In 1504, Roderigo de Bastidas, formerly mentioned, with the aid of John
de Ledesma, and others of Seville, fitted out two ships, and taking John
de Cosa as his pilot, went on discovery to the Terra Firma of America,
where Carthagena now stands. He is said to have here met with Lewis de la
Guerra, and they in conjunction landed in the island of Codego, where
they made prisoners of 600 savages. Going a little farther along the
coast, they entered the Gulf of Uraba, where they found sand mingled with
gold, being the first of that kind which was brought to Spain. From
thence they sailed for St Domingo, loaded with slaves, but almost
famished for want of victuals, as the natives refused to traffic with
them for any. In the end of this year Isabella, queen of Castile, died.
While she lived, no subject of Arragon, Catalonia, Valencia, or any other
of the provinces, depending on her husband King Ferdinand, was allowed to
sail to any of the newly-discovered countries; but only her own subjects
of Castile and Biscay, by whom all these lands were discovered; excepting
only such of her husbands subjects as might be in a servile capacity to
her own, or a few that could procure special licenses.

In 1505, on the twenty-fifth of March, Francisco de Almeida, the viceroy
of India, sailed from Lisbon with a fleet of twenty-two sail. On his way
to India, he stopped at Quiloa, where he built a fort, appointing Peter
Fereira to command it. From beyond Melinda he passed over to the island
of Anguediva, of which he appointed Emanuel Passavia to be captain. He
built a fort also at Cananor, of which he gave the command to Laurence de
Brito; and one at Cochin, which was given in charge to Alphonso de
Noronha. This year likewise, Peter de Anahay built a fort at Sofala, of
which he was made captain. In the latter end of this year the viceroy
commanded his son Laurenço to go to the islands of Maldivia. Beating up
against contrary winds, he arrived at these islands which in ancient