r India. Amerigo, in describing his discoveries,
ventured so far as to suggest that they constituted a New World;
and a German professor, named Martin Waldseemueller, who wrote an
introduction to Cosmography in 1506, which included an account
of Amerigo's discoveries, suggested that this New World should
be called after him, AMERICA, after the analogy of Asia, Africa,
and Europe. For a long time the continent which we now know as
South America was called simply the New World, and was supposed
to be joined on to the east coast of Asia. The name America was
sometimes applied to it--not altogether inappropriately, since
it was Amerigo's voyage which definitely settled that really new
lands had been discovered by the western route; and when it was
further ascertained that this new land was joined, not to Asia,
but to another continent as large as itself, the two new lands
were distinguished as North and South America.

It was, at any rate, clear from Amerigo's discovery that the westward
route to the Spice Islands would have to be through or round this
New World discovered by him, and a Portuguese noble, named Fernao
Magelhaens, was destined to discover the practicability of this
route. He had served his native country under Almeida and Albuquerque
in the East Indies, and was present at the capture of Malacca in
1511, and from that port was despatched by Albuquerque with three
ships to visit the far-famed Spice Islands. They visited Amboyna
and Banda, and learned enough of the abundance and cheapness of
the spices of the islands to recognise their importance; but under
the direction of Albuquerque, who only sent them out on an exploring
expedition, they returned to him, leaving behind them, however, one
of Magelhaens' greatest friends, Francisco Serrao, who settled in
Ternate and from time to time sent glowing accounts of the Moluccas
to his friend Magelhaens. He in the meantime returned to Portugal,
and was employed on an expedition to Morocco. He was not, however,
well treated by the Portuguese monarch, and determined to leave
his service for that of Charles V., though he made it a condition
of his entering his service that he should make no discoveries
within the boundaries of the King of Portugal, and do nothing
prejudicial to his interests.

[Illustration: FERDINAND MAGELLAN.]

This was in the year 1517, and two years elapsed before Magelhaens
started on his celebrated voyage. He had represented to the Emperor
tha