Cipangue Is The
Name Given To Japan By Marco Polo, And Is Of Course A Singular Blunder.
The Other Is Unintelligible, And The Voyage Is So Vaguely Expressed, As
Even To Defy Conjecture.
- E.]
[Footnote 5: This cape Cottigare in the South Sea, in lat. 12 deg. or 13 deg. N.
is utterly unintelligible, unless it refer to the southern part of Guam,
Guaham, or Goad, one of the Ladronea, which they soon discovered, and
which is actually in 13 deg. N. - E.]
On the 6th March, 1521, they fell in with a cluster of islands, being
then in lat. 12 deg. N. and 146 deg. of west longitude from the place of their
first setting out.[6] These islands were called by Magellan Islas de
los Ladrones, or the islands of robbers, and are called in modern
geography the Ladrones or Marian islands. They here went on shore to
refresh themselves, after all the fatigues and privations of their
tedious voyage through the Pacific Ocean; but the thievish disposition
of the islanders would not allow them any quiet repose, as they were
continually stealing things from the ships, while the sick and worn-out
mariners were endeavouring to refresh themselves on shore. Resolving
therefore to deliver themselves from the disturbance of these pilferers,
they marched a small party of armed men into the interior of one of
these islands, where they burnt some houses, and slew some of the
natives. But, though this correction awed them a little for the present,
it did not mend their thievish disposition; for which reason they
resolved to seek out some other place, where they might enjoy some
repose in safety.
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