Cortes, not yet resolved on submitting to the authority of Mendoca, fitted out two ships, under the command of Ferdinando de Grijalva and one Alvarado, on purpose to discover the route to the Moluccas by the way of the equinoctial line, because the islands of Cloves are under that parallel.  They went first to St Michael de Tangarara, in Peru, where they landed succours for Pizarro, and thence, all along the line, to the Moluccas, as they were ordered; and they are said to have sailed above 1000 leagues without sight of land on either side the whole way.  At length, in lat. 2 deg.  N. they discovered an island named Asea, which was believed to be one of the islands of Cloves.  Five hundred leagues farther, more or less, they came to another, which they named Isla de los Pescadores, or island of Fishers.  Going still in the same course, they saw another island, called Hayme, on the south side of the line, and another named Apia, after which they came in sight of Seri.  Turning one degree to the north, they came to anchor at an island named Coroa, whence they came to another under the line named Memousum, and thence to Busu, still holding on the same course[81].

The people of all these islands are black, with frizzled hair, whom the people of the Moluccas call Papuas.  Most of them are witches, and eat human flesh; and are so much given to wickedness, that the devils walk among them as companions.  Yet when these wicked spirits find any of the Papuas alone, they kill him with cruel blows, or smother him; for which reason they always go out in companies of two or three together.  There is in this country a bird as large as a crane, which has no wings wherewith to fly, but runs on the ground with the swiftness of a deer, and, of the small feathers of this bird, the natives make hair for their idols.  They have likewise a particular herb, the leaf of which, after being washed in warm water, if laid on any member, and licked with the tongue, will even draw out the whole blood of a mans body; and, by means of this leaf, the natives let blood of themselves, when afflicted by sickness.

From these islands they came to others named the Guellas, in lat. 1 deg.  N. east and west[82], from the island of Ternate, in which the Portuguese have a fortress.  These islands are 124 leagues from the island of Moro, and between forty and fifty leagues from Ternate.  From thence they went to the island of Moro[83], and the islands of Cloves, going about from one island to another; but the natives would not permit them to land, desiring them to go to the fortress, where captain Antonio Galvano, the author of this work, would receive them in a friendly manner, who was, as they stiled him, factor of the country, and they could not be allowed to land without his license.  This circumstance is worthy of being noticed, that the natives were so well affected to the Portuguese as to venture their lives, with their wives, children, and goods, in their service.