desire was to reach the Moluccas towards which they continued their course. All other islands were passed by in their hurried voyage, although they landed on a number to take provisions of wood and water and to trade for necessaries of life; their stop was never long.

Magellan, nevertheless, profited as best he could by these stops to inform himself by means of signs and gestures concerning the products of each island he touched, and he thus learned that in many places the sands were mixed with gold. In others, valuable cinnamon-trees, resembling pomegranates, were pointed out to him. Fragments of this precious bark have been presented to me, as Maino and Gillino will witness. He also obtained considerable information concerning the large pearls and other precious stones. He intended to revisit and examine these islands another time; for the moment he thought only of the Moluccas. And while he revolved great thoughts in his mind, a cruel destiny made him the victim of nude and barbarous people. I have related this story in its proper place. If, therefore, during this rapid voyage never before accomplished by man, such valuable information was collected concerning the excellence of these islands, what may not be expected from the trading relations which will be gradually opened with the islanders? It is necessary to proceed gently, without violence, or the least outrage, and these peoples will yield to kindness and gifts.

The ten thousand ducats Cabot's partners must furnish him for this enterprise will be spent, first in furnishing him with supplies for two years, next for paying the wages of one hundred and fifty men of the crew, and the remainder for purchasing such merchandise as is known to please the islanders. They will willingly exchange their natural products, of which they think little, for our merchandise, which they do not know; in fact they do not use money,-the cause of so many

misfortunes,--and every nation regards as precious those articles which are foreign to it. When these islands shall have been visited and carefully examined, Cabot will follow the south coast of the new continent, landing at the new colonies of Panama and Nata, stations established at the extremity of Castilla del Oro. Whoever may be governor then will notify us of the success of the enterprise.

The advisability of replacing most of the governors is just now under consideration, especially those who have not conquered the provinces they administer; for it is feared that long enjoyment of power may make them insolent. Different treatment is accorded to the governors who have conquered the countries where they rule.

As soon as we learn of his fleet's departure, we will pray God that Cabot may succeed and bring his undertaking to a happy termination.1

• Consult the work of Henry Harrisse on the Cabots.

B

I

BOOK VII

EFORE Cabot sails, another fleet is to go to the Moluccas, to confirm Spain's ownership of the islands. The alliance of the King of Portugal will not prove useless in this connection. The Emperor has given him his posthumous sister, the Princess Katherine, seventeen years old, and the most beautiful and intelligent of young girls, to wife. A report was falsely spread that the Emperor had agreed to make over to the King of Portugal as a dower, such an extensive and rich domain, and nevertheless the King complains of not being able to trade further with the Moluccas, as though this were disastrous and fatal to his little kingdom, formerly simply an earldom dependent on Castile. But the Emperor, who is very astute, judges it necessary to protect his Castilian provinces from such injury, for they are the very sinews of all his power. I have said enough about the Lucayas, Chicora, and Duhare, the tropics, the equinox, and other similar things.

2

Let us go on to other and more interesting particulars reported to me by Gillino. I shall first speak of a very extraordinary phenomenon, and in this connection I shall first repeat what is related, afterwards the opinion of

I

John IV. of Portugal married on February 5, 1525, the Infanta Doña Catarina, daughter of Philip the Fair and Doña Juana, later to become known as Juana la loca.

2

Charles V. relinquished his claims to the Portuguese in 1529 in exchange for a sum of 350,000 ducats. Consult Argensola's Conquista de las islas Molucas (1609) also Forrest's Voyage aux Moluques, 1780.

the philosophers, and finally my own modest opinion. I treat whatever is difficult to understand in this wise.

In my first Decades, which have been printed and circulated, I have spoken of a fountain whose waters possess such an extraordinary hidden virtue that when old men bathe therein and drink thereof, they regain their youth. Following the example of Aristotle and our Pliny, I take upon myself to note down and record in my books what men of serious reputation have not feared to advance. Aristotle in his Natural History describes, in fact, not only the animals he has seen, but those mentioned to him by Alexander the Great, who sought them for him at great expense. In the same way Pliny amassed twenty-two thousand notes upon noteworthy facts, taking them from the verbal reports and the writings of other persons. As for myself, those whose testimony I cite in my work are the dean, whom I have mentioned, the jurisconsult, Ayllon, and the licenciate, Figueroa, sent to Hispaniola to preside over the council, examine the accounts, take the residence of the judges, recall the disorderly to right living, encourage those who behave well, recompense the good, and punish the wicked. These three, without mentioning absent ones whose letters I quote, and men who report verbally to me on their arrival or departure, agree. They have heard the fortifying virtues of this spring mentioned, and believed the reports made to them, but they have neither seen it nor tested its properties, for the natives of Florida have sharp nails and are energetic defenders of their rights. They do not wish to receive any guests, especially those who intend to suppress their liberty and occupy their native country. The Spaniards, arriving there in vessels from Hispaniola, or more directly from Cuba, have several times sought to conquer them and occupy their territory, but every time they have penetrated inland, they have been repulsed, beaten, and massacred by the

natives who, although naked, fight with different kinds of weapons and poisoned arrows.

The dean has furnished me with proofs of what I say. He has a Lucayan servant, called Andreas, surnamed "The Bearded," because he was the only one of his people who had a beard. This servant says that when his father was broken by age, he left his native island near Florida, attracted by the report of the power of that spring and the hope of prolonging his life. He took the necessary provisions for the journey, just as do the Romans and Neapolitans when they go to the baths of Pozzuoli, hoping to regain their health. He set out for the desired spring, where he made a stay of some time, drinking, and following the treatment indicated by the bathers. He returned home strengthened and with his manhood renewed, for he married again and had sons. As a proof of this cure, Andreas summoned several of his compatriots, who affirmed that they knew this man, almost exhausted by age and decrepitude, and afterwards regenerated, strong, and robust.

I know that all the philosophers and doctors are sceptical of things like this. They think it impossible, when one has been ill, to regain his former strength; likewise any one who only believes what is well proven and established, should only ask them the reason of many things they sustain. Amongst other assertions and arguments of the philosophers and ancient sages, is it possible that nature-leaving aside of course all question of miracles should possess the necessary force to make us younger? We need give no attention to Medea's doctoring of her father-in-law Æson, nor need we think of the charms of Circe, who changed the companions of Ulysses into beasts, and then restored them to their former shape; let us only consider the examples with which animals furnish us, and we may prove in regard to this extraordinary phenomenon-held by many to be