he fleet; the blame will be theirs if, now, when everything is in
readiness, they obstruct in any way the expedition. The officials
of the house of trade reply, asking Magalhaes to keep the commands
that have come from the king. Ruy Falero will give up all that is
needed. They believe that the two Portuguese stewards appointed by
Magalhaes are honest men; but it is against the king's orders to carry
men of that nation. Letters from the king are cited to the effect that
Magalhaes and Falero take only four or five Portuguese apiece. They
urge him to live up to these orders. (No. xvi, pp. 156-162.)

September, 1519. On setting out upon his voyage Magalhaes leaves
for the king a memorandum of the latitudes and location of the
Spice Islands, and the shores and principal capes in the Castilian
demarcation, "because some time the Portuguese King may try to declare
that the islands of Maluco are within his demarcation." He bids the
king keep this memorandum carefully, for there may be a time when it
is necessary. (No. xix, pp. 188, 189.)

On the nineteenth of April, 1520, while at port San Julian, Magalhaes
ordered an investigation of a petition presented by Alvaro de la
Mezquita, captain of the ship "San Antonio." The petition states
that on the first of April Gaspar de Quesada and Juan de Cartagena
appeared at Mezquita's ship, took him prisoner, and made themselves
masters of the vessel. Quesada refused to liberate the prisoner at
the request of the master, and checked the intended resistance of the
remaining officers and crew of the "San Antonio" by severely wounding
the master, Juan de Elorriaga and ordering the others disarmed. The
mate was taken prisoner, and carried to the "Concepcion." Antonio de
Coca, accountant of the fleet, was a party to the conspiracy. Juan de
Sebastian del Cano, master of the "Concepcion," was placed in command
of the captured vessel, which was put in a state of defense, all guns
being mounted in place. Mezquita asks for a thorough investigation of
this case, so that the fleet may be cleared of traitors. The charges of
wastefulness and cruelty preferred against him, he wishes examined;
and, if he is worthy of punishment, let it be administered. This
petition was presented on the fifteenth, and acknowledged on the
seventeenth. The testimonies were given before a notary on and after
April 19, and certified on the twenty-sixth. In the investigations the
depositions were taken of the chaplain of the