Discovery of the Archipelago
The discoveries of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the adventures and
conquests of Hernan Cortes, Blasco Nunez de Balboa and others in
the South Atlantic, had awakened an ardent desire amongst those of
enterprizing spirit to seek beyond those regions which had hitherto
been traversed. It is true the Pacific Ocean had been seen by Balboa,
who crossed the Isthmus of Panama, but how to arrive there with his
ships was as yet a mystery.
On April 10, 1495, the Spanish Government published a general
concession to all who wished to search for unknown lands. This was a
direct attack upon the privileges of Columbus at the instigation of
Fonseca, Bishop of Burgos, who had the control of the Indian affairs
of the realm. Rich merchants of Cadiz and Seville, whose imagination
was inflamed by the reports of the abundance of pearls and gold on the
American coast, fitted out ships to be manned by the roughest class
of gold-hunters: so great were the abuses of this common licence that
it was withdrawn by Royal Decree of June 2, 1497.
It was the age of chivalry, and the restless cavalier who had won
his spurs in Europe lent a listening ear to the accounts of romantic
glory and wealth attained across the seas. That an immense ocean washed
the western shores of the great American continent was an established
fact. That there was a passage connecting the great Southern sea--the
Atlantic--with that vast ocean was an accepted hypothesis. Many had
sought the passage in vain; the honour of its discovery was reserved
for Hernando de Maghallanes (Portuguese, Fernao da Magalhaes).
This celebrated man was a Portuguese noble who had received the most
complete education in the palace of King John II. Having studied
mathematics and navigation, at an early age he joined the Portuguese
fleet which left for India in 1505 under the command of Almeida. He
was present at the siege of Malacca under the famous Albuquerque, and
accompanied another expedition to the rich Moluccas, or Spice Islands,
when the Islands of Banda, Tidor, and Ternate were discovered. It
was here he obtained the information which led him to contemplate
the voyage which he subsequently realized.
On his return to Portugal he searched the Crown Archives to see
if the Moluccas were situated within the demarcation accorded to
Spain. [14] In the meantime he repaired to the wars in Africa, where
he was wounded in the knee, with the result that he became permanently
lame. He consequently retired to Portugal, and his companions in arms,
jealous of his prowess, took advantage of his affliction to assail him
with vile imputations. The King Emmanuel encouraged the complaints,
and accused him of feigning a malady of which he was completely
cured. Wounded to the quick by such an assertion, and convinced of
having lost the royal favour, Maghallanes renounced for ever, by a
formal and public instrument, his duties and rights as a Portuguese
subject, and henceforth became a naturalized Spaniard. He then
presented himself at the Spanish Court, at that time in Valladolid,
where he was well received by the King Charles I., the Bishop of
Burgos, Juan Rodriguez Fonseca, Minister of Indian Affairs, and by
the King's chancellor. They listened attentively to his narration,
and he had the good fortune to secure the personal protection of His
Majesty, himself a well-tried warrior, experienced in adventure.
The Portuguese Ambassador, Alvaro de Acosta, incensed at the success
of his late countryman, and fearing that the project under discussion
would lead to the conquest of the Spice Islands by the rival kingdom,
made every effort to influence the Court against him. At the same
time he ineffectually urged Maghallanes to return to Lisbon, alleging
that his resolution to abandon Portuguese citizenship required the
sovereign sanction. Others even meditated his assassination to save
the interests of the King of Portugal. This powerful opposition only
served to delay the expedition, for finally the King of Portugal
was satisfied that his Spanish rival had no intention to authorize
a violation of the Convention of Demarcation.
Between King Charles and Maghallanes a contract was signed in Saragossa
by virtue of which the latter pledged himself to seek the discovery
of rich spice islands within the limits of the Spanish Empire. If
he should not have succeeded in the venture after ten years from
the date of sailing he would thenceforth be permitted to navigate
and trade without further royal assent, reserving one-twentieth of
his net gains for the Crown. The King accorded to him the title
of Cavalier and invested him with the habit of St. James and the
hereditary government in male succession of all the islands he might
annex. The Crown of Castile reserved to itself the supreme authority
over such government. If Maghallanes discovered so many as six islands,
he was to embark merchandise in the King's own ships to the value of
one thousand ducats as royal dues. If the islands numbered only two,
he would pay to the Crown one-fifteenth of the net profits. The King,
however, was to receive one-fifth part of the total cargo sent in the
_first_ return expedition. The King would defray the expense of fitting
out and arming five ships of from 60 to 130 tons with a total crew
of 234 men; he would also appoint captains and officials of the Royal
Treasury to represent the State interests in the division of the spoil.
Orders to fulfil the contract were issued to the Crown officers in the
port of Seville, and the expedition was slowly prepared, consisting
of the following vessels, viz.: The commodore ship _La Trinidad_,
under the immediate command of Maghallanes; the _San Antonio_,
Captain Juan de Cartagena; the _Victoria_, Captain Luis de Mendoza;
the _Santiago_, Captain Juan Rodriguez Serrano; and the _Concepcion_,
Captain Gaspar de Quesada.
The little fleet had not yet sailed when dissensions arose.
Maghallanes wished to carry his own ensign, whilst Doctor Sancho
Matienza insisted that it should be the Royal Standard.
Another, named Talero, disputed the question of who should be the
standard-bearer. The King himself had to settle these quarrels by his
own arbitrary authority. Talero was disembarked and the Royal Standard
was formally presented to Maghallanes by injunction of the King in
the Church of Santa Maria de la Victoria de la Triana, in Seville,
where he and his companions swore to observe the usages and customs
of Castile, and to remain faithful and loyal to His Catholic Majesty.
On August 10, 1519, the expedition left the port of San Lucar de
Barrameda in the direction of the Canary Islands.
On December 13 they arrived safely at Rio Janeiro.
Following the coast in search of the longed-for passage to the
Pacific Ocean, they entered the Solis River--so called because its
discoverer, Joao de Solis, a Portuguese, was murdered there. Its name
was afterwards changed to that of Rio de la Plata (the Silver River).
Continuing their course, the intense cold determined Maghallanes to
winter in the next large river, known then as San Julian.
Tumults arose; some wished to return home; others harboured a desire
to separate from the fleet, but Maghallanes had sufficient tact
to persuade the crews to remain with him, reminding them of the
shame which would befall them if they returned only to relate their
failure. He added that, so far as he was concerned, nothing but death
would deter him from executing the royal commission.
As to the rebellious captains, Juan de Cartagena was already put
in irons and sentenced to be cast ashore with provisions, and a
disaffected French priest for a companion. The sentence was carried
out later on. Then Maghallanes sent a boat to each of three of the
ships to inquire of the captains whom they served. The reply from all
was that they were for the King and themselves. Thereupon 30 men were
sent to the _Victoria_ with a letter to Mendoza, and whilst he was
reading it, they rushed on board and stabbed him to death. Quesada
then brought his ship alongside of the _Trinidad_, and, with sword and
shield in hand, called in vain upon his men to attack. Maghallanes,
with great promptitude, gave orders to board Quesada's vessel. The
next day Quesada was executed. After these vigorous but justifiable
measures, obedience was ensured.
Still bearing southwards within sight of the coast, on October 28,
1520, the expedition reached and entered the seaway thenceforth known
as the Magellan Straits, dividing the Island of Tierra del Fuego from
the mainland of Patagonia. [15]
On the way one ship had become a total wreck, and now the _San Antonio_
deserted the expedition; her captain having been wounded and made
prisoner by his mutinous officers, she was sailed in the direction of
New Guinea. The three remaining vessels waited for the _San Antonio_
several days, and then passed through the Straits. Great was the
rejoicing of all when, on November 26, 1520, they found themselves
on the Pacific Ocean! It was a memorable day. All doubt was now at
an end as they cheerfully navigated across that broad expanse of sea.
On March 16, 1521, the Ladrone Islands were reached. There the ships
were so crowded with natives that they were obliged to be expelled by
force. They stole one of the ship's boats, and ninety men were sent on
shore to recover it. After a bloody combat the boat was regained, and
the fleet continued its course westward until it hove to off an islet,
then called Jomonjol, now known as Malhou, situated in the channel
between Samar and Dinagat Islands (_vide_ map). Then coasting along
the north of the Island of Mindanao, they arrived at the mouth of the
Butuan River, where they were supplied with provisions by the chief. It
was Easter week, and on this shore the first Mass was celebrated in
the Philippines. The natives showed great friendliness, in return
for which Maghallanes took formal possession of their territory in
the name of Charles I. The chieftain himself volunteered to pilot
the ships to a fertile island, the kingdom of a relation of his, and,
passing between the Islands of Bojol and Leyte, the expedition arrived
on April 7 at Cebu, where, on receiving the news, over two thousand
men appeared on the beach in battle array with lances and shields.
The Butuan chief went on shore and explained that the expedition
brought people of peace who sought provisions. The King agreed to
a treaty, and proposed that it should be ratified according to the
native formula--drawing blood from the breast of each party, the
one drinking that of the other. This form of bond was called by the
Spaniards the _Pacto de sangre_, or the Blood compact (q.v.).
Maghallanes accepted the conditions, and a hut was built on shore in
which to say Mass. Then he disembarked with his followers, and the
King, Queen, and Prince came to satisfy their natural curiosity. They
appeared to take great interest in the Christian religious rites and
received baptism, although it would be venturesome to suppose they
understood their meaning, as subsequent events proved. The princes
and headmen of the district followed their example, and swore fealty
and obedience to the King of Spain.
Maghallanes espoused the cause of his new allies, who were at war with
the tribes on the opposite coast, and on April 25, 1521, he passed
over to Magtan Island. In the affray he was mortally wounded by an
arrow, and thus ended his brief but lustrous career, which fills one
of the most brilliant pages in Spanish annals.
Maghallanes called the group of islands, so far discovered, the Saint
Lazarus Archipelago. In Spain they were usually referred to as the
Islas del Poniente, and in Portugal as the Islas del Oriente.
On the left bank of the Pasig River, facing the City of Manila, stands
a monument to Maghallanes' memory. Another has been erected on the
spot in Magtan Island, where he is supposed to have been slain on
April 27, 1521. Also in the city of Cebu, near the beach, there is
an obelisk to commemorate these heroic events.
It was perhaps well for Maghallanes to have ended his days out of
reach of his royal master. Had he returned to Spain he would probably
have met a fate similar to that which befell Columbus after all his
glories. The _San Antonio_, which, as already mentioned, deserted the
fleet at the Magellan Straits, continued her voyage from New Guinea to
Spain, arriving at San Lucar de Barrameda in March, 1521. The captain,
Alvaro Mesquita, was landed as a prisoner, accused of having seconded
Maghallanes in repressing insubordination. To Maghallanes were ascribed
the worst cruelties and infraction of the royal instructions. Accused
and accusers were alike cast into prison, and the King, unable to
lay hands on the deceased Maghallanes, sought this hero's wife and
children. These innocent victims of royal vengeance were at once
arrested and conveyed to Burgos, where the Court happened to be,
whilst the _San Antonio_ was placed under embargo.
On the decease of Maghallanes, the supreme command of the expedition in
Cebu Island was assumed by Duarte de Barbosa, who, with twenty-six of
his followers, was slain at a banquet to which they had been invited
by Hamabar, the King of the island. Juan Serrano had so ingratiated
himself with the natives during the sojourn on shore that his life
was spared for a while. Stripped of his raiment and armour, he was
conducted to the beach, where the natives demanded a ransom for his
person of two cannons from the ships' artillery. Those on board saw
what was passing and understood the request, but they were loath
to endanger the lives of all for the sake of one--"_Melius est ut
pereat unus quam ut pereat communitas_" (Saint Augustine)--so they
raised anchors and sailed out of the port, leaving Serrano to meet
his terrible fate.
Due to sickness, murder during the revolts, and the slaughter in Cebu,
the exploring party, now reduced to 100 souls all told, was deemed
insufficient to conveniently manage three vessels. It was resolved
therefore to burn the most dilapidated one--the _Concepcion_. At a
general council, Juan Caraballo was chosen Commander-in-Chief of
the expedition, with Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa as Captain of the
_Victoria_. The royal instructions were read, and it was decided
to go to the Island of Borneo, already known to the Portuguese
and marked on their charts. On the way they provisioned the ships
off the coast of Palauan Island (Paragua), and thence navigated to
within ten miles of the capital of Borneo (probably Brunei). Here
they fell in with a number of native canoes, in one of which was the
King's secretary. There was a great noise with the sound of drums
and trumpets, and the ships saluted the strangers with their guns.
The natives came on board, embraced the Spaniards as if they were old
friends, and asked them who they were and what they came for. They
replied that they were vassals of the King of Spain and wished to
barter goods. Presents were exchanged, and several of the Spaniards
went ashore. They were met on the way by over two thousand armed
men, and safely escorted to the King's quarters. After satisfying
his Majesty's numerous inquiries, Captain Espinosa was permitted to
return with his companions. He reported to Caraballo all he had seen,
and in a council it was agreed that the town was too large and the
armed men too numerous to warrant the safety of a longer stay. However,
being in need of certain commodities, five men were despatched to the
town. As days passed by, their prolonged absence caused suspicion
and anxiety, so the Spaniards took in reprisal the son of the King
of Luzon Island, who had arrived there to trade, accompanied by 100
men and five women in a large prahu. The prince made a solemn vow to
see that the five Spaniards returned, and left two of his women and
eight chiefs as hostages. Then Caraballo sent a message to the King
of Borneo, intimating that if his people were not liberated he would
seize all the junks and merchandise he might fall in with and kill
their crews. Thereupon two of the retained Spaniards were set free,
but, in spite of the seizure of craft laden with silk and cotton, the
three men remaining had to be abandoned, and the expedition set sail.
For reasons not very clear, Caraballo was deprived of the supreme
command and Espinosa was appointed in his place, whilst Juan Sebastian
Elcano was elected Captain of the _Victoria_. With a native pilot,
captured from a junk which they met on the way, the ships shaped
their course towards the Moluccas Islands, and on November 8, 1521,
they arrived at the Island of Tidor. Thus the essential object of
the expedition was gained--the discovery of a western route to the
Spice Islands.
Years previous the Portuguese had opened up trade and still continued
to traffic with these islands, which were rich in nutmegs, cloves,
cinnamon, ginger, sage, pepper, etc. It is said that Saint Francis
Xavier had propagated his views amongst these islanders, some of whom
professed the Christian faith.
The King, richly attired, went out with his suite to receive and
welcome the Spaniards. He was anxious to barter with them, and
when the _Trinidad_ was consequently laden with valuable spices it
was discovered that she had sprung a leak. Her cargo was therefore
transferred to the sister ship, whilst the _Trinidad_ remained in
Tidor for repairs, and Elcano was deputed to make the voyage home
with the _Victoria_, taking the western route of the Portuguese in
violation of the Treaty of Tordesillas. Elcano's crew consisted of
fifty-three Europeans and a dozen natives of Tidor. The _Victoria_
started for Spain at the beginning of the year 1522; passed through
the Sunda Straits at great risk of being seized by the Portuguese;
experienced violent storms in the Mozambique Channel, and was almost
wrecked rounding the Cape of Good Hope. A few of the crew died--their
only food was a scanty ration of rice--and in their extreme distress
they put in at Santiago Island, 350 miles W. of Cape Verd, to procure
provisions and beg assistance from the Portuguese Governor. It was
like jumping into the lion's mouth. The Governor imprisoned those who
went to him, in defence of his Sovereign's treaty rights; he seized
the boat which brought them ashore; inquired of them where they had
obtained the cargo; and projected the capture of the _Victoria_.
Captain Elcano was not slow to comprehend the situation; he raised
anchor and cleared out of the harbour, and, as it had happened several
times before, those who had the misfortune to be sent ashore were
abandoned by their countrymen.
The _Victoria_ made the port of San Lucar de Barrameda on September
6, 1522, so that in a little over three years Juan Sebastian Elcano
had performed the most notable voyage hitherto on record--it was the
first yet accomplished round the world. It must, however, be borne in
mind that the discovery of the way to the Moluccas, going westward,
was due to Maghallanes--of Portuguese birth--and that the route thence
to Europe, continuing westward, had long before been determined by
the Portuguese traders, whose charts Elcano used.
When Elcano and his 17 companions disembarked, their appearance was
most pitiable--mere skeletons of men, weather-beaten and famished. The
City of Seville received them with acclamation; but their first
act was to walk barefooted, in procession, holding lighted candles
in their hands, to the church to give thanks to the Almighty for
their safe deliverance from the hundred dangers which they had
encountered. Clothes, money, and all necessaries were supplied
to them by royal bounty, whilst Elcano and the most intelligent
of his companions were cited to appear at Court to narrate their
adventures. His Majesty received them with marked deference. Elcano was
rewarded with a life pension of 500 ducats (worth at that date about
L112 10s.), and as a lasting remembrance of his unprecedented feat,
his royal master knighted him and conceded to him the right of using
on his escutcheon a globe bearing the motto, "_Primus circundedit me_."
Two of Elcano's officers, Miguel de Rodas and Francisco Alva, were
each awarded a life pension of 50,000 maravedis (worth at that time
about 14 guineas), whilst the King ordered one-fourth of that fifth
part of the cargo, which by contract with Maghallanes belonged to the
State Treasury, to be distributed amongst the crew, including those
imprisoned in Santiago Island.
The cargo of the _Victoria_ consisted of twenty-six and a half tons
of cloves, a quantity of cinnamon, sandal wood, nutmegs, etc. Amongst
the Tidor Islanders who were presented to the King, one of them was
not allowed to return to his native home, because he had carefully
inquired the value of the spices in the Spanish bazaars.
Meanwhile the _Trinidad_ was repaired in Tidor and on her way to
Panama, when continued tempests and the horrible sufferings of the
crew determined them to retrace their course to the Moluccas. In this
interval Portuguese ships had arrived there, and a fort was being
constructed to defend Portuguese interests against the Spaniards,
whom they regarded as interlopers. The _Trinidad_ was seized, and
the Captain Espinosa with the survivors of his crew were granted a
passage to Lisbon, which place they reached five years after they
had set out with Maghallanes.
The enthusiasm of King Charles was equal to the importance of the
discoveries which gave renown to his subjects and added glory to his
Crown. Notwithstanding a protracted controversy with the Portuguese
Court, which claimed the exclusive right of trading with the Spice
Islands, he ordered another squadron of six ships to be fitted
out for a voyage to the Moluccas. The supreme command was confided
to Garcia Yofre de Loaisa, Knight of Saint John, whilst Sebastian
Elcano was appointed captain of one of the vessels. After passing
through the Magellan Straits, the Commander Loaisa succumbed to the
fatigues and privations of the stormy voyage. Elcano succeeded him,
but only for four days, when he too expired. The expedition, however,
arrived safely at the Moluccas Islands, where they found the Portuguese
in full possession and strongly established, but the long series of
combats, struggles and altercations which ensued between the rival
Powers, in which Captain Andres de Urdaneta prominently figured,
left no decisive advantage to either nation.
But the King was in no way disheartened. A third expedition--the last
under his auspices--was organized and despatched from the Pacific
Coast of Mexico by the Viceroy, by royal mandate. It was composed of
two ships, two transports and one galley, well manned and armed, chosen
from the fleet of Pedro Alvarado, the late Governor of Guatemala. Under
the leadership of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos it sailed on November 1,
1542; discovered many small islands in the Pacific; lost the galley on
the way, and anchored off an island about 20 miles in circumference
which was named Antonia. They found its inhabitants very hostile. A
fight ensued, but the natives finally fled, leaving several Spaniards
wounded, of whom six died. Villalobos then announced his intention
of remaining here some time, and ordered his men to plant maize. At
first they demurred, saying that they had come to fight, not to till
land, but at length necessity urged them to obedience, and a small
but insufficient crop was reaped in due season. Hard pressed for
food, they lived principally on cats, rats, lizards, snakes, dogs,
roots and wild fruit, and several died of disease. In this plight a
ship was sent to Mindanao Island, commanded by Bernado de la Torre,
to seek provisions. The voyage was fruitless. The party was opposed
by the inhabitants, who fortified themselves, but were dislodged
and slain. Then a vessel was commissioned to Mexico with news and to
solicit reinforcements. On the way, Volcano Island (of the Ladrone
Islands group) was discovered on August 6, 1543. A most important
event followed. The island, now known as Samar, was called the _Isla
Philipina_, and a galiot was built and despatched to the group (it
is doubtful which), named by this expedition the _Philippine Islands_
in honour of Philip, Prince of Asturias, the son of King Charles I.,
heir apparent to the throne of Castile, to which he ascended in 1555
under the title of Philip II. on the abdication of his father.
The craft returned from the Philippine Islands laden with abundance of
provisions, with which the ships were enabled to continue the voyage.
By the royal instructions, Ruy Lopez de Villalobos was strictly
enjoined not to touch at the Moluccas Islands, peace having been
concluded with Portugal. Heavy gales forced him nevertheless to take
refuge at Gilolo. The Portuguese, suspicious of his intentions in
view of the treaty, arrayed their forces against his, inciting the
King of the island also to discard all Spanish overtures and refuse
assistance to Villalobos. The discord and contentions between the
Portuguese and Spaniards were increasing; nothing was being gained
by either party. Villalobos personally was sorely disheartened
in the struggle, fearing all the while that his opposition to the
Portuguese in contravention of the royal instructions would only
excite the King's displeasure and lead to his own downfall. Hence
he decided to capitulate with his rival and accepted a safe conduct
for himself and party to Europe in Portuguese ships. They arrived at
Amboina Island, where Villalobos, already crushed by grief, succumbed
to disease. The survivors of the expedition, amongst whom were several
priests, continued the journey home via Cochin China, Malacca and Goa,
where they embarked for Lisbon, arriving there in 1549.
In 1558 King Charles was no more, but the memory of his ambition
outlived him. His son Philip, equally emulous and unscrupulous,
was too narrow-minded and subtly cautious to initiate an expensive
enterprise encompassed by so many hazards--as materially unproductive
as it was devoid of immediate political importance. Indeed the basis
of the first expedition was merely to discover a Western route to
the rich Spice Islands, already known to exist; the second went there
to attempt to establish Spanish empire; and the third to search for,
and annex to, the Spanish Crown, lands as wealthy as those claimed by,
and now yielded to, the Portuguese.
But the value of the Philippine Islands, of which the possession was
but recent and nominal, was thus far a matter of doubt.
One of the most brave and intrepid captains of the Loaisa
expedition--Andres de Urdaneta--returned to Spain in 1536. In former
years he had fought under King Charles I., in his wars in Italy,
when the study of navigation served him as a favourite pastime. Since
his return from the Moluccas his constant attention was given to the
project of a new expedition to the Far West, for which he unremittingly
solicited the royal sanction and assistance. But the King had grown
old and weary of the world, and whilst he did not openly discourage
Urdaneta's pretensions he gave him no effective aid. At length,
in 1553, two years before Charles abdicated, Urdaneta, convinced of
the futility of his importunity at the Spanish Court, and equally
unsuccessful with his scheme in other quarters, retired to Mexico,
where he took the habit of an Augustine monk. Ten years afterwards
King Philip, inspired by the religious sentiment which pervaded his
whole policy, urged his Viceroy in Mexico to fit out an expedition
to conquer and christianize the Philippine Islands. Urdaneta, now a
priest, was not overlooked. Accompanied by five priests of his Order,
he was entrusted with the spiritual care of the races to be subdued
by an expedition composed of four ships and one frigate well armed,
carrying 400 soldiers and sailors, commanded by a Basque navigator,
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. This remarkable man was destined to acquire
the fame of having established Spanish dominion in these Islands. He
was of noble birth and a native of the Province of Guipuzcoa in
Spain. Having settled in the City of Mexico, of which place he was
elected Mayor, he there practised as a notary. Of undoubted piety,
he enjoyed reputation for his justice and loyalty; hence he was
appointed General of the forces equipped for the voyage.
The favourite desire to possess the valuable Spice Islands still
lurked in the minds of many Spaniards. Amongst them was Urdaneta, who
laboured in vain to persuade the Viceroy of the superior advantages
to be gained by annexing New Guinea instead of the Philippines, whence
the conquest of the Moluccas would be but a facile task. However, the
Viceroy was inexorable and resolved to fulfil the royal instructions
to the letter, so the expedition set sail from the Mexican port of
Navidad for the Philippine Islands on November 21, 1564.
The Ladrone Islands were passed on January 9, 1565, and on the 13th
of the following month the Philippines were sighted. A call for
provisions was made at several small islands, including Camiguin,
whence the expedition sailed to Bojol Island. A boat despatched to
the port of Butuan returned in a fortnight with the news that there
was much gold, wax, and cinnamon in that district. A small vessel was
also sent to Cebu, and on its return reported that the natives showed
hostility, having decapitated one of the crew whilst he was bathing.
Nevertheless, General Legaspi resolved to put in at Cebu, which was
a safe harbour; and on the way there the ships anchored off Limasana
Island (to the south of Leyte). Thence, running south-west, the port
of Dapitan (Mindanao Is.) was reached.
Prince Pagbuaya, who ruled there, was astonished at the sight
of such formidable ships, and commissioned one of his subjects,
specially chosen for his boldness, to take note of their movements,
and report to him. His account was uncommonly interesting. He related
that enormous men with long, pointed noses, dressed in fine robes,
ate stones (hard biscuits), drank fire, and blew smoke out of their
mouths and through their nostrils. Their power was such that they
commanded thunder and lightning (discharge of artillery), and that
at meal times they sat down at a clothed table. From their lofty
port, their bearded faces, and rich attire, they might have been
the very gods manifesting themselves to the natives; so the Prince
thought it wise to accept the friendly overtures of such marvellous
strangers. Besides obtaining ample provisions in barter for European
wares, Legaspi procured from this chieftain much useful information
respecting the condition of Cebu. He learnt that it was esteemed a
powerful kingdom, of which the magnificence was much vaunted amongst
the neighbouring states; that the roadstead was one of great safety,
and the most favourably situated amongst the islands of the painted
faces. [16]
The General resolved, therefore, to filch it from its native king
and annex it to the Crown of Castile.
He landed in Cebu on April 27, 1565, and negotiations were entered
into with the natives of that island. Remembering, by tradition,
the pretensions of the Maghallanes' party, they naturally opposed
this renewed menace to their independence. The Spaniards occupied
the town by force and sacked it, but for months were so harassed by
the surrounding tribes that a council was convened to discuss the
prudence of continuing the occupation. The General decided to remain;
little by little the natives yielded to the new condition of things,
and thus the first step towards the final conquest was achieved. The
natives were declared Spanish subjects, and hopeful with the success
thus far attained, Legaspi determined to send despatches to the King
by the priest Andres de Urdaneta, who safely arrived at Navidad on
October 3, 1565, and proceeded thence to Spain. In a letter written
by Legaspi in 1567 he alluded, for the first time, to the whole
archipelago as the Islas Filipinas.
The pacification of Cebu and the adjacent islands was steadily and
successfully pursued by Legaspi; the confidence of the natives was
assured, and their dethroned King Tupas accepted Christian baptism,
whilst his daughter married a Spaniard.
In the midst of the invaders' felicity the Portuguese arrived to
dispute the possession, but they were compelled to retire. A fortress
was constructed and plots of land were marked out for the building
of the Spanish settlers' residences; and finally, in 1570, Cebu was
declared a city, after Legaspi had received from his royal master
the title of Gov.-General of all the lands which he might be able
to conquer.
In May, 1570, Captain Juan Salcedo, Legaspi's grandson, was despatched
to the Island of Luzon to reconnoitre the territory and bring it
under Spanish dominion.
The history of these early times is very confused, and there are
many contradictions in the authors of the Philippine chronicles,
none of which seem to have been written contemporaneously with the
first events. It appears, however, that Martin de Goiti and a few
soldiers accompanied Salcedo to the north. They were well received
by the native chiefs or petty kings Lacandola, Rajah of Tondo (known
as Rajah Matanda, which means in native dialect the aged Rajah),
and his nephew the young Rajah Soliman of Manila.
The sight of a body of European troops armed as was the custom in
the 16th century, must have profoundly impressed and overawed these
chieftains, otherwise it seems almost incredible that they should
have consented, without protest, or attempt at resistance, to (for
ever) give up their territory, yield their independence, pay tribute,
[17] and become the tools of invading foreigners for the conquest of
their own race without recompense whatsoever.
A treaty of peace was signed and ratified by an exchange of drops of
blood between the parties thereto. Soliman, however, soon repented of
his poltroonery, and roused the war-cry among some of his tribes. To
save his capital (then called Maynila) falling into the hands of the
invaders he set fire to it. Lacandola remained passively watching the
issue. Soliman was completely routed by Salcedo, and pardoned on his
again swearing fealty to the King of Spain. Goiti remained in the
vicinity of Manila with his troops, whilst Salcedo fought his way
to the Bombon Lake (Taal) district. The present Batangas Province
was subdued by him and included in the jurisdiction of Mindoro
Island. During the campaign Salcedo was severely wounded by an arrow
and returned to Manila.
Legaspi was in the Island of Fanay when Salcedo (some writers say
Goiti) arrived to advise him of what had occurred in Luzon. They at
once proceeded together to Cavite, where Lacandola visited Legaspi
on board, and, prostrating himself, averred his submission. Then
Legaspi continued his journey to Manila, and was received there
with acclamation. He took formal possession of the surrounding
territory, declared Manila to be the capital of the Archipelago,
and proclaimed the sovereignty of the King of Spain over the whole
group of islands. Gaspar de San Agustin, writing of this period, says:
"He (Legaspi) ordered them (the natives) to finish the building of
the fort in construction at the mouth of the river (Pasig) so that
His Majesty's artillery might be mounted therein for the defence of
the fort and the town. Also he ordered them to build a large house
inside the battlement walls for Legaspi's own residence--another
large house and church for the priests, etc. ... Besides these two
large houses, he told them to erect a hundred and fifty dwellings of
moderate size for the remainder of the Spaniards to live in. All this
they promptly promised to do, but they did not obey, for the Spaniards
were themselves obliged to terminate the work of the fortifications."
The City Council of Manila was constituted on June 24, 1571. On August
20, 1572, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi succumbed to the fatigues of his
arduous life, leaving behind him a name which will always hold a
prominent place in Spanish colonial history. He was buried in Manila
in the Augustine Chapel of San Fausto, where hung the Royal Standard
and the hero's armorial bearings until the British troops occupied
the city in 1763. A street in Manila and others in provincial towns
bear his name. Near the Luneta Esplanade, Manila, there is a very
beautiful Legaspi (and Urdaneta) monument, erected shortly after the
Rebellion of 1896.
"Death makes no conquest of this conqueror,
For now he lives in fame, though not in life."
_Richard III._, Act 3, Sc. 1.
In the meantime Salcedo continued his task of subjecting the tribes in
the interior. The natives of Taytay and Cainta, in the Spanish military
district of Morong, (now Rizal Province) submitted to him on August
15, 1571. He returned to the Laguna de Bay to pacify the villagers,
and penetrated as far as Camarines Norte to explore the Bicol
River. Bolinao and the provinces of Pangasinan and Ilocos yielded to
his prowess, and in this last province he had well established himself
when the defence of the capital obliged him to return to Manila.
At the same time Martin de Goiti was actively employed in overrunning
the Pampanga territory with the double object of procuring supplies for
the Manila camp and coercing the inhabitants on his way to acknowledge
their new liege lord. It is recorded that in this expedition Goiti
was joined by the Rajahs of Tondo and Manila. Yet Lacandola appears to
have been regarded more as a servant of the Spaniards _nolens volens_
than as a free ally, for, because he absented himself from Goiti's camp
"without licence from the _Maestre de Campo_," he was suspected by
some writers of having favoured opposition to the Spaniards' incursions
in the Marshes of Hagonoy (Pampanga coast, N. boundary of Manila Bay).
The district which constituted the ancient province of Taal
y Balayan, subsequently denominated Province of Batangas, was
formerly governed by a number of caciques, the most notable of
whom were Gatpagil and Gatjinlintan. They were usually at war
with their neighbours. Gatjinlintan, the cacique of the Batangas
River (Pansipit?) at the time of the conquest, was famous for his
valour. Gatsungayan, who ruled on the other side of the river,
was celebrated as a hunter of deer and wild boar. These men were
half-castes of Borneo and Aeta extraction, who formed a distinct
race called by the natives Daghagang. None of them would submit to
the King of Spain or become Christians, hence their descendants were
offered no privileges.
The Aetas collected tribute. Gabriel Montoya, a Spanish soldier of
Legaspi's legion, partially conquered those races, and supported
the mission of an Austin friar amongst them. This was probably Fray
Diego Moxica, who undertook the mission of Batangas on its separation
from the local administration of Mindoro Island in 1581. The first
Governor of San Pablo or Sampaloc in the name of the King of Spain was
appointed by the soldier Montoya, and was called Bartolome Maghayin;
the second was Cristobal Somangalit and the third was Bernabe Pindan,
all of whom had adopted Christianity. Bay, on the borders of the lake
of that name, and four leagues from San Pablo, was originally ruled
by the cacique Agustin Maglansangan. Calilayan, now called Tayabas,
was founded by the woman Ladia, and subsequently administered by a
native _Alcalde_, who gave such satisfaction that he was three times
appointed the King's lieutenant and baptized as Francisco de San Juan.
San Pablo, the centre of a once independent district, is situated at
the foot of the mountains of San Cristobal and Banajao, from which
over fourteen streams of fresh water flow through the villages.
The system established by Juan Salcedo was to let the conquered lands
be governed by the native caciques and their male successors so long as
they did so in the name of the King of Castile. Territorial possession
seems to have been the chief aim of the earliest European invaders,
and records of having improved the condition of the people or of
having opened up means of communication and traffic as they went on
conquering, or even of having explored the natural resources of the
colony for their own benefit, are extremely rare.