It would have been so natural to give the name of Columbus to thenew world which he gave to Castile and Leon, that much wonder has beenexpressed that America was not called Columbia, and many efforts havebeen made to give to the continent this name. The District of Columbiawas so named at a time when American writers of poetry, were determinedthat "Columbia" should be the name of the continent. The ship Columbia,from which the great river of the West takes that name, had received thisname under the same circumstances about the same time. The city ofColumbia, which is the capital of South Carolina, was named with thesame wish to do justice to the great navigator.

　　Side by side with the discussion as to the name, and sometimesmaking a part of it, is the question whether Columbus himself was reallythe first discoverer of the mainland. The reader has seen that he first sawthe mainland of South America in the beginning of August, 1498. It wason the fifth, sixth or seventh day, according to Mr. Harrisse's accuratestudy of the letters. Was this the first discovery by a European of themainland?

　　It is known that Ojeda, with whom the reader is familiar, also saw thiscoast. With him, as passenger on his vessel, was Alberico Vespucci, and atone time it was supposed that Vespucci had made some claim to be thediscoverer of the continent, on account of this voyage. But in truth Ojedahimself says that before he sailed he had seen the map of the Gulf of Pariawhich Columbus had sent home to the sovereigns after he made thatdiscovery. It also seems to be proved that Alberico Vespucci, as he wasthen called, never made for himself any claim to the great discovery.

　　Another question, of a certain interest to people proud of Englishmaritime science, is the question whether the Cabots did not see themainland before Columbus. It is admitted on all hands that they did notmake their first voyage till they knew of Columbus's first discoveries; butit is supposed that in the first or second voyage of the Cabots, they saw themainland of North America. The dates of the Cabots' voyages areunfortunately badly entangled. One of them is as early as 1494, but this is g............