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1522.

fpecimens of the rich commodities yielded by BOOK the other countries which they had visited, the Victory, which, of the two fhips that remained of the squadron, was most fit for a long voyage, fet fail for Europe, under the command of Juan Jan. Sebaftian del Cano. He followed the course of the Portuguese, by the Cape of Good Hope, and, after many difafters and fufferings, he arrived at St. Lucar on the feventh of September one thoufand five hundred and twenty-two, having failed round the globe in the space of three years and twenty-eight days".

THOUGH an untimely fate deprived Magellan of the fatisfaction of accomplishing this great undertaking, his contemporaries, just to his memory and talents, afcribed to him not only the honour of having formed the plan, but of having furmounted almost every obstacle to the completion of it; and in the prefent age his name is ftill ranked among the highest in the roll of eminent and fuccefsful navigators. The naval glory of Spain now eclipsed that of every other nation; and by a fingular felicity fhe had the merit, in the course of a few years, of discovering a new continent almost as large as that part of the

Herrera, dec. 3. lib. i. c. 3. 9. lib. iv. c. i. Gomara Cron. c. 93, &c. Pigafetta ap Ramuf. ii. p. 361, &c.

BOOK earth which was formerly known, and of afcer

V.

1522.

taining by experience the form and extent of the whole terraqueous globe.

THE Spaniards were not fatisfied with the glory of having firft encompaffed the earth; they expected to derive great commercial advantages from this new and boldest effort of their maritime fkill. The men of science

་

among them contended, that the fpice iflands, and several of the richest countries in the Eaft, were fo fituated as to belong of right to the crown of Caftile, in confequence of the partition made by Alexander VI. The merchants, without attending to this difcuffion, engaged eagerly in that lucrative and alluring commerce, which was now opened to them. The Portuguese, alarmed at the intrufion of fuch formidable rivals, remonflrated and negociated in Europe, while in Afia they obftructed the trade of the Spaniards by force of arms. Charles V. not fufficiently in ftructed with respect to the importance of this valuable branch of commerce, or distracted by the multiplicity of his fchemes and operations, did not afford his fubjects proper protection. At laft, the low ftate of his finances, exhausted by the efforts of his arms in every part of Europe, together with the dread of adding a new war with Portugal to thofe in which he was

already

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15221

already engaged, induced him to make over his BOOK claim of the Moluccas to the Portuguese for three hundred and fifty thousand ducats. He reserved, however, to the crown of Caftile the right of reviving its pretenfions on repayment of that fum; but other objects engroffed his attention and that of his fucceffors; and Spain was finally excluded from a branch of commerce. in which it was engaging with fanguine expect ations of profit.

THOUGH the trade with the Moluccas was relinquished, the voyage of Magellan was followed by commercial effects of great moment to Spain. Philip II. in the year one thousand five hundred and fixty-four, reduced those islands. which he discovered in the Eastern Ocean to fubjection, and established fettlements there; between which and the kingdom of New Spain, a regular intercourse, the nature of which shall be explained in its proper place, is still carried on. I return now to the tranfactions in New Spain.

AT the time that Cortes was acquiring fuch extenfive territories for his native country, and preparing the way for future conquefts, it was

Herrera, dec. 3. lib. vi. c. 5, &c. dec. 4. lih v c 7, &c.

An order to

fuperfede Cortes,

BOOK his fingular fate not only to be deftitute of any

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1582.

which he cludes.

commiffion or authority from the fovereign whom he was ferving with such successful zeal, but to be regarded as an undutiful and feditious fubject. By the influence of Fonfeca, bishop of Burgos, his conduct in affuming the government of New Spain was declared to be an irregular ufurpation, in contempt of the royal authority; and Christoval de Tapia received a commiffion, impowering him to fuperfede Cortes, to feize his perfon, to confiscate his effects, to make a strict scrutiny into his proceedings, and to tranfmit the refult of all the enquiries carried on in New Spain to the council of the Indies, of which the bifhop of Burgos was prefident. A few weeks after the reduction of Mexico, Tapia landed at Vera Cruz with the royal mandate to strip its conqueror of his power, and to treat him as a criminal. But Fonfeca had chosen a very improper instrument to wreak his vengeance on Cortes, Tapia had neither the reputation nor the talents that fuited the high command to which he was appointed. Cortes, while he publicly expreffed the most respectful veneration for the emperor's authority, fecretly took meafures to defeat the effect of his commiffion; and having involved Tapia and his followers in a multiplicity of negociations and conferences, in which he fometimes had recourse to threats,

but more frequently employed bribes and promifes, he at length prevailed on that weak man to abandon a province which he was unworthy of governing".

BOOK

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1522.

again to the

court,

May 15.

BUT notwithstanding the fortunate dexterity Applies with which he had eluded this danger, Cortes was fo fenfible of the precarious tenure by which he held his power, that he dispatched deputies to Spain, with a pompous account of the fuccefs of his arms, with farther specimens. of the productions of the country, and with rich prefents to the emperor, as the earnest of future contributions from his new conquests; requesting, in recompence for all his fervices, the approbation of his proceedings, and that he might be entrusted with the government of thofe dominions, which his conduct, and the valour of his followers, had added to the crown of Castile. The juncture in which his deputies reached the court was favourable. The internal commotions in Spain, which had difquieted the beginning of Charles's reign, were juft appeafed. The minifters had leifure to turn their attention

Herrera, dec. 3. lib. iii. c. 16. dec. iv. c. I. Cort. Relat. 281. E. B. Diaz. c. 158. .

Hift. of Charles V. vol. ii. b. iii.