[For lack of space, certain documents to and by Jaime Ferrer,
regarding the line of demarcation, cannot be included in this
series. These documents--a letter from the Cardinal Despanya,
Archbishop of Toledo, Don Pedro de Mendoza, Barcelona, August 26,
1493; a letter from Ferrer to the Catholic sovereigns, Barcelona,
January 27, 1495; Ferrer's opinion regarding the treaty of Tordesillas
(undated, but probably in 1495); and a letter from the Catholic
sovereigns, Madrid, February 28, 1495,--will be found in Navarrete,
_Coll. de viages_, tomo ii, edition 1825, pp. 97-110; edition 1858,
pp. 111-117, part of núm. lxviii; and a translation of all but the
first in Dawson's _Lines of Demarcation_ (printed in _Translations
of the Royal Society of Canada_, 1899-1900, second series, vol. v,
sec. ii, pp. 541-544,--also printed separately). Navarrete states
that these documents, were printed in Barcelona in 1545, in a now
rare book compiled by Ferrer under the title _Sentencias cathólicas
del Divi poeta Dant_. In the first letter, signed "El Cardenal,"
Ferrer's presence is requested in Barcelona; he is to take with him
his mappamundo and all his cosmographical instruments.]
Compact Between the Catholic Sovereigns and the King of Portugal,
Regarding the Demarcation and Division of the Ocean Sea
Don Fernando and Doña Isabel, by the grace of God, King and Queen
of Castilla, etc.: Inasmuch as, among other things in the treaty and
compact regarding the division of the Ocean Sea, negotiated between
ourselves and the most Serene King of Portugal and the Algarbes
on either side of the sea in Africa, and Seignior of Guinea, our
most dear and beloved brother, it was agreed and covenanted that,
within the first ten months following the date of this treaty,
our caravels and his, accompanied by astrologers, pilots, sailors,
and others, agreed upon by ourselves and himself,--a like number on
either side--shall be in the island of La Gran Canaria, in order to
proceed to the determination and drawing of the divisional line of
the said sea--which must be three hundred and seventy leagues west
of the Cabo Verde islands, in a straight north and south line from
the Arctic to the Antarctic pole, as covenanted between us by the
said treaty of the division of the said sea, as is more fully set
forth therein;--and inasmuch as we now consider that the line of
the said division at the distance of the said three hundred and
seventy leagues can be determined and calculated better, if the
said astrologers, pilots, sailors, and others, come to a definite
conclusion and agreement regarding the manner and order of procedure
to be observed in the determination and marking of the said line,
before the sailing of the said caravels, by so doing avoiding disputes
and controversies that might arise regarding it among those going,
if these had to be arranged after the departure; and inasmuch as it
would be quite useless for the said caravels and persons to go before
knowing that any island or mainland had been found in each one of the
said parts of the said sea, and to which they must proceed immediately
and orderly: Now therefore, in order that all this may be done to
better advantage, and with the full and free consent of both sides,
we agree and by this present letter consent that the said astrologers,
pilots, sailors, and others determined upon with the said King, our
brother--a like number on either side, and of sufficient number for
this matter--must assemble and they shall assemble along any part of
the frontier of these our Kingdoms and the Kingdom of Portugal. During
the whole month of July first following the date of this letter these
men shall consult upon, covenant concerning, and determine the manner
of making the said divisional line of the said sea at the distance
of the said three hundred and seventy leagues west of the said Cabo
Verde islands, by means of a straight north and south line from the
Arctic to the Antarctic Pole, as is set forth in the said treaty. And
whatever they determine upon, unanimously, and whatever is concluded
and marked out by them, shall be approved and confirmed through our
letters-patent, by us and by the said King, our brother. And if after
the said astrologers, pilots, and sailors, appointed as above said,
shall have arrived at a conclusion, each one of the said parties
going to that part of the said sea, according to the permission of
the said treaty, and thereby observing the contents of said treaty,
any island or mainland shall be found hereafter, which either of
the parties consider to be so situated that the said line can be
determined in accordance with the stipulations of the said treaty,
and the one party shall cause notification to be given the other
party that they shall cause the line abovesaid to be marked out,
we and the said King, our brother, shall be obliged to have the
said line determined and marked out, in accordance with the method
determined upon by the astrologers, pilots, and sailors, and others
abovesaid, and appointed as abovesaid, within the period of the first
ten months reckoned from the date that either of the parties notified
the other. And should it prove that the land thus found is not cut
by the said line, a declaration of its distance from the said line
shall be given, both on our own part and that of the said most serene
King, our brother. They shall not, However, neglect to make the said
declaration regarding any island or mainland which shall be found
afterwards, during the period, nearer the said line. And in doing the
aforesaid, they shall not neglect to observe the manner aforesaid,
whenever any island or mainland is found in the neighborhood of the
said line as aforesaid, and up to the said time of the said ten months
after the notification of one party by the other, as aforesaid. It is
our pleasure in this our letter to postpone and defer the departure
of the said caravels and persons, notwithstanding the limit set and
determined in the above-mentioned treaty in regard to it. And we
therefore are pleased and consider it advantageous--for the better
notification and declaration of the division of the said sea made
by the said treaty between ourselves and the said King, our brother;
and in order that both our subjects and natives and the subjects and
natives of the said King our brother may be better informed henceforth
as to the regions wherein they may navigate and discover,--to order
(as in truth we shall order), under severe penalties, that the line of
the said division be placed on all hydrographical maps made hereafter
in our kingdoms and seigniories by those journeying in the said Ocean
Sea. This line shall be drawn straight from the said Arctic to the
said Antarctic pole, north and south, at the distance of the said
three hundred and seventy leagues west of the Cabo Verde islands,
as aforesaid, being measured as determined unanimously by the
said astrologers, pilots, and sailors meeting as abovesaid. And we
purpose and stipulate that neither this present letter nor anything
contained herein, be prejudicial in any manner to the contents and
compacts of the said treaty, but rather that they, all and singular,
be observed throughout _in toto_ without any failure, and in the
manner and entirety set forth in the said treaty; inasmuch as we
have caused the present letter to be made in this manner, simply
in order that the said astrologers and persons shall assemble and,
within the said time, shall determine the order of procedure and the
method to be observed in making the said line of demarcation, and in
order to postpone and defer the departure of the said caravels and
persons, until the said island or mainland, whither they must go,
is known to have been found in each one of the said parts, and in
order to command that the line of the said division be placed on the
said hydrographical maps,--all of which is set forth most fully in
the above. We promise and asseverate on our kingly faith and word,
to fulfil and observe all of the foregoing, without any artifice,
deceit, or pretense in the manner and in the entirety set down in
the above. And in confirmation of the above, we cause this our letter
to be given, signed with our names, and sealed with our leaden seal
hanging from threads of colored silk.
[Dated at Madrid, April 15, 1495. [165] Signatures of the King and
Queen, and the Royal Secretary.]