Whether in old times, beyond the reach of history or tradition, and in some remote period of civilization, when, as some imagine, the arts may have flourished to a degree unknown to those whom we term the Ancients, there existed an intercourse between the opposite shores of the Atlantic; whether the Egyptian legend, narrated by Plato, respecting the island of Atalantis, was indeed no fable, but the obscure tradition of some vast country, engulphed by one of those mighty convulsions of our globe, which have left traces of the ocean on the summits of lofty mountains, must ever remain matters of vague and visionary speculation.
Observation : The author is talking about how in ancient times there may have been an island called Atlantis
Interpretation : Since there were many unexplored and unfound places in ancient times, the author is saying that there was an island that was called Atlantis that was never discovered
Connection : This connects to how many places in ancient times were discovered and that there were many unknown places at the time.
Context : This is to show what is coming up because the author is talking about the ice of Christopher Columbus and highlight his achievements