Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/254

 242 THE AGE OF HAPSBURG ASCENDENCY the Persian Gulf; and under Albuquerque they established a Portuguese maritime empire in all the eastern seas. . The Spaniards established themselves in the West Indies, and at the end of 15 18 Cortes had started on that expedition which was to bring the empire of Mexico under Spanish dominion.