AMERICA.                     63

land. Columbus comforted them with assurances of suc-
cess, and the prospect of vast wealth, in those opulent re-
gions whither he was conducting them.
  This early discovery of the spirit of his followers taught
Columbus, that he must prepare to struggle, not only with
the unavoidable difficulties which might be expected from
the nature of his undertaking, but with such as were like-
ly to arise from the ignorance and timidity of the people
under his command; and he perceived that the art of
governing the minds of men would be no less requisite for
accomplishing the discoveries which he had in view, than
naval skill and undaunted courage. Happily for himself
and the country by which he was employed, he joined to
the ardent temper and inventive genius of a projector, vir-
tues of another species, which are rarely united with them.
He possessed a thorough knowledge of mankind, an insin-
uating address, a patient perseverance in executing any
plan, the perfect government of his passions, and the ta-
lent of acquiring an ascendant of those of other men. All
these qualifications which formed him for command, were
accompanied with that superior knowledge of his profes-
sion which begets confidence in times of difficulty and
danger. To unskilful Spanish sailors, accustomed only
to coasting voyages ill the Mediterranean, the maritime
science of Columbus, the fruit of thirty years' experience,
improved by an acquaintance with all the inventions of
the Portuguese, appeared immense. As soon as they put
to sea, he regulated everything by his sole authority; he
.superintended the execution of every order; and allowing
himself only a few hours for sleep, he was at all other
times on deck. As his course lay through seas which had
not formerly been visited, the sounding line or instruments
for observation were continually in his hands. After the
example of the Portuguese discoverers, he attended to the
motion of tides and currents, watched the flight of birds,
the appearance of fishes, of sea weeds, and of every thing
that floated on the waves, and entered every occurrence
with a minute exactness in the journal which he kept.