hen reigned in
Portugal.

The Portuguese and Spaniards who have been in these islands, affirm that
there are in them a certain species of hogs, which, besides the ordinary
teeth in their jaws, have two others growing out of their snouts, and
other two behind their ears, of a large span and a-half in length[86].
There is likewise said to be a certain tree, that part of which that grows
towards the east is a sure antidote against all kinds of poison, while the
western half of the same tree is itself a deadly poison. The fruit of this
tree is like large pease; of which is made the strongest poison on earth.
There is another tree of a very singular nature, for if any one eat of its
fruit, he becomes twelve hours mad; and, on regaining his senses, cannot
remember any thing that happened during his madness. There are likewise
certain land-crabs, which have the same effect of producing temporary
madness when eaten. The islanders also pretend that there is a certain
stone in these islands of so wonderful a property, that whoever happens to
sit upon it is sure to be afflicted with rupture. It is farther worthy of
remark, that the inhabitants of these islands gild their teeth.

In the year 1539, three ships which had been ordered by Cortes to discover
the coast northwards from Culiacan, and which sailed from Acapulco, under
the command of Francis Ulloa, having touched at _St Jago de Buena
Speranca_, entered into the gulf of California, which Cortes discovered,
and sailed up that gulf till they came almost to the farther end of it, in
lat. 32 deg. N. at a place which they named _Ancon de San Andres_, because
they came there on the day of that Saint. They returned southward along
the other, or western coast of the gulf of California; and, having doubled
the point of that peninsula, called _Cabo de San Lucas_, within certain
islands, they sailed northwards, along the external coast of California,
till they again reached to the same latitude of 32 deg. N. whence they
returned into New Spain; forced to this measure by contrary winds and want
of provisions, after having been absent a whole year on this voyage. In
these discoveries, Cortes expended 200,000 ducats, according to his own
account[87]. Cortes and his captains explored the coast of New Spain, from
the lat. of 12 deg. N. to 32 deg. or 700 leagues; all of which was rather warm
than cold, although snow is found on some of the mountains for the greater
part of every year. From Ca