AKE--1577 . . . 108
HENRY HUDSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

DISCOVERERS AND EXPLORERS.

BELIEFS AS TO THE WORLD FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Four hundred years ago most of the people who lived in Europe thought
that the earth was flat. They knew only the land that was near them.
They knew the continent of Europe, a small part of Asia, and a strip
along the northern shore of Africa.

[Illustration: The World as Known Four Hundred Years ago.]

They thought this known land was surrounded by a vast body of water
that was like a broad river. Sailors were afraid to venture far upon
this water, for they feared they would fall over the edge of the earth.

Other seafaring men believed that if they should sail too far out upon
this water their vessels would be lost in a fog, or that they would
suddenly begin to slide downhill, and would never be able to return.
Wind gods and storm gods, too, were supposed to dwell upon this
mysterious sea. Men believed that these wind and storm gods would be
very angry with any one who dared to enter their domain, and that in
their wrath they would hurl the ships over the edge of the earth, or
keep them wandering round and round in a circle, in the mist and fog.

It is no wonder that the name "Sea of Darkness" was given to this great
body of water, which we now know to be the Atlantic Ocean; nor is it
surprising that the sailors feared to venture far out upon it.

These sailors had no dread at all of a sea called the Mediterranean,
upon which they made voyages without fear of danger. This sea was named
the Mediterranean because it was supposed to be in the middle of the
land that was then known. On this body of water the sailors were very
bold, fighting, robbing, and plundering strangers and foes, without
any thought of fear.

They sailed through this sea eastward to Constantinople, their ships
being loaded with metals, woods, and pitch. These they traded for silks,
cashmeres, dyewoods, spices, perfumes, precious stones, ivory, and
pearls. All of these things were brought by caravan from the far
Eastern countries, as India, China, and Japan, to the cities on the
east coast of the Mediterranean.

This caravan journey was a very long and tiresome one. Worse than this,
the Turks, through whose country the caravans passed, began to see
how valuable this trade was, and they sent bands of robbers to prevent
the caravans from reaching the coast.

[Illustration: A C