On the 10th August 1519, Fernando de Magellanes went from Seville with five ships, on a voyage for the islands of, Malacca[34].  Going along the coast of Brazil, he came to the Rio Plata, which had been previously discovered by the Spaniards.  Thence prosecuting his voyage of discovery, he came to Port St Julians, in lat. 49 deg.  S. where he lost one of his ships.  With the remaining four he came to the straits named after himself, in 52 deg. 80’ S. and wintered in that place, where he and his people endured much distress from snow and ice, and extreme cold.  They found the people of the country of extraordinary stature and great strength, insomuch that they took men by the legs, and rent them asunder as easily as one of us could tear a hen in two.  These people, named Pataganes, but called Morcas by the Brazilians, live on fruits and by the produce of the chase.  In the beginning of September of the following year, 1520, the weather became somewhat temperate, and leaving Port St Julian, Magellanes went to the straits which now bear his name; whence one of the ships returned to Spain, of which Stephen de Porto, a Portuguese, was captain and pilot.  The other three passed through into a vast sea called the Pacific; where they found no inhabited land till they arrived in lat. 13 deg.  N. when they came to certain islands named Los Jardines.  They sailed thence to the archipelago of St Lazarus, where, in an island named Matan, Magellanes was slain and his ship burnt.  The remaining two ships went to Borneo, and thence to the Moluccas, leaving many others discovered, which I do not mention, because I have not seen any exact account of this voyage[35].

About this time Pope Leo X. sent Paulus Centurio on an embassy to the great duke of Muscovy, requiring him to send an army along the coast of Tartary into India; and the duke was almost persuaded to have made the attempt, if certain inconveniencies had not hindered[36].

In February 1520, Diego Lopez de Sequeira, governor of India, sailed by the strait of Mecca[37], carrying with him the ambassador of Prester John and Roderigo de Lima, who was sent ambassador to that prince.  They came to the island of Macua or Massoua, on the African shore of the Red Sea, in lat. 17 deg.  N. where the ambassadors and their Portuguese attendants were set on shore.  Peter de Covillan had been sent there formerly by John II. of Portugal; but the best account of that country was furnished by Francis Alvarez.

In this year 1520, the licentiate Lucas Vasques de Aillon, and others of St Domingo, sent two ships to procure slaves at the Lucayos or Bahama islands; but finding none there, they passed on along the continent, beyond Florida, to certain countries called Chicora and Gualdape, and to the river Jordan and Cape St Helena, in lat. 32 deg.  N.[38].  The Spaniards landed here, and were hospitably received by the natives, who furnished them with every thing they needed:  but, having inveigled many of the unsuspecting natives on board their ships, they carried them away for slaves.  In their way back to St Domingo, one of these vessels was lost, and the other was in great danger.  On learning the news of this discovery, the licentiate Aillon made application to the emperor for the government of that country, where he expected to find much wealth, and received the appointment.