His Purpose Was To Have
Carried This Merchandize In Carts From Panama, About Four Leagues, Or
Sixteen Miles Overland, To
The river Chagre, which is said to be navigable,
and which discharges itself into the North Sea not far from
Nombre de Dios,
where the goods could be reshipped for Spain; by which means all kind of
goods might be brought from India in a shorter time, and with less danger,
than by sailing round the Cape of Good Hope, as the voyage from the
Moluccas to Panama is almost a perfectly straight course between the line
and the tropics. But, in the present voyage, they were never able to
procure a favourable wind, and were therefore forced back to the Moluccas,
where they arrived in great affliction, as Saavedra died by the way[64].
Had Saavedra lived, he intended to have opened a navigable communication
from sea to sea, through the land of Castilia del Oro and New Spain, which
might have been done in one or other of the following places: - 1. From the
gulph of St Michael to Uraba, which is 25 leagues, or 100 miles. 2. From
Panama to Nombre de Dios, which is 17 leagues, or 68 miles, much the
greater part consisting of the river Chagre, navigable for small craft. 3.
Through the river Xaquator, now St Juan, in the province of Nicaragua,
which springs out of a lake that reaches to within three or four leagues
of the South Sea, and falls into the North Sea, being navigable by large
boats and lighters. 4. The other place is from Tecoantepec, through a
river, to Verdadera Cruz, in the bay of Honduras[65].
In the year 1529, Damiano de Goes, a Portuguese, travelled over all Spain,
and went from Flanders into England and Scotland, being at the courts of
the kings of these countries; after that he returned into Flanders, and
travelled through Zealand, Holland, Brabant, Luxemburgh, Switzerland, and
through the cities of Cologne, Spires, Strasburg, Basil, and other parts
of Germany, and so back to Flanders. He went thence into France, through
Piccardy, Normandy, Champagne, Burgundy, the dukedom of Bourbon, Gascony,
Languedoc, Dauphiny, and Savoy; passing into Italy by Milan, Ferrara, and
Lombardy, to Venice. Turning back, he passed through the territory of
Genoa, the dukedom of Florence, and all Tuscany, to Rome and Naples.
Thence back, through Italy, to Ulm, in Germany, and through Swabia,
Bavaria, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, and Hungary, to the confines of Greece.
Thence through Poland, Prussia, and Livonia, to the great dukedom of
Moscovy; and thence back into Germany, and through the dominions of the
Landgrave, and the dukedom of Saxony, into Denmark, Gothland, and Norway,
penetrating to lat. 70 deg..N. In the course of these travels, which occupied
him during 22 years, he saw, spoke to, and was conversant with, all the
kings, princes, nobles, and chief cities of all Christendom; for which
reason, I thought the great extent of his travels was worthy of
remembrance.
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