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HOMER'S KNOWLEDGE OF SHIP BUILDING.

Now toils the hero; trees on trees o'erthrown,
Fall crackling around him, and the forests groan.
Sudden, full twenty on the plain are strow'd,
And lopp'd and lighten'd of their branchy load.
At equal angles these disposed to join,

He smoothed and squared them by rule and line.
(The wimbles for the work, Calypso found,)

With these he pierced them, and with clinchers bound.
Long and capacious, as a shipwright forms

Some bark's broad bottom, to outride the storms,

So large he built the raft; then ribb'd it strong,
From space to space, and nail'd the planks along;
These formed the sides; the deck he fashioned last;
Then o'er the vessel raised the taper mast,
With crossing sail-yards dancing in the wind;
And to the helm, the guiding rudder joined;
With yielding osiers fenced, to break the force
Of surging waves, and steer the steady course.
Thy loom, Calypso, for the future sails
Supplied the cloth, capacious of the gales.
With stays and cordage, last he rigged the ship,
And, roll'd on levers, launch'd her in the deer.

POPE'S (Homer's Odyssey.)

In the quotations presented, from the "Odyssey" of Homer-who was writing at a time something over eight hundred years previous to the Christian era, and describing events that took place about 1200 B. C.—a familiarity, not only with ship building, but an astronomical knowledge, and its uses in navigation, is displayed, that may justly excite wonder and admiration. Of the 1,152 ships Homer describes in the Iliad, as carrying troops, and participating in the Trojan war, not one is mentioned as relying solely on oars as a propelling power. All are described as sailing vessels, and under the guidance of experienced sailors and navigators, whose knowledge of navigation descended from previous ages

EARLY NAVIGATORS OF THE PACIFIC.

ANSON, LORD GEORGE.-Born in England 1697; died 1762. Was in command and served on the east coast of America; in 1739 was recalled on the outbreak of the Spanish war; in 1740, sailed from England with eight men of war, to harrass the Spaniards in the South Seas, by way of Cape Horn; crossed the Pacific with only one of his fleet, the Centurion, having lost most of his men through scurvy; made some valuable captures and discoveries among the Pacific Islands, in addition to contributing through his journals, surveys and charts, a great deal of information in regard to the Pacific; served successfully against the French in 1747, and was promoted through all the admiralty grades of the English Navy; was the author of a book very celebrated in its day, entitled "Lord Anson's Voyage Round the World."

BALBOA, VASCO NUÑEZ DE.-Spanish soldier and navigator. Born in Lapan (by some authorities at Xeres, de les Cavalleros, Estramadura, Spain) in 1475, and beheaded at Castilla de Oro Darien (or at Acla, near there), in 1517. He first sailed on the Atlantic with Bastidas, and afterwards with Enciso, agent of Ojeda, finally reaching Darien about 1513. Jealousy and dissension among the leaders resulted in leaving Balboa in command, with the return of his rivals to Spain, where misrepresentation caused an order to be issued for his recall to that country. Meantime, Balboa had made many friends, among whom were native chiefs of the isthmus. His love of adventure, with a desire to conciliate the Spanish king, urged him to new exploits and adventures. This resulted from

information communicated by one of the native chiefs in his overland journey across the isthmus, and the discovery (to him) of the Pacific Ocean, September 26th, 1513 (September 25th, 1513-Bancroft), taking possession in the name of Spain. This resulted in his re-establishment in favor at court, and his creation to the rank of admiral and deputy governor. The viceroy Davila, of the new province, arrived at Darien some time in 1514. Jealousies and dissension between the commanders continuing, Balboa (whose energy and restless daring ill-fitted him for a life of political intrigue), with great enterprise and labor transported the timbers and other materials of his ships across the isthmus. Rebuilding his vessel on the Pacific shore (in 1515-16-17), sailing on the great sea and making many valuable discoveries, among others the Pearl Islands (and through tradition only), the wealth and location of Peru. Through the wiles of Davila, or Pedrarias, he was induced to return to Darien, and was beheaded, as a dangerous political offender. As Balboa is often credited with the discovery of the Pacific Ocean, it would be well to note (and not, however, with all due respect and admiration for the adventurous Spaniard) the voyages of the celebrated Venetian traveler, Marco Polo, in the 13th century, and the voyages and discoveries of Post Commander Antonio d'Albreu and Francisco Serram, who first saw and noted the island of Papua, or New Guinea, in 1511. The greatness of the man is too well established by history to require any additional glory from discoveries not justly belonging to him. The feat he performed in transporting the different parts of his vessels across a country, that, even to-day, is a labyrinth of foliage and a net-work of almost impassable

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THE ISLAND WORLD

mountains, ravines, and swamps, has never been surpassed. Speaking of him, Herrera, who in his writings is anything but enthusiastic, says: "No living man in all the Indies dared attempt such an enterprise, or would have succeeded in it, save Vasco Nuñez de Balboa."

BEECHY, FREDERICK WILLIAM.-Born in London in 1796; died in 1856. An English naval officer of great ability. Served in English Navy during wars with France and America. In 1818 he was with Franklin, in Bucham's Arctic Expedition, and afterwards with Parry, in the voyage of the Hecla; served several years in the Pacific Ocean, making many valuable surveys and discoveries; passed through Behring's Straits, reaching nearly 72 deg. north latitude. A man of great practical attainments, he made many valuable additions to geography, navigation, meteorology, hydrography, as well as some valuable contributions to literature; made rear-admiral in English Navy in 1854, and President of the Geographical Society in 1855.

BANKS, SIR JOSEPH.-Born in London in 1743, and died in 1820. Was a man of vast scientific attainments, explorer and voyager, from Labrador to New Foundland, and from Iceland and the Hebrides, to the Society Islands in the South Sea. He accompanied Captain Cook in his first voyage to the Pacific, to observe the transit of Venus; his valuable services in this voyage, occupying three years, opened up much that was new and useful to the scientific world. His discoveries, in natural history and botany, together with many valuable drawings and specimens and vast

collection of books, he bequeathed to the British Museum. He was made baronet in 1781, and received the Order of the Bath in 1795.

BOUGAINVILLE, LOUIS ANTOINE DE.-Born in Paris in 1729; died there in 1814. A celebrated author, politician, soldier and sailor, and the first French circumnavigator of the globe. Was with Montcalm in Canada, as aid-de-camp; set sail around the world in 1766, passing through the Straits of Magellan, and through the Paumatou group, discovering new islands, arriving at Tahiti April 6th, 1768; visited the Samoan group, naming them the Navigators, called at the New Hebrides, and made a partial survey of the east coast of Australia; sailed through the Louisades and along the Solomon Archipelago, and harbored at Port Praslin, New Ireland. From there, after repairing his ships, he skirted the northern coast of New Guinea, discovered some new islands, and through the Molluccas, the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, reaching St. Malo in 1769, after an absence of about two years and four months; published a 2-volume account of his voyage in 1771-2. In 1778, was in command in the French navy, and served against England, in the American War of Independence, with distinguished courage and ability. Planned several voyages to the Arctic Seas, but meeting with but little encouragement, resigned from the navy in 1790;

was afterwards ennobled by Napoleon I.

BEHRING, VITUS-Born in Denmark in 1680, and died in 1741. He entered the Russian naval service in 1704, and was made captain by Peter the Great, for distinguished services. He was placed in command

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