XI. the freshness of the water, that the wifhed for ftrait LETTER was not fituated there, he returned, and continued his course toward the fouth. On the 31st of March he A. D. 15211 arrived at Port St. Julian, about forty-eight degrees fouth of the line, where he refolved to winter, the se-vere season then coming on in thofe latitudes. Here he loft one of his fhips, and the Spaniards fuffered fo much from the exceffive rigour of the climate, that they infifted on his relinquishing the vifionary project, and returning to Europe. But Magellan, by ordering the principal mutineer to be affaffinated, and another to be publicly executed, overawed the remainder of his followers, and continued his voyage ftill toward the fouth. In holding this courfe, he at length discovered, near the fifty-third degree of latitude, the mouth of a ftrait, into which he entered, notwithstanding the murmurs of his officers. After failing twenty days in that winding dangerous paffage, which still bears his name, and where one of his fhips deferted him, the great Southern Ocean opened to his view, and infpired him with new hopes while his adventurous foul effused itself to Heaven in a transport of joy for the fuccefs which had already attended his endeavours3. MAGELLAN, however, was ftill at a great diftance from the object of his wishes; and greater far than he imagined. Three months and twenty days did he fail in an uniform direction toward the north-weft, without discovering land; during which voyage, the longeft that had ever been made in the unbounded ocean, his people fuffered incredible diftrefs from scarcity of provifions, putrid water, and all their attendant maladies. One circumstance, and one only, afforded them fome confolation they enjoyed an uninterrupted 3. Herrera, deci II. lib. ii. c. 3. lib. vii. c. 2. L12 courfe A.D. 1521. PART II. courfe of fair weather, with fuch mild winds as induced Magellan to bestow on that ocean the epithet of pacific. At length they fell in with a clufter of fmall islands, which afforded them refreshments in fuch abundance that their health was foon reftored. From these islands, which he called Ladrones, he continued his voyage, and soon made a discovery of the Manillas; fince denominated the Philippine Islands, from Philip II. of Spain, who firft planted a colony in them. In Zebu, one of the Philippines, Magellan got into an unfortunate quarrel with the natives, who attacked him with a numerous body of well-armed troops; and while he April 26. fought gallantly at the head of his men, he was flain, together with feveral of his officers, by those fierce barbarians+. On the death of this great navigator, the expedition was profecuted under different commanders. They encountered many difficulties in ranging through the fmaller iflands fcattered in the eaftern part of the Indian Ocean, touched at the great island of Borneo, and at laft landed at Tidore, one of the Moluccas, to the aftoment of the Portuguefe; who, ignorant of the figure of the earth, could not comprehend how the Spaniards, by holding a wefterly course, had reached that fequeftered feat of their most valuable commerce, which they themselves had difcovered by failing in an oppofite direction!-At this, and the adjacent iflands, the Spaniards found a people acquainted with the benefits of extenfive trade, and willing to open an intercourfe A.D.1522. with a new nation. They took in a cargo of fpices, the diftinguished produce of those islands; and with that, together with fpecimens of the commodities yielded by the other rich countries which they had vi fited, the Victory, which of the two remaining fhips 4. Herrera, dec. II. lib. ix. c. 3. was XI. was most fit for a long voyage, fet fail for Europe, LETTER under the command of Juan Sebaftian del Cano. He followed the courfe of the Portuguese by the Cape of A. D. 1522. Good Hope; and, after a variety of difafters, arrived: Sept. 6. fafe at St. Lucars. THE Spanish merchants eagerly engaged in that alluring commerce, which was thus unexpectedly opened to them; while their men of fcience were employed in demonftrating, That the fpice islands were fo fituated as to belong to the crown of Caftile, in confequence of the partition made by pope Alexander VI. But the Portuguese, alarmed at the intrusion of such formidable rivals, remonftrated and negociated in Europe, at the fame time that they obftructed in Afia the trade of the Spaniards; and Charles V. always needy, notwithstanding his great refources, and unwilling to add a rupture with Portugal to the numerous wars in which he was then engaged, made over to that crown his A. D. 1529. claim to the Moluccas for a fum of money". IN confequence of this agreement, the Portuguese continued undisturbed, and without a rival, mafters of the trade of India; and the Manillas lay neglected, till Philip II. fucceeded to the crown of Spain. Soon after A.D.1555. his acceffion, Philip formed the scheme of planting a colony in thofe iflands, to which he gave the name of the Philippines. This he accomplished by means of an armament fitted out for New Spain. Manilla, in the island of Luconia, was the ftation chofen for the capital of the new establishment; and, in order to induce the Spaniards to fettle there, the rifing colony was authorised to fend India goods to America, in exchange for the Herrera, dec. II. lib. ix. c. 3. Jib. iv. c. 5. 6. Herrera, dec, III, L13 precious PART II. 4.D. 1551. precious metals7. From Manilla an active commercial intercourse began with the Chinese, and a confiderable number of that induftrious people, allured by the prospect of gain, fettled in the Philippines under the Spanish protection. By their means the colony was fo amply supplied with all the valuable productions and manufatures of the Eaft, as soon enabled it to open an advantageous trade with America, by a course of navigation the longest from land to land on our globe. This trade was originally carried on with Callao, the port of Lima, and the most commodious harhour on the coast of Peru; but experience having difcovered many difficulties in that mode of communication, and the fuperior facility of an intercourfe with New Spain, the ftaple of the commerce between America and Asia was removed from Callao to Acapulco, THE Spanish colony in the Philippines, having no immediate connexions with Europe, gave no uneafiness to the Portuguese, and received no annoyance from them. In the mean time the Portuguese, not only continued to monopolize the whole commerce of the 7. When Philip granted this indulgense, unless he meant afterward to withdraw it, he was certain y little acquainted with the commercial interefts of Old Spain. 8. Torquemada, lib. v. c. 14. Robertson, Hift. Spanish Amer. book viii. 9. Many remonftrances have been prefented againk this trade, as detrimental to Qld Spain, by diverting into another channel a large portion of that treasure which ought to flow into the parent-kingdom; as tending to give rife to a spirit of independency in the colonies, and to encourage innumerable frauds, against which it is impossible to guard, in tranfactions so far removed from the infpection of government, But as it requires no fight effort of political wildom and vigour to abolish any practice which numbers are interested in fupporting, and to which time has added the fanction of its authority, the commerce between Acapulco and Manilla is ftill carried on to a confiderable extent, and allowed under certain restrictions, Eaft, XI. Eaft, but were masters of the coaft of Guinea as well LETTER WHEN Portugal fell under the dominion of Spain, A.D.1580. in confequence of the fatal catastrophe of Don Sebaftian and his gallant nobility on the coaft of Africa, Philip II. became poffeffed of greater refources than any monarch in ancient or modern times. But instead of employing his enormous wealth in procuring the sccurity, the happiness, and the prosperity of his widely extended empire, he profufely diffipated it, in endea iii. 10. Faria y Sousa, lib. v. cap. 1. Guyon, Hift. des Ind. Orient. tom, L14 |