Juan Diaz de Solis, who, with Yanez Pinzon, Amerigo Vespucci, and Juan de la Cosa, the pilot of Columbus, was a member of the Spanish council appointed to deliberate upon discoveries yet to be made, sailed to South America in 1514, and, doubling Capes St. Roque, St. Augustin, and Frio, entered the bay upon which now stands the city of Rio Janeiro, and was probably the first European to set foot upon the coast thus far to the south. He supposed the bay to be the mouth of a passage through to the South Sea so lately discovered by Balboa. He proceeded to the south, ascertaining the position of every headland and indentation with all the precision the instruments and science of the time would permit. At last he found a great opening of the sea towards the west: he took possession of the northern coast for the King of Spain, and named the gulf Fresh-Water Sea. Subsequently, finding that it was a river, and that silver-mines existed there, he named the stream Rio de la Plata. The Indians called it Paraguaza. He found the country fertile and attractive, and an abundance of the wood which had given to the whole region the name of Brazil. He went on shore with a small party, but soon fell into an ambuscade laid for them by the natives. Solis and five of his companions were taken, killed, roasted, and devoured by the horrible cannibals who inhabited the country. The Spaniards who remained on board the ships witnessed the shocking catastrophe, which so appalled and horrified them that they fled in dismay and sailed hastily back to Spain. [Illustration: FATE OF DE SOLIS AND HIS COMPANIONS.] [Illustration: FERDINAND MAGELLAN.] CHAPTER XXIII. REMARKABLE FORESIGHT OF THE COURT OF ROME--A PAPAL BULL--FERDINAND MAGELLAN--HE OFFERS HIS SERVICES TO SPAIN--HIS PLANS--HIS FLEET--PIGAFETTA THE HISTORIAN--AN INAUSPICIOUS START--TENERIFFE AND ITS LEGENDS--ST. ELMO'S FIRE--THE CREW MAKE FAMOUS BARGAINS WITH THE CANNIBALS--HEAVY PRICE PAID FOR THE KING OF SPADES--PATAGONIAN GIANTS--PIGAFETTA'S EXAGGERATIONS--THE HEALING ART IN PATAGONIA--THE TRAGEDY OF PORT JULIAN--DISCOVERY OF A STRAIT--THE OPEN SEA--CAPE DESEADO--THE OCEAN NAMED PACIFIC--RAVAGES OF THE SCURVY--A PATAGONIAN PAUL--THE NEEDLE BECOMES LETHARGIC--DISCOVERY OF THE LADRONES--THE FIRST COCOANUT--A CATHOLIC CEREMONY UPON A PAGAN ISLAND.