An excellent brief account of the discovery of America is in Channing's _History of the United States_, I, chs. I-II. For the relations of Europe and Asia, and the Portuguese explorations, see Cheyney's _European Background of American History_, chs. I, II, IV. An excellent brief sketch of the life of Columbus is in _Ency. Brit._, 11th ed. Marco Polo is most conveniently found in _Everyman's Library_ (Dutton). The standard edition is that of Henry Yule, 2 vols., London, 1903. Azurara's _Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea_ is printed by the Hakluyt Society, 2 vols., London, 1896. Chapter VII gives five reasons for Prince Henry's interest in African exploration. In recent years Henry Vignaud has maintained with much learning and critical ability that the famous Toscanelli letter is a forgery, and that Columbus's first voyage to the west was for the purpose of discovering new countries, but that he had no intention of reaching the Indies. The first point he has probably established, but as much cannot be said for the second. See Vignaud, _Toscanelli and Columbus_. Dutton, New York, 1902. CHAPTER II THE PARTITION OF THE NEW WORLD _The time approacheth and now is, that we of England may share and part stakes, both with the Spaniard and the Portingale, in part of America, and other regions yet undiscovered._ RICHARD HAKLUYT. I No feeling of exultation accompanied the discovery of America. The Portuguese alone were well content to see rising on the western horizon a new continent blocking the way to India. It was more than thirty years before the Spanish explorers found the rich cities which Columbus sought; and a century after the voyage of Magellan the vain hope of reaching the South Sea by some middle or northwest passage still inspired the activities of French and English adventurers. In 1534 Verrazano, in the service of Francis I, skirted the coast from Cape Fear to Sandy Hook seeking the way to China. Fifty years later Sir Humphrey Gilbert's _Discourse of a North West Passage_ led to the voyages of Frobisher and Davis. Undismayed by their failures, the excellent Hakluyt assured the queen in 1584 that the passage to "Cathaio may easily, quickly, and perfectly be searched oute as well by river and overlande as by sea." And as late as 1669, when Virginia had been settled for half a century, Sir William Berkeley still had faith "to make an essay to doe his Majestie a memorable service, which was to goe to find out the East India Sea."