Vasco da Gama, his voyages and adventures

10.4 MB·English

by  Towle, George M. (George Makepeace), 1841-1893

NYPUBLICLIBRARY THEBRANCHLIBRARIES
NYPUBLICLIBRARY THEBRANCHLIBRARIES
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YOUNG FOLKS' SERIES.
THE
VOYAGES AND ADVENTURES
OF
VASCO DA GAMA
BY
GEORGE M. TOWLE.
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1
BOSTON
:
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.
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COPYRIGHT, 1878,
BY
LEE AND SHEPARR
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II II II *
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PREFACE.
T is the purpose of the author, in this and the
succeeding volumes of the " Heroes of His-
"
tory series, to present, in as interesting a way
as he may be able, the true and exciting stories of some
famous voyagers and discoverers whose names are not
unknown to young people, but whose deeds and adven-
tures are less familiar. While a vast mass of litera-
ture for the young has been published, and is being
constantly issued from the press, there seems to be some
need of books which at once attract the youthful reader's
absorbing interest, and teach him some of the wonderful
, ,j \ >
things that ha'/e actually happened in the world; the
great discoveries rcaoe by dmt of dauntless courage,
unfaltering perseverance, cortempt of obstacles, and
sturdy conquest of "penis, b"y. Uitd-. and sea; the search
for fabled treasures, and hazardous travelsamong strange
and
interesting peoples.
The aim of this series is to relate truthfully the ro-
mantic and thrilling adventures of the "heroes " who
VI PREFACE.
are toform the subjects of the volumes, and to do this
in a way that will attract and hold the absorbing atten-
tion of the young reader from beginning to end.
Vasco da Gama, the subject of this volume, was in
his own day more famous than Columbus. Chosen by
accident to make a difficult and dangerous voyage,
to sail into unknown and savage regions, and to discover
a distant and splendid empire, he fulfilled his task with
such glorious success, that, on his return, all Europe rang
with his praises. Bold and fearless, full of spirit and
enterprise, hot-blooded though just and generous, noble
in person, and gracious in manner, no man could be
more eminently fitted than .he for a perilous journey
across stormy seas and amid fierce tribes. His discov-
ery of the way to India around Africa and the Cape of
Good Hope was one of the most momentous ever made
by man; for during several centuries, and up to the
time the Suez CarialTvs'd*jr #nd opened? but a few years
ago, it was the orfl>"y-s.ea:-:fo'"utve befw&en.Kti*;r:ape and India.
His story, as will be'sejeh, fe'.ftlfi jsf-striking incidents,
* * * *
of strange adventure&,,.of .desjier&te" dangers, and of
moving triumphs. F"e*w*/.YIQy.*a'.gds-ftaTvfe been more replete
with romance and his career is nownarrated forthe first
;
time for the benefit of youthful readers, in the hope that
it will amuse some of their leisure-hours, and at the same
time afford them an important lesson in history.