OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 1 49 



the great progrefs of the faith, and the numbers of martyrs they have confecrated to 

 God, let him read the book made of all this by that apoftolical man Antonio Ruiz 

 de Montoya ; and then he will be extremely edified, and admire the work, as well 

 as the author. And fo I return to the thread of my hiftory. 



Juan de Solis being landed here, found little refiflance from the Indians, who are 

 neither fo cruel ^or fo warlike as in other parts ; fo he took pofTeffion of all that traft, 

 in the name of Their Majefties, for the crowns of Callile and Leon, as was always the 

 cuftom of the firft difcoverers. And he for himfelf took poffeflion of thofe feven feet 

 of earth which death allows to thofe he feizes, let them be never fo ambitious, though 

 while they are alive a whole world will not fuffice them. He lies buried there ; and 

 an end was put to his difcoveries. 



Much about the fame time, there were at His Catholic Majefty*s court the two 

 famous captains Ferdinand Magellan and Ruy Falero, offering their perfons, valour, 

 and induflry, for to find out, either towards the fouth or weft, an end to America, or 

 fome canal or ftraight by which both feas might communicate with each another ; and 

 fo the navigation from Europe might be made in the fame (hips, in which they might 

 go round all its coafts. They were treating upon this fubjett ; and the Portugal em- 

 baffador made it his bufmefs to oppofe Magellan, becaufe being fallen out with his 

 king about this difcovery, he defired he might not make it for the crown of Caftile ; 

 but at laft the king having heard at Sarago^a, in prefence of his council, the reafons 

 and grounds that Magellan and Falero went upon, he accepted their fervice, and 

 honoured them with the habits of St. Jago ; and having fettled the capitulation with 

 them. His Majefty commanded the fquadron to be made ready, and named the cap- 

 tains and officers of it ; and having heard that there was a difpute rifen between Ma- 

 gellan and Falero, about who ftiould carry the royal ftandard or flag, and the like, 

 he ordered Falero, as not yet well recovered of a diftemper he lay under, to ftay at 

 home, and mind his health ; and, in the mean time, that another fquadron ftiould be 

 got ready, in which Falero ftiould follow. 



The firft fquadron being ready. His Majefty commanded the afliftant of Seville, 

 that he ftiould deliver the royal ftandard to Magellan in the great church of Santa 

 Maria, of Viftory of Triana, taking at the fame time from him an oath of fidelity, 

 or homage, according to the cuftom of Caftile, that he ftiould perform the voyage 

 with all fidelity, as a good and loyal vaffal of His Majefty. The captains took like- 

 wife an oath to obey Magellan in all things. He, after many vows, having recom- 

 mended himfelf and his voyage to our Lord, went on board the ftiip called the 

 Trinity, and the treafurer general in the Vidory (fo famous for being the firft 

 that went round the world}. The other ftiips were the Conception, St. Jago, and 

 St. Anthony. 



They fet fail the tenth of Auguft in the year 1 5 1 9. They took the ifle of Teneriff^, 

 then made the coaft of Guinea, and arrived at Rio Genneiro ; from whence they 

 failed on St. Stephen's day, and having had a great ftorm, they entered into the river 

 of Plata : here they ftayed eight days ; and then following their voyage, they had 

 another terrible tempeft, which carried away their forecaftle, and forced them to cut 

 away their poop. They made vows to our Lady of Guadalupe and Monferrat, and 

 to St. Jago of Gallicia. It pleafed God to hear them, and they took flielter in the 

 river of St. Julian,* but not all ; for one of their ftiips was loft : the men got on ftiore, 

 but enduring fo much by land to port St. Julian by hunger, that they feemed fkeletons 

 when they came to their companions. 



9 While 



