s. He wrote back to Toscanelli that he
thought of sailing westwards to Marco Polo's countries according to his
instructions, and Toscanelli replied that he was glad to find his ideas
were so well understood, and that such a voyage would bring great gain
to Columbus, and an extraordinary reputation among all Christian
peoples.

Columbus tried in vain to obtain the support he needed for carrying out
his plan. The King of Portugal and the learned men of the country
listened to him, but treated him as a presumptuous dreamer. There were a
few, however, who thought that he might be right, and on their advice
the King sent a vessel over the ocean without telling Columbus. It soon
returned without having seen land. When Columbus heard of this
underhanded proceeding, he left Lisbon in disgust and travelled alone to
Spain. His wife and children never saw him again, except his son Diego,
who afterwards joined his father.

For two years he travelled from town to town in that part of southern
Spain which is called Andalusia, selling charts, which he drew with his
own hand. At last he was received at Court, and was able to set forth
his plan before an assembly of courtiers and ecclesiastics. But Castile
was too much occupied with the war against the Moors in Granada and
Malaga to venture on such a great enterprise, and Columbus had to wait
for better times.

[Illustration: TOSCANELLI'S MAP.]

Two years more passed by and Columbus was again summoned to the Court,
then in Cordova on the bank of the Guadalquivir. His eloquence and
enthusiasm had little effect, however, and after two more years of
useless waiting he resolved to turn his back on Spain and try his
fortune in France.

Sad and depressed, he followed the great highroad from Cordova. Being
destitute he went up to a monastery beside the road, knocked at the
gate, and begged for a piece of bread for his little son Diego, whom he
held by the hand. While he was talking to the porter the prior came by,
listened to his words, perceived by his accent that he came from Italy,
and enquired into his story and his aims. The prior was a learned and
benevolent man, and entered warmly into the plans of the Italian
mariner, perceiving that such an opportunity of acquiring lands in
eastern Asia should not be lost to Spain. He accordingly wrote to Queen
Isabella, and at the end of 1491 Columbus spoke again before the learned
men of the realm. Some of them treated him as an impostor, but