Footnote 39: See Appendix, No. XII. (see Vol II)--In the Middle Ages
the prevalent opinion was that the sea covered but one seventh of the
surface of the globe; an opinion which Cardinal d'Ailly (Imago Mundi,
cap. viii.) founded on the apocryphal fourth book of Ezra. Columbus, who
always derived much of his cosmological knowledge from the cardinal's
work, was much interested in upholding this idea of the smallness of the
sea, to which the misunderstood expression of "the ocean-stream"
contributed not a little. He was also accustomed to cite Aristotle, and
Seneca, and St. Augustine, in confirmation of this opinion.--Humboldt's
_Examen Critique de l'Hist. de la Geographie_, tom. i., p. 186.]

[Footnote 40: See, especially, the details of the conference held at
Salamanca (the great seat of learning in Spain), given in the fourth
chapter of Washington Irving's "Columbus." One of the objections
advanced was, that, admitting the earth to be spherical, and should a
ship succeed in reaching in this way the extremity of India, she could
never get back again; for the rotundity of the globe would present a
kind of mountain, up which it would be impossible for her to sail with
the most favorable wind.--_Hist. del Almirante_, cap. ii.; _Hist. de
Chiapa por Remesel_, lib. ii., cap. 27.]

[Footnote 41: Columbus was required by King John II., of Portugal, to
furnish a detailed plan of his proposed voyages, with the charts and
other documents according to which he proposed to shape his course, for
the alleged purpose of having them examined by the royal counselors. He
readily complied; but while he remained in anxious suspense as to the
decision of the council, a caravel was secretly dispatched with
instructions to pursue the route designated in the papers of Columbus.
This voyage had the ostensible pretext of carrying provisions to the
Cape de Verde Islands; the private instructions given were carried into
effect when the caravel departed thence. It stood westward for several
days; but then the weather grew stormy, and the pilots having no zeal to
stimulate them, and seeing nothing but an immeasurable waste of wild,
trembling waves still extending before them, lost all courage to
proceed. They put back to the Cape de Verde Islands, and thence to
Lisbon, excusing their own want of resolution by ridiculing the project
of Columbus. On discovering this act of treachery, Columbus instantly
quitted Portugal.--_Hist. del Almirante_, cap. viii