ight, God-fearing, skilful, and learned men to instruct the
inhabitants in the Catholic faith, and all unauthorised persons were
forbidden to traffic on or even approach the territories. If they did so
they would incur the indignation of Almighty God and of the blessed
Apostles Peter and Paul.

Such was the gist of the document under which the enormities mentioned
in the preceding chapters were committed. Portugal, except for some
disputes about Brazil, accepted this arrangement, but the other great
nations of Europe, especially England, disputed it from the very
beginning. Nevertheless, the governments, as long as they were at peace
with Spain, took no active part in the matter, but left the work to
individuals, even going so far in some instances as to disclaim their
responsibility for piracies committed beyond the seas.

English and French seamen, hearing of the treasure continually imported
into Spain, soon found their way to the new world, and as early as the
year 1526 precautions had to be taken against them. Orders were sent to
build castles on the coasts and strong houses, not only for defence
against the cannibals, who continued to ravage the larger islands, but
to protect the settlements from French corsairs who had already
commenced their depredations. The tract of the Spanish fleets led them
first to St. Domingo, and thence on to the isthmus of Darien or Panama,
where at first the chief port was Nombre de Dios. At these two points it
was of great importance that fortifications should be erected, and this
was done in the first half of the sixteenth century.

An English merchant named Thomas Tison seems to have been the first of
our nation who went to the West Indies, but he got his goods sent from
Bristol to Spain. In 1527 King Henry VIII. fitted out the _Dominus
Vobiscum_ and another vessel for those parts, but little is known of
their course. It was, however, reported that they went to Porto Rico,
and got there a cargo of brazil wood, and then proceeded to St. Domingo,
where permission was asked to trade. After waiting for the license two
days the Spanish batteries fired upon them, driving them off to go back
to Porto Rico, where the inhabitants were more friendly.

From this time the corsairs and rovers became more numerous and
audacious every year. Some went trading among the Indians of the
mainland, others, more bold, forced their goods upon the Spanish
settlements under threats of pillage. In 1536 th