The active mind of Cortes began alread schemes for attempting this important discover ignorant that this very scheme had been unde accomplished, during the progress of his vict in Mexico.

Ferdinand Magellan a Portuguese gentlema able birth, having received ill treatment from and sovereign, in a transport of resentment nounced his allegiance to an ungrateful mast to the court of Castile, in hopes that his wort more justly estimated. He revived Columbu and favourite project, of discovering a passage a western course. Cardinal Ximenes listene a most favourable ear. Charles V. on his a Spanish dominions entered into the measu less ardour, and orders were issued for equip per squadron at the public charge, of which th was given to Magellan, whom the king honor habit of St. Jago, and the title of captain-genera

On the tenth of August, 1519, Magellan Seville, with five ships, which were deemed a of considerable force; though the largest of tl exceed one hundred and twenty tons burden ; the whole amounted to two hundred and thirt including some of the most skilful pilots in several Portuguese sailors, in whom Magella most confidence.

After touching at the Canaries, he stood di towards the equinoctial line along the coast He did not reach the river De la Plata till the January, 1520. That spacious body of water to enter into it, but after sailing for some d cluded, from the shallowness of the stream, a ness, that the wished for strait was not situated

On the thirty first of March he arrived at th Julian, at about forty eight degrees of south lat he resolved to winter. In this uncomfortabl lost one of his squadron, and the Spaniards much from the inclemency of the climate, th of three of the ships, headed by their officers, mutiny, and insisted on relinquishing the visic

This dangerous insurrection Magellan wisely suppressed, by an effort of courage, no less prompt than intrepid: and inflicted exemplary punishment on the ringleaders. With the remainder of his followers, overawed but not reconciled to his scheme, he continued his voyage towards the south and at length discovered near the fifty third degree of latitude, the mouth of a strait, into which he entered, notwithstanding the murmurs of the people under his com

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After sailing twenty days in that winding and dangerous channel, to which he gave his own name, and where one of his ships deserted him, the great southern ocean opened into his view; and with tears of joy, he returned thanks to heaven, for having thus far crowned his endeavours with success. He continued to sail in a north west direction pr three months and twenty days, without discovering land; nalin this voyage, the longest that had ever been made in ith the unbounded ocean, he suffered incredible distress. His

stock of provisions was almost exhausted, the water became free putrid, the men were reduced to the shortest allowance, time with which it was possible to sustain life; and the scurvy dbegan to spread among them. One circumstance alone rew afforded consolation. They enjoyed an uninterrupted mes succession of fair weather, with such favourable winds, that 1, 2015 Magellan bestowed on that ocean the name of Pacific, ced the which it still retains.

They would have soon sunk under their sufferings, had sout they not discovered and fell in with a cluster of islands, meric whose fertility afforded them refreshments in such abund Ifth ance, that their health was soon re-established. From these red his isles to which he gave the name of De los Ladrones, he he cor proceeded on his voyage, and soon made a more importis fres ant discovery of the islands now known by the name of The

Philippines; in one of these he got into an unfortunate art of quarrel with the natives, who attacked him with a numee, whet rous body of troops well armed; and while he fought at tation the head of his men with his usual valour, he fell by the iffered hands of those barbarians, together with several of his prinhe crucipal officers. Other officers took the command, and after se in off touching at several other islands in the Indian ocean, they

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rived at that sequestered seat of their valuable which they had discovered by sailing in an op tion.

There, and in the adjacent isles, they fou acquainted with the benefit of trade, and please ing an intercourse with a new nation. They to of valuable spices, with that and other specin commodities which they had collected from tries, they loaded the Victory, which of the tw remained, was the most fit for a long voyage, for Spain, under the command of Juan Sebasti He followed the course of the Portuguese by Good Hope; and after many sufferings, he ar Lucar on the seventh of September, 1522, h round the globe in the space of three years eight days.

To return to the transactions of New Spa time that Cortes was acquiring such vast territ sovereign, and preparing the way for future c was his singular fate, not only to be destitute. mission or authority from the sovereign who with such successful zeal, but was regarded a ful seditious subject. By the influence of Fon of Burgos, his conduct, in assuming the go New Spain, was declared to be an irregular us contempt of the royal authority; and Christo was commissioned to súpercede Cortes, to seiz confiscate his effects, make a strict scrutiny i ceedings, and transmit the result of his enqu court of the Indies, of which the bishop of president. Tapia landed a few weeks after t of Mexico, at Vera Cruz, with the royal mand its conqueror of his power, and treat him as a c

But Fonseca had chosen a very imprope wreak his veangeance on Cortes. Tapia had reputation, nor the talents, that suited the hig to which he had been appointed. Cortes, while expressed the highest veneration for the emperty, secretly took measures to defeat the effect mission; and having involved Tapia and his a multiplicity of conferences and negociations, making use of threats, but more frequently bribes and promises, he at length prevailed o

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raan to abandon a province he was unworthy of governing. But Cortes was so sensible of the precarious tenure by which he held his power, that he dispatched deputies to Spain with a pompous account of the success of his arms, with farther specimens of the productions of the country, and with rich presents to the emperor, as the earnest of future contributions from his new conquest; requesting as a recompense for all his services, the approbation of his proceedings and that he might be entrusted with the government of those territories which his conduct, and the valour of his followers, had added to the crown of Castile.

The account of Cortes's victories filled his countrymen with admiration. The public voice declared loudly in favour of his pretensions, and Charles adopted the sentiments of his subjects with a youthful ardour. He appointed him captain-general and governor of New Spain.

It was not, however, without difficulty that the Mexican empire could be entirely reduced into the form of a Spanish colony. Enraged and rendered desperate by oppression, the natives often forgot the superiority of their enemies; and took up arms in defence of their liberties. In every contest however, the European valour and discipline prevailed. But fatally for the honour of their country, the Spaniards sullied the glory redounding from their repeated

nevictories, by their mode of treating the vanquished. tica In almost every province of the Mexican empire the Ders progress of the Spanish arms is marked with blood, and pers with deeds so atrocious, as disgrace the enterprizing vaaislour that conducted them to success. In the province of sto Panuco, sixty caziques or chiefs, and four hundred nobles, were burnt at one time. Nor was this shocking barbarity educe committed in any sudden effect of rage, or by a commanto de der of inferior note; it was the act of Sandoval, who was ninal entitled to the second rank in the annals of New Spain, veron executed after a solemn consultation with Cortes; and, to

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complete the horror of the scene, the children and relations come of the victims were compelled to be spectators of their pudying agonies. This dreadful example of severity, was s authe followed by another which affected the Mexicans still more sensibly. On a slight suspicion, confirmed by very imperlowers fect evidence Guatimozin was charged with attempting to ordered the unhappy monarch, together with of Tezcuco and Tacuba, two persons of the gr nence, next to the emperor, to be hanged; an cans with astonishment beheld this ignomini ment inflicted upon persons, whom they had tomed to look up to with a reverence, little infe which they paid to the gods themselves.

When Charles V. advanced Cortes to the of New Spain, he at the same time appointed c ers to receive, and administer the royal reve These men were astonished, when arriving in the high authority which Cortes exercised. In they represented Cortes as an ambitious tyrant ing usurped a jurisdiction superior to law, aim pendence. These insinuations made such de sion on the mind of the Spanish ministers, tha of the past services of Cortes, they infused the cions into the mind of Charles, and prevailed order a solemn inquest to be made into his co powers to the licenciate, Ponce de Leon, ente that commission, to seize his person, if exp send him prisoner to Spain.

The sudden death of Ponce de Leon, whic soon after his arrival in New Spain, prevented tion of this commission. Cortes beheld the a crisis of his fortune, with all the violent emoti to a haughty mind, conscious of high desert, an unworthy treatment. His old faithful followers resentment, advised him to seize that power, courtiers were so mean as to accuse him of cove Actuated by sentiments of loyalty, he reject gerous advice, and repaired directly to Spain rather to commit himself and his cause to the his sovereign, than submit to be tried in a coun he had the chief command, and by a set of inte partial judges.

In the year 1528, Cortes appeared in his nati * with the splendour that suited the conqueror o kingdom. He brought with him a great part of many jewels and ornaments of great value, a tended by some Mexicans of the first rank, as the most considerable of his own officers. His