The Voyage of Verrazzano Part 7

AGREEMENT OF PHILIPPE CHABOT, ADMIRAL OF FRANCE WITH CERTAIN ADVENTURERS INCLUDING VERRAZZANO.

From the Fontette Collection, XXI, 770, fol. 60, in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. First printed by M. Marguy, and her corrected according to the MS.

Nous, Philippe Chabot, baron d'Apremont, chevalier de l'ordre du Roi, son gouverneur et lieutenant general de Bourgoingne, admiral de France et de Bretaine.

Avons ce jourdhuy delibere que, pour le bien, prouffict et utilite de la chose publieque du royaulme de France, mettre sur deux de nos gallyons estant de present au Havre de Grace avec une nef appartenant a Jehan Ango, de Dieppe, du port soixantedix tonneaulx ou environ, por iceulx troys veseaulx, esquipper, vitailler et convinyr, pour faire le voiaige des espiceryes aux Indies.--Dont pour icelluy voiage faire avons accorde avec les personnes cides...o...b.. nommes et signez en la maniere qui ensuict pour fournyr lesd. trois navyres de marchandises, victailles et avance de compaignons ainsi qu'il sera requis et necessaire.

Et pour ce faire avons conclud et delibere, avec iceulx, mectre et employer jusqnes a la somme de vingt mil livres tour, c'est a.s.savoir, pour nous Admiral quatre mille livres tour, maistre Guillaume Preudhomme, general de Normandye, deux mil livres tour; Pierre Despinolles, mil livres tour; Jehan Ango; deux mil livres tour; Jacques Boursier, pareille somme de deux mil livres tournoys, messire Jehan de Varesam, princ.i.p.alle pilote, semblable somme de deux mil livres tournoys.

Lesd. parties revenans ensemble a la somme de vingt mil livres tournoys. Por icelle employer aux vitailles, marchandises et avance, loyer de compagnons. Et nous Amyral et Ango prometons bailler lead.

gallyons et nef, bien et deuement radoubees et accoustrees, comme il appartient a faire led voyaige, tant da calfadages, cables, ancres, doubles appareilz, tous cordages, artilleries, pouldres, boullets, et tout ce qui est requiz a telz navires pour faire ung tel et si long voiaige que cestuy et rendre iceulx galyons et nefs prestz, et apareillez a faire led. voiaige dedans deux moys de ce jourduy Par ainsy que nous Admiral et Ango, prenderons au retour dud. voiaige, pour le fret et noleage desd. gallyous et nef, le cart de toutes les marchandises qui reviendront et seront rapportes par iceulx, sans aucune chose payer.

Et pour le loyer dudict messire Jehan pillote, lequel s'est submis et oblige de fournyr deux pillotes bons et suffisans pour conduire les deux aultres navires, prendra pr son dict loyer et de ses deux pillotes, le sixiesme de tout se qui reviendra de marchandises, led.

cart por nolliage, les frais et mises des marchandises et loyers desa copaignons en prealable prins et leves avant que prendre led.

sixiesme.

Et se, par cas de fortune, aucuns d'iceulx gallyons on nef feussent pdus aud. voiaige, ou que l'ung p quelque incovenient et les deux aultres feissent leur voiaige, la marchandise qui reviendroit se pteroit comme dessus et y ptiroit led. navire qui n'ayroit este audict voyaige et les marchans, chacun au marc la livre, car tout va a commun profit.

Et se aucun butin se faict a la mer sur les Mores, ou aultres ennemys de la Foy et du Roy; monseigneur l'Amyral prendera en prealable sur icelluy butin son xme, et le reste qui revenderoit dud. butin se ptira comme l'autre marchandise, sanf quelque portion d'icelluy butin, que ong baillera aux copagnons ainsi qu'il sera avise.

Et fera mond. sr Lamyral expedier letres du Roy en patent pour avoir license et conge faira led. voiaige, et que aucun empeschement ne leur sera fet ou donne par aucune nation des aliez, amys ou cofenderez du Roy nore d sr.

Pour le voiage de messire Joan.

[Translation.]

We, Philippe Chabot, Baron d'Apremont, Knight of the Ordre du Roi, his Governor and Lieutenant-general of Burgundy, Admiral of France and of Brittany,

Have this day determined for the good, advantage, and utility of the public affairs of the Kingdom of France, to put two of our galleons, at present at Havre de Grace, with one s.h.i.+p belonging to Jehan Ango of Dieppe, of seventy tons burden or thereabouts, to equip, victual and fit these three vessels, to make the voyage for spices to the Indies. To make the aforesaid voyage we have agreed with the persons hereinafter named and signed, in the manner following, to furnish the said three vessels with goods, victuals, and advance money for the crew, as shall be requisite and necessary.

And to do this we have concluded and determined with the aforesaid, to put and employ as large a sum as twenty thousand pounds, Tours currency, that is to say, for ourself, Admiral, four thousand pounds, Tours; Master Guillaume Preudhomme, General of Normandy, two thousand pounds, Tours; Pierre Despinolles, one thousand pounds, Tours; Jehan Ango, two thousand pounds, Tours; Jacques Boursier, an equal sum of two thousand pounds, Tours; Messire Jehan de Varesam, Chief pilot, a like sum of two thousand pounds, Tours.

The said parts together amounting to the said sum of 20,000 pounds, Tours, [Footnote: The sums here named do not make twenty thousand pounds.--TRANSLATOR.] to be employed for provisions, merchandise, and advance money to hire the crew. And we, Admiral and Ango, promise to deliver the said galleons and s.h.i.+p well and properly refitted and accoutred, as befits to make the said voyage, as well as caulkings, cables, anchors, duplicate furniture, all cordage, artillery, powder, shot, and all that is required by such vessels, to make such a long voyage as this; and to have these galleons and s.h.i.+p ready and prepared to make the said voyage within two months from this day. Also, that we, Admiral and Ango, will take, on the return from the said voyage, for the freight and freighting of the said galleons and s.h.i.+p, the fourth part of all the merchandise which shall return and shall be brought back by the aforesaid, without any cost.

And for the hire of the said pilot, Messire Jehan, who has agreed and bound himself to provide two good and competent pilots to steer the other two vessels, he shall take for his hire and that of his two pilots, the sixth of all the goods which shall be brought back; the said fourth for freightage, expenses and disposing of the goods, and the wages of the crew, being previously taken and levied, before taking the said sixth.

And if, in case of accident, any of those galleons or s.h.i.+p should be lost on the said voyage, or if one by any mischance does not, and the other two do make their voyage, the merchandise which should he brought back, would be divided as above, and the said vessel which might not have been on the said voyage shall share, and the merchants each one a mark to the pound, for all goes to the common profit.

And if any booty be taken at sea, from the Moors or others enemies of the faith and the King, my Lord; the Admiral, shall take previously, of the aforesaid booty, his tenth; and the balance which would accrue from the said booty, shall be divided like the other goods, except some portion of that booty, which shall be given to the crew as shall be advised.

And my aforesaid Admiral shall have letters-patent from the king expedited, in order to have permission and leave to make the said voyage; and no obstruction shall be made or given to these letters, by any allies, friend, or confederate of the king, our said Lord.

For the voyage of Sir Joan.

III.

LETTER OF JOAO DA SILEIRA, THE PORTUGUESE AMBa.s.sADOR OF FRANCE, TO KING DOM JOAO III.

Translated from the original at Lisbon, in Archivo de Torre de Tambo, Corp. Chron. Part I. Ma. 29. Doc. 54.

Sire:

I received a letter from Your Highness on the 19th of this month, through Joao Francisco, wherein I am directed what is to be done respecting the galleon and caravel, taken at the deira Islands, [Footnote: Probably Madeira Islands. TRANSLATOR.] by the galleys of France. As soon as I received the instruction, which was about the beginning of Christmas, I spoke on the subject in a manner befitting the nature of the case. At once they were released,--the caravel with her artillery and the brocades and silks. [Footnote: That is to say, the hangings, tapestry, and awnings of the vessel. TRANSLATOR.]

By this time they must have arrived at Lisbon. As respects the merchandise, I had the promise that if it was found to be the property of Your Highness or of your subjects it should not be sold.

After a few days, discovering that it belonged to Joao Francisco, an ample order was given to his agents for its entire rest.i.tution, which orders set forth that as he lives in the kingdoms of Your Highness, and there is an old friends.h.i.+p existing with the King of France which he was no less desirous of preserving, in this he would favor that king. After this order was promulgated another came from the chief official, in consequence of which nothing was delivered, and the goods moreover were sold. From that time to the present, nothing has been accomplished. I will strive the best I can for despatch, in the manner that Your Highness points out, and will give account of what I do.

When the matter of the galleon occurred, the Licentiate Pero Gomez had already embarked at Anaflor. I advised the Doctor, Maestro Diogo, who was about going to Reuao [Footnote: i.e. Rouen.

TRANSLATOR.] that he ought not to leave before writing, and to give Your Highness a statement of the facts in that regard; as he at once wrote that he would do so, I have said nothing further in my letters.

By what I hear, Maestro Joao Verazano, who is going on the discovery of Cathay, has not left up to this date, for want of opportunity and because of differences, I understand, between himself and men; and on this topic, though knowing nothing positively, I have written my doubts in accompanying letters. I shall continue to doubt unless he take his departure.

The Doctor Maestro Diogo de Gouvea is now going to Ruao [Footnote: i.e. Rouen. TRANSLATOR.] where he is going to find out everything with the greatest exactness possible, and, as I have requested, report at great length. May our Lord prolong the life of Your Highness many days and prosper the royal estate.

From Poessi the xxv of April 1523.

JOAO DA SILVEIRA.

IV.

I. LETTER OF ALONSO DAVILA TO THE EMPEROR CHARLES V, RELATING TO THE CAPTURE OF THE TREASURE SENT FROM MEXICO BY CORTES.

Translated from the original in the Archivo de Indias at Seville.

VERY HIGH AND VERY POWERFUL CATHOLIC LORD KING:

Captain Domingo Alonso, who was commander of the three caravels that sailed as guard on the coast of Andalusia, gave a cedula to Antonio Quinones and myself at the Island of Azores, in which Your Majesty was pleased to state to us that, from the news of our fear of the French who were said to run the coast, we had remained at the island of Santa Maria until your Highness should direct what might be for the royal service, in so doing we had acted well; that to secure the gold and articles we had brought, the three caravels were sent to us under that captain; and we were enjoined to embark in them at once and come with every thing to the city of Seville, to the House of Contratacion, and the officers who by the royal command reside there, for which favor we kiss your feet and hands.

The caravels arrived the xvth of May, and directly in fulfilment of the order we embarked, sailing for the Portuguese coast, which the pilots deemed the safer course, and coming within ten leagues of Cape St. Vincent, six armed French s.h.i.+ps ran out upon us. We fought them from two caravels, until we were overpowered, when everything eminently valuable on the way to Your Majesty was lost; the other caravel not being disposed to fight escaped to carry the news; and but for that perhaps the captain might better have staid with his additional force aid our defence than to carry back such tidings.

Quinones died, and I am a prisoner at Roch.e.l.le in France.

I should desire to come, would they but let me, to kiss your royal feet, and give a complete history of all; for I lost everything I possessed in the service of Your Majesty, and have wished that my life had been as well. I entreat that privileges be granted to the residents and inhabitants of New Spain and that you will consider services to have been rendered, since that people have loyally done their duty to this moment, and will ever do as true va.s.sals.

I beseech that Your Majesty be pleased to order good protection placed on the coast of Andalusia for the s.h.i.+ps coming from the Indies; for now all the French, flushed as they are, desire to take positions whence they may commit mischief. Let it be an armament that can act offensively, and which will not flee, but seek out the enemy.

I entreat, prisoner and lost as I am, yet desiring still to die in the royal service, that Your Highness will so favor me, that if any s.h.i.+p should be sent to New Spain, an order be directed to Hernando Cortes, requiring that the Indians I have there deposited in the name of Your Majesty be not taken, but that they be bestowed on me for the period that is your pleasure.

Our Lord augment the imperial state of Your Royal Majesty to the extent your royal person may require.

From Rochela of France, the XVIth day of June of M. d. XXIIJ years.

Of Y.C.Ca. Ma. the loyal va.s.sal who kisses your very royal feet and hands,