242 MODERN CIVILIZATION America Columbus wrote in the diary of his voyage: "I have purposely informed the sailors that the voyage • of each day was longer than it really was, so as to deceive pilots and sailors, and keep for myself the key to navigation in the west. I have succeeded so well that now no one is able to determine upon the route in order to return to the Indies/' For the peoples who had discovered these new coun- tries it was an important question how to keep away rival nations. Like the Phoenicians of the olden time, each one wanted to be the only one who was acquainted with the route to the lands of gold and spices. \Vhen Columbus landed at the Azores on his return from America, the Portuguese of the Azores took prisoners all the sailors wTho went on shore, and cut the moor- ings of the ship. When Magellan * arrived at the Moluccas, in making the first expedition around the globe, the Portuguese of the Moluccas seized the sailors. Even the explorers of the same country sought to injure each other. The governor of Cuba learning •that his lieutenant, Hernando Cortez, was going to conquer Mexico, sent out an expedition in order to stop him. In Peru the Spaniards, as soon as they were masters of the country, separated into two parties, and made bitter war on each other. Pizarro was killed, Amalgro was beheaded. These surprising discoveries were made with very feeble resources; the greater number of them were com- mercial enterprises. The princes who risked money in these enterprises, wanted the expenses covered by the profits. Columbus had only thr^ small ships * His companions are intended,—ED.