BABASAHIN BILANG 1: A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE

WORLD BY MAGELLAN BY ANTONIO PIGAFETTA

At dawn on Saturday, March sixteen, 1521, we came upon a high land at a distance of
three hundred leagues from the island of Ladroni –an island named Zamal [i.e Samar].
On Monday afternoon, 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
permission. When those men reached the shore, their chief when immediately to the
captain-general, giving sign of joy because of our arrival. Five of the most ornately
adorned of them remained with us, while the rest went to get some others who were
fishing, and so they all came the captain –general seeing that they were reasonable men,
ordered food to be set forth before them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells,
ivory, bocasine and other things. When they saw the captain’s courtesy, they presented
fish, a jar of palm wine which they call uraca, figs more than one palm long and others
which were smaller and more delicate, and two cocoanuts. They had nothing else then…
but rice, and and coconuts and many articles of food within four days.
Coconuts are the fruit of the palm tree. Just as we have bread, wine, oil, and vinegar, so
those people get everything from that tree. They get wine in the following manner. They
bore a bole into the heart of the said palm at the top called palmito [i.e. stalk], form which
distils a liquor which resembles white must [mist]. That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart
and [is gathered] in canes [of bamboo] as thick as the leg and thicker.
They fasten the bamboo to the tree at evening for the morning, and in the morning for the
evening. That palm bears a fruit, namely the coconut, which is as large as the head or
thereabouts. Its outside husk is green and thicker than two fingers. Certain filaments are
found in the husk, whence is made cord for binding together their boats. Under that husk
there is a hard shell, much thicker than the shell of walnut, which they burn and make
therefrom a powder that is useful to them. Under that shell there is a white marrowy
substance one finger in thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish as we do [with]
bread; and it has a taste resembling the almond. It could be dried and made into bread.
There is a clear, sweet water, in the middle of the marrowy substance which is very
refreshing. When that water stands for a while after having been collected, it congeals
and becomes like an apple. When the native wish to make oil, they take that coconut, and
allow the marrowy substance to putrefy. Then they boil it and it becomes oil like butter.
When they wish to make vinegar, they allow only the water to putrefy, and then place it in
the sun, and a vinegar results like [that made from] white wine. Milk can also be made
from it, for we made some. We scraped that marrowy substance and then mixed the
scrapings with its own water which we strained through a cloth, and so [we] obtained milk
like goat’s milk. Those palm resemble date-palms, but although not smooth they are less
knotty than the latter. A family of x [10] persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing
them week about for the wine [by utilizing one of them during one week and the other
during the other 8 days for the wine]; for if they did otherwise, the trees would dry up.
They last a century.
Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things, their 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 very large. We took great pleasure with them, for they were
very pleasant and conversable. In order to show them greater honor, the captain-general
took them to his ship and showed them all his merchandise –cloves, cinnamon, pepper,
ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all things in the ship. He had some mortars fired for them
whereat they exhibited great fear, and tried to jump out of the ship. They made signs to
us that the above said articles grew in that place where we were going ….The island
where we were is called Humunu; (now Homonhon) but inasmuch as we found two spring
there of the clearest water, we called Acquada da li buoni Segnialli [i.e.”The watering-
place of good Signs] for there were the first signs of gold which we found in those district.
There are many islands in that district, and therefore we called them the archipelago of
San Lazaro, as they were discovered on the Sabbath [Sunday] of St. Lazarus. They lie in
x degrees of latitude toward the Arctic Pole, and 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 in two boats with
coconuts, sweet oranges, a jar of palm-wine and a cock, in order to show us that 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 painted
[i.e., tattoed]. He wore two gold earrings [schione] in his ears, and the others many gold
armlets on their arms and kerchief about [on] 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 coconut water from his own hand, which comforted them greatly. There are
people living near the island who have holes [earrings] in their ears so large that they can
pass their arms through them. Those people are caphri, that is to say, heathen. They go
naked, with a soft cloth woven from the bark of a tree about their privies, except some of
the chiefs who wear cotton cloth embroidered with silk at the ends by means of needle.
They are dark, fat and painted. They anoint themselves with coconut and with benessed
oil, as a protection against the sun and wind. They have very black hair that falls to the
waist, and use daggers, knives, and spears ornamented large shield, fascines, javelins,
and fishing nets that resemble rizali [a fine thickly woven net used for fishing]; and their
boats are [just] like ours.
Next day, holy Friday, the captain-general sent his slave, who acted as our interpreter,
ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he 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 men] had come to the
island as a friends and not as enemies. The king came with six or eight men in the same
boat and entered the ship. He embraced the captain-general to whom he gave three
porcelain jars covered with leaves and full of raw rice, two very large orade[dorado] and
other things. The captain-general gave the king a garment of red and yellow cloth made
in the Turkish fashion, and a fine red cap; and to the others (the king’s men), to some
knives and to others mirrors. Then the captain-general had a collation spread for them,
and had the king told through the slave that he desired to be casi casi with him. That is to
say, brother. The king replied that he also wished enter the same relations with the
captain-general. Then the captain showed him cloth of various colors, linen, coral
[ornaments], and many other articles of merchandise, and all the artillery, some of which
he had discharged for him, whereat the natives were greatly frightened.
Pieces of gold, 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 dishes of that king are of gold and also some
portion of his house, as we were told by that king himself. According to their customs he
was very grandly decked out and the finest looking 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 his ears. He wore a cotton cloth
all embroidered with silk, which covered him from waist to knees. At his side hung a
dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all of gold, and its scabbard of arved
wood. He had three spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as if bound with
gold. He was perfumed with storax and benzoin. He was perfumed storax and benzoin.
He was tawny and painted [i.e., tattooed] all over. That island of his was called Butuan
and Calagan. When those kings wished to see one another, they both went to hunt in that
island where we were. The name of the first king is Raia Colambu, and the second Raia
Siaui.
***

Those people were heathens, and go naked and painted. They wear a piece of cloth
woven from a tree about their privies. They are heavy drinkers. Their women are clad in
tree cloth from their waist down, and their hair is black and reaches to the ground. They
have holes pierced in their ears which are filled with gold. These people are constantly
chewing a fruit which they call areca, and resembles a pear. They cut that fruit into four
parts, and then wrap it in the leaves of their tree which they call betre [i.e., betel]. Those
leaves resembles the leaves of the mulberry. They mixed it with a little lime, and when
they have chewed it thoroughly, they spit it out. It makes the mouth exceedingly red. All
the 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 are dogs, cats, swine, fowls, goats, rice, ginger,
coconuts, figs, [i.e., bananas], oranges, lemons, millet, pancium, sorgox, wax, and a
quantity of gold in that island. It lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds degree toward the
Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of
demarcation. It is twenty-five [leagues] from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua
[Limasawa]. We carried a quantity of merchandise ashore which we stored in a house.
The king took it under his care as well as four men who were left to trade the goods by
wholesale. Those people live in accordance with justice, and have weights and measures.
They love peace, ease, and quiet. They have wooden balances, the bar of which has a
cord in the middle by which it is held. At one end is a bit of lead, and at the other marks
like quarter-libras [quarter-pounds], and libras [pounds]. When they wish to weigh they
take the scales which has three wires like ours, and place it above the marks, and so
weigh it accurately. They have very large measures without any bottom. The youth play
on pipes made like ours which they call subin. Their houses our constructed of wood and
are built of planks and bamboo, raised high from the ground on large logs, and one must
enter them by means of ladders. They have rooms like ours; and under the house they
keep their swine, goats, and fowls. Large sea snails [corniolli], beautiful to the sight, are
found there which kill whales. For the whale swallows them alive, and when they are in
the whale’s body; they come out of their shells and eat the whale’s heart. Those people
afterward find them alive near the dead whale’s heart. Those creatures have black teeth
and skin and a white shell, and the flesh is [are] good to eat. They are called laghan [a
shellfish].
On Friday we showed these people a shop full of our merchandise, at which they were
very much surprised. For metals, iron, and other large merchandise they gave us gold.
For the other smaller articles they gave us rice, swine, goats, and other food. Those
people gave us x pieces of gold for xiiii libras [14 pounds] of iron 9one piece being worth
about one and one-half ducados [ducats]). The captain-general did not wish to take too
much gold, for there would have been some sailors who would have given all that they
owned for a small amount of gold and would have spoiled the trade forever. On Saturday,
as the captain [king] had promised the king [captain] to become a Christian on Sunday, a
platform was built in [on] the consecrated square, which was adorned with hangings and
palm branches for his baptism. The captain-general sent men to tell the king not to be
afraid of the pieces that would be discharged them at our greatest feasts without loading
[them] with stones.
On Sunday morning, April fourteen, forty men of us went ashore, two of whom were
completely armed and preceded the royal banner. When we reached land all the artillery
was fired. Those people followed us hither and thither. The captain and the king
embraced. The captain told the king that the royal banner was not taken ashore except
with fifty men armed as were those two, and with fifty musketeers; but so great was his
love for him that he had thus brought the banner. Then we all approached the platform
joyfully. The captain and the king sat down in chairs of red and violet velvet, the chiefs on
cushions, and the others on mats. The captain told the king through the interpreter that
he thanked God for inspiring him to became [become] a Christian, and that [now] he would
more easily conquer his enemies than before. The king replied that he wished to become
a Christian, but that some of his chiefs did not wish to obey, because they said that they
were as good as men as he. Then our captain had all the chiefs of the king called, and
told them that unless they obeyed the king as their king, he would have them killed, and
would give their possessions to the king. They replied that they would obey him. The
captain told the king that he was going to Spagnia, but that he would return again with so
many forces that he would make him the greatest king of those regions, as he had been
the first to express a determination to become a Christian. The king, lifting his hand to the
sky, thanked the captain, and requested him to let some of his men remain [with him], so
that he and his people might better be instructed in the faith. The captain replied that he
would like to take two of the children of the chiefs with him, so that they might learn our
language, who afterward on their return would be able to tell the others the wonder of
Spagnia, A large cross was set up in the middle of the square. The captain told them that
if they wished to become Christians as they had declared on the previous days, that they
must burn all their idols and set up a cross in their place. They were to adore that cross
daily with clasped hands, and every morning after their [i.e., the Spaniards’] custom, they
were to make the sign of the cross (which the captain showed them how to make); and
they ought to come hourly, at least in the morning, to that cross, and adore it kneeling.
The intention that they had already declared, they were to confirm it with good works. The
king and all the other wished to confirm it thoroughly. The captain-general told the king
that he was clad in all white to demonstrate his sincere love toward them. They replied
they could not respond to his sweet words. The captain led the king by hand to the
platform while speaking these good words in order to baptize him. He told the king that
he would call him Don Carlo, after his sovereign the emperor; the prince, Don Fernando,
after the emperor’s brother; the king of Mazaua, Johanni; a chief, Fernando, after our
chief, that is to say the captain; the More, Christoforo; and then the others, now one name,
and now another. Five hundred men were baptized before mass. After the conclusion of
mass, the captain invited the king and some of the other chiefs to dinner, but they refused,
accompanying us, however, to the shore. The ships discharged all the mortars and
embracing, the king and chiefs and the captain took leave of one another.
After dinner the priest and some of the others went ashore to baptize the queen, who
came with forty women. We conducted her to platform, and she was mad to sit down upon
a cushion, and the other women near her, until the priest should be ready. She was shown
[I showed her] an Image of our Lady, a very beautiful wooden child Jesus, and a cross.
Thereupon, she was overcome with contrition and asked for baptism amid her tears. We
named her Johanna, after the emperor’s mother; her daughter, the wife of the prince,
Catherina; the queen of Mazana, Lisabeta; and the others, each [with] their [distinctive]
names. Counting men, women, and children, we baptized eight hundred souls. The queen
was young and beautiful, and was entirely covered with a white and black cloth. Her
mouth and nails were very red, while on her head she wore a large bat of palm leaves in
the manner of a parasol, with the crown about it of the same leaves, like the tiara of the
Pope; and she never goes any place without such a one. She asked us to give her the
little child Jesus to keep in place of her idols; and then she went away. In the afternoon,
the king and queen, accompanied by numerous persons, came to the shore. Thereupon,
the captain had many trombs of fire and large mortars 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 baptized. We burned one hamlet which was located in
a neighboring island, because it refused to obey the king or us. We set up the cross there
for those people were heathen. Had they been Moros, we would have erected a column
there as a token of our greater hardness, for the Moros and much harder to convert than
the heathen.
The captain-general went shore daily during those days to hear mass, and told the king
many things regarding the faith. One day the queen came with great pomp to hear Mass.
Three girls preceded her with three of her bats in their hands. She was dressed in black
and white with a large silk scarf, crossed with gold stripes thrown over her head, which
covered her shoulders; and she had on her hat. A great number of women accompanied
her, who were all naked and barefoot, except that they had a small covering palm-tree
cloth before their privies, and a small scarf upon the head, and all hair flowing free. The
queen, having made the due reverence to the altar, seated herself on a silk embroidered
cushion. Before the commencement of the mass, the captain sprayed her and some of
her [the] women with musk rosewater, for they delighted exceedingly in such perfumes.
The captain, knowing that the queen was very much pleased with the child Jesus, gave
it to her, telling her to keep it in place of her idols. For it was a memory of the son of God.
Thanking him heartily, she accepted it.
There are many villages in that island. Their names and those of their chiefs are as
follows: Cinghapola and its chiefs, Cilaton, Ciguibucan, Cimaningha, Cimatichat, and
Cicanbul; one, Mandaui and its chief, Apanoaan; one Lalan, and its chief, Theteu; one,
Lalutan, and its chief, Tapan; one Cilumai; and one, lubucun. All those villages rendered
obedience to us, and gave us food and tribute. Near that island of Zubu was an island
called Matan [Mactan], which formed the port where we were anchored. The name of its
village was Matan, and its chiefs were Zula and Cilapulapu [Lapu-lapu]. That city [village]
which we burned was in that island and was called Bulaia.
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 that he would send him all that he
had promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because of the other chief,
Cilapulapu, who refused to obey the king of Spain. He requested the captain to send him
only one boatload of men on the next night so that they might help him fight against the
other chief. The captain-general decided to go thither with three boatloads. We begged
him repeatedly not to go, but he, like a good shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At
midnight, sixty of us set out armed with corselets and helmets, together with the Christian
king, the prince, some of the chief men, and twenty or thirty balanguais. We reached
Matan three hours before dawn. The captain did not wish to fight them, but sent a
message to the natives by the Muslim to the effect that if they would obey the king of
Spagnia, recognize the Christian king as their sovereign, and pay us our tribute, he would
be their friend; but that if they wished otherwise, they should wait to see how our lances
wounded. They replied that if we had lances they had lances of bamboo and stakes
hardened with fire. [They asked us] not to proceed to attack them at once, but to wait until
morning, so that they might have more men. They said that in order to introduce us to go
in search of them; for they had dug certain pit holes between the houses in order that we
might fall 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 crossbow flights before we could reach
the shore. The boats could reach the shore. The boats could not approach nearer
because of certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard
the boats. When we reached land, those men had formed in three divisions to the number
of more than one thousands five hundred persons. When they saw us, they charged down
upon us with exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other on our front.
When the captain 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 half an hour, but
uselessly; for the shots only passes through the shields which were made of thin wood,
and the arms [of the bearers]. The captain cried to them, “Cease firing!” but his order was
not heeded at all. When the natives saw that we were shooting our muskets to no
purpose, crying out they [were] determined to stand firm, and redoubled their shouts.
When our muskets were discharged, the natives would never stand still, but leaped hither
and thither, covering themselves with their shields. They shot so many arrows at us and
hurled so many bamboo spears (some 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 some men to burn their houses
in order to terrify them. When they saw their houses burning, they were roused to greater
fury. Two of our men were 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 arrow. On that account, he ordered us to retire slowly, but the men took
to flight, except six or eight of us who remained with the captain. The natives shot only at
our legs, for the latter were bare; and so many were the spears and stones that they
hurled at us that we could offer no resistance. The mortars in the boats could not aid us
as they were too far away. So we continued to retire for more than a good crossbow flight
from the shore, always fighting up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to
pursue us and picking up the sane spear four or six times, hurled it us at us again and
again. Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet
off his head twice, but he always stood firm like a good knight, together 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 wounded in the arm with 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 resembled a scimitar, only being larger. That caused
the captain to face downward, when immediately they rushed 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 wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether
we were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as
best we could, to the boats, which were already pulling off.
The Christian king would have aided us, but the captain charged him before we landed,
not to leave his balanghai, but to stay to dead, he wept. Had it not been saved in the
boats. I hope through [the efforts of] your illustrious Lordship that the fame of so noble a
captain will not become effaced in our times. Among other virtues which he possessed;
he was more constant than ever in the greatest of adversity. He endured hunger better
than all the others, and more accurately than any man in the world did he understand sea
charts and navigation. And that this was the truth seen openly, for no other had had so
much natural talent nor the boldness to learn how to circumnavigate the world, as he had
almost done. That [The] battle was fought on Saturday, April twenty-seven, 1521. The
captain desired to fight in Saturday, because it was the day especially holy to him. Eight
of our men were killed by the mortars of the boats. Of the enemy, only fifteen were killed.
While many of us were wounded.

Reference:
[1] Project Gutenberg EBook of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XXXIII, 1519-
1522, by Antonio Pigafetta. Retrieved from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42884/42884-
h/42884-h.htm

Gabay na katanungan:

1. Ano ang mga kaganapan sa unang pagkikita ng mga Kastila at ng mga Bisaya?
2. Paano inilarawan ni Pigafetta ang mga katutubong kanilang nakasalamuha?
3. Ano-ano ang mga likas na yamang kanilang nakita sa ating mga pulo?
4. Ilarawan ang mga pangyayari na humantong sa kamatayan ni Magellan.
5. Ano ang kahalagahan ng talang ito sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas?