54 DISCOVERIES OF I59,4t' 



of America, or Newfoundland, or Labrador, he 

 directed his course is not at all known. It is 

 evident, however, that he returned without bring- 

 ing back with him any hope of a passage into 

 the eastern seas, having contented himself with 

 seizing and bringing off some of the natives of the 

 coast on which he had touched. It is said, that 

 one of hi^ friends, accosting him on his return, 

 inquired with eagerness what success he had met 

 witli, and what he had brought back; to which 

 Gomez replying shortly esclavos (slaves), the friend 

 concluded he had accomplished his purpose, and 

 brought back a cargo of cloves (clavos), " On 

 this," says Purchas, " he posted to the court to 

 carry the first news of this spicy discovery, looking 

 for a great reward; but the truth being known, 

 caused hcreat great laughter."* 



Caspar, in his history of the Indies, is the only 

 authority for this voyage, of wdiich and of Steven 

 Gomez, as Purchas has observed, "little is left us 

 but a jest." 



The Spaniards were not less alarmed on the side 

 of the Pacific than thev were at home. Cortez, 

 the conqueror and viceroy of Mexico, had received 

 intelligence of the attempt of Cortereal to dis- 

 cover a northern passage from the Atlantic into 

 the Pacific, and of his having entered a strait, to 

 which he gave the name of Anian. Alive to the 

 importance of the intelligence, he lost not a mo- 



* Purchas his Pilgrimage, vol. v. p. 810. 



