History of Central America, Volume 1, 1501-1530: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 6Bancroft, Hubert Howe
History
History of Central America, Volume 1, 1501-1530: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 6
Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Central America -- History
[1494.] Thus during the absence of Columbus on his second voyage we have
seen the ocean route between Spain and Española six times navigated;
first, by the fleet of twelve vessels sent back to Spain by the admiral
under Antonio de Torres; second, by Bartolomé Colon, who followed his
brother to Española with three ships; third, by Margarite, who revolted
and left Española during the absence of Columbus in Cuba; fourth, by
Torres in command of four vessels from Spain with supplies for the
colony; fifth, by the return of the same four ships to Spain with gold
and slaves; and sixth, by Juan de Aguado with four ships from Spain in
August, 1495.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: REPARATION OF THE WORLD.]
With the division of the world by Pope Alexander VI., Portugal was not
satisfied. The world was thought to be not so large then as now, and
one half of it was not enough for so small a kingdom which had boasted
so great a navigator as Prince Henry. It was not their own side, but
the other side, that troubled the Portuguese, fearing as they did that
the opposite meridian threw into Spain's half a part or the whole of
India. So Spain and Portugal fell to quarrelling over this partition
by his Holiness; and the matter was referred to a commission, and
finally settled by the treaty of Tordesillas in June, 1494, which moved
the line 270 leagues farther west. About the location of this line of
demarcation, and its effect on Brazil, and the Moluccas, much has been
written, though little has been said as to the motive that prompted
Portugal in making this change. The fact is, that at a time when the
Spice Islands were but vaguely known, and the existence of Brazil not
even suspected, it is impossible to conceive why Portugal desired to
change the partition line from 100 leagues to 370 leagues west of the
Azores; for the change could only diminish the possessions of Portugal
in India by 270 leagues, as in truth it did, including the Moluccas
in the loss, and gaining in return 270 leagues of open Atlantic sea!
True, there proved to be an accidental gain of a part of Brazil, but
there could have been no idea at the time that this partition line
cut through any eastern portion of lands discovered by Columbus to the
west. In whatever light we imagine them to have regarded it, there is
still an unexplained mystery. The Pacific ocean was unknown; between the
discoveries of Spain and Portugal, so far as known, all was land—India.
By carrying the partition line westward, Portugal may have thought to
find some western land; at all events, it is generally believed that the
effect of the partition in the antipodes was not well considered; that
the only point in question was the right of making discoveries in the
western ocean, and that the treaty of Tordesillas was decided in favor
of Spain—Portugal being forced to yield the main point, but insisting on
the change of partition in order to give her more sea-room. On the other
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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