94 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILEr 



The iflands of New Guinea run from fomething more than one degree fouth of the 

 pole antar£lick, three hundred leagues eaft to the fifth or fixth degree ; according to 

 4Ai which reckoning, they fall about the weft of Payta. The iflands of Solomon fall 

 to the weft of Peru, about eight hundred leagues from its coaft, and extend them- 

 felves between the feventh and twelvth degree : they are diftant from Lima about fif- 

 teen hundred leagues : they are many, of a good fize : there are eighteen principal 

 ones, which are, fome three hundred, fome two hundred, fome one hundred, fome 

 fifty leagues, and lefs in compafs. Between them and Peru, inclining to the land of 

 Chilethere, is another called the ifland of St. Paul, about the latitude of fifteen degrees, 

 and about feven hundred leagues from the Terra Firma. 



The fleet of William Scowten having run along the coaft of Chile in the year 1615 

 or 1 61 6, from the ftraights of Magellan, took their courfe to the weft, when they were 

 about the latitude of eighteen degrees, to try to find out fome new ifland, and found 

 one in fifteen degrees ; which, according to their computation, was diftant from the 

 coafts of Peru about nine hundred leagues. After this they difcovered two more,^ 

 which they called the Cocoa iflands, by reafon of the great plenty of that fruit that 

 was there, that the inhabitants did ufe to drink the fweet liquor that was bred within 

 the cocoas, but when it was at an end, they made a Ihift with fait water ; to which, 

 being accuftomed from their youth, it did not hurt them. They fay more, that the 

 inhabitants go naked, though not quite ; and that their way of being civil and faluting-^ 

 is to give thenifelves blows upon the temples, which is the fame as with us the pulling 

 oflF the hat or "cap. At firft they laughed at the fire-arms, till they faw one fall much 

 wounded, which undeceived them, and convinced them that it was not only noife 

 which proceeded from thofe arms. Thefe iflands are diftant from Peru 1 5 1 o German 

 leagues, which are longer than the Spanifli leagues, though not fo long as the Indian 

 ones. There were found alfo other iflands in the latitude of twenty-nine degrees, 

 which perhaps were thofe which at firft they called the iflands of Solomon. Others 

 fay, that there are others more to the weft, oppofite to Chile. Whofoever is 

 curious enough to know the particulars of all thofe iflands, their temperature, inha- 

 bitants, their good and ill qualities, may find them in the above-cited authors, who 

 treat of them more at large j for my intention, it is enough to fay what I have 

 reported. 



CHAP. III. — 0/the two Straights of Magella?i and St. Vincent, 



THE Straight of Magellan received its name from that man, who eternized his own, 

 by being the firft who difcovered and pafled it. This was that famous Portuguefe 

 captain, Hernando de Magellanes, whofe intrepid foul going almoft beyond the true 

 limits of all ordinary valour, feems to have bordered upon temerity and raflmefs, by 

 engaging himfelf to difcover a paflage altogether unknown, and fo narrow, that it was 

 very dangerous for fliips, being befides in the fifty-fourth degree, which makes it very 

 cold. This bold captain began to enter the ftraight by the North-Sea the twenty- 

 feventh of November, in the year 1520, and in twenty days, which was a happy 

 pafTage, he entered the South-Sea; from thence he failed to the Philippine iflands, 

 where he was killed in one of thofe iflands called Matan, to which he went from 

 another called Pezebu, to fight againft the king of the firft, becaufe he refufed to fub- 

 je6l himfelf to one of thofe kings who had turned Chriftian ; engaging him with more 

 courage than condud, and fo he periftied by the great number of his adverfaries. His 



death 



