As little success had Lodowick Lampagnano, sent out by some Spanish Merchants, with Letters Patents from the Emperor to Fish for Pearl, before the same Cubagua; to which purpose he carry’d peculiar Nets and other necessaries with him. But the Cubaguan Spaniards unanimously withstood him; so that not being able to effect his design, overpower’d with a Melancholly Distemper that broke his Heart, he dy’d.
Magellanus Expedition, how it happen’d.
In the interim, while these scarce considerable Voyages turn’d to so small account, Ferdinand Magaglianus (for so Peter Martyr calls him, and not Magellanus, which herein deserves to be credited, because they were intimately acquainted, and great friendship between them,) undertook to Sail round about the World; the occasion of which we will here relate at large:
This Magaglianus, or Magellanus, a Gentleman of Portugal, having perform’d things of great importance for his King, in Africa, although with no less trouble than Charge, desir’d an addition of half a Ducket a Moneth added to his Annual Pension; an inconsiderable Sum to make a Request for, yet though so little, was as niggardly deny’d: Whereupon, highly incensed, he study’d no little revenge; to which effect, soon after an opportunity was presented, by means of Franciscus Serranus, who writ from Ternata to him, that he should speedily come thither, which he soon after did upon this account:
Strange Giant.
Pope Alexander the Sixth, having fixt Terminaries between the Kings of Castile and Portugal, both busie at that time in discovering new Countreys, Order’d, That Castile should possess all the Coasts lying to the West of the chief Meridian, and Portugal to the East: By vertue of this partition, the rich Spicy Molucca Islands fell absolutely to the Portuguese: Now Magellanus perswaded Charles the Fifth, that they might be Sail’d to with a Westerly Course, and therefore belong’d to Castile; Which advice, Charles the Fifth considering, and approving, Rigg’d out five Ships, with which Magellanus set Sail from Sevil, the tenth of August, Anno 1519. five Moneths he ply’d up and down the Coast inhabited by the Patagones, where he found none but one single Person, or rather a Monster, a Giant ten Foot high, who coming Aboard his Ship, devour’d a great Hamper full of Biskets, and at one Draught drunk up nine Pottels of Water. He also saw several Trees which had been Hew’n with Axes, and Crosses made on the tops of them. Whilst he lay in that Harbor, which was call’d St. Julian, he Cashier’d his Vice-Admiral, John Carthagena, with his Father Confessor, and sparing their lives, set them ashore, and there left them to seek their Fortunes, though they had Conspir’d to Murther him.
Straights of Magellan, how found.
Magellanus from thence Sailing afterwards Southerly along America, to forty two Degrees Southern Latitude, was engag’d with the eddyings of a very strong Current, which driving one of the Ships into a Bay, split against a blind Rock, but the Men being sav’d in their Boat, were driven farther and farther into a Channel, between high and Snowy Mountains; whereupon he immediately judg’d (as the famous Negromancer Roderick Talerus had often told him) that there was the Passage, through which the Northern Ocean flow’d into the Southern; wherefore he resolutely adventur’d to Sail into those Sraights, which in some places narrow, and in others broad, is an hundred and twenty Leagues long, and full of small Isles and dangerous Rocks. Whilst he still Sail’d on, the Ship call’d Antonio, Tacking about, return’d to Cadiz.
But Magellanus enter’d the great South-Sea with three Sail, on the 25. of October, where the Sea-men suffer’d extremely by excessive Heat, Drought, and Famine, three Moneths and twenty Days, without sight of Land: And now, their Shooes, and the Leather which cover’d their Shields, began also to grow scarce (which before had been counted a Dainty) when they discover’d two Islands lying two hundred Leagues distance one from another, yet both Desolate and Barren, wherefore they were call’d the Unfortunate Isles: After that, they came amongst a great number of Islands, whose Inhabitants were much inclin’d to Thievery; for which cause they Denominated them Ladrones, the chiefest Island call’d Borneo, hath two hundred fifty four Leagues in Circumference, whereon a Tree grows, whose Leaves when faln off, seem to be alive and creep like Worms. The King of this Island entertain’d the Spaniards very courteously, two Elephants bringing his Presents to them on the Shore, out of a City consisting of twenty thousand Houses.
Magellanus slain.