46 TREATY OF PARTITION OF THE OCEAN. [1494. 



might enter the Indian Ocean ; being encouraged in their exertions 

 by the Bull of Pope Nicholas V., issued in 1454, assuring to them 

 the exclusive rights of navigation, trade, fishery, and conquest, in all 

 seas and countries which they might find in that course, not before 

 occupied by a Christian prince or people. They had, however, not 

 reached the southern extremity of Africa when Columbus returned 

 from his first voyage across the Atlantic ; and, immediately after- 

 wards, the united Spanish sovereigns procured from Pope Alex- 

 ander VI. Bulls, granting to them and their successors, forever, 

 exclusive privileges with regard to the seas and countries which 

 might be found by navigating towards the west, similar to those 

 conferred on the Portuguese, as to seas and countries east of the 

 Atlantic. 



Upon these extraordinary commissions, as bases, was founded the 

 celebrated Treaty of Partition of the Ocean, concluded at Torde- 

 sillas, on the 7th of June, 1494, between the sovereigns of Spain 

 and the king of Portugal, then the greatest maritime powers of 

 Europe. By this treaty, the Portuguese were to enjoy and possess 

 the exclusive rights of discovery, trade, conquest, and dominion, in 

 all the seas and territories not previously belonging to a Christian 

 prince or people, east of a meridian line passing three hundred and 

 seventy leagues west of the Cape Verd Islands ; and the Spaniards 

 were to possess the same rights, in all seas and all pagan lands 

 west of that line ; no provision being made for the contingency 

 of the meeting of the parties proceeding in these opposite direc- 

 tions. The two nations having thus, under the guaranty of the 

 highest authority recognized in Europe, settled the conditions on 

 which they were to appropriate to themselves, respectively, nearly 

 all the sea and nearly all the land on the globe, without regard for 

 the wishes or claims of any other people, each continued its search 

 for a navigable passage to India, generally, though not always, 

 within the limits assigned to it. 



In this search the Portuguese were soon successful ; for, in 1499, 

 they sailed around the southern extremity of Africa, to India, where 

 they established their dominion or their influence over many of 

 those regions. They also, about the same time, obtained possession 

 of Brazil, the coasts of which were found to extend east of the 

 meridian of partition, to the great regret and constant annoyance 

 of the Spaniards, who had hoped, by the treaty of 1494, to secure 

 to themselves the exclusive sovereignty of all the countries on the 

 western side of the Atlantic. 



