MERCEDES OF CASTILE;
OR,
THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;
To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given
A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY
F.O.C. Darley.
NEW YORK:
W. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY.
1861.
Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1861, byW. A. TOWNSEND AND COMPANY,In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern Districtof New York.
G. A. ALVORD, STEREOTYPER & PRINTER, NEW YORK.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XXV.
CHAPTER XXVI.
CHAPTER XXVII.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
CHAPTER XXIX.
CHAPTER XXX.
CHAPTER XXXI.
List of Illustrations
"Columbus kneeled on the sands, and received the benediction."
"In vain Luis endeavored to persuade the devoted girl to withdraw."
PREFACE.
So much has been written of late years, touching the discovery ofAmerica, that it would not be at all surprising should there exist adisposition in a certain class of readers to deny the accuracy of allthe statements in this work. Some may refer to history, with a view toprove that there never were such persons as our hero and heroine, andfancy that by establishing these fac