Book excerpt: First published in 1967. This volume looks at the voyages of Americo Vespucio, to use the Spanish form of the name Amerigo Vespucci, who sailed to the West under the Spanish flag in 1499 and again in 1501 when he sailed to gain geographical information for the King of Portugal who like the King of Spain had been confused by the contradictory reports of Columbus. Columbus to his death believed that he had landed in Asia and not the Americas. Americo discovered the Amazon and the Para Rivers and explored over 6000 miles of continuous shoreline between Venezuela, which he named and a harbour about fifty degrees south on the coast of Argentina. In 1502 he presented 'proof' of the existence of the 'New World'. Americo crossed the Atlantic Ocean and found out and reported what was really there, naming the continent America from the Latin version of his name.