1542. ESTEVAN GOMEZ. 55 



ment in fitting out three ships well manned, of 

 which he is said to have taken the command in 

 person, though nominally under the orders of 

 Francisco Ulloa, to look out for the opening of 

 this strait into the Pacific, and to oppose the pro- 

 gress of the Portugueze and other Europeans who 

 might attempt this passage. Little is known con- 

 cerning this expedition of Cortez, but that it soon 

 returned without meeting witli Cortereal, or dis- 

 covering any thing that could lead to the suppo- 

 sition of a passage from those seas to the Atlantic. 



The Spaniards, however, were by no means 

 easy at the attempts, feeble as they had hitherto 

 been, to reach the Pacific by a northern route. 

 Accordingly, in 1542, the viceroy Mendoza sent 

 Coronado by land and Alarcon by sea to the north- 

 ward from Mexico, to inquire into and, if possible, 

 to discover the strait of Anian, which was then 

 supposed to be the western opening of the passage 

 into the Pacific; but both expeditions returned 

 without having effected any discovery that could 

 lead to the supposition of the existence of such a 

 passage being well grounded. 



The court of Spain were by no means satisfied 

 with such negative testimonies, and gave orders, 

 two years afterwards, for another expedition, the 

 conduct of which was entrusted to Juan Rod- 

 riguez de Cabrillo, a Portugueze in the service 

 of Spain. He proceeded along the north-west 

 coast of America as far as the latitude 44^ and 



E 4 



