GEC 2 – Readings in Philippine History

MODULE 2
UNDERSTANDING PERSPECTIVE
LESSON 1: Magellan’s Voyage around the World

EXCERPTS FROM MAGELLAN’S VOYAGE AROUND THE

WORLD
At dawn on Saturday, March sixteen, 1521, we came upon a high land at
a distance of three hundred leagues from the islands of Latroni-an island
named Zamal [i.e., Samar]. The following e day, the captain-general
desired to land on another island which was uninhabited and lay to the
right side of the above mentioned island, in order to be more secure, and
to get water and have some rest. He had two tents set up on the shore for
the sick and had a sow killed for them. On Monday afternoon, 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 [Link] those men reached the shore, their chief went
immediately to the captain-general... seeing that they were reasonable
men, ordered food to be set 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 [i.e., arrack], figs more than one palmo long [i.e.,
bananas), and others which were smaller and more delicate, and two
cocoanuts (coconuts]. They had nothing else then...but rice, and
cocoanuts and many articles of food within four days. Cocoanuts 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 hole into the heart of the said palm at the
top called “palmito” si.e. stalk), from which distils a liquor which
resembles white must [mist). That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and
sis 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 cocoanut,
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 the 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 natives wish
to make oil, they take that cocoanut, 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 swell, obtained milk like goat's milk.
Those palms 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 the 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. When they
were about to retire they took their leave very gracefully and neatly,
saying that they would return according to their promise. The island
where we were is called Humunu (Homonhon); but inasmuch as we
found two springs there of the clearest water, we called it 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 districts. We found a
great quantity of white coral there, and large trees with fruit a trifle
smaller than the almond and resembling pine seeds. There are also many
palms, some of them good and others bad. 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 cocoanuts, 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.,
tattooed), He wore two gold earrings (schione) in his ears, and the others
many gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs 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 cocoanut 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 a needle. They are dark,
fat, and painted. They anoint themselves with cocoanut and with
beneseed 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 with gold, large shields, 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 sand his men] bad come to the island as 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 (whom I led] 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
grandly decked out (molto in ordine), 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 [to] his ears. He wore a cotton cloth all
embroidered with silk, which covered him from the waist to the knees.
At his side hung a dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all
of gold, and its scabbard of carved 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 tawny and painted [i.e.,
tattooed) all over That island of his was called Butuan and Calagan
[Caragal When those kings wished to see one another, they both went to
bunt in that island where we were. The name of the first king is Raia
Colambu, the second Raia Siaui.
Early on [in] the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter-day,
the captain-general sent the priest with some men to prepare the place
where the Mass was to be said; together with the interpreter to tell the
king that we were not going to land in order to dine with him, but to say
mass. Therefore the king sent us two swine that he had had killed. When
the hour for mass [bad] arrived, we landed with about fifty men, without
our body armor, but carrying our other arms, and dressed in our best |
clothes. Before we reached the shore with our boats, six pieces | were
discharged as a sign of peace. We landed; the two kings embraced the
captain-general, and placed him between them. We went in marching
order to the place consecrated, which was not far from shore. Before the
commencement of [the] mass, the captain sprinkled the entire bodies of
the two kings with musk water. The mass was offered up (During the
Mass, we made our offerings]. The kings went forward to kiss the cross
as we did, but made no offerings. When the body of our Lord was
elevated, they remained on their knees and worshipped Him with
clasped hands. The ships fired all their artillery at once when the body of
Christ was elevated, the signal having been given from the shore with
muskets. After the conclusion of Mass, some of our men took
communion....Then he (they] had a cross carried in and the nails and a
crown, to which immediate reverence was made (to which they made
immediate reverence). He told the kings through the interpreter that they
were the standards given to him by the emperor his sovereign, so that
wherever he might go he might set up those tokens. [He said] that he
wished to set it up in that place for their benefit, for 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 MS.). 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,
lightning, nor storms would harm them in the least. They thanked him
heartily and [said) that they would do everything willingly. The
captaingeneral also asked them whether they were Moros [Muslims] or
heathen, or what was their belief. They replied that they worshiped
nothing [had no other worship] but that they raised their clasped hands
and their face to the sky, and that they called their god “Abba.” There at
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. The 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 family were. The captain-general
had him asked (asked him) to declare whether he had 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 then the season to go there. The (That]
captain told him that if God would again allow him to return to those
districts, he would bring so many men that he would make the king's
enemies subject to him by force. He said that he was about to go to
dinner, and that he would return afterward to have the cross set up on the
summit of the mountain. They replied that they were satisfied, and then
forming in battalion and firing the muskets, and the captain having
embraced the two kings, we took our leave.
After dinner we all returned clad in our doublets. a afternoon went
together with the two kings to the sun the highest mountain there. When
we reached the sumn captain-general told them that he esteemed highly
having sweater for them, for since the cross was there, it could not but
be of great use to them. On asking which port was best to get food they
replied that there were three, namely, Ceylon (Leyte), Zubú (Cebu), and
Calaghann [Calagan], but that Zubu was the largest and the one with
most trade. They offered of their own accord to give us pilots to show us
the way. The captain-general thanked them, and determined to go there,
for so did his unhappy fate will. After the cross was erected in position,
each of us repeated a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria, and adored the
cross; and the kings did the same. Then we descended through the
cultivated fields, and went to the place where the balanghai was. The
king had some cocoanuts brought in so we might refresh ourselves. The
captain asked the kings for pilots, for he intended to depart the following
morning, and [said] that he would treat them as if they were the kings
themselves, and would leave one of us as hostage. The kings replied
every that every hour he wished the pilots were at his command, but that
night the first king changed his mind, and in the morning when we were
about to depart, sent word to the captain-general, asking him for love of
him to wait two days until he should have his rice harvested, and other
trifles attended to. He asked the captain-general to send him some men
to help him, so that it might be done sooner; and said that he intended to
act as our pilot himself. The captain sent him some men, but the kings
ate and drank so much that they slept all the day. Some 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 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 resemble the leaves of the
mulberry. They mix 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, cocoanuts, figs [i.e., bananas), oranges,
lemons, millet, pancium, sorgo, wax, and a quantity of gold in that
island. It lies in a latitude of nine and twothirds degrees 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 remained there seven days, after which we laid our course toward
the northwest, passing among five islands, namely Ceylon, Bohol,
Canighan, Baybai, and Gatighan. In the lastnamed island of Gatighan,
there are bats as large as eagles. As it was late we killed one of them,
which resembled chicken in taste. There are doves, turtle-doves, parrots,
and certain black birds as large as domestic chickens, which have a long
tail. The lastmentioned birds lay eggs as large as the goose, and bury
them under the sand, through the great heat of which they hatched out.
When the chicks are born, they push up the sand, and come out. Those
eggs are good to eat. There is a distance of twenty leguas [leagues) from
Mazaua to Gatighan. We set out westward from Gatighan, but the king
of Mazaua could not follow us [closely); and consequently, we awaited
him near three islands; namely Polo [Poro], Ticobon [Pasijan), and
Pozon [Pason]. When he caught up with us he was greatly astonished at
the rapidity with which we sailed. The captain-general had him come
into his ship with several of his chiefs at which they were pleased. Thus
did we go to Zubu from Gatighan, the distance to Zubu being fifteen
leguas.
At noon on Sunday, April seven, we entered the port of Zubu, passing
by many villages, where we saw many homes built upon logs. On
approaching the city, the captain-genera ordered the ships to fling their
banners. The sails were lowered and arranged as if for battle, and the
artillery was fired, an action which caused great fear to the people. The
captain sent a foster-son of his as ambassador to the king of Zubo with
the interpreter. When they reached the city, they found a vast crowd of
people together with the king, all of whom who were frightened by the
mortars. The interpreter told them that that was our custom when
entering into such places, as a sign of peace and friendship, and that we
had discharged all our mortars to honor the king of the village. The king
and all of his men were reassured, and the king had us asked by his
governor what we wanted. The interpreter replied that his master was a
captain of the greatest king and prince in the world, and that he was
going to discover Malucho; but that he had come solely to visit the king
because of the good report which he had heard of him from the king of
Mazaua, and to buy food with his merchandise. The king told him that
he was welcome sliterally: he had come at a good time), but that it was
their custom for all ships that entered their ports 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 tribute. As proof of his statement, the king
pointed out to the interpreter, a merchant from Ciama, who had
remained to trade the gold and slaves. The interpreter told the king that,
since his master was the captain of so great a king, he did not pay tribute
to any seignior in the world, and that if the king wished peace he would
have peace, but if war instead, war. Thereupon, the Moro merchant said
to the king "Cata raia chita”; that is to say, "Look well, sire. These men
are the same who have conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all India Magiore
(i.e., India Major). If they are treated well, they will give good treatment,
but if they are treated evil, evil and worse treatment, as they have done
to Calicut and Malaca." The interpreter understood it all and told the
king that his master's king was more powerful in men and ships than the
king of Portogalo, that he was the king of Spagnia (Spain) and emperor
of all the Christians, and that if the king did not care to be his friend he
would next time send so many men that they would destroy him. The
Moro related everything to the king who said thereupon that he would
deliberate with his men, and would answer the captain on the following
day. Then he had refreshments of many dishes, all made from meat and
contained in porcelain platters, besides many jars of wine brought in.
After our men had refreshed themselves, they returned and told us
everything. The king of Mazaua, who was the most influential after that
king and the seignior of a number of islands, went ashore to speak to the
king of the great courtesy of our captain-general.
Monday morning, our notary, together with the interpreter, went to
Zubu. The king, accompanied by his chiefs, came to the open square
where he had our men sit down near him. He asked the notary whether
there were more than one captain in that company, and whether that
captain wished him to pay tribute to the emperor, his master. The notary
replied in the negative, but that the captain wished only to trade with
him and no others. The king said that he was satisfied, and that if the
captain wished to become his friend, he should send him a drop of blood
from his right arm, and he himself would do the same [to him as a sign
of the most sincere friendship. The notary answered that the captain
would do it (so). Thereupon, the king told him that all the captains who
came to that place were wont to give presents one to the other si.e.,
mutual presents between the king and the captain), and asked whether
our captain or he ought to commence. The interpreter told the king that
since he desired to maintain the custom, he should commence, and so he
did.
On Wednesday morning, as one of our men had died during, the
previous night, the interpreter and I went to ask the king where we could
bury him. We found the king surrounded many men of whom, after the
due reverence was made, I asked He replied, “If I and my vassals all
belong to your sovereign, how much more ought the land." I told the
king that we would like. to consecrate the place, and to set up a cross
there. He replied that he was quite satisfied and that he wished to adore
the cross as did we. The deceased was buried in the square with as much
pomp as possible, in order to furnish a good example. Then we
consecrated the place, and in the evening buried another man. 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 quarterlibras [quarter-pounds), third-libras (third-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
are 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 (one piece being worth about one
and onehalf 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 for ever. 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 in the morning, for it was our custom to discharge 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. I nose people followed us hither
and thither. The captain and the Ring 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 obeyed the king as their king, he would have them killed would
give their possessions to the king. They replied that 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 hands 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 wonders (cose) 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 others 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 Moro, 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 the platform,
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 [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 Mazaua,
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 hat of palm leaves in the manner of a parasol, with a 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 are much harder to convert than the
heathen.
The captain-general went ashore daily during those days hear mass, and
told the king many things regarding the fait One day the queen came
with great pomp to hear Mass. Three girls preceded her with three of her
hats in their hands. She 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 of 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.
One day, the captain-general asked the king and the other people why
they did not burn their idols as they had promised when they became
Christians; and why they sacrificed so much flesh to them. They replied
that what they were doing was not for themselves, but for a sick man
who had not spoken now for four days, so that the idols might give him
health. He was the prince's brother, and the bravest and wisest man in
the island. The captain told them to burn their idols and to believe in
Christ, and that if the sick man were baptized, he would quickly recover;
and if that did not so happen they could behead him [i.e., the captain)
then and there. Thereupon, the king replied that he would do it, for he
truly believed in Christ. We made a procession from the square to the
house of the sick man with as much pomp as possible. There we found
him in such a condition that he could neither speak nor move. We
baptized him and his two wives, and x girls. Then the captain had him
asked [asked him] how he felt. He speak immediately and said that by
the grace of our Lord he felt very well. That was a most manifest miracle
(that happened) in our times. When the captain heard him (the man]
speak, be thanked God fervently. Then he made the sick man drink some
almond milk, which he had already made ready for him. Afterward be
sent him a mattress, a pair of sheets, a coverlet of yellow cloth, and a
pillow. Until he recovered his health, the captain sent him [every day)
almond milk, rosewater, oil of roses, and some sweet preserves. Before
five days the sick man began to walk. He had an idol that certain old
women concealed in his house burned in the presence of the king and all
the people. He had many shrines along the seashore destroyed, in which
consecrated meat was eaten. The people themselves cried out
“Castiglia!” “Castiglia!” and destroyed those shrines. They said that if
God would lend them life, they would burn all the idols they could find,
even if they were in the king's house. Those idols are made of wood, and
are hollow, and lack the back parts. Their arms are open and their feet
turned up under them with the legs open. They have a large face with
four huge tusks like those of the wild boar; and are painted all over. bs.
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, chief of the island of Matan, sent one
of his sons to present two gals 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 sent it to him because of the other chief, Cilapulapu, who refused to
obey the king of Spagnia. He requested the captain to send him only one
boatload of men on the next night, so that they might help him and fight
against the other chief. The captain-general decided to thither with three
boatloads. We bagged him repeatedly not to go, but he, like a good
shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At midnight, sixty men of us set
out armed with the corselets and helmets, together with the Christian
king, the prince some of the chief men, and twenty or thirty balanghais.
We reached Matan three hours before dawn. The captain did not wish to
fight then, but he sent a message to natives by the Moro to the effect that
of they would obey the King of Spagnia, recognize the Christian king as
their sovereign, 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 induce us to go in search of them;
for they had dug certain pitholes between the houses in order that we
might fall into them. When morning came, forty-nine of us leaped into
the water up our thighs, and walked through water for more than two
crossbow flights before we 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 they saw us, they
charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our
flanks and other two 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 half an hour, but uselessly for the
shots only passed through the shields which were made of thin wood and
the arms [of the bearers). The captain cried to them, “Cease firing! cease
firing!” but his
order was not all heeded. When the natives saw that we were shooting
our muskets to no purpose, crying out, they (were] determined to stand
firm, but they [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 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 same spear
four or six times, hurled it 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 firmly like a good knight, together with
some others. Thus did we fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire
farther [further). 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 halfway because he had been wounded in the arm with [by) a
bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves
upon him. One of them wounded him on left leg with a large cutlass,
which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to
fall 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 as 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 see how we fought. When the king
learned that the captain was dead, he wept. Had it not been for that
unfortunate captain, not a single one of us would have been saved in the
boats, for while he was fighting, the others retired to 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 on Saturday, because it was the day especially holy to him. Eight of
our men were killed with him in that battle, and four Indians, who had
become Christians and who had come afterward to aid us, were killed by
the mortars of the boats. Of the enemy, only fifteen were killed, while
many of us were wounded.