DISCOVERY OF BRAZIL. 303 



of only fifty tons, returning 1 two months before Ojeda, with a large number of the finest 

 pearls and some gold. The amount of pearls paid into the royal treasury was so large that 

 it drew suspicion instead of favour upon Nino and one of his associates, and the first was 

 actually thrown into prison on the accusation of having kept the larger part of the spoil. 

 But nothing could be proved against him, and he was eventually set free. 



The year 1499 was also marked by a most important disco veiy, that of the great 

 kingdom of Brazil. It was reserved for Vicente Yanez Pinzon, in an otherwise 

 disastrous voyage, to first cross the equinoctial line, and on the 28th of January, 1500, 

 to sight the Cape, now known as that of St. Augustine, which he, however, first named 

 Santa Maria de la Consolaeioii, because its appearance relieved him from much doubt and 

 anxiety. Soon after he had taken formal possession of the territory in the name of Spain, 

 an affray with the Indians occurred. In a general assault the latter killed eight or ten 

 Spaniards, and the crews retreated to their boats, disputing every inch of ground. The 

 Indians pursued them into the water, surrounded the boats, and seized the oars. In spite 

 of a desperate defence they succeeded in overpowering the crew of one of the boats, and 

 carried it off. " With this," says Irving, " they retired from the combat, and the 

 Spaniards returned defeated and disheartened to their ships, having met with the roughest 

 reception that the Europeans had yet experienced in the New World." Pinzon revenged 

 himself, not on these savages, but on a quiet and hospitable tribe found on some beautiful 

 islands off the mouth of the great Amazon River. Thirty-six of the poor natives were 

 carried off, to be sold afterwards as slaves. 



Off the Bahamas Pinzon's little squadron of four vessels encountered a terrific hur- 

 ricane, and two of them went down with all hands in sight of the remaining two, the 

 crews of which were powerless to help. The third was driven out to sea, and the fourth 

 was so battered by the furious waves that her crew abandoned her in their boats. A few 

 inoffensive Indians were found ashore, and fearing that they might spread the tidings that 

 a mere handful of shipwrecked Spaniards were on the island, it was seriously proposed to 

 put them to death, when fortunately the vessel which had been driven away returned, and 

 it was later found that the other had ridden out the storm uninjured. They speedily made 

 sail for Spain, and arrived at Palos in safety. Pinzou had as much as he could do to 

 prevent the merchants who had supplied goods for the voyage at an advance of a hundred 

 per cent, or so from seizing and selling the vessels and cargoes. But a royal edict pre- 

 vented this, and he was able to satisfy them in the end, after incurring much loss to 

 himself. 



The Pinzon family were subsequently ennobled by the Emperor Charles V. When 

 Washington Irving visited Palos he found numerous branches of the descendants enjoying 

 excellent circumstances, and living in an almost patriarchal manner. 



In the year 1500, Rodrigo de Bastides, a wealthy Sevillian notary, inflamed with the 

 hopes of rapid wealth, fitted out two caravels, and associated with him the veteran pilot, 

 Juan de la Cosa, already mentioned. The first honourably distinguished himself by his 

 constant humanity to the natives, and the voyage was successful, commercially speaking, 

 for on the South American coasts and islands they collected a very large amount of gold 

 and pearls, but an unforeseen misfortune arrived. They found their vessels leaking most 



