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account of their rich and valuable possessions in the east, were the most interested in confining the way to them to that, which should be as intricate and difficult as possible. The two grand routes to those possessions, which the two Portugueze, Vasco de Gama and Magelhanes, had succeeded in discovering, were, it is true, both long and tedious, and, in those early periods of navigation, not altogether free from danger. That circumstance alone might not, therefore, have been sufficient to excite investigation on the part of Spain, if she had not witnessed other nations attempting to discover a shorter way to China and the Indies by the north. It would have argued the extreme of indifference, if the nation most interested in the speedy intercourse with the wealthy countries of the east should have been the most backward in profiting by those discoveries already made, and which augured such happy results. Accordingly we find that in the year 1524, Estevan Gomez, a supposed skilful navigator, employed on the part of Spain, sailed from Corunna with a view of discovering a northern passage to the Molucca islands from the Atlantic. This Gomez, as before mentioned, had sailed with Magelhanes on his voyage of discovery into the south seas. He was therefore personally acquainted with the difficulties and delays of a passage by that route, and capable of estimating the comparative advantages of one round the northern extremity of America. But to what part of the coast

of America, or Newfoundland, or Labrador, he
directed his course is not at all known. It is
evident, however, that he returned without bring-
ing back with him any hope of a passage into
the eastern seas, having contented himself with
seizing and bringing off some of the natives of the
coast on which he had touched. It is said, that
one of his friends, accosting him on his return,
inquired with eagerness what success he had met
with, and what he had brought back; to which
Gomez replying shortly esclavos (slaves), the friend
concluded he had accomplished his purpose, and
brought back a cargo of cloves (clavos).
this," says Purchas, "he posted to the court to
carry the first news of this spicy discovery, looking
for a great reward; but the truth being known,
caused hereat great laughter."*

❝ On

Gaspar, in his history of the Indies, is the only authority for this voyage, of which and of Steven Gomez, as Purchas has observed, "little is left us but a jest."

The Spaniards were not less alarmed on the side of the Pacific than they were at home. Cortez, the conqueror and viceroy of Mexico, had received intelligence of the attempt of Cortereal to discover a northern passage from the Atlantic into the Pacific, and of his having entered a strait, to which he gave the name of Anian. Alive to the importance of the intelligence, he lost not a mo

Purchas his Pilgrimage, vol. v. p. 810.

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ment in fitting out three ships well manned, of which he is said to have taken the command in person, though nominally under the orders of Francisco Ulloa, to look out for the opening of this strait into the Pacific, and to oppose the progress of the Portugueze and other Europeans who might attempt this passage. Little is known concerning this expedition of Cortez, but that it soon returned without meeting with Cortereal, or discovering any thing that could lead to the supposition of a passage from those seas to the Atlantic.

The Spaniards, however, were by no means easy at the attempts, feeble as they had hitherto been, to reach the Pacific by a northern route. Accordingly, in 1542, the viceroy Mendoza sent Coronado by land and Alarçon by sea to the northward from Mexico, to inquire into and, if possible, to discover the strait of Anian, which was then supposed to be the western opening of the passage into the Pacific; but both expeditions returned without having effected any discovery that could lead to the supposition of the existence of such a passage being well grounded.

The court of Spain were by no means satisfied with such negative testimonies, and gave orders, two years afterwards, for another expedition, the conduct of which was entrusted to Juan Rodriguez de Cabrillo, a Portugueze in the service of Spain. He proceeded along the north-west coast of America as far as the latitude 44°, and

gave the name of Cape Mendocino, in compliment of the viceroy, to the land seen about the latitude 42°. The want of provisions, the sickness of the crew, the weakness of the ship, the turbulent sea, and the cold weather, were assigned as the reasons for their return, without proceeding to a higher degree of latitude; and it may well be a subject of wonder, that this enterprizing nation, the first which was firmly established on the coasts and islands of the Pacific, should have been the last to make discoveries in that part of the world.

THE DOMINUS VOBISCUM. 1527.

We ought, perhaps, to be less surprized at the indifference shewn for northern discovery by the maritime nations of Europe, when we find that, notwithstanding the liberal encouragement given by Henry VII. and his successor Edward VI., to Sebastian Cabota, the spirit of enterprize seems to have lain dormant in England for thirty years nearly; at least no memorial of any voyage undertaken either for profit or discovery is left on record during that period. In fact the real spirit of adventure had not yet stimulated the mercantile part of the nation to engage in foreign trade or to make discoveries; and so little impression had the exploits of Cabota and his suggestions for following them up made on the minds of the people of England, or of the government, that this great pilot

seems to have left the country in disgust, and entered into the service of Spain; from whence he was probably drawn, in the reign of Edward VI., on promise of the pension already mentioned, or, in general terms, of the king's patronage. It would seem, indeed, that although the prowess of English seamen had oft-times been displayed in contests on their native element with their continental neighbours, in "carrackes, barges and balyngers," the kings of England, or their counsellors, were not yet aware of the great advantages of foreign trade and foreign enterprize towards the formation of a military marine. There is, however, a document preserved in Hakluyt's collection, in the shape of a poem, complaining of the neglect of the navy in the time of Henry VI., and extolling "the policee of keeping the see in the time of the marvellous werriour and victorious prince, King Henry the Fift, and of his grete shippes.'

"When at Hampton, he made the Great Dromons,
Which passed other grete shippes of the Commons,
The Trinitie, the Grace de Dieu, the Holy Ghost
And other moe, which as now be lost,

What hope ye was the king's grete intent,
Of thoo shippes, and what in mind he meant.
It was not ellis, but that he cast to bee
Lord Round-about, environ of the see."*

At length, however, the spirit of discovery and foreign enterprize burst forth in the reign of Henry

* English Policie exhorting all England to keepe the see, &c.— Hakluyt, vol. i. p. 187.

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