and Spain. If successful, he could open up a very profitable trade
with the rich countries of the East, from which spices, drugs, and
silk were brought to Europe. The people of Europe could not reach
those countries directly by ships, because they had not then found
their way round the southern point of Africa.

[Illustration: This map shows how Columbus (not knowing that America
lay in the way) hoped to reach Asia and the East Indies by sailing
west.]


6. Columbus tries to get help in carrying out his plans.--Columbus
was too poor to fit out even a single ship to undertake such a voyage
as he had planned. He asked the king of Portugal to furnish some money
or vessels toward it, but he received no encouragement. At length
he determined to go to Spain and see if he could get help there.

On the southern coast of Spain there is a small port named Palos.[9]
Within sight of the village of Palos, and also within plain sight
of the ocean, there was a convent,[10]--which is still
standing,--called the Convent of Saint Mary.

One morning a tall, fine-looking man, leading a little boy by the
hand, knocked at the door of this convent and begged for a piece of
bread and a cup of water for the child. The man was Columbus,--whose
wife was now dead,--and the boy was his son.

It chanced that the guardian of the convent noticed Columbus standing
at the door. He liked his appearance, and coming up, began to talk
with him. Columbus frankly told him what he was trying to do. The