Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/321

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Contention between the kings of Spaine and Portugall. in their way the Isles of the Açores, and the 4. day of March in the yeers 1493. they entred into the bay of Lisbon: which discouerie pleased not the king of Portugall. Whereupon rose a contention betweene those two kings.

Christopher Columbus being arriued went presently into Castile with the newes of all things, and acquainted the king Fernando, with the discontentednes of the king of Portugall: whereupon he and the Queene Isabella his wife sent streight word thereof vnto Pope Alexander the 6. whereat he and the Italians were in great admiration, maruailing that there was any more land besides that which was vnder the Romanes.

The bull of donation. But the end of this matter was this: Alexander the Pope gaue these countreies by his iudgement vnto the kingdomes of Leon and Castile; with this condition, That they should labour to extirpate idolatrie, and plant the Holy faith in those countreyes.

Fernando the king hauing receiued this answere, was glad of it, and sent Christopher Columbus againe on the former voiage, hauing made him admirall, and giuen him other honors, with particular armes, and a posie written about his armes to this effect[1]

For Castile and for Leon
A new world found out Colon.

Columbus second voiage In the yeere 1493. the 25. of the moneth of October Christopher Columbus went backe vnto the Antiles, and from Cadiz he tooke his course, hauing in his companie 17. ships, and 1500. men in them, with his brethren Bartholomew Columbus, and Diego Culumbus, with other knights, gentlemen, men of law, and religious men, with chalices, crosses, rich ornamaments, and with great power and dignitie from Pope Alexander; and the 10. day after their setting foorth, they arriued at the Canaries; and from thence in 25. or 30. daies they sailed vnto the Antiles; and the first Island that they saw standeth in 14. degrees towards the north, due west from Cape Verde on the coast of Africa. They say that the distance from thence to the Canaries is 800. leagues.

Deseada discovered. The name they gaue it was Deseada, that is the Desired or wished Island, for the great desire which

  1. Gomara historie general. lib. 1. cap. 17.