for Columbus's discoveries, illustrating the trepidations faced by early explorers and the mythic aspirations that drove them to sail into uncharted waters. The opening portion outlines the conditions in the 15th century that fueled the desire for exploration, such as the quest for wealth and the spread of Christianity, alongside the challenges linked to the limited understanding of navigation and geography at the time. Sir Arthur Helps hints at the contrasting nature of Columbus— a tenacious believer driven by religious fervor, yet unyielding in his pursuit of the unknown, setting the stage for a deeper examination of his monumental role in world history as the narrative unfolds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)