the relations of vocal culture to an æsthetic appreciation of poetry; and a “Hand-Book of Anglo-Saxon and Early English” (New York, 1871). He has also prepared a thesaurus of early English, containing a complete verbal and glossarial index of the “Canterbury Tales,” “Piers Ploughman,” Gower's “Confessio Amantis,” Wycliffe's Bible, Spenser, and Chapman's Homer.
CORSON, Juliet, teacher of cookery, b. in Boston,
14 Feb., 1842; d. in New York city, 18 June,
1897. She was educated in Brooklyn, and in 1872-'3
was secretary of the New York free training-school
for women. Since 1872 she devoted herself to
study and experiments on healthful and economical
cookery, and dietetics. She founded the New
York school of cookery in 1876, and was its
superintendent till 1883, when she was obliged to close
it on account of failing health. Since that time
she had been actively engaged, in the intervals of
illness, in writing and in lecturing throughout the
country. In Philadelphia, Montreal, and
Oakland, Cal., her efforts led to the teaching of cookery
in the public schools. In 1881 the French
consul-general at New York applied officially to Miss
Corson for her works and methods, for the purpose
of adapting them to the needs of the French
educational system. Her publications, besides many
newspaper articles and pamphlets, include “Fifteen-Cent
Dinners for Workingmen's Families,”
published by the author for free distribution to
working-people earning $1.50, or less, a day (New York,
1877); “Cooking Manual” (1878); “Cooking-School
Text-Book and Housekeeper's Guide” (1878);
“New Family Cook-Book” (1885); “Local American
Cookery” (1885); “Practical American Cookery”
(1886); “Diet for Invalids and Children”
(1886); and “Family living on $500 a Year” (1886).
CORTEREAL, or CORTERREAL, Gaspar
(cor-tay-ray-al′), Portuguese navigator, b. in
Lisbon; d. in 1501. In 1500, by appointment of the
king of Portugal, he left the mouth of the Tagus
with two ships, well equipped at his own cost, and
went as far as the regions since known as Canada.
He reached 60° N., and imposed upon many places
purely Portuguese names, such as Labrador.
Sebastian Cabot had visited these coasts in 1497, but
did not land. After his return from this voyage,
he again left Lisbon for the arctic regions, 15 May,
1501, but never returned; and an expedition sent
by King Emanuel in 1503 found no traces of him.
In this last voyage he carried off fifty-seven
natives, most of whom were lost in his ship. The
other ship reached Lisbon in October, 1501. His
father, John Vaz Costa Cortereal, a gentleman of
the household of Alphonso V. of Portugal, is said
to have discovered Newfoundland about 1463.
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CORTÉS, Hernán, or Hernando, soldier, b. in Medellin, province of Estremadura, Spain, in 1485; d. near Seville, 2 Dec., 1547. His parents, Martin Cortés and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano, were both of good family, but in reduced circumstances. He was a sickly child, and at the age of fourteen was sent to the University of Salamanca, but returned home two years later without leave. He then determined upon a life of adventure, and arranged to accompany Nicolas de Ovando, likewise a native of Estremadura, who was about to sail for Santo Domingo to supersede Bobadilla in his command. An accident that happened to him in a love adventure detained him at home, and the expedition sailed without him. He then sought military service under the celebrated Gonzalo de Cordova, but on his way to Italy was prostrated by sickness in Valencia, where he remained for a year, experiencing great hardship and poverty. Returning to Medellin, he was able in 1504 to sail from San Lucar for Santo Domingo. Ovando received him cordially, and he obtained employment under Diego Valasquez in the suppression of a revolt, on the termination of which he was assigned the control of a large number of Indians, and appointed a notary. He was at this time remarkable for a graceful physiognomy and amiable manner as well as for skill and address in military matters, and he held successively various important offices. In 1511 he accompanied Diego Velasquez, who was sent out by Diego Columbus to subdue and colonize Cuba. Later he held the office of alcalde of Santiago in the new colony, and meanwhile he married Catalina Juarez, a Spanish lady who had come over in the suite of Maria de Toledo, the vice-queen. After his marriage he employed himself and his Indians in getting gold. “How many of them died in extracting this gold for him, God will have kept a better account than I have,” says Las Casas. Grijalva, a lieutenant of Velasquez, had just discovered Mexico, but had made no attempt at its settlement. This displeased the governor, and Cortes was given the command of a new expedition about to start for the conquest of the newly discovered province. At the last moment, Velasquez appears to have regretted the appointment, possibly fearing that Cortes would carry off all the glory as well as the profit of the enterprise, and endeavored to recall the expedition; but Cortes hastened his preparations, and on 18 Nov., 1518, left Santiago with 10 vessels, 550 Spaniards, nearly 300 Indians, a few negroes, 10 brass guns, a dozen horses, and some falconets. Collecting stores on his way, he arrived at Trinidad, and later at Havana, at both of which places he found orders from Velasquez depriving him of his command, but in neither place could they be enforced, so, after writing a letter of remonstrance to the governor, he sailed, on 10 Feb., 1519, for the island of Cozumel, on the coast of Yucatan. On 4 March he first landed on the shores of Mexico, in the province of Tabasco, advancing slowly along the gulf. Sometimes taking measures to conciliate the natives and sometimes spreading terror by arms, he finally reached and took possession of the city of Tabasco. The noise of the artillery, the appearance of the floating fortresses that had transported the Spaniards over the ocean, and the horses on which they fought, all new objects to the natives, inspired them with astonishment, terror, and admiration. At San Juan de Ulua, Cortes first learned that the native ruler was called Montezuma; that he reigned over an extensive empire, which had lasted for three centuries; that thirty vassals called caciques obeyed him; and that his power and riches were very great. These facts induced him to undertake the conquest of the empire. He laid the foundation of the town of Vera Cruz, and caused himself to be chosen captain-general of the new colony, then burning his ships
