alone, reaching the Moluccas in safety, after discovering on the way a group which was named Islas de los Reyes."[1]Saavedra found the remnant of Loaisa's party, under command of Hernando de la Torre, engaged in a struggle with the Portuguese, and was able to render some aid. He thereupon repaired his vessel, loaded a quantity of cloves, and after several mishaps, and cruises along New Guinea and other islands, he was able to depart for New Spain in May 1529. Two groups were discovered on the way, named respectively Los Pintados and Los Buenos Jardines,[2] and shortly afterward, when fully half-way across the Pacific, the commander died, whereupon the crew returned to the Moluccas, only to fall into Portuguese prisons. [3] Even had Saavedra succeeded in opening the route to New Spain, nothing would have resulted from it, for intermarriage between the royal families of Spain and Portugal, and other circumstances, caused Charles to abandon his Molucca schemes, and they were not revived for nearly half a century.
After a few months' rule under the triumvirate of which Estrada was evidently the head, a despatch arrived confirming Aguilar, or any appointee of his, as ruler, but without power to take residencia or to interfere in matters outside of the government. This order was owing chiefly to the efforts of Albornoz, who had left for Spain shortly after Ponce's death, chiefly to promote the interests of the anti-Cortés faction, and the aspirations of certain friends, while
- ↑ Galvano, Discov., 174, assumes this to be the same group discovered by Sequeira, or rather, numed Siquiera; but Burney, Discov. South Sea, i. 148, doubts it.
- ↑ Burney places them in 7° N., and 176° w. from Greenwich, and 10° to 12° N., 174° w.
- ↑ They numbered 18 on reaching the Moluccas, and 10 more died before they were enabled in 1534 to reach Spain. One of the survivors, named Napoles, there rendered an account of the expedition which is printed in Navarrete, Col. de Viages, v. 465-86. Besides the authorities already quoted, see Oviedo, it. 88-95; Gomara, Hist. Ind., 134-6; Id., Hist. Mex., 280-2; Herrera, dec. iv. lib. iii. cap. v. — vi.; lib. v. cap. vi.; March y Labores, Marina Española, ii. 67-93, with copies of documents. Most of these authorities refer also to Loaisa's expedition.
