316 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



or " gariofilum " of that author, which he describes as 

 growing in an Indian grove, is hardly Ukely to be any- 

 thing else. It was known to the Arabians and Persians, 

 through whose hands it doubtless passed on its way to 

 Europe ; but it was not until the Portuguese reached the 

 Indies that any definite knowledge of the position of the 

 Moluccas was obtained. Sequeira, visiting Malacca with 

 his squadron in 1509, found the spice-laden ships in that 

 port ; but some three or four years previously both Banda 

 and Ternate (or Tidor) had actually been visited by the 

 Italian Varthema, who probably gave a full account of 

 them to Albuquerque before he returned to Europe and 

 published his voyages. Immediately after the fall of 

 Malacca, a small fleet of three vessels was despatched 

 thither under Antonio d'Abreu, and visited Burn, 

 Amboina, and Banda. The loss of one of the ships 

 resulted in Francisco Serrao, the captain, being brought 

 to Ternate, where he remained until his death. He found 

 the islands in the possession of Mohammedan Malays, who 

 had conquered them about half a century before. For ten 

 years the Portuguese seem to have made no further 

 effort to acquire the islands; but in 1522, a few months 

 after the visit of the two remaining ships of Magellan's 

 fleet, Antonio de Brito arrived with a squadron of seven 

 vessels and established Portuguese rule, which for more ' 

 than 60 years was characterised by the most atrocious 

 cruelty and treachery. At the end of that time it was 

 practically terminated by a rising of the islanders. 

 Meanwhile, the Spaniards, in spite of having agreed in 

 1529 to renounce all claim to the Moluccas for the sum 

 of 350,000 ducats, had not only intrigued against the 

 Portuguese in the islands, but had even fitted out 

 expeditions against them. In 1606 a squadron from 

 Manila succeeded in taking both Tidor and Ternate, but 



