Friar  Perez,  was  selected  as  chief  of  this  first  mission-
ary band  which  set  out  for  the  New  World.*  He  was
also  appointed,  by  royal  authority,  astronomer  to  the
fleet — an  office  of  some  importance,  connected  with
expeditions  of  discovery,  in  those  days,  and  one  for
which  hia  talents  eminently  fitted  Friar  Perez.  Hav-
ing obtained  full  powers  from  the  General  of  the
Order,  Francis  de  Brescia,  he  made  a  selection  of
twelve  Franciscans,  from  different  parts  of  Spain,
timong  whom  were  the  Fathers  Garzia  da  Padilla.John
de  Borgognon,  and  John  Eosso.  The  admiral  and
Friar  Perez  went  on  board  the  largest  vessel  of  the
fleet,  which  was  named  the  Gracioaa  Maria  ;  and  the
Vicar,  with  the  missionaries,  on  another  vessel

On  Sunday,  the  3d  of  November,  they  came  to  an
island,  but  it  was  none  of  those  which  had  been  dis-
covered in  the  first  voyage,  as  they  had  kept  a  course
somewhat  more  to  the  south.  They  named  the  island
Dominica,  in  honor  of  the  day  on  which  they  had  dis-
covered it ;  and  not  finding  a  place  suitable  for  land-
ing, they  proceeded  to  another  of  the  group  not  far
distant,  where  Father  John  Perez  de  Marchena  was
the  first  to  go  on  shore  after  the  viceroy,  and  was  con-


18M,  mentioiiB  the  eiiate-.
