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minifter, who governed Spain during his abfence, paid great attention to the projetftof Magellan , who not only convinced him of the pofiibility of reaching the Spice-Iflandsby failing towards the weft, but allured him that they were comprifed within thatportion of the globe which, in virtue of the line of demarcation, belonged to Spain ;for, had it not been for this reprefentation, the Cardinal would aflurediy not havefanffioned the invafion of a country veiled in another by the Pope. In order to fatisfyhim that the Moluccas w r ere in the Spanilh hemifphere, Magellan brought forwardthe teftimonv not only of Criftoval Kara, who ftated that he was convinced from theinformation given him by faclors belonging to different eftablifhments he had in India of the real geographical pofition of thefe illands*, but alfo of the famous aftrologer•Rodrigo Faleiro, who Ihewed, by a map of the world and by the compaffes, that thefeillands were fitnate within the one hundred and eightieth degree of longitude weft.And as the Cardinal continued yet to entertain fome doubt of the faft, Faleiroinftrufied Magellan in a method to calculate the longitude, fo as not tp overpafs theline f of demarcation. In order to clear the point, it was indeed propofed that Faleirofhould accompany Magellan ; but, as the former was an aftrologer, he excufedhimfelf from being a party in the voyage, pretending he had computed it, and found,if attempted, it would prove fatal to him. It did indeed prove fatal to Martin deSevilla, who went in his Head, but who had not forefeen that he would be affaflinated,as will be feen he was at the illand Zubu.
XIV. We .have a proof of the importance of inquiries into the longitudes, duringthis voyage, in the defcription I am about to publilh. Scarcely had the fquadronreached the Pacific Ocean ere the Cavellero Pigafetta made a point of noting on hisjournal, not only the latitude, but alfo the longitude of the line of demarcation;and in order to obviate any mifconception, hq remarks that this line is thirtydegrees weft of the firft meridian, which itfelf is three degrees weft of Cape Verd J.After having expreffed himfelf with fuch exaftitude, it is highly furprizing thatFabre, who has given an extradt of his narrative, fhould not have comprehended him,and inftead of degrees of longitude “ from the line of demarcation,” have conltantlywritten “ from the line of departure,” or “ the degree of longitude whence theydeparted;” and in that part where he fhould have marked the pofition of the line,the fame as our author has done, he fays, “ and thirty degrees from the meridian,which is three degrees more towards the eaft than the Cape of Good Hope .”It is evident his mode of expreffion is marked by a want of fenfe, and in confequenceRamufio, on tranflating the work of Fabre, has wholly omitted this paffage; thatin copying the author before him, in lieu of “ Longitudine dalla linea di divifione,”he fhould have given “ Longitudine dal luogo donde fi eran partin’,” is certainly ex-cufable; but by thus writing. he encreafes the errors of the longitude noticed byPigafetta by forty degrees.
XV. But the Portuguefe, interefted in determining the real latitude of the Moluccas ,accufed the Spaniards not only of being in error, but with perfidy; and PietroMartir D’Angera, a Milanefe gentleman, and hiftoriographer of the court of Spain ,pleafantly ftales in one of his letters §, that twenty-four pilots and aftronomers werechofen, Spanifh and Portuguefe, who, after numerous fyllogiftns, at length decided
* Epillola di Maffimili ano Tranfilvano, preffo Ramufio, tom i. p- 348.
•f Caftagnede, loc. cit.
j La linea de la repartitione e trenta graai longi dal mercdionale; el meridionale e tre gradiJevante longi da Capo Verde, page 56.