Book 10 — No. 6
Reading edition
Soon as the distant swell was seen to roll, His ancient wishes reabsorb'd his soul;
Book I. Line 449.
The great object of Columbus, in most of his voyages, was to discover a western passage to India. He navigated the Gulph of Mexico with particular attention to this object, and was much disappointed in not finding a pass into the South Sea. The view he is here supposed to have of that ocean would therefore naturally recal his former desire of sailing to India.