[Grammar] determiners

[Nadeem Khan Bhati]

Correct me if I'm wrong filling determiners:

(Many) years before (the) Cape of Good Hope was discovered, Columbus had formed (the) idea of reaching (no determiner) India by sailing towards (the) west (no determiner) across (no determiner) dreaded (the) Atlantic Ocean.

Unlike most men of (that) day he believed (the) world to be (no determiner) sphere, and (the) study of (no determiner) father in law's logs and charts had led him to think that he could easily sail to (no determiner) India from (no determiner) Portugal.

But (the) distance proved to be much greater than he thought, for he did not know that between (no determiner) India and (no determiner) Portugal lay (a) great unknown continent.

Slowly he became more and more strongly convinced of (the) mission.

 

[Tarheel]

Say:

Many years before the Cape of Good Hope was discovered, Columbus had formed the idea of reaching India by sailing west across the dreaded Atlantic Ocean.

 

[Tarheel]

And:

Unlike most men of that day, he believed the world to be a sphere, and the study of his father-in-law's logs and charts had led him to think that he could easily sail to India from Portugal.

(I don't know about most men of that day, but the idea that the Earth is round was certainly not a new one.)

 

[Tarheel]

But (the) distance proved to be much greater than he thought, for he did not know that between (no determiner) India and (no determiner) Portugal lay (a) great unknown continent.

Slowly he became more and more strongly convinced of (the) mission.

The distance proved to be much greater than he thought because his calculations were way off. Also, there's that small detail of a continent being in the way.

I don't understand the other sentence.

 

[Rover_KE]

If Piscean finds another example of your failure to do this, NKB, you will be banned.