rowest part of the strait, where it was but four leagues across; here he stood directly for Cozumel, contending, as well as he was able, with a strong current, and at length succeeded in reaching the island.

"He had scarce landed, when a party of Spaniards, who had been lying in wait, rushed forth from their concealment, sword in hand. The three Indians would have fled, but Aguilar reassured them, and calling out to the Spaniards in their own language, assured them that he was a Christian. Then, throwing himself upon his knees, and raising his eyes, streaming with tears to heaven, he gave thanks to God for having restored him to his countrymen.

"The Spaniards gazed at him with astonishment: from his language he was evidentlý a Castilian, but to all appearance he was an Indian. He was perfectly naked; wore his hair braided round his head in the manner of the country, and his complexion was burnt by the sun to a tawny colour. He had a bow in his hand, a quiver at his shoulder, and a net-work pouch at his side, in which he carried his provisions.

"The Spaniards proved to be a reconnoitering party, sent out by Cortes to watch the approach of the cance, which had been descried coming from Yucatan. Cortes had given up all hopes of being joined by the captives, the caravel having waited the allotted time at Cotoche, and returned without news of them. He had, in fact, made sail to prosecute his voyage, but fortunately one of his ships. had sprung a leak, which had obliged him to return to the island.

"When Jeronimo de Aguilar and his companions arrived in presence of Cortes, who was surrounded by his officers, they made a profound reverence, squatted on the ground, laid their bows and arrows beside them, and touching their right hands, wet with spittle on the ground, rubbed them about the region of the heart, such being their sign of the most devoted submission.

"Cortes greeted Aguilar with a hearty welcome, and raising him from the earth, took from his own person a large yellow mantle lined with crimson, and threw it over his shoulders. The latter, however, had for so long a time gone entirely naked, that even this scanty covering was at first almost insupportable, and he had become so accustomed to the diet of the natives, that he found it difficult to reconcile his stomach to the meat and drink set before him.

"When he had sufficiently recovered from the agitation of his arrival among Christians, Cortes drew from him the particulars of his story, and found that he was related to one of his own friends, the licentiate Marcos de Aguilar. He treated him, therefore, with additional kindness and respect, and retained him about his person to aid him as an interpreter in his great Mexican expedition.

"The happiness of Jeronimo de Aguilar at once more being restored to his countrymen, was doomed to suffer some alloy from the disasters that had happened in his family. Peter Martyr records a touching anecdote of the effect that had been produced upon his mother by the tidings of his misfortune. A vague report had reached her in Spain, that her son had fallen into the hands of cannibals. All the horrible tales that circulated in Spain, concerning the treatment of these savages to their prisoners, rushed to her imagination, and she went distracted. Whenever she beheld roasted meat, or flesh upon the spit, she would fill the house with her outcries. 'Oh, wretched mother! oh most miserable of women!' would she exclaim, 'behold the limbs of my murdered son.**

"It is to be hoped, that the tidings of his deliverance had a favourable effect upon her intellects, and that she lived to rejoice at his after fortunes. He served Hernando Cortez with great courage and ability throughout his Mexican conquests, acting sometimes as a soldier, sometimes as

*P. Martyr, decad. 4, c. 6.

interpreter and ambassador to the Indians, and in reward of his fidelity and services, was appointed regidor, or civil governor of the City of Mexico."*

At this period Mr. Irving closes his narrative of the Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus. The period is deemed suitable for ending this account of discoveries in the west generally. The present volume, from its nature, is not one in which it would be suitable to draw further from the collection of pieces relative to the conquest of Mexico, or to narrate the horrible cruelties of the conquerors of that country. These are appropriate to a History of Mexico, and have been the subject of interesting works.t

The famous voyage of Fernando de Magalhaens or Magellan, the Portuguese navigator, cannot however be allowed to pass wholly unnoticed. He had served under Albuquerque in the East Indias, and distinguished himself, especially at the taking of Malacca in 1510.

Entering afterwards in the service of

* Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 284 to 289.

† Several of these are in the collection of Voyages, Relations and Memoirs published at Paris in 1838 by H. Ternaux, to wit: Rapport sur les differentes classes de chefs de la Nouvelle-Espagne sur les lois, les mœurs des habitants, sur les impots establé's avant et depuis la conquete etc. etc. Par Alonzo de Zurita ex-auditeur a l'audience royale de Mexico.

Histoire des Chichiméques ou des anciens rois de Tezcuco, par Fernando D'Alva Ixtlilxochitl traduit sur le manuscrit espagnol premiere et seconde partie.

Premier et second recueil de pièces sur Le Mexique inédites.

"Crautés Horribles des conquérants du Mexique, et Des Indiens qui les aidèrent a soumettre cet empire a la couronne d'Espagne, Mémoire de don Fernando D'Alva Ixtlilxochitl; supplément a l'histoire du père Sahagun, publié et dédié au gouvernement suprême de la confédération mexicaine, par Charles-Marie de Bustamente ;" printed at Mexico in 1829.

We have had also in the United States a "History of the Conquest of Mexico, with a preliminary view of the ancient Mexican civilization, and the Life of the Conqueror Hernando Cortés, by William H. Prescott, author of the History of Ferdinand and Isabella. In three volumes ;" eighth edition, published at New York in

Charles the Fifth, he was entrusted by him with the command of a fleet to explore a passage to the Molucco islands, by sailing westward. He commenced his voyage the 20th of September 1519, entered about the end of October 1520 the straits since called after him, and on the 27th of November discovered the Pacific Ocean. Continuing his cruise, he arrived at the Ladrone islands, and subsequently at the Philippines, on one of which he lost his life in a skirmish with the natives in 1521. This brief allusion to Magellan must suffice.

The plan of this work makes it necessary, gradually as we come down, in point of time, to circumscribe the locality of the voyages of which it treats. The next book will be of those on the Atlantic coast of North America.

BOOK II.

VOYAGES TO AND ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA FROM 1520 TO 1573.

CHAPTER I.

Of the voyages of Luke Vasquez d' Aylon to Florida in 1520 and 1524; and that of Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521.

After Florida came into possession of the English, a small volume, of one hundred and two pages, was published at London in 1763, entitled

"An account of the first discovery and natural history of Florida, with a particular detail of the several expeditions and descents made on that coast, collected from the best authorities, by William Roberts, illustrated by a general map and some particular plans, together with a geographical description of that country by T. Jeffreys, geographer to his majesty."

This account was published at a period when the settlement of Florida was under the consideration of the English government, and it was supposed would be of service to such ships as might be sent thither. Mr. Jeffreys considered his geographical description of the sea coast, in a much nearer degree accurate,