Burgoyne's Invasion.

America at the Close of the French and Indian War.

The Revolutionary War.

Boston and Vicinity

Charlestown Peninsula Showing Bunker Hill.

Boston Harbor..

Campaign of 1776.

Philadelphia and Vicinity.

Wyoming Valley...

118

165

171

175

178

186

193

196

200

CHAPTER I

FINDING A CONTINENT

COLUMBUS, 1492-1504

1. Discovery of the New World.-At sunset on the evening of October 11, 1492, three Spanish caravels were ploughing the waves of an unknown sea at a rapid rate. On board all was expectancy and watchfulness, made so by the indomitable will and the undiminished enthusiasm of the great navigator, who, ten weeks before, had set sail from Palos, Spain, in search of a western passage to the Golden Indies of the east. In spite of pleadings to return home, in spite of mutiny and continuous discontent, in spite of threats to cast him into the sea, he kept on his western course,-by his forbearance subduing his men, and by his courage and his hopefulness winning them to his purpose and his plans. On that memorable night not an eye was closed in sleep. It had been announced by the heroic admiral that he thought it probable they would make land ere the morning. The greatest animation prevailed throughout the fleet-the Pinta taking the lead, the Santa Maria following, and the Nina in the rear.

To the admiral the moment was indeed a critical one. Should his prediction fail him now, his last hope of controlling the turbulent crews would be gone forever. Already the dusk of evening had settled upon the sea when he took his station on top of the castle of the Santa Maria and with eager eye scanned the western horizon. At ten o'clock at night there burst upon his vision a gleam of light as if it were a