The Plenipotentiaries From
Spain Were Don Henry Henriques, Don John De Cardenas, And The Doctor
Maldonado; Those From Portugal, Ruy De Sosa, His Son Don John, And The
Doctor Ayres De Almada.
After some conference, these plenipotentiaries
divided the world between the two crowns, by a meridian line drawn from
north
To south, 300 leagues to the west of the islands of Cape Verd, all
to the east of this line being appropriated to Portugal, and all to the
west to Spain; leaving, however, the liberty of navigation equally to
both[7]. In 1495, John II. King of Portugal, died, and was succeeded by
his cousin Emanuel.
In the year 1496, a Venetian named John Cabota, or Gabota, went to
England; and having acquired a knowledge of the new discoveries, and
perceiving by the globe that the islands of the Antilles were almost in
the same latitude with his own country, and lay much nearer to England
than Spain and Portugal, he acquainted Henry VII. with this circumstance,
and offered his services to make discoveries for the crown of England.
Henry was much pleased with the proposal, and furnished him with two
ships and three hundred men, with which he set sail in the spring of that
year, and sailed west till he came in sight of land, in lat. 45 deg.N. Whence
he sailed northwards till he came into the latitude of 60 degrees, where
the day is 18 hours long, and the night is very clear and bright.
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