Colombo himself was a bold, hardy, rough seaman. In the service of such a man, the native courage and enterprise of Columbus were not likely to droop. The voyages of his master were confined to the Mediterranean sea. Sailing in this sea, at all times dangerous by reason of the storms which sweep across it, was at that time doubly dangerous, since, in addition to storms, it was thronged with pirates. With Colombo our young sailor made several voyages, but of the particulars of these, little is known. Some time after, Columbus enlisted into the service of a nephew of his old captain――a corsair, or pirate, and a most bloody man. Soon after his enlistment, his new master received the news that four vessels, with rich cargoes, were about sailing from a certain port. Their great value was quite a temptation to run some hazard in the attempt to take them. With this object in view, the vessels of the corsair proceeded to sea. In a short time the merchant vessels were discovered, and a descent was made upon them. The vessel on board of which Columbus was, coming up with one, began the attack. This was boldly met. On both sides the contest was spirited and bloody, and lasted from morning till night. During the engagement, these two vessels, coming in contact, were fastened together by means of chains and what are called grappling irons. The parties now fought not only with guns, but with sabres, and with every kind of weapon found on board. The butchery on both sides was appalling. At length one of the vessels took fire, and both were soon wrapped in flames. To those who survived there was now but one way of escape――to plunge themselves into the sea, and to reach the shore if possible by swimming. What became of the rest, I know not, but of Columbus we are told that as he rose from the water into which he had leaped, he discovered an oar, upon which stretching himself, he succeeded in reaching land, after swimming a distance of six miles. The next that we hear of Columbus is at Lisbon, in Portugal, where he arrived about the year 1470. The fight of which I have given an account took place at no great distance from Lisbon, and hence it is supposed that on getting ashore Columbus was induced to visit Lisbon, on account of the spirit of enterprise which more than in most other places abounded there. Not long after reaching Lisbon, he became attached to a lady of rank, whom he married. She was the daughter of a distinguished sea captain, now dead. Columbus and his wife, for a time, lived with her mother. This lady had in her possession many charts and journals, belonging to her late husband. These she presented to Columbus, and from them he gained many new and important ideas in relation to discoveries which had been made, and of land which it was thought might exist at a distance in the oceans.