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Page 38
Gomez, who was born in Oporto and reared there to a sea-faring life,
for some reason, unexplained; left Portugal and entered into the
Spanish service, in which he was appointed pilot in 1518, at the
some time that Sebastian Cabot was created pilot major in the same
service. He proposed immediately to the king, to go in search of a
new route to the. Moluccas or Spice islands recently discovered by
the Portuguese, and which, he affirmed, were within the limits
assigned to Spain by the line of demarkation. He exhibited a chart
constructed by him showing this fact, [Footnote: Cespedes,
"Regimento de Navigacion," 148.] from which it may be inferred that
he had already made a voyage to those islands. The way which he
proposed then to take is not mentioned. At the same juncture
Magellan also arrived in Spain and tendered his services to find a
new route to the Moluccas, specifically by the west, as delineated
on a globe which he produced. Magellan prevailed in his suit, which
was the reason, according to Pigafetta, the historian of the
expedition, that the emperor did not give Gomez any caravels to
discover new lands. [Footnote: Primo Viaggio, 38] It is to be
inferred, therefore, that the first route proposed by Gomez was not
by the west. The fleet of Magellan set sail on his expedition in
September 1519, with Gomez as chief pilot, an arrangement intended
to conciliate and combine both interests; but it was not a happy
one. Actuated, it is charged, by a spirit of jealousy and a desire
to embarrass Magellan, and render his voyage abortive, Gomez at the
very moment that success was assured, and the fleet was entering the
strait which led into the Pacific, abandoned his commander; and
profiting by the opportunity which was offered him in being detached
by Magellan with the San Antonio, one of the ships, to make a
reconnaissance in another direction, joined with certain mutineers,
seized the captain of that vessel, and returned with her to Spain,
arriving there in March 1521. The reasons assigned by him for this
desertion of the expedition, were the severity of the treatment of
the crew by Magellan, a want of provisions and the unseaworthiness
of the San Antonio. He was, however, held by the council of the
Indies to answer to any charges which might be preferred against him
by Magellan on his return, and in the meantime his pay was
sequestered and his property on board the ship attached. In
September 1522, the Victoria, the only ship of Magellan's squadron
which succeeded in returning to Spain, arrived with the news of
Magellan's discovery, and also of his death in a conflict with the
natives of the island of Tidore. Upon this information proceedings
against Gomez were discontinued and his property released.
The success of Magellan served the more to stimulate the purpose of
Gomez to undertake a search for the same object. It was supposed at
that time, by Sebastian Cabot and others, that the northern parts of
America were broken up into islands, but nothing positively was
known in relation to them, except in the region of Newfoundland.
Between that country and South Carolina, then recently discovered by
the joint expedition of the licentiates, all was unknown; and it was
considered not improbable that a passage might be found between
those points, through to Cathay and the Moluccas, the same as had
been discovered in the south, by Magellan. Gomez, released from his
disabilities, renewed his application to the emperor for permission
to prosecute his search, proposing now to make it through the
northern seas; and on the 27th of August 1523 a cedule was made to
that effect authorizing him to go with a caravel of fifty toneles
burden on the discovery of eastern Cathay. [Footnote: Herrera, III.
Iv. 20. The cedule is still extant in the archives at Seville.] In
consequence, however, of the remonstrance of the king of Portugal
against any interference with his rights to the Moluccas, Charles
suspended the prosecution of further voyages in that quarter until
the question should be determined to which of the two crowns those
islands belonged by virtue of the pope's demarcation. The voyage of
Gomez, and also that of Cabot to the La Plata, were delayed until
the decision of the junta convened at Badajos by the two monarchs
for the purpose of making this determination. To this body Gomez, in
conjunction with Sebastian Cabot and Juan Vespucci as pilots, and
Diego Ribero as cartographer, was attached,--a circumstance which
shows the high estimation in which his nautical knowledge was held.
The proceedings closed in May 1524, too late for Gomez to make his
arrangements to leave in that year. These were completed, however,
in February 1525, in which month he set sail from Coruna, in the
north of Spain, in a single caravel, on his voyage of discovery,
[Footnote: Navarrete III. 179. Peter Martyr, Dec. VII. 8.] Peter
Martyr, after mentioning the proposed expedition of Sebastian Cabot
to the south, thus refers in July 1524, to that of Gomez and its
destination. "It is also decreed that one Stephanus Gomez, who also
himselfe is a skillful navigator, shal goe another way, whereby,
betweene the Baccalaos and Florida, long since our countries, he
saith he will finde out a waye to Cataia: one onely shippe, called a
Carvell, is furnished for him, and he shall have no other thing in
charge then to search out whether any passage to the great Chan,
from out the diuers windings and vast compassings of this our Ocean,
were to be founde." [Footnote: Peter Martyr, Dec. VI. 10. Eden's
trans.]
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