Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-25

sessions. An imaginary line was to be
drawn from pole to pole, 100 degrees
west of the Azores or the Cape de
Verde Islands; all west of this line
was to belong to Spain, and all east Of
it to Portugal. King John was not
satisfied, and the treaty of Tordeselhas
was made in 1894, giving to Portugal
all lands east of an imaginary line
drawn $50 leagues from the most west.
ern point of the Cape de Verde Islands
and all south of the Cape of Good
Hope. To Spain was allotted all lands
west of this line, ignoring completely
all other nations.
Fernado de Magalhaes, or, as we
write it, Ferdinand Magellan, and Ruy
Faleiro, both Portuguese subjects, who
had differences with their king on &C.
count of some petty pensions, offered
their services to Spain. Both had
served two years with Albuquerque,
and knew all about the Portuguese
possessions in the east.
Magellan represented to Charles v
who then ruled over Spain, that he
was sure the world was round, theo
ry then credited by few. He declared
his ability to find shorter passage to
the east than any known, to the Por'
tuguese, and would prove that the
Moluccas, rich spice islands, were
within Spanish territory. Charles '
had a small fleet fitted out and sent
Magellan with his companion in charge
we'll equipped for those days. HI
went south against the express stipu
lations of the treaty, and discovered
the straits which bear his name. His
feet crossed the broad southern ocean
passed the Ladrones and the then un
known Philippines, inspected the Mo
luccas, and returned by way of Cape
of Good Hope.
Magellan lost his life, and out of the
five vessels which comprised his feet
only one returned, under the command
of Sebastian del Cano, who brought
Magellan's written report of the expe
dition and map of the route, show
ing that all the spice islands and the
whole of the Indian ocean were within
the 1870 degrees belonging to Spain un
der the treaty of Tordeselhas. In the
map Magellan had deliberately cut AZ
degrees of longitude and brought the
whole archipelago within Spain's hal
of the world. He concealed the fac,
that the number of miles in degree O.
longitude decrease toward the pole.
Portugal protested and declared war
which continued two years, when the
celebrated Congress of Notabilities'
was held in small frontier town tt
discuss the matter and discover the
real facts. Portugal was at manifest
disadvantage. Magellan was the first
and only man who had sailed around
the world, and his map of the southern
seas was the only document extant
Spain refused to give up her alleged
rights, and Portugal held on to the
islands. The matter was finally com
promised by an indemnity of $50, ,0O(
cruzudos Of the gold of Molucca, which
Portugal paid to Spain for the suppos
ed 17t degrees Of Spanish sea which
she held. A new line was drawn from
pole to pole, starting from the Ladrones
This division gave to Portugal all ives
and south of the line, which was sup
posed to be 1870 degrees from the othel
line drawn, $50 leagues west of Capt
de Verde. This treaty was approved
by Pope Julian II in the bull: Ell
que pro bona pacis, and the matter
was settled.
Years afterward a Spanish expedi
ton discovered the Philippine, 81
named after Philip II, who was ther
king of Spain. These islands, though
many degrees within Portugal's line
were taken possession of by Spain
Portugal protested, and would, un
doubtedly, have obtained possession o
them had it not been for the disaster
to the Portuguese arms in Africa, which
threw Portugal into the hands o
Spain, where she remained for 60 years
This period is known in Portuguese
history as the "Sixty Years of Cap
tivity."
When Portugal finally regained hel
independence she was much weakened
and was more interested in settling
the boundaries north and south of hel
valuable South American colonies 81
the Philippines remained with spair
drought Iaches rather than by right
Had Portugal retained them it is more
than likely that they, like many othe1
of her eastern possessions, would have
fallen into the hands of the English
and their whole history would have
been changed.
SIT! degrees were reckoned as league