into Castile, with his son Don James Columbus, then a little boy, who has since inherited his fathers estate.  But, lest the sovereign of Castile might not consent to his proposal, and he might be under the necessity of applying to some other prince, by which much time might be lost, he dispatched his brother Bartholomew Columbus from Lisbon to make similar proposals to the king of England.  Bartholomew, though no Latin scholar, was skilful and experienced in sea affairs, and had been instructed by the admiral in the construction of sea charts, globes, and other nautical instruments.  While on his way to England, Bartholomew Columbus had the misfortune to be taken by pirates, who stript him and all the rest of the ships company of every thing they had of value.  On this account he arrived in England in such great poverty, and that aggravated by sickness, that he was unable to deliver his message until he had recruited his finances by the sale of sea charts of his own construction, by which a long time was lost He then began to make proposals to Henry VII. who then reigned in England, to whom he presented a map of the world, on which the following verses and inscription were written: 

   Terrarum quicunque cupis feliciter oras
 Noscere, cuncta decens docte pictura docebit,
 Quando Strabo affirmat, Ptolomaeus, Plinius, atque
 Isiodorus, non una tamen sententia quisque. 
 Pingitur hic etiam nuper sulcata carinis
 Hispanis zona illa, prius incognita genti,
 Torrida, quae tandem minet est notissima multis.

   Pro Auctore, sive Pictore. 
 Janua cui patria est nomen, cui Bartholomaeus
 Columbus de Terra-rubra, opus edidit istud,
 Londiniis Ann.  Dom. 1480, atque insuper anno,
 Octavo decimaque die cum tertia mensis
 Februarii.  Laudes Christi cantentur abunde.

The sense of the first verses is to this effect:  “Whosoever thou art who desirest to know the coasts of countries, must be taught by this draught what has been affirmed by Strabo, Ptolemy, Pliny, and Isiodorus; although they do not in all things agree.  Here is also set down the formerly unknown torrid zone, lately visited by vessels from Spain, and now well known to many.”  The second inscription has the following signification:  “As to the author or painter of this chart; he is Bartholomew Columbus of the red earth, a Genoese, who published this work at London on the 21st of February in the year 1480.  Praised be Christ abundantly.”

It may be observed here, that I have seen some subscriptions of my father, the admiral, in which he designs himself Christopher Columbus de Terra-rubra; but this was before he acquired his title of admiral.  But to return to Bartholomew:  The king of England graciously received the map; and having favourably listened to the admirals proposals, which my uncle had laid before him, readily agreed to the conditions demanded, and ordered my father to be invited into England.  But Providence had determined that the advantage of this great discovery should belong to Castile; and by this time my father had gone upon his first voyage, from which he was already returned with success, as shall be shewn in its proper place.