UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Revised Edition
""UN I VE RSI TY OF THE PHILIPPINl:-S OUEZON CITY, 1956
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
University of the:: Philippines
RIGHTS RESERVED
36 - II 7
41+ - II 17
47 .. 11 17 11 fo11rtb. 11 not "fourtn
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59 - line 15 HfJonti st P.ban ;i not nsatisteban 11
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85 - 88 - 97
omit the [,enten<:(:), 11 _:.nd of those who die ••• 17
109 - footnote J., line 1 - 11:nytholo~:.Y, 11 not ;1rne;tho
lop:yn
111+ - line 30
120 ~ a 12
123 - I! 17
148 - last line n sp0ken, 11 not :r Dpokcm i;
155 line 27
155 - ii 17
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11 It, 11 not liJfll
"rewards, ri not are,:;,.,rcl. s 11
Hencomienda, 17 not Hencomiendas 11
add 11 for 11 after 11 personsH
11 Islands, 11 not a Islans 11
11gates, 11 not agaves 11
add "andY after 11 Spanishn
11 pepper, 11 not 11 papper 11
11 merchanclise, H not 11merchanduse 11
271+ - footnote 2, line 7 - Hcontrary, 11 not 11 contrarty"
275 - line 29 11 those, r1 not Hwhose;i
285 - footnote ( second to the last line) - Hdecrees, 11 not
iidecreed 11
299 - line 6 llHistoria ••• , rr not rtHistorica"
312 - ii 14, "vengeance, II not 11 veangeance 11
318 - I! 7 "condition, 11 not 11 conditon 11
338 - 2nd to last line - 11Real, ii not 11 head 11
339 - line 5 - riprogress," not 11 pr ogres 11
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19 11 pesos, ii not 11 per so s 17
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17 11Fort,n not "Forst"
31 °virtudes, n not 11 vitudes 11
10 Nevr parac;raph beginf; with 11 Uninformed 11
666 - footnote, line 4 - Period after 11 Cabinet 11
-ii-
Brief accounts in the form of summaries of leading events of
various periods of Spanish history have been included to enable the
student to understand nore clear ly the nature and significance of
events in the Philip pines and their relationships to contemporary
events in Spain an,d in Europe.
I wish to express hereby my e;rc1.titnde to many of my former
students and to friends and colleagues who, in one way or another,
helped me in the pr1=!paration of the Rgag- ing§_. I wish to tr1ank
particularly Miss Jes efa IVi. Saniel who gave much of her time and
offort to the reading of the proofs.
University of the Philippines Nov emb er, 194 7
N. ZAFRA
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
Readin:2:s in Philir:mine History has been prepared meet
the-needf'o·r~r88d.ing materials of students who tab the course,
History 5, glven in the first two years oft College of Liberal
Arts. This course takes up the his tory of the Philippines from
Magellan' s voyase of discov to the outbreak oi' tbe PldJ.ippine
Revolution. Not ever: thing in this period, ho~9ver, is considered.
The gene~ outlines of the history cf this period, as well as the
main events and personalities of Philippine history, are presumed
to be quite farr1~:_1i::',:.' to tl;.os e who enroll in this1
course. Main intE-3rE,st :.f? di:i.'E,ctr-d to a few selected
facts, incidents and epLsodes of this period nnd these are studied
on the basis of matE-;riaJ.s gathered fr'om vario\ sources, primary
a:1d secondary. It is hoped that, in this1
way, the student not only will acquire a fuller knowledge of the
subjects studied, bu.t e1lso may gain famili'.3.rity wit and
appreciation of, the vast store house of materials from which a
history of the Phili:ppines may be written. Moreover, throt,gh
frequent handlin13 and analyzing of some of these rnateriDls, the
student may gain valuable ex-1 perience and training in the
application of the princi ples and methods of historical
criticism.
The ft.§JidJ.-r-:.g_s_ is not designed to supply the needs of the
historical r·9S()archeJ' or investigator. The latter will have to
explore the vast field of Philippine historical lite:1rature
itself, using as guides such bibliographical aids as Rotana 1 s
Aoara t,o B::i.bJ. ior:rafic o. Rob ertcon r s Biblio-'
I • • -. ,,...-,,._., ,. .. •,.n·--,o..-. .,. .• ,,_ ____ ,.~ ...
..--.-.- ., ... -~ •-. a I
o-y,•cin 1-.,.r of tn;:, Dl,,, · -,T,Dl'}P Tc.·] ·,r;(1C~ "1 r1r,
T-ovura's B- '"'] ic,·-e~a Q..;~.J:..-.. ~."':,L,_ __
·-_...,_,;..1. .. :,'..,.,.,3:..
;;.,~.-:::~·;_.;;:°.J;;:.Jh,..,.,.:: ..... ~ ... 1..)_
-'?,,;_·:..,.;....~ .. ' Cl. U. Cl v _-1;_~_::,.__.. ... ~--~
Fi.lipind., 'l'r!e 5.eadj.n.~s is intended mainly to meet an urg
e::-it and imperative need ,9.r;is ing from the inadequacy the
facilities of our libraries in the way of handy and convenient
collections of historical sources suitable a1 proper for our
purpose.
Most of the :materials contained in the Readings ha been takEm from
the 55-volume collection, ThePtII'}.jj_rine Is1ang_§., compiled and
edited ,by Emma H. BJ.air and James , Robcirtson, and published by
the Arthur H. Clark Co., Clev land, U. S. A. This is the most
complete and extensive compilation of Philippine source materia.J.s
in English so far produced. Spne of the materials in the
Read,t_ngs, ho' ever, have been drown from sour-ceo outside of
Blair and 4
Robertson's The Phi1i.n~Jine Islands. Th,2re are a few c ~ ments
which, as L1ras I know, have not appea.red in a1 \work -in English
translations before this time.
-iii-
PREFACE TC THE NEW EDITION
In this new cdi tion of the Readin2:s- in Phil ippinc Historv:,
many cl1;;-u1ges have been introduced. Apart from numerous
corrections, irrprovement2 and additions through out the text,
chringeE, were made in some of tLe documents which uppcD1·cd -i_r1
ti:'ifJ precr:;ding edition. Some docu- rients ha'1e brcn ordttecl
aJtogether. In-tho case of other documents, pas:-rnges ha;ie been 1
c;ft out for the sake of brevity. In their a bbrcvia.+~ccl forms,
ho111 ever, the latter still retain their e:Jsenti2l character and
value as sources of bi~'ltoric:al information. These ch2ng0s have
been made to mo.k e pos,3ibl e the addition. of new mc1- terial
without increabiw_:i: too much th8 volume of the new edition
•
Notable among the new features of tho present edition are the
material bearinp: on the life and works of Rizal• Thes 8 hav G been
add,ed. in view of the enact- ment of Republic Act No. 1425,
popularly known 1s th8 Rizal bill. The lav; provid E~s for the
giving of cour ses on th~ life, works and writings of Rizal as a
part of the curricula of all schools, colJeges and universi- ties
of tl1e Pnl.lip:_Jines, public and priv2te. Such c0ur- s es -are
ner-:;d ed, according to th\~ spomwrs of the meas ure in Congress,
to imbue the 7<.mth of the country with the ideals of freedom
and nationalism of Rizal. The new material on Rizal in the
Rendirnrn will, it is hoped, contribute in some way to the
.fulfilJmcnt of the aims and objeclives of the law. Select passages
from well known works of Rizal have been included in the nrE':sent
edition to enable the student in the course in PLilip pine history
to acquire a clearer undorstandin~ and a better appreciation of
Rizal and of his place and signi ficance in the history of the
Philippines.
A new chapter, the last, has also been added in the Readinp:s.
Under t.110 title, "Philippine Indepen- dence in the Now Age", the
cba.pt(~r is intended to serve as a fitting epilogue to the story
of the Philippine Re- volution. It t L~lls of the c ontir:.uo ticn,
durinv the American regime, of the independence strugrde ·which was
sta:::--ted by the lCatipunan Society under Andres Bonifacio in
August 1896.
-iv-
I am grateful to all my colleagues in the Depart ment -of History
w]·10 have rendGred valuuble assistance, in one form or another, in
the~ prepc1r,Jtion of the pres- ent edition. I v-rish to thank in
particular, Dr. Guadalupe Fores-GRnzon, Professor Josefa M. Saniel,
MiE3ses Justina A. Saltiva and Donc1ta Taylo, l'ilr. i,u.rsulio ;3.
Estani::,lao Jr., 1\I ' Al.i r-, t. C' rv: . .., . J . C r,.'[ CJ
C' ·:. IvT ·: 1 ·'' -·1 ,, . 1\/f L ,. ld rr. ,)_,r ,) ,.
1101a_e,.), 1-. .r .... ,cc.1r .. ,. i. JUL.,.,l), 1',.r. eo 1Jo o
TI. Serrano, ;_mcl. J'/[if3S Flordcliza Vicent(:o,
DcpartmeQt of History lJ ll • e r, • t' - .,... ·t· h C) p 1,. • ]
_• r O
• :::, C-' ._J.V r,,1 y u_._ . ,, uL.J. 1)!)l.i18,_,
Di1irn.r:m, Que::;on City Decem1)er, 1956
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One - Background of Magellan's Voya:I,c of Dis
covery
1. Introductory Survey • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • 1 2. Pope Alexanc~er VI 's Bull arnter Cs.etera 11 • • •
• • • 4 3. The Treaty of Tord2slllas • • • • . • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • 7
Chapter Two - The Magellan Expedition
1. Pigafettc2 's Account of the Expeo.it ion ••••••••• 12 2.
Transylvanus Ace ount of the Magellan Ex-
pec:ition .................................. 33
1. 2 • 3. 4. 5 •
The The The The The
Loaisa Expetlition ••.•••••••••••••••••••••. 46 _S2c1vecli--a
Ex~eclition ..................•.... 49 T :re J ·0 3r of i~ c1 r a 6
oz a . • . . . o ••• o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 2 Ville: lobos
E:xpe di tion ••••••••••••••••••••• 55 Leg2zpi Expedition
•.•••••••••••••••••••••• 61
Chapter Four - Early l7il5.pino Civilization
1. Morga 's -~,1cesos de le?..!? Islas F:LJJpinas • • • • • • •
8),. 2. Loarco's Relac~6n d0 las Irlas Fj_lip~_nas ••••• 106 3.
Plasencia r-;; i1Las Costunibre:::i de los Tai,alos 11 •••
11$
... 1+ .• C ol_in 's Labor EvangeJ.ic a •••••••••••.•••••••••
132
PART T"u!O - Tm~ FIRST C cJ\JTUR.Y Qli' SPAJ'JIS H RULE
Chapter One - Spain and the Philippines ir1 ·c.~1e 16th and 17t:,l1
Centuries ........................... 167
Chapter Two - Mo"'.",:;G. on ·the Eorly Years o::° Spanish Rule ••
18'5
Chapter Three - EcclesiG stical Fatroru ,·:2 in the Indies ••
213
Chapter Four - Ecclesiastical Affairs L1 the 16th and 17th
Centuries
1. Creation of the Diocese of Manila •••••••••••• 224 2. Origin of
the Privileres 3njoyed by the
Frid r's i~1 t.:,1~e Ir1d ies ...................... 227 3.
Incidents of the Diocesan Controversy •••••••• 229
-vi-
Chapter Six -- Spanish Commercial Policy
1. Laws Regardinr:: Navi2;ation and Commerce • • • • • • • • 244 2.
Memorial of Juan Grao y Monfalcon ••••••••••••• 255
PART THREE - THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Chapter One - Spain in the 18th Century
Chapter Two - The Manila-Acapulco Trade
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • •
•
261
272
Chapter Three - The British Occupation of Manila • • • • • • •
279
Chapter Four - Filipinc Revolts During t.hG 18th Century -
1. The 1745-46 Uprisings .• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • 292 2. Revolts During the British Occupation • • • • • • •
• • 298
Chapter Five - Ecclesiastical Affairs, 1767-1776
1. The Question of the Curacies Durin0 the Times of Santa Justa and
Governor Anda • • • • • • • • • 313
2. The Expulsion of the Jesuits • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
320
':IT'fua:pter Six - GovGrnor Basco's AdministrEition
1. Bascovs Plc.ms and. Policies •••••••••••••••••... 325 2. The
Tobacco Monopoly •••.••••••••.•.••••••••.•• 329 3. The Real
Compafiia de Filipinas ••••••••••.••••• 331
Chapter Seven - The Philip-pines At The Clos(~ of the lest h
Century
1. The Governnent of the Philippines • • • • • • • • • • • • • J40
.2. The Provinces •••••••••••••••••••• ~ •••.•••••••• 353 3. Social
Life - Manners and Customs • • . • • • • • • • • • • 357
\ PART FOUR - POLITIC1LL' ECONm:rc AND CULTURAL PH OGRESS
1800-:187;
Chapter One - Philip~ine Representation in the Spanish Cortes
1. European :3ackground of Philippine RGDresen- t a ti on •• o
•••••••••••••• ~ • o ......... Cl •••••••
-vii-
2. The Philippines and the Cortes of 181C-181J ••• J. The
Constitution of Cadiz •..•.••.••.••••••••• 4. The IJ.ocos Revolt,
Hn4-1815 ................ . 5. The Cortes of 1$20-1823
•••.••.••••••••••••••• 6. The Cortes of 183/+-1[;37
•••.•.•.......••.•• · • •
Chapter Two - :Material Pron-r()SS
1. Regidor-l',fu.sonr s Account on Philippine Com- mercial Prcrress
••••••••.••••••••••••••• 388
2. Economic c1.nd Soci-11 1(r,sul t::., er" the O~cning of the
PhilippirH:s to Foreign Nations
(a) Economic and Social Development •..••••• (b) Commercial and
Ao.::riculturel Progress .•• (c) 'social and Political Results •• ~
••.•..•
J. Other Aspects of Philippines Material Pro gress
(a) Improvement of Communication F'c.1ci- J.itj_es
.........•............. · • • · •
(b) Campaigns Against Piracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter
Three - Provincinl and Municipal Reforms
Ji,04 406 l.i,C~ ' ' ,-i
J.i-1, 41t
1. Defects o.f the· Administrative System ••••...•• 424 2. The
Rofprn Decree of 1844 .............•.....• 436 J. 'Ihe Provi.nc es
AbclJt the Middl s of · thri 19th ----
C er1 t ur :;:r • • • • • • • • " • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• ~ • • • •••••• 4. The Municipal Reform Decree o.f lt47
•..•.....•
Chapter Four - Educatiorwl Reforms
1. Educational and Cultural Conditibns about the :viicldl e oE th0
19th Century ..•••••••••• 4
2. The Educational Decree of 1g63 •........••... ~ L 3. Other
Notable El~ucationa1 DEvel.orments ••••••• 466
Chapter Five - The Spanish Revolution and Its Results
1. Bae kg round of the Hevol ution ................. 2. Effects
Upcn the PhiJ.ippinE.~s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Six - The Cavite Affair of 1872
~-69 478
1. Background of the Cavite Affair •..•••.••••••• 483 2. The Cc1vi
te Affair :rnd Its Results •••..••••••• 499
PART FIVE - THE LAST YEARS OF SPANISH RULE
Chapter One - Spain, 1871-1898 ....................... ..
Chapter Three - Reforms Granted to the Philippines
1. The Tax Reform of l88L1- •.•••••••••••••••••• : •• 2. The
Provincial He.form of 1886 ...•..••...•...• 3. The Reform DecreE:
of 1885 ......•.•••••.....•. 4. The Extension of the Spanish Codes
••••••••••• 5. The Royal Order of November 12} 1Ss9 ........ . 6.
The B.oyal Decree of Hay 1 7, 1893 ............ . 7. Suppression of
the Tobacco Monopoly ••••••••.•
Chapter Four - The Propaganda Campaign
1. Rizal as a Propagandist .••..••••••••••••••.•• 2. La Solidaridad
..•..••..•••••••••••••••••••••• J. The PetitioP of 1888 and the
Calamba Episode •• 4. La Liga Filipina
•••••••..•••••.••••••••••••.•
Chapter Five - The Philippine Revolution
1 • Tl:-1e Ka ti'iJu11an ..... ~ .........................• 2. The
Philippines on the Eve of the Revolu-
tion ..................................... . 3. Outbreak of the
PlJil ippine Revolution ••••••••
Chapter Six - Philippine Independence in the New Age •••
----o:o----
1. Introductory Survey
The voyage of Magellan to, the Philippines, one of the
great accomplishments of Spain in early modern times, was an
event of the reign of Ch~rles I. (1516-1556) •1 It ranks in
historical importance with Columbus' voyage to· the New World
in 1492 and Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 149S. These
voyages. were the prelude to that great event of early modern
times which history writers refer to as the Commercial Revo
lution.
From the standpoint of Spanish national history, the
voyages of Columbus and Magellan were the sequel of an
impor-.
tant event which took place in the Spanish Peninsula in the
1 - Charles I was the son of Mad Joan ( Juana la Loca), daughter
.of Ferdinand and Isabella, and Philip, the Handsome ( el Hermosa),
son of ¥1aximilian of Austria, Emperor of the Hol-y Roman Empire.
Besidcf; being King of Spain, he was Em peror Charles V of the
Holy Roman Empire. He was elected Emperor of the E:rnpire shortly
after his accession to the Spanish throne.
. A descendant of the Hapsburgs of Austria,. Charles I founded the
Spanish Hapsb~rg dynasty which ruled Spain for nearly two hundred
years. The other Spanish Hapsburgs were Philip II (1556-1598},
Philip III (1598-1621), Philip IV (1621-1665) and Charles II
(1665-1700).
-2-
later Middle Ages. This was the union through marriage of
two of the then leading states in the Peninsula, the kingdom
of Castilla.-Leon and the kingdom of Aragon. On October 14th,
1469, Princess Isabel of Castilla-Loon was betrothed to
Ferdinand, · heir to the throne of Aragon. This event signal-
ized the culmination of the centuries-old process of national
evolution which had been in progress in the Peninsula and in
which the small independent Cr1ristian otntes in Spain were
united and consolidc:ited into bigger states and kingdoms.
The
ultimate outcome of' this process was the emergence of
l-:'fodern
Spain, destined to play a leading role in European affairs
in early modern times.
Under Ferdinand and Isabella (1474-1516), frequently ~ '
referred to by Spanish 1f,lr1t. 0..r~_,:'l.r1 J;,o:=1 .R.ffVG.S. ..
C®nl_j..c.os., t . .rv:'. ·
new Spain, following the example of Portugal, emb0.rk<)rl
uJ,ol\
the task of finding a new trade route to the countries of
the Far East. The need for such a route was keenly felt at
that time throughout Western Europe. For the old trade
rqutes over which the riches of the Orient, from immemorial
time, found their -way to Europe, no longer Yc)r'Oved adequate
--...-------
and ~~tisfactory. For one thing, the Mediterranean Sea,
over which the goods from the East were carried to Western
Europe, was con\I:oll-ed by the maritime city states of
Italy•
Because of their favorable geographical situation in relation
-3-
to the terminals of the old trade routes, the merchants of
the Italian city states had a decided advantage over the mer
chants of Western Europe in the international competition
for control and domination of the trado with the East. Be
sides, the countries in the eastern Mr3diterranean, where the
old trade routes had their terminals, wore gradually fall
ing into the hands of· Moslem Powers.
Portugal pioneered in the task of finding new routes
to the countries of the East. Under the patronage and en
couragement of Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), Por
tuguese sailors undertook voyages of discovery and explora
tion along the Atlantic coast of Africa. Princfa Henry did
not live long enough to see the roalization of the Portu
guese dream of reaching the East by a direct all water route.
However, the project that he had started was carried on by
the Portuguese with undiminished zeal. In 1486, Bartholo-
mew Diaz reached the southernmost tip of Africa. The Por
tuguese called the place "Cape of Good Hope, 11 a name chosen
to express their undying faith in the ultimate success of
their undertakings. Twelve years later, they had the great
satisfaction of seeing their dream come true. In 149£5,
Vas co da Gama sailed into the harbor of Calicut, India,
bringil}g to a successful conclusion one of the most memor-
able voyages in early modern times. At last a direct all-
-4-
watElr route to the East had been found which could give
traders from Western Europe freedom ::rnd immunity frcm
inter
ference or control on the part of the marit,ime city states
of Italy and the Moslem states in Western Asia.
It was; however, to the Spnin of Ferdinand and IGabella
that the honor belongs of accomplishing the first truly epoch
making voyage of modern times. Six years before Vasco da
Gama accomplished his memorable voyage, Chrictophor Columbus,
sailing under the flag of Spain, and, following a bold plan
of his own to get to the countries o·f Eastern Asia, h.ad
suc
cessfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean and had come upon a
new world, (1492),
Columbus' achievement gave rise to misunderstanding
and controversy between Spain and Portugal. For it was gen
erally believed. then that the world was much smaller than
its actual size and that Columbus had reached islnnds off
the eastern coast of India. Portugal contended that Columbus
had gone into reeions which at that time wero being disco
vered and explored by her own navigators.
To settle the controversy bet-ween Spain and Portue;al,
Pope Alexander VI issued in 1493 a papal bull establishing
a line of demarcation between the areas assicned for dis-
-5-
covory and exploration to the rulers of these states. The
YVInter Caetera, r; as this document is known, was
promulgated
May 4, 1493.
Important portions of the document are the
Arnone other works well pleasing to his di vine llf.aj csty and
cherished of our heart, this as suredly ranks highest: that in our
times especial ly the Catholic faith and the Christian law be
exalted and overywh.ere increased :.crnd sp:tead •.• Wherefor o,
recognizing that as true Catholic kings and princes such as we have
always known you to be, and as your illuf;trious deeds already
known to almost t, he whole worJ.d declo.re, you not only eagerly
desire but with every effort, zeal, and diligence, without regard
to hardships, ex penses, dangers, with the shedding even of your
blood, are laboring to that end; thnt besides you have already long
ago dedicated to this purpose your whole soul and all your
endeavors, as wit nessed in these times with so much glory to the
divine name in your recovery of the kingdom of Granada from the
yoko of the Moors, we therefore not unrichteously hold it as our
duty to grant. you even of our own accord and in your .favor those
things whereby daily and with heartj_er ef fort you may be enabled
.for the honor of God him self and- the spread of the Chrj_stian
rule to ac complish your saintly and praiseworthy purpose so
pleasing to immortal God. In sooth we have learned that according
to your purpose long ago you were in quest of some far-away islands
and mainlands not hitherto discovered by othors, to the end that
you might bring to the wors:1ip of our Redeemer and the profession
of the Catholic faith tl1e inhabit:rnts of them; ••• thc1.t with
the wish to fulfill your desire, you chose our be-
l - Blair & Robertson, The Philippine Islands, vol. 1, pp. 97
ff. In subseguont citations, BJ.cdr and Robert son, The Philippine
Islands, will be referred to by the abbreviated form, B. &
R.
-6-
loved son, Christopher Colon, ••• to make dili gent quest for
these far-away, unknown mainlands and islands through the sea,
where hitherto no one has sailed; who in fine, with di.vine aid,
nor without the utmost di1i6ence, sailing in the Ocean Sea
discovered certain very far-away islands and even mainlands th:it
hitherto had not bean disco- vered by others... Wherefore, as
becoming to Catholic kings and princes, after earnest considera
tion of all matters, especially of the rise and spread of the
Catholic faith, you have purposed with the favor of divine clemency
to bring unde:)r your sway tho said mainl&nds E,.nd island;3
vdth their inhabitants 2.nd 7-he dw8llers therein, and
· br;i.ng them to the Catholic f,1ith. ~. By tenor of these pros
ents, we do give, gr&nt, and assign to you and you:;:' heirs
and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever, together with
all thoir domin ions, cities, camps, places, c:;.nd towns as well
as all rights, jurisd:i .. ctions, 2.ncl appurtenances, all isl2nds
2nd m2inlands found E:nd t-'.) be found, dis - covered and to be
discoverod towards the west and south, by drawing and 9stablishing
a line; from the Arctic pole, nr.-'l.mely the north, to t:.ie
Antartic pole, namely the south, no matt.er whethor tho said
mainlands and islands are found and to be found in the direction of
India or towards any other quarter, the said line to the west. and
south to be distant one hundred leagues from any of the is-· lands
commonly known as the Azores and Cc:.:i.to Verde-. With this
proviso however that none of the is lands and ma.inland,s found
and to be found, disco vorcd and to be discoverec: bevond that
said line towards the 1,wst and south, b;.3 in tlic actual pos
session of any Cllristian kinF; or i'):.:ince up to the birth duy
o.f our Lord: Jesus Christ ju2t pa.st in the present year o".1e
thousand four hnr:id:cr;d and ninoty threP. Mol.·"eOVP."" ,.·o Yil"
1,e 'l~lPO ·1' 1·1./-· ~ nd de_,_ ._ • ..,,..,. Vv v - C!, ,l_ ' C
i._- ..... V et -. V
pute you and your sE1 :j.d J.1c-)::l.rs anc s11.ccesr;ors own ers
of them with .full and freo powcir, authority, and jurisdiction of
every kind; with this proviso however that throue;h th:i.s gift,
g:rant, and as signment of ours no ri.f:i;ht conferred on any
Ch:r·is tian prince, who mny be in actual possession of said
is1u.nds cJ.nd muinl,111ds up to the said birth day of our Lord
Jesus Christ, j_s nureby to be consider8d as ·withdrawn or to be
wit·,hdrawn, More-
-7-
over we command you in virtue of holy obedience that, cmployin:::;
all due diligence in the pre mises, a,s y0i..,1_ promise, nor do
we doubt your com pliance therein to the best of your loyalty and
royal greatness of spirit, you send to the said aforesaid mainlands
and islands worthy, God fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced
men, in order to instruct. the aforesaid. inhabitants and dwellers
therein, in the Catholic faith and train them in good morals
•••
2. Treaty of Tordesillas
tory the arrangement established by the Pope. He felt that
the demarcation line established by the Papal Bull was not
far enough to the west to- include regions which, by reason
of prior discovery and exploration by Portuguese naviga-
tors, properly belonged to Portugal. He demanded that the
line be moved farther to the west. The Portuguese demand
was taken up in a conference of Portuguese and Spanish
commissioners held at Tordesillas in l/i..94. - In that con
ference the Treaty of Tordesillas "fas concluded, June 7,
1494. Important portions of the Treaty al'e the following: 2
Whereas, a certain controversy exists be tween the said lords as
to what lands, of all those discovered in the Ocean Sea pertain to
each one of the said parts respectively; there~ fore, for the sake
of peace and concor6, and for the preservation of the relationship
and love of the said King of Portugal for the said _, _______ _ 2 -
~-
-8-
King and Queen of Castilla, Aragon, etc., they, their s&id
represcmtativos, acting in their rwme and by virtue of their powers
herein described, covenanted and agreed that a boundary or straight
line be determined and drawn north and south, from pal~ to pole~ on
the said Ocean Seu --- from the Artie to the Antarctic pole. ?r..is
boundary, or line shall be JrEiW11 straLr,Lt, as aforesaid, at a
di::,tanco of three hundrnd .s.nd seventy 1 eagues west of the Caba
Verde islands, being ca:culated by deg1~ees, 01· by L,ny other
r:1.e.n.ner.f as :nay be considered the best and readiest, provided
the distance shall be no 2:rei1ter than above said. And all lands,
both i;ldnds and mainlands, found and discove~od alr0adyi or tote
found and dis covered hereafter by the said Kin[,; of Portugal and
by his vessels on this side of the said line and bound determined
as above, toward the east, in either no:::-th or south latitude, on
t:1e east ern side of the said bound, provided the said bound is
not crossed, shall belong to, and remain in the poss2ssion of, and
pertain forever to the said King of Portugal .:J.nd his succosso:i.
... :.=;. And all other lands --- bo-:-h islancis and ma:.i.nJands,
found or to be found her ea ft er, d:Lscover·ec: or to be
discovered herenfter, whi~~ have been disco VGrcd or sh2lJ. be
discovered bv the said King and Queen of Ca.3tilla, Ara9:;on,
eteJ~, ~tr1d by their vessels, on the w2stern side of the said
bound, deter~ined as above, after hRving passed the said bound
toward the west, in either its no~th or south latitude, shc,11
bolcng tc, and remo.in in possession of, and pertGin forever to tho
said King and QuGon of Castilla, Leon, otc,, and to their
successors •••
Yten: In order that the said line o~ bound of the ~sc::id division
may be made straight &nd as ready as possible the suid distance
of three :iundr2d c1nd seventy 1 eagues west o.f the Cc;bo Ver de
isla,1ds, .'.ls l1.e1~einbefore sJca.ted, the sc=.:id re
pre$ertatives of both the said parties acree and assent that
wi.thin the ten months irnrnedir1.tely following the date of tills
t:c8c:,ty, thEdr said const ituer.t J.ords sb.all despatch t°\JO or
four en - ravels. Thasc vessels shall meet at the island o.f Grande
Ca:1aria ( Grand Canary IsJ.n.nd), during
this time~ and each one of the said parties shall send cert&in
persons in them, to wit, pilots, as trologers, sai.lors, and any
others they may deem desirable. But there must be 8S many on one
side as on the other, and cert&in o~ the said pilots,
astrologers, sailors, and others of those sent by the said King and
Queen of Castilla, Aragon, etc., and who are experienced, shall
embark in the ships of the said lCing of Portwi;al anet t11e
Algarbes; in like manner certain of the s1.id persons sent by the
said Kine; of Portugal shall embark in the ship or ships of the
said King and Quee:1 of C.::wtilla, Aragon, etc.: a like number in
each case, so that they may jointly study and examine to better ad
vantage the sea, courses, winds, and the degroes of the sun or of
north latitude, and lay out the leagues aforesaid, in order t.hat,
in determining the 1 ine and boundary, all sent and empowered by
both the said parties in the said vessels, shall jointly concur.
These said vessels shall con- tinue their course to2:ether to the
said Cabo Verde islands, from whence Ehey shall lay a direct course
to the west, to the distance of the said three hundred and seventy
degrees, measured 3.S
the said persons _shall agree, and measured with- out prejudice to
the said parts. When this point is reached, such point ·;,,iill
constitute tl1e plo.ce and mark for measuring degrees of the sun or
of north latitude eith0r by daily runs measu::.~ed in 1 eogues, or
in any other mann-Jr thJ.t sha11 mutual- ly be deor.1ed bettlf;r.
This said line shc..11 be drawn north and south as efo~esaid, from
the said Arctic pole to the said Anta:.:·ctic }Jole ~ And when this
line ha.s been det9rmined as above said, thos·e sent by the
aforesaid parties, to whom each one of the said parties must
delegate his own au thority and power, to determine the said mark
and bound, shall draw up a writing concerning it and affix thereto
their signatures. And when deter~ mined by the mutual consent o.:'
all of tl1em, this line shall be consider2d forAver as a perpetual
mark and bound, in Sl.1ch wise that the said par ties, or either
of them, or their future succes sors, shall be unable to deny it,
01· erase or re move it, at any time or in an:r manner
whatsoever.
---: 0: _.;. .. _
-10-
The Treaty of Tordesillas gav~ Spain the right to ven;..
ture into the unexplored regions of the South Seas as the
Pacific Ocean was then called. Spain, however, did not
make use of this right until many years later. In the mean-
time, Portugal had ;:one to the Eas-s ctncl had started in
earnest laying down the foundations of a vast colonial em-
pire in that part of the world. In 1498, Vas co da Gama ar-
rived at Calicut, India. In 1509, Albuguerq110 acquired Goa,
on the western coast of India, and made it th3 capital of
Portugal's colonial empire in the East. In 1511, Albuquer-
que captured lVIalac::ca from the Malays. That sa1i1e year he
dispatched an expedition in Gearch of the Spice Islands.
In 1519, Spain launched an e:{pedi:~ion ol her own to
the East. That yeal' Ferdinand Ma'Iellan J.eft the port of
Snn Lucar de Barrameda on a voyage cf discovery which even
tually took him to the Philippines.
The story of the Magellan e:xpcdition is told in two
importcmt source documents: Pj_gafette' s account, first pub
lished in Italim1 in 1800 under the title, i1?rimo viaggio
intorno al globo tcrracqueo"; and a letter written in Latin
-11-
Insulis 11 • 1
the events related therein. For Pigafetta was a member of
the Magellan expedition. He went through the hardships
and vicissitudes of the voy~ge and was one of the few among
the members of ,the expedition who came bf.lck to Spain
alive.
He wrote the story of that memorable voy:Jge o.round the
world
using as his main source of information the copious notes
that he had taken down from time to time of things that
happened in the course of the voyage.
Transylv.::tnus wrote his story on the basis of the tes
timonies gathered by him from Sebastio.n dGl Cano; the navi
gator who piloted the Victoria back to Spain in 1522, and
from the other survivors of the expedition. Transyl vanus'
"De Moluccis Insulisi1 has a significance of its own in Phil
ippine historical literature. It was the first account to
be published in Europe relative to the Philippines.
(1) The following is the story, in part, of the Ma
gelian expedition as told by Pigafetta:
1 - Pigafetta's account is in vols. 33, Jh, B.&:, R.
Transylvanus' i1De Moluccis Insulisit is in vol. 1, B.&, R., p.
30 5, .ff.
-12-
Departure from Spain
. On Mondny. morning,. August X, St. La:;4re:r:ice' s Day, 111 the
year aboves-11c.;., 2 the fleet, naving been supplied with all the
things n0ccsso.ry to the sea, (and counting those of every
nationality, we were two hundred and thirty-s ·3ven m.cm), made rea
- dy to leave the harbor of Siviglia.3 ••• From Sivi.glia to this
point (i.e., San ~ucar), it is 17 or 20 leaguas by river. Some
dn:rs after, the captain-ceneral, with his other ca~~ains, descend
ed the river in the small boats belonging to th~ir snips. We
remained there for a c:JnniderG.ble num ber of days in order to
finish (providing) the fleet with some things that it needed. Every
day we w_ent a.shore to hear mass in a village called Nostra Dofla
de Baremeda (our Lady of Barra meda), near San Lucar, Before the
departure, the captain-general wished all tho--men to confess, and
would not allow any woman to sail in the fleet for the best of
considerations.
We left that village, by name San Luchar, on Tuesday, September XX
of thG same yec,r, and took a southwest course. On the 26th of the
said month, we reached an island of the Great Can2ria, called 'r ·
, h · b 1 · · 1 · t ct -r ,...,r). , eneripno, w ic j ies in n
at:.. u· e o.L ,:;,..) c.egrees, (landing thore) in order to get
flesh, water, and ,vood •••
Mutiny 3.t San Julian
In tha~ port which we called the port of San to Julinnno, 1~ we
remained about 5 months. IVbny
2 - 15·, q J. .· •
3 - Sevilla. Mag2llan's fleet consisted of the fol lowing vessels:
Trinid~d (Flagship, 110 tons), San Antonio (120 tons), Concepcion
(90 tons), Victoria (85 tons), and Santiago (75 tons). . 4 - This
port, located at latitude 49° South on the shores of Argentina, was
reached Ma~ch 31, 1520.
. After C:i:'ossiag the Atlantic, Mi:1gellnn' s fleet took time
exploring the coa.st of South A1nerica. Cape Santo
-13-
things happened there. In order that your most illustrious Lordship
may know some of them, it happened that as soon as we had entered
the port, tho captains of the other four ships plotted trea son in
order that they might kill the captain general. Those conspirators
consisted of the overseer of the fleet, one Johan de Cartagena; the
treasurer, Alouise de Mendosa; the accountant, Anthonio Gocha and
Gaspar de Cazada. The over seer of the men having been qunrtered,
the trea surer was killed by dagger blows, for the trea son was
discovered. Somedays after that, Gaspar de Cazadq, was banished
with a priest in that land of Patagonia. The captain-,general did
not wish to have him killed, because the emperor, Don Carlo, had
appointed him captain. • ••
At the Strait of Magellan
Then going to fifty-two degrees to~-Jard the same pole, we found a
strait on the dai (feast of the) eleven thousand virgins (i.e.,
October 21), whose head is called Capo de le Undici Millia Vergine
(i.e., cape of the Eleven Th6usand Vir gins) because of that very
great miracle. That stro.it is one hundred and ten leguas or 1+40
millas long, and it is one-half legua broad, more or less. It leads
to another sea called the Pa cific Saa, and is surrounded by very
lofty moun tains laden with snow. There it was impossible to find
bottom (for anchoring), but (it was neces sary to fasten) the
moorings on land 25 or 30
Agustino on the most eastern headland of Brazil was reached toward
the end of November, 1519. Rio de Janeiro was reached on December
13. Leaving Rio de Janeiro on Decem ber 26, the fleet proceeded to
the estuary of the Rio de la Plata. Here it remained until
February. 2, 1520. From the Rio de la Plata IVhgellan sailed to the
port of Santo Juliano. Winter had begun and I'-'Tagellan decided to
stay there throughout the winter months.. He left port San Julian
August 24, 1520. On October 21, 1520, the fleet arrived at the
cmtrance to the Strait of Mugellan.
-14-
brazas away. Had it not been for the captain- general, we wo~ld not
have found that strait, for we all thought and said that it ·wrw
closed on all sides.
After entering that strait, we found two openings, one to the
southeast, and the other to the southwes~.,. We went t,'J ex~lore
the other opening toward the sout.hwest. ··Finding, however, the
same strait continuously, we came upon a ri ver which we called
the river Sardi~e (i.e., Sar dines), because there were ma~y
sardines near it. So we stayed ther.J for four d&ys. Du.r::.ng
that period we sent a ·wt-;11-eciuipped boat to e:xplore the cane
o~ the other s6a. The men returned with in thr~e days~ and
reported that they had SGen the cape· and'the open sea. The
captain-general wept for joy, and:called that cape, Cap0 Dezeado
(i.e., Desire), for we h&d been desirin6 it for a long time,,.
In'order that your most illustrious Lord ship may believe it, when
we were in that. strait, the ni6hts were only three hours long,
arid it was then the month of Octob or. The la.nd on the- left-hand
side of that strait turned to~1ard the southeast and was low. We
called that strait the strait of Fatagonia. One finds· the safest
of ports every hulf legua in it, water, the finest wood (but not of
cetj.ar Y, fish, sa::...-·clines,. and· mis siglioni, while
smullage, a s-weet herb (c.1lthough there is also some that is
bitter) grows around the spr~ngs. -We ate of it for mnny days as we
had nothin.2: else. I bclievG tha-i:, there is not a more beautiful
strait in the world than that one. • ••
The Voya·ge· Across the Pacific
Wednesday·, 'November 28, 1520, we debouched from that strait,
engulfing ourselves in the Paci- fic Sea. We were three months 1.nd
twenty dnys without getting any kind of fresh food. We. ate
biscuit, which wa.J no longer biscuit, but powder of biscuits
swarming with worms, for they had eaten the good. It s~Gnk s~rong:v
of the urine of rats, vfe drank yellow water ·€:1nt had been pu
trid for many days. We also at8 ~3omo ox hides that covered thG top
of the mainyard to prevent
-15-
the yard from chafing the shrouds, and which had become exceedingly
hard because of the sun, rain, and wind. We left them in the sea
for four or five days, and then placed thr:~m for a few momonts on
top of the embers, and so ate thern; and often we ate sawdust from
boards. Rats were sold for one-half duc.Jdo apiece, and even ti1cn
we could not get them, But above all the other misfortunes the
following was the worst. The gums of both the lower and upper teeth
of some of our men swelled, so that they could not eat under any
circumstances and therefore died, Nineteen ffien died from that
sickness, and the giant together with an Indian from the country of
Verzin. Twenty-five or thirty men fell sick ( during that time), in
the arms, legs, or in cmother place, so that but .few r,:;rnained
well. However, I, by the giace of God, suffered no sickness. We
sailed about four thousand le guas during tJ:wse three months and
twenty days through an open stretch in that Pacific Sea. In truth
it is very pacific, for during that time we did not suffer any
storm. We $aW no land excopt two desert islets, where we found
nothin3 but birds and trees, for which we called them the Ysolle
Infortunate (i.e., the Unfortunate Isles). They are two hundred
leguas apart. We fo1111d no anchorage, ( but 1 near them saw many
:::harks. The first islet lies fifteen degr0es of south latitude,
and the other nine. Daily we made runs of fifty, sixty, or seventy
leguas at the caten2, or at the stern. Had not God and His blessed
mother given us so good weather we would all have died of hun ger
in that exceeding .vast sea. Of a vor:i.ty I believe no such voyage
will ever be made (again).
·Arrival at the· Philippines
At dawn on Saturday, March 16, 1521, we came upon a high land at a
distance of throe hundred leguas from the islands of Latroni, an
is land named Zamal (Sa:mar). The following dctY the
captain-Joneral desired to land on another is land which was
uninhabited and lay to the right of the above mentioned isJ.and in
order to be more secure and get water and have some rest, He had
two tents s~t up on the shore for the sick and
-16-
had o. sow killed for them. On Monday after noon, March 18, we saw
a boat coming toward us with nine men in it. Therefore, the
captain general ordered that no one should move or say a word.
without his Derrnis~don. When those men reached the shore, their
chief went immediate ly to the captain-general giving sirns of joy
because of our arrival. Five of the rr~st or nately adorned of
them remained with us, while the rest wont to get some oth,:irs who
were fish ing, and so thoy all cam,3. The captain-gen eral seeing
that they were re:1sonablo men, or dered food to be set before
th9m, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bell,s, ivory, boca
sine, and other things. ·when they sa-w thn 9ap tain' s courtesy,
they presented fish, a jar of palm wine, which t hoy call
111:il,_Ca {i.e. arrack), figs more than one palmo J.oni:; IT. e.
ban,g,nas), and others which were smaller and more delicate, and
two cocoanuts. They had nothing else then, but rnade us signs with
their hands that they would bring umay or rice, and coconnuts and
many other articles of food within four days ••••
Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many
things, th::dr names and those of some of the islands that could be
seen from that place. Their own island was called Zuluan and it is
not ve~y large. We took great pleas ure wit;,1 them, for they were
very ploc:i.sant and conversable. In order to show then gren.ter
honer, the captain-eeneral took them to ~is ship and showed them
all his merchandise - cloves, cinnamon, p_epp'er, ginger, nutmeg,
mace, gold, and all things .. in the ship. He had some mor tars
fired for them, whereas they exhibited grent fear, and tried to
jump out of the qhip. They rnado signs to us that the abovesaid ar
ticles grew'in that place where we were going. When thoy were about
to :cetiro they took· their leave very_ grace.fully and ne:3.tly,
s.1.yini; that they would return accor.::ling- to their promise.
The islan,d where we werJ .1.s ca:::..J ed I-Iuri,unu; but inasmuch
as we: four1d- two cp1:0 i:riL)"' there of the clearest water, we
call2d it Ac(~ada da li buoni Segnialli (i.e. the Watering nlace of
good Sig~~) foi there were the fi;si signs of
-17 ...
gold which wo found in those districts. We found a great quantity
of white coral there, and large trees with fruits a trifle smaller
than the almond. and resembling pine seeds. There 3.re <1lso
many palms, some of them good and others bad. There are many
islands in that district, and therefore we call©d them the the
archipelago of San Lazaros, as they were discovered on the Sabbath
of St. Lazarus. They lie in X degrees of latitude toward the Arctic
pole, 3.nd in a longitude of one hundred and sixty one degrees from
the line of demarcation.
At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised us
i~ two boatc with cocoanuts, sweet oranges, a jar of palm-wine, and
a cock, in order to show us thut there were fowls in that district.
They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us, We purchased
all those articles from them. · Their seignior was an old man who
was paintod {i,E~., tattooed). He wore two r,old earrings
(.§..£1:li~) in his ears, and the others many gold arml(:;ts on
their arms and kerchiefs about their heads. We stayed there one
week, and ,during that time our captain went ashore daily to visit
the sick, and every morning gave them cocoanut water from his own
hand, which comforted them greatly. There nre people living near
that island who have holes in their ears so large that they can
pass their arms throw:;h them. Those peoples 2re CC'.phri, that is
to say heathen. They go nak~d with a cloth woven from the bark of a
tree about their uriviss excent some of the chiefs who wear cot
ton cloth embroidored with silk at the ends by means of a needle.
They anoint themselves with cocoanrrt and with leensced oil, as a
protection against sun and wind. They have ·1ery black hair that
falls to the waist, and use dnggers, knj_ves, and spears ormunented
with gold, large shields, fascines, javelins, and fishing nets that
resemble rizali, and their ooats are li~e ours. . ••
On the afternoon of holy Monday, the day of our Lady, lV:[arch
twenty-five, while wo were on the point of weighing anchor, I
'\.1ent to the
-18-
side of the ship to fish, and putting my feet upo11 a yard
le,e.ding down into the storeroom, they slipped, for it was rainy,
,:md consequently I felJ. into t ho sea, so thut no one Grrw mo.
When I wns all but under, my left hnnd hDppenod to catch hold of
the clew-gnrnet of the mainsaii, which wa~ dansling (&scos~) in
the water. I held on tightly, ::ind o,3g.:::rn to cry out so
lustily that I was rsscued by tha small boat. I was aided, not, I
'believo, indeed throurh my merits, but through the mercy of that
font of ch&rity (i,e., of the Virgin). That saffie day we
shaped our course toward the west southwest between four small
islc;nds, namely, Cone.lo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson, and Abarien,
At Lirnasawa
On Thursday morning, Mar~h tvrnnty-c-dght, as we had seen a firf?
on 2n isJ.and the night be fore, we anchored ne.sr it .5 We saw a
small boat which the natives call oo::.oto with ciin:ht men in it,
ap:µroacning the fl::1gshi:'.). A slave belonging to the
captain-general, -,'lho was a na tive of ZamatrL~ (i.o., Sumatra);
w:i:i.ch -was for merly called Traprobana spoke them. Tnsy im
mediately understood him, ca~e alon~side the ship, unwilling to
ente:c but takin:~ 2 po;J:i.tion at some little distance. The
c2ptr:.iin see~.ng that thoy would not trust us, threw theD out
,'-l red cap and other thine:s tied to a bit of' wu0d. They
received them very gladly, and went away quickly to advise their
king. Aoout two hours latbr we saw two balang~ni ;o~i~~. Thev are
large boats 2nd a::~e so~ cD.llod J~by -::.hcse· :ooople7. They
-were full of mon, and thej_r kine; wus in the larger of them,
being seated un-ier a;1 awn ing of rn2.ts, When the king cnme
ne,:;r th,..; flag ship, the slnve spoke to him. Thr_: 1,:-ine;
tmder stood him, for in those di2tricts -<:,he lcLncs know more
languages thnn the oth-3r PCOP~.e. He ordered some of his men to
enter the ship~, but he al-
5 - Tho island referred to h,3re was Limasawa, a smetll island
lying a short distence sout:-1 of LGyte.
-19-
ways remained in his balane.;hai, at some little distance from the
ship until his own men re turned; and as soon as they returned he
depart ed. The captain-general showed great honor to the man who
entered the ship, and gave them some presents, for which the king
wished before his departure to give the captain a large bar of gold
and basl~etful of ginger. The J.atter, how- ever, thanked the king
heartily but would not ac- cept it. In the afternoon we went in the
ships Land anchored? near the dwellings of the king.
Nex~ day, holy Friday, the captain-general sent his clave, who
acted as our interpreter, ashore. in a smaJ.l boat to ask tho king
j_f ho had any food to have it carried to the ships; and to say
that they would be well satisfied with us, for he /and. his rnen?
had come to the island as friends and-not as enemies. The king came
with six or eight men in the same bo3.t and enterod the ship. He
embraced the cc1ptain-general to whom he gave three porcelain j2rs
covered with leaves and full of raw rice, two very large pradc, and
other things. The captain-general gave the king a gnrmont of red
and yeJ.J.ow cloth rnn cie in the Tur kish fashion, and a fine red
cap; and to the others (the king's men), to some knives ~nd to
others mirrors. Then the captain··:?:eneral huc1 a colla- tion
spread for them, and had the king told through the slave that he
dosired to -oe c.1si £§..Pi with him, that is to say, brother. 1fhe
king re plied that he also wished to enter the same rela- tions
with the captain-general. The capt1in showed him cloth of various
colors, linen, coral Lornaments7, and many other ert:LcJ.es o.f.'
merd1an dise, and all the artillery, some of which he had
discharged for him, wherea'e, the riati vec were great ly
frightened. Then the captain-gene:ral had a man armsd as a soldier,
and placed him in the raidst of three men armed with swortis and
daggers, who struclc him on all parts of the body. There by was
the kinz rende:;."'ed alr!1ost ,speechless. The captain-general
told him t~rough the slave that one of those armed men was worth
one hundred of his own men. The king answered that that was a fact.
The captain-general said that he had two hundred mGn in each ship
who were armed in that
manner. He showed the king cuirasses, swords, and bucklers, and had
a review made for him. Then he led the kinr._: to the deck of the
ship, that is located above at the stern; and had his sea-chart and
compass brought. He told the kinr.; through the interpreter how hG
had found the strait in order to voyage thither, and how many moons
he had been without seeing land, whereat the king was astonished,
Lastly, he told the king that he would like, if it were pleasing to
him, to send two of his men with him so that he might show them
sorJ1e of his things. The king replied that he was agreeable, and I
went in coL:pany with one of the other men.
/
-21-
words, they were all astonished. While engaged in that the supper
hour was announced. Two large porcelain dishes were brought in, one
full of rice and the other of pork with its gravy. We ate with the
same si:?:ns and ceremonies, after which we went to the palace of
the king which was built like a hayloft and. was thatched with fig
LI. e., banang_7 and palm leaves. It was built up high from the
ground on huge posts of wood and it was necessary to ascend to it
by mean.s of ladders, The king made us sit down there on a bamboo
mat with our feet drawn up like tailors. After a half-hour a
platter of roast fish cut in pieces was brouglffi in, and ginger·
freshly gathered, and wine. 'J'he king's eldest son, who vias the
prince, came over to us, whereupon the king told him to sit down
near us, and he accordingly did so. Then two platters were brought
in (one with fish and its sauce, and the other with rice}, so that
we might eat with the prince. My companion became intoxicated as a
con sequence of so much drinking and eating. They used the ~m of a
tree called anjE!Q wrapped in palm or fig £i.e., banarJ.J l~aves
for lights. The king made us a sign that he was going to go to
sleep. He left the prince with us, and we slept with the lat ter
on a bamboo mat with pillows made of leaves, When day dawned the
king car~ and took me by the hand, and in that manner we went to
where WG had had supper, in order to partake of refreshments, but
the boat came to get us. Before we left, the king kissed our hands
with great joy, and we his. One of his brothers, the king of
another island, and three men came with us. The captain-general
kept him to dine with us, and gave him many things.
Pieces of cold, of the size of walnuts and eggs are found by
sifting the earth in the island of that king who came to our ships.
All the dish es of that king are of gold and also some portion of
his house, as we were to].d by that king himself. According to
their customs he wao very grandly decked out ,[niolto in ordin2,7,
and the .finest look ing man that we saw among those people. His
hair was exceedingly black, and hung to his shoulders. He had a
covering of silk on his head, and wore two large golden earrings
fastened in h:i.s e.al"s, He wore a cotton cloth all embroidered
with silk, which covered him from the waist to the knees. At
his side hung a da~ger, the haft of which was some what long and
all of gold• and its scabbard of carvGd wood, He had three spots of
80ld on every tooth, and his his teeth appear3d as if bound with
gold. He wo.s perf'urmed wi.t,h storax and benzoin. H8 was tawny
and paintnd Li,e., tELttoeiJl all over. That island of 11:.Lt:
w:u~1 call cd Butuan and. Calagal).. When those kinss wished to see
one another, they both went to hunt in tl~wt islanl v1here we were•
'l'he nar.··e or -L. h'-'· '"' i r· ·~i- k1· r1,,. ·i c:, 0 ·~ i
,::, C oJ· ""mbu and .J. ,1. V V --l .• ..,. ti'.J . ·.::: --0
ll.-..A.u~~ -C.4, J
the second Raia Siaui.
Easter Sunday Mass e..t Limasawa
Early bn the morning of Sunday, the last of March, and Easter day,
the captain-general sent the priest with ao@e men to prepare the
place where mass was to be said; togethc:r with the interpreter to
tell the king that wo W8I'e not going to land in order to dine with
him, but to say mass, There fore the king sent us two sw:.ne that
h2 Lad h&d killed. When the hour for li~Ss arrived, ~G l~nd ed
with about fifty men, wi:-hcuL body arr;1or~ but carrying our other
arms; and c!'f')Ss,ed in our 'best clothes. BeforB we reached +:.he
shore with our boats, six pieces were disch2r1~i as a sign of
peace. We landed; tl1e two ld,1(:;'o 9rnbracecJ the
captain-general, 2nd p~_aced liir,, ~'Je+;weqn tr.em, We went in
mnrching order to t11e !)2_aco consecrat- ed, which was not far
from tl;l.13 3:so: .. e. I::efore the cor.nnencoment of mas~, tne c
-,,}:;f:,c in-s ereral sprin:VJ.ed the en-~ire boG'J.(:)S of :,he;
two r:in~s with musk water. The mass was off ere1 up. The k::i.ngs
went forward to kiss the cross ai we did, but they did not off er
the sacrifice. \i!h,~1. t :1e body of our Lord was elev~ted, they
reIT~i!ed on their knees and worshiped Him with cl~s;ed hands. ThG
ships fired all their artill0ry a~ on~G, when the body of Christ
was €levated, the sj_gno.l having been given from the shore witL
.r:-'.uslc:e-':-s. After the conclusion of the mass son;e o: our
men took communion, The captain-f:':,ancr'al arranged a fencing
tournament, at which ·;~Le :~J.ngs were great- ly pleased. 'I'hGn
he hE:cl a cross ce.rried in nnd the nails and a crovm, to which
irmnediate reverence was made. He tolC::. the kinss through thu
interpre ter that they we11 e the standai·ds given to him by
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the emoeror his sovereign, so that wherever he might go he might
set up those his tokens. (He said) that he wished to set it up in
that place for their benefit, fo~ whenever any of our ships came,
they would know that we had been there by that cross, and would do
nothing to displease them or harm their property (property~ doublet
in original rtlS.) If any of their men were captured, they would be
set free immediately on that sign being shown. It was necessary
to.set that cross on the summit of the highest mountain, so that on
seeing it every morning, they might adore it; and if they did that,
neither thunder,. li~htning, nor storms would harm them in the
least. They thanked him heartily and (said) that they would do
every thing willingly. '11he Captain-general also had them asked
whether they were Moros or heathens, or what was their belief. They
r2plied that they wor shiped nothing, but that they raised their
clasped hands and their face to the sky; and that they ~alled their
god "Abba". Thereat the captain was very glad, and seeing that, the
first king raised his hands to the sky and said that he wished that
it were possible for him to make the captain see his love for him.
'I'he interpreter asked the king why there was so little to eat
there. The latter replied that he did not live in that place except
when he went hunting and to-see his brother, but that he lived in
another island where all his fa mily are. The Captain-general had
him asked to declare whether he had any enemies, so that he might
go with his ships to destroy them and to render them obedient to
him. The king thanked him and said that he did indeed have two
islands hostile to him, but that it was not the season to go there.
The Captain told hirn that if God would again allow him to return
to those districts, he would bring so many men that he would make
the kingrs enemies subject to him by force~ He said that he was
about to go to dinner, and that he would return after- ward. to
have the cross set up on the sun1.mit of the mountain. They replied
that they were satis fied, and then forming in battalion and
firing the muskets, and the captain embracing the two kings, we
took our leave.
After dinner we all ·returned clad iE our dou blets, and that
afternoon went together with the two·
·24-
kings to the summit of the highest mountain there. Wheri we reached
the summit, the Captain-general told them that he esteemed highly
having sweated for them, for since the cross was therc1 it could
not but be of great us0 to them. On asldng them which port was the
best to get food, they replied that there were three, Ceylon, Zubu,
and Cnlaghann-, but that Zubu wa.s thG lcir:,;u~,t '..1nd the one
with most trad·3 ~ They offered-- of thc~ir own accord to · give
us pilots to show us the wayl The Captain general thanked them and
determined. to go there,,_. for so did his ur..hap:py fate wi1l.,
Aft,er tho cross was erected in position, eGch.of us repeated a
Pater Nost;~r anJ Ave Marin E.md adored the cross; and the
kinzs-'afd the--s iinc-:--irhen we descend.ed through their
c~ltivated fields, and went to the place where the balanghni was.
The ki-ngs had some cocoanuts brought in so that Wi:~ might refresh
ourselves. The Captain-~eneral asked the kings for the pilots for
he intended to d0p2rt the following morning, and (said). that he.
vwuld treat them as if they were the kings thems0lves, and would
leave one of us as hos tage. The l:ing replied that every hour he
wished the pilots were at his command, but that night the first
king changod his mind, and in the morning when we were about to
depart, sent word to the Cap tain-general, asking him for love of
him to wait
_two days until he would, have his rice harvested, and other
trifles attEmded to. He asked the Cap tain-general to send him
some men and help hirri, so that it might bo sooner; and said that
he intended to act as pilot himself. The Captain sent him some men,
but t·h8 kings ate and drank- so much that they slept all the day.
Somo said to excuse them that they were slightly sick. Our men did
nothing on that day, but they worked the next two days. • ••
Those people arc heathGns, nnd go naked and painted. They wear a
piece of cloth woven from a tree about their privies •. They are
very hoavy drinkers. Their ~omen aro clad in tree cloth from their
waist down, and tbeir hair is black and reaches to the ground, They
have holes pierced in their ears which are f111ed with 2:old.-.
Those peopl0 are constantly chewing a fruit whic!1 they call
"arsca" and which resembles a pear. They cut the fruit into four
parts, end then wrap it in the
-25-
1 eaves of their tree which they call 71 betroi1 (i. c., betel}.
Those leaves resemble the leav8s of th8 mulberry. 'I'hey mix it
with a little lime, .and ·when they have chewed it thoroughly, they
spit it out. It makes the mouth exceedingly red. All tho people in
those parts of the world use it, for it is very cooling to the
heart, and if they ceased to use it they would die. There ar(3
dogs, cats swine, fowls, goats, rice, ginger, cocoanuts, figs
ttananas), oranges, lemons, millet, panicum, sorgo, wax? and a
quantity of gold in that island. It lies in a latitude of nine and
two thirds degrees toward the Arctic pole, and in a longitude
of-ono hundred sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. It
is twonty five from the Acquada, called M:1.zaua.6
We remained there seven days, after which we la id our course
tovrnrd the northwest, passing among five islands, Ceylon, Bohol,
Canighan, Baybai and Gati1shan ••••
Arrival at Cebu
At noon on April seven, we entered the port of Zubu passing many
villages, where 1ve saw many houses built upon logs. On approaching
the city, the captain-general ordered the ships to fling their
banners. The sails were lowered and ar ranged as if for battle and
all the artillery was fired, and action which caused ereat fear to
those people. The captain-general sent a foster-son of his as
ambassador to the king of Zubo and an in terpreter. When they
reached the city, they found a vast crowd of people together with
the Kine, all of whom had been frightened by the mortars. Th(.3
interpreter told them that that was our custom when entering into
such places, as a si.gn of peace and friendship, and that we had
d.ischnrf,'.ed all our mortars to honor the kin2: of the vi11
n:'2:c. The king and all of his men ;ere reassured; and the king
had us as!<.:od by his govE',rnor whaJc we ,:vant ed. The
interpreter rQplied th'.:3.t his riast8::- was a cap tain of the
grGatest king and prince of the world o.nd that he was going to
discover Malucho, but that he had comG solely to visit the king
because of the good repo1~t which he had h(')ard from the
king
6 - It is now called Limasawa.
-26- ,
/ I
of Masau3, and to buy food with his morchandise,, The king told him
that he was welcome(literaly: he had coma at a good time); but that
it was their custom for all ships that entered their port to pay
tribute and that it was but four days since a junk from Ciama (i.e.
Siam) laden with gold and slaves had paid him tiibut e. As proof of
his state ment the king pointed out to the interpreter, a mer
chant from Ciam3 w:10 hctd rerna.ined to trade the gold and slaves.
The interpreter told the king that, since his master was the
captain of so [;reat a . king, he did. not pay tribute to any
signior in the world, and that if the king wished peace, he would
have peace, but if war instead, war.· Thereupon, tl . . h . . d t i
' • ,., • , • t 1e Moro mere ant sai to .,(ie King li,1.ta nun.
C':11.....E., that is to say i7Look well, sire". These rne1'l are
the same who h3VC': conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all· India
Magiore (i.e., India Mn.jor) .•. If they are treated well, tht;y
e:ive·good treatn;ent, but if they are treated evil, evil and
worse-treatment as they have done to Calicut and }falaca. The
interpreter understood it all and told the king that his mas ter's
king vrns more powerful in men ancl ships than the king of
Portogalo, that he was king of Spagnia and emperor of all the
Christians, and that if the king did not care to be his friend he
would next time send us many man that would destroy him. The Moro
related everything to the king who said there upon that he would
deliberate,with his men, and would answer the captain on the
following day. Then he had refreshments of many dishes, all li,.qde
from meat and contained in porcelain potters, besides many j8rs of
wine brought in. After our men had re freshed themselves, they
returned and told: us every thing. The kinz of .lYbzaua who w:1s
th() r.1ost influen tial after that king and the Si.r.:nior of 3.
number of islands went ashore-~ to speak to _,the king of the great
courtesy of our captain-general. •••
On Sunday morning, April fourteen, forty men of us went ashore, two
of whom wore coupletely armed and pr--cceded th<"J roy:1.l
bannero When we reached l1nd all the artillery was firod.
-27-
Mass Baptism in Cebu
After dinner the priest and some of th~ others went ashore to
baptize the queen, who came with forty women. We conducted her to
the plat form and she was made to sit down upon a cushion, and the
other women near her, until the priest should be ready. She was
shown an image of our Lady, a very beautiful wooden Child Jesus,
and a cross. Thereupon she was overcome with contri tion and asked
tor baptism amid her tears. We named her Johanna after the
emperor's mother; her daughter, the wife of the prince, Catherina,
the queen of Ma.zaua, Lisabeta, and the others each their
(distinctive) name. Counting men, women and children, were baptized
eight hundred souls. The queen was young and beautiful, and was
entirely co vered with a white and black cloth, Her mouth and
nails were very red, while on her heud she wore a large hat of palm
..Leaves in the manner of a para sol, with a crown. about it of
the same leaves, like the tiara of the pope; and she novor soes any
place without an attendant. She asked us to give her the little
Child Jesus to keep in place of her idols; and then she went aw3y.
In the after noon the king and queen, accompanied by numerous
persons came to the shore. Thereupon, the captain had many trombs
of fire and largo rnort:::irs discharged, by which they were most
highly delighted. The captain and the king called one another
brothers. That king's name was Raia Humabon. Before that week
had-gone, all the persons of that island, and some from the other
islands were baptizod. We burned one haw.lot tihich was locat8d in
a neighbor ing village because it refusetl to obey the king or us.
We set up the cross there for those people were heathens,. Had they
been Moros, W8 could havq erected a column there as a token of
greater hard~ ness, fo-r the Moros are much harder to convert than
the heathen. , ••
There are many villages in that island. Their names and those of
their chiofs are as follows: Cinghapala, and its chiefs, Cilatan,
Ciguibucan 1 Cimaningha, Cimatichat, and Cidantabul; one, man
daui, and its chief, Apanoaan; one Lalan, and its chief, Theteu;
one, Lalutan, and its chief, Tapan;
-28-
one Cilumai; and one, Lubucun. All those villa ges render0d
obedience to us, and gave us food and tribute. Near that island of
Zubu was an island called :Matam, which formed the part whore we
were anchored. The name of its village was Matan and its chiefs
were Zula and Cilapulapu. 'fhat city which was burned was in that
island and was called Balaia. • ••
The Mactan Affair
• On Friday, April twenty~six, Zula, a chief of the island of
Matan, sent one of his sons to present two goats to the
captain-general, and to say he would send him all that he had
promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because
o.f the other chief Cilalulapu_, who refused to obey the ki"ng of
Spagnia. He requested the cap tain to send him only one boatload
of men on the next night, so that they might help him and fight
against tha other chief. The captain-general de cided to go
thither with three boatloads. We begged hirn repeatedly not to go'
but he, like a good shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At
midnight, sixty men set out e.rmGd with corselots and helmets,
together with the Christian King, the prince, some of the chief
men, and twenty or thirty balanguais. We reached l'ffatan three
hours before dawn. The cantain did not wish to fight then, but sent
a mes'.sage to tne natives by the Moro to the effect that if they
·:JOl:.ld obey the king of Spagnia, recognize the Christian King as
their sovereign, and pay us our tribute, he would be their friend;
but if they ~iohod other wise, they should see our lanbes wound.
They replied that if v1e had lances they h.J.d lances of bamboo and
stakes hardened with f~.re. ( They asked us) not to proceed to
attack them at once, but to wait until morning, so that tnoy might
have ~ore men. They said that in order to in- duce us to go in
search of them) for they had dug certain pitholes between the
houses in order that we might .f al1 into them. When morning came
forty-nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs, and walked
through water for more than two c:cossbow flir(hts before we could
reach
-29-
the shore. The boats could not approach nearer because of cert2in
rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard
the boats. When we reached the land, three men had formed in three
divisions to the number of more than on(! thousand five hundred
persons. When they heard of us, they charged down upon us with
exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other on
our front. When the c-aptain saw that, he formed us into two
divisions, and thus did we begin to fight. The musketeers and
crossbowmen shot from a distance for about a half-houl'', but
uselessly; for the shots only passed through the shields which
'lvere made of thin wood and the arms (of the bearers). The captain
cried to thorn, "Cease firing1 cease firingl II but his order was
not at all heeded. ·when the natives saw tht1.t we were shooting
our muskets to no purpose, crying out they determined to stand firm
but they re doubled their shouts. When our muskets were dis
charged, the natives would never stand still, they leaped hither
and thither, covering themselves with their shields. They shot so
many arrows at us and hurled so many bamboo spears ( ;:'JOfi;_e of
them tipped with iron) at the captain-general, besides pointed
stakes hardened with fire, stones, and mud, that we could scarcely
defend ourselves. Seeing that, the captain-general sent ~,ome
1::ien to burn thoir houses in order to terrify them. When they saw
their houses burning, they were roused to greater fury. Two of our
men wore killed near the houses, while we burned twenty or thirty
houses. So many of them charged down upon us that they shot the
captain through the right leg with a poisoned atrow. On that
account, he ordered us to retire slowly, but the men took to
fli[.ht, except six or eight of us who remained with the captain.
'rhe natives shot only at our 1 egs, for the latter were bcJre; and
so many were the spea~s and stones that they hurled at us, that
1,ve could offer no resistance. The mortars in the boats could not
aid us as they were too far avJay. So, we continued to retire for
more than a good crossbow flight from the shore al ways fightin8
up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to pursue us,
nnd picking up the same spear four or six times, hurled it at
-30-
us a~Din and a~ain. Recognizing the captai~, so many turnod upon
him that they knocked his helmet off his head t,-iice, but he
always stood firmly like a good knight, to~ether with some others.
Thus did we fight .for more than one hour, refusing to retire
farther. An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face,
but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left
in the
·Indian's body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could. draw
it out but halfway, because he had been wound0d in the nrm by a
bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves
upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large
cutlass, which resernbl es a scimitar, only being larger. That
caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they
:r.usr~ed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their
cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort,
and our true guide. When they wound ed him, he turned back many
times to see whether we were all in the 'Joats, Thereupon,
bE,holding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as best we could, to
tho boats, which were already pulling off. · The Christian Kin:?;
1rnuJ.d huve aided us, but the captain charged him before wo
landed, not to leave his ba langhai, but to stay to se8 how we
fought. When the ~ir~ learned that the captain was dead, ho wept.
Had it not been for th&t unfortunate captain, not a single one
of us would have been saved in the boats, for while he was fizhtin~
the others retired to the boats. I hope thr6ugh 1the efforts) your
most il lustrious Lordship, that the fame of so noble a captain
will not become effaced in our times. Among the virtues which he
possessed, he was more constant than ever any ono else in the
greatest of adversity. He endured hunger better than all the
others, and more nccur:=i.tely than any man in the wo:tld did he
understand sea charts 2,nd navigation, And that this was the truth
was seen openly, for no other had had so much natural talent nor
the boldness to learn how to circumnavigate the world, as h0 had
almost done. Tllat battle was fought on Saturday, April
twenty-seven, 1521. The captain desired to fight S:1turday,
especially holy to him. Eight of our men were killed with him in
that battle, and four Indians, who ha.d b eGome Christians and who
come afterwnrd to aid us ware killed by the mortars
-31-
of the boats. , Of the enemy, only fifteen were killed, while many
of us were wounded,
In the afternoon, the Christian king sent a message with our
consent to the people of :Matan, to the effect that if they would
give us the cap tain and the other r.ien who had been killed, we
would give them as much merchandise as they wished. They answered
that they would not give such a man, as we imagined- ( they should
do) and that they would not give him for all the riches in the
world, but, they intended to keep him as a memorial.
On Saturday, the day on which the captain was killed, the four men
who had remained in the city to trade, had our merchandise carried
to the ships • • • •
The Return Voyage t6 Spain
On Tuesday night as it dre1,I/ near Wednesday, February eleven,
1522, we left the island of Timar and took to the great open sea
called Laut Chidol. Laying· our course toward the west southwest,
we 1 eft the island of Zamatra, formerly called Traprobana, to the
north on our right hand, for fear o.f the king of Portoghala; •••
In order that we might double the cape of Bonna Speranza (i,e.,
"Good Hope"), we descended to forty-two degrees on the side of the
Antarctic Pole. We were nine weeks near t\1at cape with our sails
hauled down because we had the west and northwest 1,d.nds on our
bow quarter and because of a most furious storm. That cape lies in
a la titude of thirty-four and one•half degrees, and is one
thousand six hundred leguas from the cape of Nalaca. It is tho
largest and most dangerous cape in the world. Some of our men, both
sick and well, wished to go to a Portuguese settlement called
Mozambich, bGcause the ship was leakJ.ng badly, be cause of the
severe cold, and especially because we had no other food than rice
and water; for as we had no salt, our provisions of meat had
putrefied. Some of the others however, n~re desirous of their honor
than of their own lif8, determined tb go to Spagnia living or dead.
Finally by God1 s help, we doubled that capo on May six at a
distence of five
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leguas. Had ,,. e not approached so closely, we could never have
doubled it. Then we sailed nortrr- west for two months continually
without taking on any fresh food or water (r.gfrj.gerio).
Twenty-one men died during that short time. When we cast them into
the sea, the Christians went to the bottom face upward, while the
Indians always went down face downward. Had not God given us good
weather we would all have perished of hunger. Finally, constrained
by our great extremity, we went to the islands of Capo Verde.
Wednesday, July nine, we reached one of those islands called Sancto
Jacobo, and immediately sent the boat ashore for food, with the
story for the Portuguese that wo had lost our f,oremast under the
equinoctial line (although we had, lost it upon the cage of Bonna
Speranza), and when we were rcstepping it, our capit,~in-gencral
had gone to Spagnia with the other two ships; With those good words
and with our merchandise, we got two boatloads of rice. We charged
our men when they went ashore in the boat to ask what day it was,
and they told us that it was Thursday v1ith the Portu guese. We
were greatly surprised for it was Wed nesday with us, and we could
not see how we had made a mistake; for as I had always kept well, I
haa set down every day withou4 .any interruption •. How ever, as
was told us lator, it was no error, but as the voyage had been made
continually to,1ard the west and we hrtd returned to the same place
as does the sun, we had made that gain of twenty-four hours, as is
clearly seem. The boat having returned to the shore again for rice,
thirteen men and the boat wen detai~ed1 boc~use one of them!, as we
learnen after• ward in ~pagnia, told the Portuguese that our cap
tain was dead, as w~ll as others, and that we were not going to
Spagnia. Fearing lest W8 also be taken prisoners by certdin
ca:pavols, we hastily de· parted. On Saturday, Septemb,0r six,
1522, we en- . tered tho bay of San Lucar wi"i:;h only eighteen men
\ and the majority of them sickt all that were left ' of the sixty
rnen who left Malucho. Some died of hunger; some dessert ed at the
island of Timor; and some wore put to death for crimes. From the
time we loft that bay (of San Lucar) until the present day (of our
return), we had sailed fourteen th-ousani four hundred and sixty
legua.s, and furthermore had completed the circumnavi.l!ation of
the world from east to west. On Monday; September oight, we cast
.
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anchor near the quay of Seviglia, and discharged all our artillery.
Tuesday, we all went in shirts and barefoot, each holding a candle,
to visit the shrine of Santa Maria de la Victoria (i.e., trSt. Mary
of Victory"), and that of Santa Maria de 1 1 Anti qua (i.e. 2 t1St.
Mary of Antiquity").
Leaving Seviglia, I went to Vagliadolit (_i.e., Valladolid), where
I presented to his sacre_d I,lajesty, Don Carlo, neither gold nor
silver, but things very highly esteemed by such a sovereign. Among
other things I gave him a book, written by my hand, concerning all
the niatters that had oc curred frorn day to day during our
voyage. I left there as best I could and went to Portngalo where I
spoke with King Johanni of wh9.t I had,_ s ee:1 ~ Passing through
Spagnia, I went to Fransa where I made a gift of ce1"tain things
from the other he misphere to the mother of the most Christian
king, J2on Francisco, Madame_ the regent. Then I c.'lme to .Ltalia,
where I established my permanent abode, and devoted my poor lab ors
to ·the famous and r;iost illustrious Lord, Fhilipo de Villers
Lisleadam, the most worthy grand master of RhodL,
The Cavalier
ANTONIO PAGAPHETTA.
Background of the Exp edit ion
Not long ago one of tr10s e five ships re turned which the
emperor, while 118 was at Sara gossa some years aDo, had sent into
a strm1ge and
1 - B. & R., Vol. 1, P• 305, ff.
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hitherto unknown part of the world, to search for the islands in
v1hich spices grow. For al though the Portuguese brine; us a great
quantity of them from the Golden Chersonesus, which we now call
.Malacca, nevertheless their own Indian possessions _produce none
but pepper. For it is well known that th8 other spices, as
cinnamon, cloves, and the nutme.g, 1:Jhich we call mus cat, and its
cover ing (mace J which we call muscat-flower, are brought to
their Indian possessions from distant islands hitherto only known
by name' in ships held toge ther not by iron fastenings, but
merely by palm leaves and having round 5ails also woven out of
palm-fibers. Ships of this sort they call "junks" and they are
impelled by the vdnd only when it blows directly fore or aft.
Nor is it wonderful that th~se islands have not been known to any
mortal, almost up to our time. For \-1hatever statements of ancient
authors we have hitherto read with respect to the native soil of
thase spices, are partly entirely fabulous, and partly so far from
truth, that the very re gions, in v.Jh5_ch th(;y asserted that
these spices were produced, are scarcely less distant froB the
countries in whic:1 it is now ascertained that they grow, than_we
ourselves ••••
Now it was necessa~y for our sailors, who have recently returned,
to sail round the w