morial, heightened, perhaps, by a reflection on its present humble position-emblematic, indeed, of the slight on the closing years of the great original."* *A catalogue of the pictures, &c. belonging to Charles I., drawn up in his lifetime, and apparently for his use, is found amongst the Harleian MSS. No. 4718. Amongst those enumerated as then in the privy gallery at Whitehall, that of Cabot is not mentioned. This might lead to the inference that it had got into private hands sooner than is above suggested, particularly as it appears by the catalogue that some of the pictures had been recently obtained in the way of exchange. Again, it may have been sent or taken away by the king. In the MS. work of Richard Symonds, (Harleian MSS. No. 991,) it is said, "The committee at Somerset-house, valued the king's pictures and other movable goods at £200,000., notwithstanding that both himself and the queen had carried away abundance." The painting in question is not specially mentioned in a list of the sales during the protectorate, found in the Harleian MSS. No. 7352, though this is by no means decisive, as several of the entries are mere charges against individuals for "a picture," "two pictures," "three pictures," &c. (fol. 222, et seq.) Cabot's portrait has recently been seen, in London, by the most eminent artists, and instantly recognized as a Holbein. However we may balance between probabilities as to its intermediate history, a doubt as to its identity with the picture referred to by Purchas, seems to involve not only the necessity of accounting for the disappearance of the latter, but also the extravagant supposition that two portraits of Cabot, bearing the same remarkable inscription, were executed by the great artist of his day. CHAPTER XVI. Of an examination of the coast of Florida in 1558, wherein was seen a bay, described as "the largest and most commodious bay of all on these shores," which was named then Philipina, and afterwards Santa Maria Philipina; also of an expedition in 1559 to the port of Y'chuse in thirty degrees twenty minutes, about twenty leagues south of the bay of Santa Maria; and of a reconnoissance in 1561 to about thirtyfive degrees. Don Louis de Velasco, viceroy of Mexico, sent Guido de las Bazares with some marines and other persons to reconnoitre the coasts of Florida, for the greater safety of the persons who were going there to colonize the country and the point of St. Helena. He set out from the port of Saint Juan de Lua, the 3d of September 1558, with sixty soldiers and marines in a large bark, a galley and a shallop. He arrived at the river of Panuco on the 5th, set out from it on the 14th, and went to land on this coast in twenty-seven degrees and a half. Going along the coast, he discovered a bay at twenty-eight degrees and a half of latitude, which he named San Francisco. Setting out from this place he went to reconnoitre the Alacranes, to direct himself thence towards Florida. Contrary winds having prevented him from approaching where he wished, he landed at twentynine degrees and a half upon the coast of east southeast, where he found an isle, four leagues from Terra Firma; he passed within that isle, Terra Firma and other isles of the continent, and gave to this place the name of the bay of Bas-Fonds. Thence he made ten leagues to the east; he saw a bay which he named Philipina; it is described as the largest and most commodious bay of all on these shores; penetrated, passing by the point of an isle seven leagues long; and distant from the port of Saint Juan de Lua about two hundred and seventy leagues.* After having quitted it, he tried twice to reconnoitre the coast, extending more to the east; he followed it more than twenty leagues. Quitting the coast of Florida on the 3d of December, he entered the port of San Juan de Lua the 14th. On the 24th of September 1559, Velasco wrote to the king a letter upon his affairs in Florida, in which he mentions that a fleet fitted out for the colonization of Florida, from the point of Saint Helena, sailed on the 11th of June of that year from San Juan de Ulua, and that on the 9th of September, there arrived a gallion dispatched by the governor Don Tristan d'Arellano; that it had made in fourteen days the passage from the place whence the disembarkation was effected; and that it brought the following information of the progress of the fleet. At the end of seventeen days, it found itself on the shores of the river of Saint Esprit, about twenty leagues from this river and in twenty-seven degrees and a quarter of latitude. From this place they made six leagues to the southeast, to the south southwest, and to the south, until they made to the height of the Alacranes, at twenty-seven de The account of Bazares is that "l'entrée est à 29 degrés et demi de latitude sud;" those who saw it in the succeeding year (it will be seen) place it in rather a higher latitude. grees to the southwest of these last. From this point they ran another course to the northeast to reconnoitre the coast. Eight days after, they perceived the coast at eight leagues from the bay of Mervelo in the direction of the west, about twenty-nine degrees and a half. On the 17th of July the fleet sailed for the port of d'Ychuse. This is described as twenty leagues from the bay Philipina, and about thirty leagues from the bay of Mervelo; as between these bays, and in about thirty degrees twenty minutes. The pilot on board a frigate which went on before, not perceiving this port, the frigate passed beyond and cast anchor in the bay Philipina discovered by Guido de las Bazares. The horses were disembarked in this bay, and some companies of infantry repaired with them by land to d'Ychuse. The army quitted the bay of Philipina for the port of d'Ychuse, the day of Notre-Dame d'Aout, which caused to be given to it the name of Santa Maria Philipina. Notwithstanding what was said by Bazares of the port of Philipina, the governor, we are told, knew that the port d'Ychuse "was the best and the most sure on all this coast." Yet, in the dispatch, we find afterwards this language: "Guido arrived in this bay Philipina. The fleet ran some danger in entering it, because of the small depth at the bar, which hinders the entrance of large vessels, the strong current that is there, and the bad time that it caused. The army quitted the bay of Philipina for the port of d'Ychuse, the day of Notre Dame d'Aout, which caused to be given to it the name of Santa Maria Philipina. It is one of the best ports which they have discovered in the Indias; the lowest depth is not less than twelve cubits; it has seven or eight fathoms in the interior; the width is three leagues; the Spaniards are still there; the bar is half a league wide." Again, it is said: "The ships can cast anchor in four or five fathoms, at a shot of the cross-bow from the shore; the port is so sure that no wind can occasion there any misfortune. We saw there some cabins, which appeared to belong to Indian fishers; the soil seemed very fertile; there grew there many vines, nuts, and other fruit trees; there were numerous woods, much game, many birds, excellent fish and of all kinds. We found there also, a field of maize." If we consider this as intended to describe the port and bay of Santa Maria, the description was well calculated to encourage a subsequent settlement there. Velasco, in his letter of September 1559, writes that he is going to send promptly the supplies of which the governor has need. It was contemplated to explore the country, to choose a place for colonizing, and to build a fortress; after this, to penetrate into the interior, and put in execution a plan for propagating the Catholic religion. On the 27th of May 1561, Angel de Villafañe, governor and captain general of the provinces of Florida, entered, with a frigate, into the river of Saint Helena, and proceeded to thirty-three degrees. He made four or five leagues, and disembarked; not deeming the place suitable for colonizing, he regained the sea and followed the coast, to seek a port. After having doubled the Cape San Roman, at thirty-four degrees, he went upon land the 2d of June, and saw a great river, of which he took possession. The 8th |