In the past chapters, Most Powerful Lord, I have told Your Excellency to what points I had sent people, both by sea and land, believing that, with God's
Search for
the strait
guidance, Your Majesty would be well served by them; and, as I always take great care and bethink me of all possible means to carry out my desires for the advancement of the royal service of Your Majesty, it seemed to me that it remained only to explore the coast from Panuco to the coast of Florida, which was discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon, and from there to follow the coast of Florida towards the north as far as the Bacallaos.[1] For it is believed absolutely that there is a strait on that coast which leads to the South Sea, and if it should be found according to a certain drawing which I have of that coast, it must lead very near to where the Archipelago was discovered by Magellanes under Your Highness's commands. And should it please God, our Lord, that the said strait be found there, it would open a good and short passage from the spiceries to these dominions of Your Majesty quite two-thirds shorter than that which is at present followed, and which will be free from risks and dangers to the ships; for they would then always go and come through the dominions of Your Majesty having facilities for repairs in any port they choose to enter. I thought over to myself the great service which would be rendered to Your Majesty, though I am quite wasted and exhausted by all I have done, and spent in the expeditions
- ↑ Bacallaos. This is the first known project for finding the northwest passage. Bacallaos, or the sea of codfish was so-called from the vast numbers of these fish which have been such an important article of commerce on our North Atlantic coasts. The Spaniards reached Newfoundland, called by them Terra Nuova; and Archbishop Lorenzana mentions in one of his notes that the Marques del Valle (in his time) bore the title of Duke of Terranuova. This is true, but has no reference to the discovery of that land by Cortes's efforts, as the title was created by Philip II., in 1561, and given to Don Carlos de Aragon, second Marques of Terranuova, who married Doña Stefana, a great granddaughter of Cortes.
