years on the new continent fighting for his king against the Indians. After a while he was made governor of Porto Rico. While thus serving his country he too heard the story of this wonderful land which no white man had explored. Like most Spaniards, he loved adventure. Also he was weary of the cares of his office, and soon resolved to find this land and to explore it. [Sidenote: =De Leon sets out to find Bimini=] In the spring of 1513 De Leon set sail with three ships from Porto Rico. Somewhere to the north lay this land of perfect days. Northward he steered for many days, past lovely tropical islands. At last, on Easter Sunday, an unknown shore appeared. On its banks were splendid trees. Flowers bloomed everywhere, and clear streams came gently down to the sea. De Leon named the new land Florida and took possession of it for the King of Spain. [Sidenote: =The first settlement in America founded=]