l portions. All unknown lands hereafter discovered to the
east of this line were assigned to the Portuguese; all on the west
to the Castilians. Hence it came to pass that the Castilians always
sailed southwest, and there discovered a very extensive continent,
besides numerous large islands, abounding in gold, pearls, and other
valuable commodities; and have quite recently discovered a large inland
city named Tenoxtica [Mexico] situated in a lake like Venice. Peter
Martyr, [222] an author who is more careful as to the accuracy of
his statements than of the elegance of his style, has given a full
but truthful description of this city. But the Portuguese sailing
southward past the Hesperides [Cape Verde Islands] and the Fish-eating
Ethiopians [West Coast of Africa], crossed the Equator and the Tropic
of Capricorn, and sailing eastward discovered several, very large
islands heretofore unknown, and also the sources of the Nile and the
Troglodytes. Thence, by way of the Arabian and Persian Gulfs, they
arrived at the shores of India within the Ganges, where now there is
the very great trading station and the kingdom of Calicut. Hence they
sailed to Taprobane which is now called Zamatara [Sumatra]. For where
Ptolemy, Pliny, and other geographers placed Taprobane, there is now
no island which can possibly be identified with it. Thence they came
to the Golden Chersonesus, where now stands the well-peopled city of
Malacca, the principal place of business of the East. After this they
penetrated into a great gulf, as far as the nation of the Sinae, who
are now called Schinae [Chinese], where they found a fair-complexioned
and tolerably-civilized people, like our folks in Germany. They believe
that the Seres and Asiatic Scythians extend as far as these parts.

And although there was a somewhat doubtful rumour afloat, that the
Portuguese had advanced so far to the east, that they had come to
the end of their own limits, and had passed over into the territory
appointed for the Castilians, and that Malacca and the Great Gulf
were within our limits, all this was more said than believed, until,
four years ago, Ferdinand Magellan, a distinguished Portuguese,
who had for many years sailed about the Eastern Seas as admiral
of the Portuguese fleet, having quarreled with his king, who he
considered had acted ungratefully towards him, and Christopher Haro,
brother of my father-in-law, of Lisbon, who had, through his agents
for many years carrie