Having lost his computation for the Moluccas, he discovered
several islands in lat. 15 deg. 30' N. and at length came to the island of
Subo in lat. 10 deg. N. being about 12 leagues in circumference. He was
hospitably received here, and found the natives of so tractable a
disposition, that the king and queen of the island, with their children
and above 800 of the inhabitants were baptised. This prince was at war
with a neighbour, and was assisted by Magellan. After two victories,
Magellan was slain in a third battle on the 27th of April 1521, together
with his astrologer and some others. The baptised king now entered into
an agreement with his enemies, and poisoned all the Christians who were
on shore. Those who remained on board, being too few in number to
navigate the three ships, burnt one, and set sail with the other two,
one of which was the famous Victory, commanded by Juan Sebastian
Cano, being the first ship that circumnavigated the globe. They
arrived at the Moluccas, where they were well received by the king of
Tidore, who was much dissatisfied by the Portuguese having given the
preference to Ternate in forming their establishment. At this place they
took in a loading of spice, and went thence to Banda, where they
completed their cargo by the assistance of a Portuguese named Juan de
Lourosa. One of the Spanish ships returned to Ternate, many of the crew
having died of a contagious disease, and the small remnant being unable
to continue the voyage. They were hospitably received by Antonio de
Brito, who relieved and sent them to India, whence they returned to
Europe in the Portuguese ships.
The famous ship Victory returned in triumph to Spain, after performing
that wonderful Voyage round the World. Her arrival occasioned new
contests between the courts of Spain and Portugal, Charles V. and John
III. then reigning, because the Molucca islands were considered as
belonging to Portugal, according to the former agreement respecting the
discoveries of the globe. In the year 1524, a congress of civilians and
geographers was held to determine this affair, at a place between
Badajos and Elvas; but it was not settled till the year 1526.[159]
[Footnote 159: As this first circumnavigation will fall to be related
more at large, in a division of our arrangement devoted expressly to
that subject, it has not been deemed necessary to elucidate this short
incidental account from De Faria, by any geographical commentary. - E.]
In one of the former years, Fernan Perez de Andrada had established a
trade at Quantung or Canton in China, which was so exceedingly
profitable that every one was eager to engage in it. In the present year
1521, Simon de Andrada was sent by Sequeira to China with five ships,
and cast anchor in the port of the island of Tamou opposite to Canton,
where his brother had been formerly. The Portuguese ambassador to the
emperor of China still remained at that place, but set out soon
afterwards up a large river with three vessels splendidly decorated with
Portuguese colours, it being a received custom that none but those of
China should be seen there, which are gules a lion rampant.[160] In this
manner he arrived at the foot of a mountain from which that great river
derives its source. This mountainous ridge, called Malexam, beginning
at the bay of Cochin-China in the province of Fokien,[161] runs through
the three southern provinces of China, Quangsi, Quantung, and Fokien,
dividing them from the interior provinces, as Spain is divided from
France by the Pyrenees. Thomas Perez, leaving the vessels at this place,
travelled northwards to the city of Nanking, where the king then was,
having spent four months in the journey without stopping at any place.
The emperor however thought proper to appoint his audience at Peking, a
city far distant, to which place Perez accordingly followed. While on
the journey, Simon de Andrada behaved himself so improperly in the
island of Tamou that an account of his proceedings was sent to court,
and Thomas Perez and his companions were condemned to death as spies.
The rigour of this sentence was mitigated, but the embassy was not
received, and Perez was sent back as a prisoner to Canton, with orders
that the Portuguese should restore Malacca to its native king, who was a
vassal to China, in which case the embassy would be received; but
otherwise the ambassador and his suite were to be put to death, and the
Portuguese for ever excluded from China as enemies. Simon de Andrada
conducted himself with a high hand, as if he had been king of Tamou,
where he raised a fort, and set up a gallows to intimidate the people.
He committed violence against the merchants who resorted to the port,
and bought young people of both sexes, giving occasion to thieves to
steal them from their parents. These extravagant proceedings lost
nothing in their transmission to court, and were the cause of the severe
orders respecting Perez and his followers.
[Footnote 160: The text seems irreconcileably contradictory, perhaps
from mistranslation; but the circumstance is not important. - E.]
[Footnote 161: This account of the ridge of Malexam is considerably
erroneous. The ridge of mountains in the text begins in the west of
China on the borders off the province of Yunnan, between Koeitchoo and
Quansee, and ends in the east at the province of Foo-tchien. - E.]
At this time Diego Calva arrived with one ship from Lisbon, and several
others from Malacca, and in consequence of this addition to their
strength, the Portuguese acted still more insolently than before, and so
exasperated the governors of the province that they apprehended several
of them, and even contrived to take the last arrived ship. At the
commencement of hostilities Duarte Coello arrived from Malacca with two
ships well manned and armed. The Itao, or Chinese admiral in these
seas, attacked the Portuguese with fifty ships, and though he did them
some damage, he was so severely handled by the artillery that he was
forced to retire and to remain at some distance, keeping up a strict
blockade.
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