Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
""Mercedes of Castile or The Voyage to Cathay"" is a historical novel written by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in 1840. The story is set in the late 15th century and follows the adventures of a young Spanish noblewoman named Mercedes de Valverde. She falls in love with her cousin, Hernan Cortes, who is sent on an expedition to the New World by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Mercedes decides to join the expedition disguised as a man, and they set sail for the unknown lands of Cathay (China). Along the way, they face various challenges and dangers, including storms, mutiny, and encounters with indigenous peoples. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and the clash of cultures. It also offers a glimpse into the historical events that shaped the early exploration and colonization of the Americas. This is the first volume of the two-part series.Although the manner in which these words were uttered lent them weight, the prelate fancied that the mind of the navigator had got to be unsettled by his long contemplation of a single subject. The only things that left any doubt concerning the accuracy of this opinion, were the method and science with which he had often maintained, even in his own presence, the reasonableness of his geographical suppositions; arguments which, though they had failed to convince one bent on believing the projector a visionary, had nevertheless greatly puzzled the listener.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.