In this situation, were the remains of the armament under Loaysa found, when the Viceroy of Mexico, by orders from court, despatched to Molucca three ships, under the command of Alvaro de Saavedra, who arrived at these islands, by the route of the Ladrones, now called Marianas, of which he took possession, in the name of his Majesty the King of Spain, in the year 1528. Saavedra pursued his voyage to Tidore, where he found the hundred and twenty Spaniards, shut up in their fortress. They considered him, as an angel sent to their relief, in the extremity of misery: but this joy was of short duration, new quarrels springing up with the Portuguese, who had succeeded in destroying, nearly all the Spanish ships. They at last, however, commenced their voyage to New Spain. Twice they made the attempt, twice they were driven back; and they suffered so much, that the General, with many of the crews, fell a sacrifice; the few that remained, being compelled to submit to the Portuguese. This was a most lamentable conclusion of the expedition; but all our squadrons, having represented the Moluccas as extremely valuable, on account of their spices, war was on the point of being declared, between the two kingdoms, about the possession of them. The Spaniards alleged, that it could not be denied, these islands were in the line of demarcation of Spain; and the Portuguese, were unwilling to quit the spice trade, of which they were in possession, and which so much enriched the mother country. These differences were adjusted about the year 1529, the Emperor, renouncing his right to the Moluccas, for three hundred and fifty thousand ducats, by way of loan, advanced by the King of Portugal.