- 
330 Henry Stevens’s Historical and Geographical Notes, ete. 
Cortes was kept informed of these several expeditions, with 
a request from the Emperor that he would codperate with them 
at the Moluccas, by sending a fleet from the western coast of 
Mexico. Accordingly he caused three ships to be built on the 
Pacific, and dispatched them, with 110 men and thirty pieces of 
artillery, under command of his kinsman, Saavedra, from some 
port of Southern Mexico, probably Tehuantepec, Huatulco, or 
Acapulco, on the 31st of October, 1527. This fleet met that of 
Loaysa in the Moluccas, codperated with it, found the Portu- 
guese strong and resolute, by no means disposed to abandon the 
islands, fought them separately, and fought them together for 
months, nay, for years, never hearing a word from home, being 
cruelly es eee yet loyal and true, till reduced to a handful, 
7s canal, road, or portage, deeming it safer and cheaper to tran- 
p goods, than to ¢ them round by the Strait. ‘‘ There are 
hands, and Spanish enterprise can overcome them.” ButnoSpan- 
ish hands could overcome the impolitic blunders of the Emperor. 
There is little doubt that inter-oceanic communication would 
have been opened in 15 
a turnpike across the 
peror, who was tly in 
schemes ) 
May 10, 1869. 
ees 
isc iio 
