the story of mankind-第36部分

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Europe。　Vasco　Nunez　de　Balboa　had　crossed　the　Isthmus　of

Panama；　had　climbed　the　famous　peak　in　Darien；　and　had

looked　down　upon　a　vast　expanse　of　water　which　seemed　to

suggest　the　existence　of　another　ocean。



Finally　in　the　year　1519　a　fleet　of　five　small　Spanish　ships

under　command　of　the　Portuguese　navigator；　Ferdinand　de

Magellan；　sailed　westward　（and　not　eastward　since　that　route；

was　absolutely　in　the　hands　of　the　Portuguese　who　allowed　no

competition）　in　search　of　the　Spice　Islands。　Magellan　crossed

the　Atlantic　between　Africa　and　Brazil　and　sailed　southward。

He　reached　a　narrow　channel　between　the　southernmost　point

of　Patagonia；　the　‘‘land　of　the　people　with　the　big　feet；''　and

the　Fire　Island　（so　named　on　account　of　a　fire；　the　only　sign　of

the　existence　of　natives；　which　the　sailors　watched　one　night）。

For　almost　five　weeks　the　ships　of　Magellan　were　at　the　mercy

of　the　terrible　storms　and　blizzards　which　swept　through　the

straits。　A　mutiny　broke　out　among　the　sailors。　Magellan

suppressed　it　with　terrible　severity　and　sent　two　of　his　men

on　shore　where　they　were　left　to　repent　of　their　sins　at　leisure。

At　last　the　storms　quieted　down；　the　channel　broadened；　and

Magellan　entered　a　new　ocean。　Its　waves　were　quiet　and

placid。　He　called　it　the　Peaceful　Sea；　the　Mare　Pacifico。

Then　he　continued　in　a　western　direction。　He　sailed　for

ninety…eight　days　without　seeing　land。　His　people　almost

perished　from　hunger　and　thirst　and　ate　the　rats　that　infested

the　ships；　and　when　these　were　all　gone　they　chewed　pieces　of

sail　to　still　their　gnawing　hunger。



In　March　of　the　year　1521　they　saw　land。　Magellan　called

it　the　land　of　the　Ladrones　（which　means　robbers）　because　the

natives　stole　everything　they　could　lay　hands　on。　Then　further

westward　to　the　Spice　Islands！



Again　land　was　sighted。　A　group　of　lonely　islands。　Magellan

called　them　the　Philippines；　after　Philip；　the　son　of　his

master　Charles　V；　the　Philip　II　of　unpleasant　historical　memory。

At　first　Magellan　was　well　received；　but　when　he　used

the　guns　of　his　ships　to　make　Christian　converts　he　was　killed

by　the　aborigines；　together　with　a　number　of　his　captains　and

sailors。　The　survivors　burned　one　of　the　three　remaining　ships

and　continued　their　voyage。　They　found　the　Moluccas；　the

famous　Spice　Islands；　they　sighted　Borneo　and　reached　Tidor。

There；　one　of　the　two　ships；　too　leaky　to　be　of　further　use；

remained　behind　with　her　crew。　The　‘‘Vittoria；''　under　Sebastian

del　Cano；　crossed　the　Indian　Ocean；　missed　seeing　the

northern　coast　of　Australia　（which　was　not　discovered　until

the　first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century　when　ships　of　the

Dutch　East　India　Company　explored　this　flat　and　inhospitable

land）；　and　after　great　hardships　reached　Spain。



This　was　the　most　notable　of　all　voyages。　It　had　taken

three　years。　It　had　been　accomplished　at　a　great　cost　both　of

men　and　money。　But　it　had　established　the　fact　that　the　earth

was　round　and　that　the　new　lands　discovered　by　Columbus　were

not　a　part　of　the　Indies　but　a　separate　continent。　From　that

time　on；　Spain　and　Portugal　devoted　all　their　energies　to　the

development　of　their　Indian　and　American　trade。　To　prevent

an　armed　conflict　between　the　rivals；　Pope　Alexander　VI　（the

only　avowed　heathen　who　was　ever　elected　to　this　most　holy

office）　had　obligingly　divided　the　world　into　two　equal　parts

by　a　line　of　demarcation　which　followed　the　50th　degree　of

longitude　west　of　Greenwich；　the　so…called　division　of　Tordesillas

of　1494。　The　Portuguese　were　to　establish　their　colonies

to　the　east　of　this　line；　the　Spaniards　were　to　have　theirs

to　the　west。　This　accounts　for　the　fact　that　the　entire　American

continent　with　the　exception　of　Brazil　became　Spanish　and

that　all　of　the　Indies　and　most　of　Africa　became　Portuguese

until　the　English　and　the　Dutch　colonists　（who　had　no　respect

for　Papal　decisions）　took　these　possessions　away　in　the　seventeenth

and　eighteenth　centuries。



When　news　of　the　discovery　of　Columbus　reached　the

Rialto　of　Venice；　the　Wall　street　of　the　Middle　Ages；　there

was　a　terrible　panic。　Stocks　and　bonds　went　down　40　and　50

percent。　After　a　short　while；　when　it　appeared　that　Columbus

had　failed　to　find　the　road　to　Cathay；　the　Venetian　merchants

recovered　from　their　fright。　But　the　voyages　of　da　Gama　and

Magellan　proved　the　practical　possibilities　of　an　eastern　water…

route　to　the　Indies。　Then　the　rulers　of　Genoa　and　Venice；

the　two　great　commercial　centres　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　the

Renaissance；　began　to　be　sorry　that　they　had　refused　to　listen

to　Columbus。　But　it　was　too　late。　Their　Mediterranean　became

an　inland　sea。　The　overland　trade　to　the　Indies　and

China　dwindled　to　insignificant　proportions。　The　old　days

of　Italian　glory　were　gone。　The　Atlantic　became　the　new

centre　of　commerce　and　therefore　the　centre　of　civilisation。

It　has　remained　so　ever　since。



See　how　strangely　civilisation　has　progressed　since　those

early　days；　fifty　centuries　before；　when　the　inhabitants　of　the

Valley　of　the　Nile　began　to　keep　a　written　record　of　history；

From　the　river　Nile；　it　went　to　Mesopotamia；　the　land　between

the　rivers。　Then　came　the　turn　of　Crete　and　Greece　and

Rome。　An　inland　sea　became　the　centre　of　trade　and　the　cities

along　the　Mediterranean　were　the　home　of　art　and　science　and

philosophy　and　learning。　In　the　sixteenth　century　it　moved

westward　once　more　and　made　the　countries　that　border　upon

the　Atlantic　become　the　masters　of　the　earth。



There　are　those　who　say　that　the　world　war　and　the　suicide

of　the　great　European　nations　has　greatly　diminished　the

importance　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　They　expect　to　see　civilisation

cross　the　American　continent　and　find　a　new　home　in　the

Pacific。　But　I　doubt　this。



The　westward　trip　was　accompanied　by　a　steady　increase　in

the　size　of　ships　and　a　broadening　of　the　knowledge　of　the　navigators。

The　flat…bottomed　vessels　of　the　Nile　and　the　Euphrates

were　replaced　by　the　sailing　vessels　of　the　Phoenicians；　the

AEgeans；　the　Greeks；　the　Carthaginians　and　the　Romans。

These　in　turn　were　discarded　for　the　square　rigged　vessels　of

the　Portuguese　and　the　Spaniards。　And　the　latter　were　driven

from　the　ocean　by　the　full…rigged　craft　of　the　English　and　the

Dutch。



At　present；　however；　civilisation　no　longer　depends　upon

ships。　Aircraft　has　taken　and　will　continue　to　take　the　place

of　the　sailing　vessel　and　the　steamer。　The　next　centre　of

civilisation　will　depend　upon　the　development　of　aircraft　and

water　power。　And　the　sea　once　more　shall　be　the　undisturbed

home　of　the　little　fishes；　who　once　upon　a　time　shared　their　deep

residence　with　the　earliest　ancestors　of　the　human　race。







BUDDHA　AND　CONFUCIUS



CONCERNING　BUDDHA　AND　CONFUCIUS





THE　discoveries　of　the　Portuguese　and　the　Spaniards　had

brought　the　Christians　of　western　Europe　into　close　contact

with　the　people　of　India　and　of　China。　They　knew　of　course

that　Christianity　was　not　the　only　religion　on　this　earth。　There

were　the　Mohammedans　and　the　heathenish　tribes　of　northern

Africa　who　worshipped　sticks　and　stones　and　dead　trees。　But

in　India　and　in　China　the　Christian　conquerors　found　new

millions　who　had　never　heard　of　Christ　and　who　did　not　want

to　hear　of　Him；　because　they　thought　their　own　religion；　which

was　thousands　of　years　old；　much　better　than　that　of　the　West。

As　this　is　a　story　of　mankind　and　not　an　exclusive　history　of

the　people　of　Europe　and　our　western　hemisphere；　you　ought

to　know　something　of　two　men　whose　teaching　and　whose

example　continue　to　influence　the　actions　and　the　thoughts

of　the　majority　of　our　fellow…travellers　on　this　earth。



In　India；　Buddha　was　recognised　as　the　great　religious

teacher。　His　history　is　an　interesting　one。　He　was　born　in

the　Sixth　Century　before　the　birth　of　Christ；　within　sight　of　the

mighty　Himalaya　Mountains；　where　four　hundred　years　before

Zarathustra　（or　Zoroaster）；　the　first　of　the　great　leaders　of

the　Aryan　race　（the　name　which　the　Eastern　branch　of　the

Indo…European　race　had　given　to　itself）；　had　taught　his　people

to　regard　life　as　a　continuous　struggle　between　Ahriman；

and　Ormuzd；　the　Gods　of　Evil　and　Good。　Buddha's

father　was　Suddhodana；　a　mighty　chief　among　the　tribe　of　the

Sakiyas。　His　mother；　Maha　Maya；　was　the　daughter　of　a

neighbouring　king。　She　had　been　married　when　she　was　a　very

young　girl。　But　many　moons　had　passed　beyond　the　distant

ridge　of　hills　and　still　her　husband　was　without　an　heir　who

should　rule　his　lands　after　him。　At　last；　when　she　was　fifty

years　old；　her　day　came　and　she　went　forth　that　she　might　be

among　her　own　people　when　her　baby　should　come　into　this

world。



It　was　a　long　trip　to　the　land　of　the　Koliyans；　where　Maha

Maya　had　spent　her　earliest　years。　One　night　she　was　resting

among　the　cool　trees　of　the　garden　of　Lumbini。　There　her　son

was　born。　He　was　given　the　name　of　Siddhartha；　but　we　know

him　as　Buddha；　which　means　the　Enlightened　One。



In　due　time；　Siddhartha　grew　up　to　be　a　handsome　young

prince　and　when　he　was　nineteen　years　old；　he　was　married　to

his　cousin　Yasodhara。　During　the　next　ten　years　he　lived

far　away　from　all　pain　and　all　suffering；　behind　the　protecting

walls　of　the　royal　palace；　awaiting　the　day　when　he　should

succeed　his　father　as　King　of　the　Sakiyas。



But　it　happened　that　when　he　was　thirty　years　old；　he　drove

outside　of　the　palace　gates　and　saw　a　man　who　was　old　and

worn　out　with　labour　and　whose　weak　limbs　could　hardly　carry

the　burden　of　life。　Siddhartha　pointed　him　out　to　his　coachman；

Channa；　but　Channa　answered　that　there　were　lots　of

poor　people　in　this　world　and　that　one　more　or　less　did　not

matter。　The　young　prince　was　very　sad　but　he　did　not　say

anything　and　went　back　to　live　with　his　wife　and　his　father

and　his　mother　and　tried　to　be　happy。　A　little　while　later　he

left　the　palace　a　second　time