For Head her
for Eye other
for Nose or
for Eyebrows occhechel
for Eyelids sechechiel
for Nostrils oresche
for Mouth xiam
for Lips schiahame
for Teeth phor
for Tongue schial
for Chin sechen
for Hair archiz
for Face cogechel
for Throat ohumez
for Occiput schialeschin [159]
for Shoulders pelles
for Elbow cotel
for Hand chene
for Palm of the hand caimeghin
for Finger cori
for Ears sane
Armpit salischin
for Teat othen
for Bosom ochij
for Body gechel
for Penis sachet
for Testicles sacancas
for Vagina [160] isse
for Communication with
women jo hoi
for Thighs chiane
for Knee tepin
for Rump schiaguen
for Buttocks hoij
for Arm maz
for Pulse holion
for Legs coss
for Foot thee
for Heel tere
for Ankle perchi
for Sole of the foot caotscheni
for Fingernails colim
for Heart thol
for to Scratch gechare
for Cross-eyed man calischen
for Young man calemi
for Water holi
for Fire ghialeme
for Smoke giaiche
for No ehen
for Yes rey
for Gold pelpeli
for Lapis lazuli secheg
for Sun calexcheni
for Stars settere
for Sea aro
for Wind oni
for Storm ohone
for Fish hoi
for to Eat mechiere
for Bowl elo
for Pot aschanie
for to Ask ghelhe
Come here hai si
for to Look chonne
for to Walk rey
for to Fight oamaghce
for Arrows sethe
for Dog holl
for Wolf ani
for to Go a long distance schien
for Guide anti
for Snow theu
for to Cover hiani
for Ostrich, a bird hoihoi
for its Eggs jani
for the powder of the herb
which they eat capac
for to Smell os
for Parrot cheche
for Birdcage cleo
for Misiglioni siameni
for Red Cloth terechae
for Cap aichel
for Black ainel
for Red taiche
for Yellow peperi
for to Cook yrocoles
for Belt catechin
for Goose cache
for their big Devil Setebos
for their small Devils Cheleule
All the above words are pronounced in the throat, for such is their
method of pronunciation. [161]
That giant whom we had in our ship told me those words; for when he,
upon asking me for capac, [162] that is to say, bread, as they call
that root which they use as bread, and oli, that is to say, water, saw
me write those words quickly, and afterward when I, with pen in hand,
asked him for other words, he understood me. Once I made the sign of
the cross, and, showing it to him, kissed it. He immediately cried out
“Setebos,” and made me a sign that if I made the sign of the cross
again, Setebos would enter into my body and cause it to burst. When
that giant was sick, he asked for the cross, and embracing it and
kissing it many times, desired to become a Christian before his death.
We called him Paulo. When those people wish to make a fire, they rub a
sharpened piece of wood against another piece until the fire catches in
the pith of a certain tree, which is placed between those two sticks.
[163]
Wednesday, November 28, 1520, we debouched from that strait, engulfing
ourselves in the Pacific Sea. [164] We were three months and twenty
days without getting any kind of fresh food. We ate biscuit, which was
no longer biscuit, but powder of biscuits swarming with worms, for they
had eaten the good. It stank strongly of the urine of rats. [165] We
drank yellow water that had been putrid for many days. We also ate some
ox hides that covered the top of the mainyard to prevent the yard from
chafing the shrouds, and which had become exceedingly hard because of
the sun, rain, and wind. [166] We left them in the sea for four or five
days, and then placed them for a few moments on top of the embers, and
so ate them; and often we ate sawdust from boards. Rats were sold for
one-half ducado apiece, and even then we could not get them. [167] But
above all the other misfortunes the following was the worst. The gums
of both the lower and upper teeth of some of our men swelled, so that
they could not eat under any circumstances and therefore died. [168]
Nineteen men died from that sickness, and the giant together with an
Indian from the country of Verzin. Twenty-five or thirty men fell sick
[during that time], in the arms, legs, or in another place, so that but
few remained well. However, I, by the grace of God, suffered no
sickness. We sailed about four thousand leguas during those three
months and twenty days through an open stretch in that Pacific Sea.
[169] In truth it is very pacific, [170] for during that time we did
not suffer any storm. We saw no land except two desert islets, where we
found nothing but birds and trees, for which we called them the Ysolle
Infortunate [i.e., the Unfortunate Isles]. They are two hundred leguas
apart. We found no anchorage, [but] near them saw many sharks. [171]
The first islet lies in fifteen degrees of south latitude, and the
other in nine. Daily we made runs of fifty, sixty, or seventy leguas at
the catena or at the stern. [172] Had not God and His blessed mother
given us so good weather we would all have died of hunger in that
exceeding vast sea. Of a verity I believe no such voyage will ever be
made [again].
When we left that strait, if we had sailed continuously westward we
would have circumnavigated the world without finding other land than
the cape of the xi thousand Virgins. [173] The latter is a cape of that
strait at the Ocean Sea, straight east and west with Cape Deseado of
the Pacific Sea. Both of those capes lie in a latitude of exactly
fifty-two degrees toward the Antarctic Pole.
The Antarctic Pole is not so starry as the Arctic. Many small stars
clustered together are seen, which have the appearance of two clouds of
mist. There is but little distance between them, and they are somewhat
dim. In the midst of them are two large and not very luminous stars,
which move only slightly. Those two stars are the Antarctic Pole. Our
loadstone, although it moved hither and thither, always pointed toward
its own Arctic Pole, although it did not have so much strength as on
its own side. And on that account when we were in that open expanse,
the captain-general, asking all the pilots whether they were always
sailing forward in the course which we had laid down on the maps, all
replied: “By your course exactly as laid down.” He answered them
that they were pointing wrongly—which was a fact—and that it would
be fitting to adjust the needle of navigation, for it was not receiving
so much force from its side. When we were in the midst of that open
expanse, we saw a cross with five extremely bright stars straight
toward the west, those stars being exactly placed with regard to one
another. [174]
During those days [175] we sailed west northwest, northwest by west,
and northwest, until we reached the equinoctial line at the distance of
one hundred and twenty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. The
line of demarcation is thirty degrees from the meridian, and the
meridian is three degrees eastward from Capo Verde. [176] We passed
while on that course, a short distance from two exceedingly rich
islands, one in twenty degrees of the latitude of the Antarctic Pole,
by name Cipangu, and the other in fifteen degrees, by name Sumbdit
Pradit. [177] After we had passed the equinoctial line we sailed west
northwest, and west by north, and then for two hundred leguas toward
the west, changing our course to west by south until we reached
thirteen degrees toward the Arctic Pole in order that we might approach
nearer to the land of cape Gaticara. That cape (with the pardon of
cosmographers, for they have not seen it), is not found where it is
imagined to be, but to the north in twelve degrees or thereabouts.
[178]
About seventy [179] leguas on the above course, and lying in twelve
degrees of latitude and 146 in longitude, we discovered on Wednesday,
March 6, a small island to the northwest, and two others toward the
southwest, one of which was higher and larger than the other two. The
captain-general wished to stop at the large island and get some fresh
food, but he was unable to do so because the inhabitants of that island
entered the ships and stole whatever they could lay their hands on, so
that we could not protect ourselves. The men were about to strike the
sails so that we could go ashore, but the natives very deftly stole
from us the small boat [180] that was fastened to the poop of the
flagship. Thereupon, the captain-general in wrath went ashore with
forty armed men, who burned some forty or fifty houses together with
many boats, and killed seven men. [181] He recovered the small boat,
and we departed immediately pursuing the same course. Before we landed,
some of our sick men begged us if we should kill any man or woman to
bring the entrails to them, as they would recover immediately. [182]
When we wounded any of those people with our crossbow-shafts, which
passed completely through their loins from one side to the other, they,
looking at it, pulled on the shaft now on this and now on that side,
[183] and then drew it out, with great astonishment, and so died.
Others who were wounded in the breast did the same, which moved us to
great compassion. Those people seeing us departing followed us with
more than one hundred [184] boats for more than one legua. They
approached the ships showing us fish, feigning that they would give
them to us; but then threw stones at us and fled. And although the
ships were under full sail, they passed between them and the small
boats [fastened astern], very adroitly in those small boats of theirs.
We saw some women in their boats who were crying out and tearing their
hair, for love, I believe, of those whom we had killed. [185]
Each one of those people lives according to his own will, for they have
no seignior. [186] They go naked, and some are bearded and have black
hair that reaches to the waist. They wear small palmleaf hats, as do
the Albanians. They are as tall as we, and well built. They have no
worship. They are tawny, but are born white. Their teeth are red and
black, for they think that is most beautiful. The women go naked except
that they wear a narrow strip of bark as thin as paper, which grows
between the tree and the bark of the palm, before their privies. They
are goodlooking and delicately formed, and lighter complexioned than
the men; and wear their hair which is exceedingly black, loose and
hanging quite down to the ground. The women do not work in the fields
but stay in the house, weaving mats, [187] baskets [casse: literally
boxes], and other things needed in their houses, from palm leaves. They
eat cocoanuts, camotes [batate], [188] birds, figs one palmo in length
[i.e., bananas], sugarcane, and flying fish, besides other things. They
[189] anoint the body and the hair with cocoanut and beneseed oil.
Their houses are all built of wood covered with planks and thatched
with leaves of the fig-tree [i.e., banana-tree] two brazas long; and
they have floors and windows. The rooms and the beds are all furnished
with the most beautiful palmleaf mats. [190] They sleep on palm straw
which is very soft and fine. They use no weapons, except a kind of a
spear pointed with a fishbone at the end. Those people are poor, but
ingenious and very thievish, on account of which we called those three
islands the islands of Ladroni [i.e., of thieves]. [191] Their
amusement, men and women, is to plough the seas with those small boats
of theirs. [192] Those boats resemble fucelere, [193] but are narrower,
and some are black, [some] white, and others red. At the side opposite
the sail, they have a large piece of wood pointed at the top, with
poles laid across it and resting on the water, in order that the boats
may sail more safely. The sail is made from palmleaves sewn together
and is shaped like a lateen sail. For rudders they use a certain blade
resembling a hearth shovel which have a piece of wood at the end. They
can change stern and bow at will [literally: they make the stern, bow,
and the bow, stern], [194] and those boats resemble the dolphins which
leap in the water from wave to wave. Those Ladroni [i.e., robbers]
thought, according to the signs which they made, that there were no
other people in the world but themselves. [195]
At dawn on Saturday, March sixteen, [196] 1521, we came upon a high
land at a distance of three hundred leguas from the islands of
Latroni—an island named Zamal [i.e., Samar]. The following day, the
captain-general desired to land on another island which was uninhabited
and lay to the right of the abovementioned 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 permission. When those men reached the shore,
their chief went immediately to the captain-general, giving signs 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 before them, and gave them
red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine, [197] 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], [198] and others which were smaller and
more delicate, and two cocoanuts. They had nothing else then, but made
us signs with their hands that they would bring umay or rice, [199] and
cocoanuts and many other articles of food within four days.
Cocoanuts are the fruit of the palmtree. [200] Just as we have bread,
wine, oil, and milk, 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 [i.e., stalk], from which
distils a liquor [201] which resembles white must. 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 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 that 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. [202] Under that shell there
is a white marrowy substance one finger in thickness, which they eat
fresh with meat and fish as we do 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 that 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
and the water 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 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 persons can be
supported on two trees, by utilizing them week about for the wine; for
if they did otherwise, the trees would dry up. They last a century.
[203]
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. [204] We took great pleasure with them, for they were very
pleasant and conversable. In order to show them greater honor, the
captain-general [205] 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. [206]
They made signs to us that the abovesaid 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;
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. [207] 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 of St. Lazurus. [208] 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, [209] in order to show us that there were fowls in that district.
They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. [210] 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, [211] and the others many gold armlets on their arms and
kerchiefs about their heads. We stayed there one week, and during that
time our captain went ashore daily to visit the sick, and [212] every
morning gave them cocoanut water from his own hand, which comforted
them greatly. There are people living near that island [213] who have
holes in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through
them. Those people are caphri, [214] that is to say, heathen. They go
naked, with a 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 sun and wind. They have very black hair that falls to the
waist, and use daggers, knives, and spears [215] ornamented with gold,
large shields, fascines, [216] javelins, and fishing nets that resemble
rizali; [217] and their boats are like ours.
On the afternoon of holy Monday, the day of our Lady, March
twenty-five, while we were on the point of weighing anchor, I went to
the side of the ship to fish, and putting my feet upon a yard leading
down into the storeroom, they slipped, for it was rainy, and
consequently I fell into the sea, so that no one saw me. When I was all
but under, my left hand happened to catch hold of the clew-garnet of
the mainsail, which was dangling [ascosa] in the water. I held on
tightly, and began to cry out so lustily that I was rescued by the
small boat. I was aided, not, I believe, indeed, through my merits, but
through the mercy of that font of charity [i.e., of the Virgin]. That
same day we shaped our course toward the west southwest between four
small islands, namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, [218] Ibusson, and Abarien.
On Thursday morning, March twenty-eight, as we had seen a fire on an
island the night before, we anchored near it. [219] We saw a small boat
which the natives call boloto with eight men in it, approaching the
flagship. A slave belonging to the captain-general, who was a native of
Zamatra [i.e., Sumatra], which was formerly called Traprobana, spoke to
them. They immediately understood him, came alongside the ship,
unwilling to enter but taking a position at some little distance. [220]
The captain seeing that they would not trust us, threw them out a red
cap and other things tied to a bit of wood. They received them very
gladly, and went away quickly to advise their king. About two hours
later we saw two balanghai coming. They are large boats and are so
called [by those people]. They were full of men, and their king was in
the larger of them, being seated under an awning of mats. When the king
came near the flagship, the slave spoke to him. The king understood
him, for in those districts the kings know more languages than the
other people. He ordered some of his men to enter the ships, but he
always remained in his balanghai, at some little distance from the ship
until his own men returned; and as soon as they returned he departed.
The captain-general showed great honor to the men who entered the ship,
and gave them some presents, for which the king wished before his
departure to give the captain a large bar [221] of gold and a basketful
of ginger. The latter, however, thanked the king heartily but would not
accept it. In the afternoon we went in the ships [and anchored] near
the dwellings of the king.
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; [222] and to say that they would
be well satisfied with us, for he [and his men] had come to the island
as friends and not as enemies. The king came with six or eight men
[223] 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, [224] 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 [225] with him,
that is to say, brother. The king replied that he also wished to 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. Then
the captain-general had a man armed as a soldier, [226] and placed him
in the midst of three men armed with swords and daggers, who struck him
on all parts of the body. Thereby was the king rendered almost
speechless. The captain-general told him through the slave that one of
those armed men was worth one hundred of his own men. The king answered
that that was a fact. The captain-general said that he had two hundred
men in each ship who were armed in that manner. [227] He showed the
king cuirasses, swords, and bucklers, and had a review made for him.
[228] Then he led the king to the deck of the ship, that is located
above at the stern; and had his sea-chart and compass brought. [229] He
told the king through the interpreter how he had found the strait in
order to voyage thither, and how many moons he had been without seeing
land, whereat the king was astonished. Lastly, he told the king that he
would like, if it were pleasing to him, to send two of his men with him
so that he might show them some of his things. The king replied that he
was agreeable, and I went in company with one of the other men. [230]
When I reached shore, the king raised his hands toward the sky and then
turned toward us two. We did the same toward him [231] as did all the
others. The king took me by the hand; one of his chiefs took my
companion; and thus they led us under a bamboo covering, where there
was a balanghai, [232] as long as eighty of my palm lengths, and
resembling a fusta. We sat down upon the stern of that balanghai,
constantly conversing with signs. The king’s men stood about us in a
circle with swords, daggers, spears, and bucklers. [233] The king had a
plate of pork brought in and a large jar filled with wine. At every
mouthful, we drank a cup of wine. The wine that was left [in the cup]
at any time, although that happened but rarely, was put into a jar by
itself. The king’s cup was always kept covered and no one else drank
from it but he and I. Before the king took the cup to drink, he raised
his clasped hands toward the sky, and then toward me; and when he was
about to drink, he extended the fist of his left hand toward me (at
first I thought that he was about to strike me) and then drank. I did
the same toward the king. They all make those signs one toward another
when they drink. We ate with such ceremonies and with other signs of
friendship. I ate meat on holy Friday, for I could not help myself.
Before the supper hour I gave the king many things which I had brought.
I wrote down the names of many things in their language. When the king
and the others saw me writing, and when I told them their words, they
were all astonished. [234] While engaged in that the supper hour was
announced. Two large porcelain dishes were brought in, one full of rice
and the other of pork with its gravy. We ate with the same signs and
ceremonies, after which we went to the palace of the king which was
built like a hayloft and was thatched with fig [i.e., banana] and palm
leaves. It was built up high from the ground on huge posts of wood and
it was necessary to ascend to it by means of ladders. [235] The king
made us sit down there on a bamboo mat with our feet drawn up like
tailors. After a half-hour a platter of roast fish cut in pieces was
brought in, and ginger freshly gathered, and wine. The king’s eldest
son, who was the prince, came over to us, whereupon the king told him
to sit down near us, and he accordingly did so. Then two platters were
brought in (one with fish and its sauce, and the other with rice), so
that we might eat with the prince. My companion became intoxicated as a
consequence of so much drinking and eating. They used the gum of a tree
called anime wrapped in palm or fig [i.e., banana] leaves for lights.
The king made us a sign that he was going to go to sleep. He left the
prince with us, and we slept with the latter on a bamboo mat with
pillows made of leaves. When day dawned the king came and took me by
the hand, and in that manner we went to where we had had supper, in
order to partake of refreshments, but the boat came to get us. Before
we left, the king kissed our hands with great joy, and we his. One of
his brothers, the king of another island, and three men came with us.
The captain-general kept him to dine with us, and gave him many things.
[236]
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 [molto in ordine], [237] 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 oh 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 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.
[238] 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. [239] 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. [240]
Early on 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 mass was to be said; [241] 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 arrived, we landed with about fifty men,
without our body armor, but carrying our other arms, and dressed in our
best clothes. [242] 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 the
shore. Before the commencement of mass, the captain sprinkled the
entire bodies of the two kings with musk water.” [243] The mass was
offered up. The kings went forward to kiss the cross as we did, but
they did not offer the sacrifice. [244] When the body of our Lord was
elevated, they remained on their knees and worshiped 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.
[245] The captain-general arranged a fencing tournament, [246] at which
the kings were greatly pleased. Then he had a cross carried in and the
nails and a crown, to which immediate reverence was made. [247] 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 his tokens. [He said] that he wished to set it up in that
place for their benefit, for whenever any of our ships came, [248] 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
captain-general also had them asked whether they were Moros or heathen,
or what was their belief. They replied that they worshiped nothing, but
that they raised their clasped hands and their face to the sky; and
that they called their god “Abba.” [249] Thereat the captain was
very glad, and seeing that, the first king raised his hands to the sky,
and said that he wished that it were possible for him to make the
captain see his love for him. 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 to declare whether he had any enemies, so
that he might go with his ships to destroy them and to render them
obedient to him. [250] 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 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, and that afternoon
[251] went together with the two kings to the summit of the highest
mountain there. When we reached the summit, the captain-general told
them that he esteemed highly having sweated for them, for since the
cross was there, it could not but be of great use to them. On asking
them which port was the best to get food, they replied that there were
three, namely, Ceylon, Zubu, and Calaghann, 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 their cultivated fields, and went to the place where
the balanghai was. [252] The kings had some cocoanuts brought in so
that we might refresh ourselves. The captain asked the kings for the
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 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. [253]
One of those people brought us about a porringer full of rice and also
eight or ten figs [i.e., bananas] fastened together to barter them for
a knife which at the most was worth three catrini. [254] The captain
seeing that that native cared for nothing but a knife, called him to
look at other things. He put his hand in his purse and wished to give
him one real for those things, but the native refused it. The captain
showed him a ducado but he would not accept that either. Finally the
captain tried to give him a doppione [255] worth two ducados, but he
would take nothing but a knife; and accordingly the captain had one
given to him. When one of our men went ashore for water, one of those
people wanted to give him a pointed crown of massy gold, of the size of
a colona [256] for six strings of glass beads, but the captain refused
to let him barter, so that the natives should learn at the very
beginning that we prized our merchandise more than their gold. [257]
Those people are heathens, [258] and go naked and painted. They wear a
piece of cloth woven from a tree about their privies. [259] They are
very heavy drinkers. [260] 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. Those
people are constantly chewing a fruit which they call areca, and which
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. [261]
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, panicum, sorgo, [262] wax, and a quantity of gold in that
island. It lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds degrees toward the
Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees
from the line of demarcation. It is twenty-five from the Acquada, and
is called Mazaua. [263]
We remained there seven days, after which we laid our course toward the
northwest, passing among [264] five islands, namely, Ceylon, Bohol,
Canighan, Baybai, and Gatighan. [265] In the last-named island of
Gatigan, there are bats as large as eagles. As it was late we killed
one of them, [266] which resembled chicken in taste. There are doves,
turtledoves, [267] parrots, and certain black birds as large as
domestic chickens, which have a long tail. The last mentioned birds lay
eggs as large as the goose, and bury them under the sand, through the
great heat of which they hatch 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 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,
Ticobon, and Pozon. [268] 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. [269]
At noon on Sunday, April seven, we entered the port of Zubu, passing by
many villages, where we saw many houses built upon logs. On approaching
the city, the captain-general ordered the ships to fling their banners.
The sails were lowered and arranged as if for battle, and all the
artillery was fired, an action which caused great fear to those 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 had been frightened
by the mortars. The interpreter told them [270] 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; [271] 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 [literally: 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, [272] “Look well, sire.” “These
men are the same who have conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all India
Magiore [i.e., India Major]. [273] 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 and emperor of all the Christians, and that if the king
did not care to be his friend [274] he would next time send so many men
that they would destroy him. The Moro related everything to the king,
[275] 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,
[276] 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 with 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. [277] The notary answered
that the captain would do it. Thereupon, the king told him that all the
captains who came to that place, were wont to give presents one to the
other [i.e., mutual presents between the king and the captain], and
asked whether our captain or he ought to commence. [278] The
interpreter told the king that since he desired to maintain the custom,
he should commence, and so he did. [279]
Tuesday morning the king of Mazaua came to the ships with the Moro. He
saluted the captain-general in behalf of the king [of Zubu], and said
that the king of Zubu was collecting as much food as possible to give
to him, and that after dinner he would send one of his nephews and two
others of his chief men to make peace. The captain-general had one of
his men armed with his own arms, and had the Moro told that we all
fought in that manner. The Moro was greatly frightened, but the captain
told him not to be frightened for our arms were soft toward our friends
and harsh toward our enemies; and as handkerchiefs wipe off the sweat
so did our arms overthrow and destroy all our adversaries, and those
who hate our faith. [280] The captain did that so that the Moro who
seemed more intelligent than the others, might tell it to the king.
After dinner the king’s nephew, who was the prince, came to the ships
with the king of Mazaua, the Moro, the governor, the chief constable,
and eight chiefs, to make peace with us. The captain-general was seated
in a red velvet chair, the principal men [281] on leather chairs, and
the others on mats upon the floor. The captain-general asked them
through the interpreter whether it were their custom to speak in secret
or in public, and whether that prince and the king of Mazaua had
authority to make peace. [282] They answered that they spoke in public,
and that they were empowered to make peace. The captain-general said
many things concerning peace, and that he prayed God to confirm it in
heaven. They said that they had never heard any one speak such words,
but that they took great pleasure in hearing them. The captain seeing
that they listened and answered willingly, began to advance arguments
to induce them to accept the faith. Asking them who would succeed to
the seigniory after the death of the king, he was answered that the
king had no sons but only daughters, the eldest of whom was the wife of
that nephew of his, who therefore was the prince. [They said that] when
the fathers and mothers grew old, they received no further honor, but
their children commanded them. The captain told them that God made the
sky, the earth, the sea, and everything else, and that He had commanded
us to honor our fathers and mothers, and that whoever did otherwise was
condemned to eternal fire; that we are all descended from Adam and Eva,
our first parents; that we have an immortal spirit; [283] and many
other things pertaining to the faith. All joyfully entreated the
captain to leave them two men, or at least one, [284] to instruct them
in the faith, and [said] that they would show them great honor. The
captain replied to them that he could not leave them any men then, but
that if they wished to become Christians, our priest would baptize
them, and that he would next time bring priests and friars who would
instruct them in our faith. They answered that they would first speak
to their king, and that then they would become Christians, [whereat] we
all wept with great joy. The captain-general told them that they should
not become Christians for fear or to please us, but of their own free
wills; [285] and that he would not cause any displeasure to those who
wished to live according to their own law, but that the Christians
would be better regarded and treated than the others. All cried out
with one voice that they were not becoming Christians through fear or
to please us, but of their own free will. Then the captain told them
that if they became Christians, he would leave a suit of armor, [286]
for so had his king commanded him; that we could not have intercourse
with their women without committing a very great, sin, since they were
pagans; and that he assured them that if they became Christians, the
devil would no longer appear to them except in the last moment at their
death. [287] They said that they could not answer the beautiful words
of the captain, but that they placed themselves in his hands, and that
he should treat them as his most faithful servants. The captain
embraced them weeping, and clasping one of the prince’s hands and one
of the king’s between his own, said to them that, by his faith in God
and to his sovereign, the emperor, and by the habit which he wore,
[288] he promised them that he would give them perpetual peace with the
king of Spagnia. They answered that they promised the same. After the
conclusion of the peace, the captain had refreshments served to them.
Then the prince and the king [of Mazaua] presented some baskets of
rice, swine, goats, and fowls to the captain-general on behalf of their
king, and asked him to pardon them, for such things were but little [to
give] to one such as he. The captain gave the prince a white cloth of
the finest linen, a red cap, some strings of glass beads, and a gilded
glass drinking cup. Those glasses are greatly appreciated in those
districts. He did not give any present to the king of Mazaua, for he
had already given him a robe of Cambaya, besides other articles. [289]
To the others he gave now one thing and now another. Then he sent to
the king of Zubu through me and one other a yellow and violet silk
robe, made in Turkish style, a fine red cap, some strings of glass
beads, all in a silver dish, and two gilt drinking cups in our hands.
[290] When we reached the city we found the king in his palace
surrounded by many people. He was seated on a palm mat on the ground,
with only a cotton cloth before his privies, and a scarf embroidered
with the needle about his head, a necklace of great value hanging from
his neck, and two large gold earrings fastened in his ears set round
with precious gems. He was fat and short, and tattooed with fire [291]
in various designs. From another mat on the ground he was eating turtle
eggs which were in two porcelain dishes, and he had four jars full of
palm wine in front of him covered with sweet-smelling herbs and
arranged with four small reeds in each jar by means of which he drank.
[292] Having duly made reverence to him, the interpreter told the king
that his master thanked him very warmly for his present, and that he
sent this present not in return for his present but for the intrinsic
love which he bore him. [293] We dressed him in the robe, placed the
cap on his head, and gave him the other things; then kissing the beads
and putting them upon his head, I presented them to him. He doing the
same [i.e., kissing them] accepted them. Then the king had us eat some
of those eggs and drink through those slender reeds. The others, his
men, told him in that place, the words of the captain concerning peace
and his exhortation to them to become Christians. The king wished to
have us stay to supper with him, but we told him that we could not stay
then. Having taken our leave of him, the prince took us with him to his
house, where four young girls were playing [instruments]—one, on a
drum like ours, but resting on the ground; the second was striking two
suspended gongs alternately with a stick wrapped somewhat thickly at
the end with palm cloth; the third, one large gong in the same manner;
and the last, two small gongs held in her hand, by striking one against
the other, which gave forth a sweet sound. They played so harmoniously
that one would believe they possessed good musical sense. Those girls
were very beautiful and almost as white as our girls and as large. They
were naked except for tree cloth hanging from the waist and reaching to
the knees. Some were quite naked and had large holes in their ears with
a small round piece of wood in the hole, which keeps the hole round and
large. They have long black hair, and wear a short cloth about the
head, and are always barefoot. The prince had three quite naked girls
dance for us. We took refreshments and then went to the ships. Those
gongs are made of brass [metalo] and are manufactured in the regions
about the Signio Magno [294] which is called China. They are used in
those regions as we use bells and are called aghon. [295]
On Wednesday morning, as one of our men had died during the previous
night, the interpreter and I [296] went to ask the king where we could
bury him. We found the king surrounded by many men, of whom, after the
due reverence was made, I asked it. [297] 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, [298] 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. [299] 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, third-libras, and libras.
When they wish to weigh they take the scales which has three wires like
ours, and place it above the marks, and so weigh accurately. [300] They
have very large measures without any bottom. [301] 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 good to eat. They are
called laghan. [302]
On Friday we showed those people a shop full of our merchandise, [303]
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 of iron [304] (one piece being worth
about one and one-half ducados). 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. [305] On Saturday, as the captain had
promised the king to make him a Christian on Sunday, a platform was
built in 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 with stones. [306]
On Sunday morning, April fourteen, forty men of us went ashore, two of
whom were completely armed and preceded the royal banner. [307] When we
reached land all the artillery was fired. [308] 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. [309]
Then we all approached the platform joyfully. The captain and the king
sat down in chairs of red and violet velvet, [310] the chiefs on
cushions, and the others on mats. [311] The captain told the king
through the interpreter that he thanked God for inspiring him to became
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 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 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 be better instructed in the faith. The
captain replied that he would leave two men to satisfy him, but 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 with good works. The king and all the others
wished to confirm it thoroughly. The captain-general told the king that
he was clad all in white to demonstrate his sincere love toward them.
They replied that they could not respond to his sweet words. The
captain led the king by the 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. [312]
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 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.
[313] 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 their [distinctive] name. Counting men, women, and
children, we baptized eight hundred souls. [314] 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, [315] 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. [316] She asked us to give her the little
child Jesus to keep in place of her idols; [317] and then she went
away. In the afternoon, [318] 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. [319] 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 island,
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 greater hardness, for the Moros
are much harder to convert than the heathen.
The captain-general went ashore daily during those days to hear mass,
and told the king many things regarding the faith. [320] One day the
queen came with great pomp to hear mass. Three girls preceded her with
three of her hats in their hands. [321] 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 of palm-tree cloth before their
privies, and a small scarf upon the head, and all with 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 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 in
memory [322] of the son of God. Thanking him heartily she accepted it.
Before mass one day, the captain-general had the king come clad in his
silk robe, and the chief men of the city, [to wit], the king’s
brother and prince’s father, whose name was Bendara; another of the
king’s brothers, Cadaio; and certain ones called Simiut, Sibuaia,
Sisacai, Maghalibe, and many others whom I shall not name in order not
to be tedious. [323] The captain made them all swear to be obedient to
their king, and they kissed the latter’s hand. Then the captain had
the king declare that he would always be obedient and faithful to the
king of Spagnia, and the king so swore. [324] Thereupon, the captain
drew his Sword before the image of our Lady, and told the king that
when anyone so swore, he should prefer to die rather than to break such
an oath, [325] if he swore by that image, by the life of the emperor
his sovereign, and by his habit to be ever faithful. After the
conclusion of that the captain gave the king a red velvet chair,
telling him that wherever he went he should always have it carried
before him by one of his nearest relatives; and he showed him how it
ought to be carried. The king responded that he would do that willingly
for love of him, and he told the captain that he was making a jewel to
give to him, namely, two large earrings of gold to fasten [326] in his
ears, two armlets to put on his arms, above the elbows, and two other
rings for the feet above the ankles, besides other precious gems to
adorn [327] the ears. Those are the most beautiful ornaments which the
kings of those districts can wear. They always go barefoot, and wear a
cloth garment that hangs from the waist to the knees.
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 condition that he could neither speak nor
move. We baptized him and his two wives, and x girls. Then the captain
had him asked how he felt. He spoke 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 speak, he
thanked God fervently. Then he made the sick man drink some almond
milk, which he had already had made for him. Afterward he 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 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 had
concealed in his house burned in the presence of the king and all the
people. He had many shrines along the seashore destroyed, [328] in
which the consecrated meat was eaten. The people themselves cried out
“Castiglia! Castiglia!” and destroyed [329] those shrines. They
said that if God would lend them life, they would burn all the idols
that 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.
There are many villages in that island. Their names, those of their
inhabitants, and 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.
[330] All those villages rendered obedience to us, and gave us food and
tribute. Near that island of Zubu was an island called Matan, which
formed the port where we were anchored. The name of its village was
Matan, and its chiefs were Zula and Cilapulapu. That city which we
burned was in that island and was called Bulaia.
In order that your most illustrious Lordship may know the ceremonies
that those people use in consecrating the swine, they first sound those
large gongs. [331] Then three large dishes are brought in; two with
roses and with cakes of rice and millet, baked and wrapped in leaves,
and roast fish; the other with cloth of Cambaia [332] and two standards
made of palm-tree cloth. One bit of cloth of Cambaia is spread on the
ground. Then two very old women come, each of whom has a bamboo trumpet
in her hand. When they have stepped upon the cloth they make obeisance
to the sun. Then they wrap the cloths about themselves. One of them
puts a kerchief with two horns on her forehead, and takes another
kerchief in her hands, and dancing and blowing upon her trumpet, she
thereby calls out to the sun. The other takes one of the standards and
dances and blows on her trumpet. They dance and call out thus for a
little space, saying many things between themselves to the sun. She
with the kerchief takes the other standard, and lets the kerchief drop,
and both blowing on their trumpets for a long time, dance about the
bound hog. She with the horns always speaks covertly to the sun, and
the other answers her. A cup of wine is presented to her of the horns,
and she dancing and repeating certain words, while the other answers
her, and making pretense four or five times of drinking the wine,
sprinkles it upon the heart of the hog. Then she immediately begins to
dance again. A lance is given to the same woman. She shaking it and
repeating certain words, while both of them continue to dance, and
making motions four or five times of thrusting the lance through the
heart of the hog, with a sudden and quick stroke, thrusts it through
from one side to the other. The wound is quickly stopped [333] with
grass. The one who has killed the hog, taking in her mouth a lighted
torch, which has been lighted throughout that ceremony, extinguishes
it. [334] The other one dipping the end of her trumpet in the blood of
the hog, goes around marking with blood with her finger first the
foreheads of their husbands, and then the others; but they never came
to us. Then they divest themselves and go to eat the contents of those
dishes, and they invite only women [to eat with them]. The hair is
removed from the hog by means of fire. Thus no one but old women
consecrate the flesh of the hog, and they do not eat it unless it is
killed in this way. [335]
Those people go naked, wearing but one piece of palm-tree cloth about
[336] their privies. The males, large and small, have their penis
pierced from one side to the other near the head, with a gold or tin
bolt as large as a goose quill. In both ends of the same bolt, some
have what resembles a spur, with points upon the ends; others are like
the head of a cart nail. I very often asked many, both old and young,
to see their penis, because I could not credit it. In the middle of the
bolt is a hole, through which they urinate. The bolt and the spurs
always hold firm. They say that their women wish it so, and that if
they did otherwise they would not have communication with them. When
the men wish to have communication with their women, the latter
themselves take the penis not in the regular way and commence very
gently to introduce it [into their vagina], with the spur on top first,
and then the other part. When it is inside it takes its regular
position; and thus the penis always stays inside until it gets soft,
for otherwise they could not pull it out. Those people make use of that
device because they are of a weak nature. They have as many wives as
they wish, but one of them is the principal wife. [337] Whenever any of
our men went ashore, both by day and by night, every one invited him to
eat and to drink. Their viands are half cooked and very salty. They
drink frequently and copiously from the jars [338] through those small
reeds, and one of their meals lasts for five or six hours. The women
loved us very much more than their own men. All of the women from the
age of six years and upward, have their vaginas [natura] gradually
opened because of the men’s penises. [339]
They practice the following ceremonies when one of their chiefs dies.
First all the chief [340] women of the place go to the house of the
deceased. The deceased is placed in the middle of the house in a box.
Ropes are placed about the box in the manner of a palisade, to which
many branches of trees are attached. In the middle of each branch hangs
a cotton cloth like a curtained canopy. The most principal women sit
under those hangings, and are all covered with white cotton cloth, each
one by a girl who fans her with a palm-leaf fan. The other women sit
about the room sadly. [341] Then there is one woman who cuts off the
hair of the deceased very slowly with a knife. Another who was the
principal wife of the deceased, lies down upon him, and places her
mouth, her hands, and her feet upon those of the deceased. When the
former is cutting off the hair, the latter weeps; and when the former
finishes the cutting, the latter sings. There are many porcelain jars
containing fire about the room, and myrrh, storax, and bezoin, which
make a strong odor through the house, are put on the fire. They keep
the body in the house for five or six days during those ceremonies. I
believe that the body is anointed with camphor. Then they bury the body
and the same box which is shut in a log by means of wooden nails and
covered and enclosed by logs of wood. [342] Every night about midnight
in that city, a jet black bird as large as a crow was wont to come, and
no sooner had it thus reached the houses than it began to screech, so
that all the dogs began to howl; and that screeching and howling would
last for four or five hours, [343] but those people would never tell us
the reason of it.
On Friday, April twenty-six, Zula, a chief of the island of Matan,
[344] 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 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 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 men 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 then,
but sent a message to the natives by the Moro 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. [345] 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 to 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 we reached land, those men
had formed in three divisions to the number of more than one thousand
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 a half-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 at all heeded. When the natives saw
that we were shooting our muskets to no purpose, crying out they
determined to stand firm, but they 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 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. 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, [346] 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 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 most
illustrious Lordship that the fame of so noble a captain will not
become effaced in our times. Among the other virtues which he
possessed, he was more constant than ever any one else 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 [347]
and navigation. And that this was the truth was seen openly, for no
other had had so much natural talent nor the boldness to learn how to
circumnavigate the world, as he had almost done. That battle was fought
on Saturday, April twenty-seven, 1521. [348] 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, [349] 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.
In the afternoon the Christian king sent a message with our consent to
the people of Matan, to the effect that if they would give us the
captain and the other men who had been killed, we would give them as
much merchandise as they wished. They answered that they would not give
up such a man, as we imagined [they would do], and that they would not
give him for all the riches in the world, but that they intended to
keep him as a memorial. [350]
On Saturday, the day on which the captain was killed, the four men who
had remained in the city to trade, had our merchandise carried to the
ships. Then we chose two commanders, namely, Duarte Barboza, [351] a
Portuguese and a relative of the captain, and Johan Seranno, a
Spaniard. [352] As our interpreter, Henrich by name, was wounded
slightly, he would not go ashore any more to attend to our necessary
affairs, but always kept his bed. On that account, Duarte Barboza, the
commander of the flagship, cried out to him and told him, that although
his master, the captain, was dead, he was not therefore free; on the
contrary he [i.e., Barboza] would see to it that when we should reach
Espagnia, he should still be the slave of Doña Beatrice, the wife of
the captain-general. [353] And threatening the slave that if he did go
ashore, he would be flogged, the latter arose, and, feigning to take no
heed to those words, went ashore to tell the Christian king [354] that
we were about to leave very soon, but that if he would follow his
advice, he could gain the ships and all our merchandise. Accordingly
they arranged a plot, and the slave returned to the ship, where he
showed that he was more cunning [355] than before.
On Wednesday morning, the first of May, the Christian king sent word to
the commanders that the jewels [356] which he had promised to send to
the king of Spagnia were ready, and that he begged them and their other
companions to come to dine with him that morning, when he would give
them the jewels. Twenty-four men went ashore, among whom was our
astrologer, San Martín de Sivilla. I could not go because I was all
swollen up by a wound from a poisoned arrow which I had received in my
face. Jovan Carvaio and the constable [357] returned, and told us that
they saw the man who had been cured by a miracle take the priest to his
house. [358] Consequently, they had left that place, because they
suspected some evil. Scarcely had they spoken those words when we heard
loud cries and lamentations. We immediately weighed anchor and
discharging many mortars into the houses, drew in nearer to the shore.
While thus discharging [our pieces] we saw Johan Seranno in his shirt
bound and wounded, crying to us not to fire any more, for the natives
would kill him. [359] We asked him whether all the others and the
interpreter were dead. He said that they were all dead except the
interpreter. He begged us earnestly to redeem him with some of the
merchandise; but Johan Carvaio, his boon companion, [and others] would
not allow the boat to go ashore so that they might remain masters of
the ships. [360] But although Johan Serrano weeping asked us not to set
sail so quickly, for they would kill him, and said that he prayed God
to ask his soul of Johan Carvaio, his comrade, in the day of judgment,
we immediately departed. I do not know whether he is dead or alive.
[361]
In that island are found dogs, cats, rice, millet, panicum, sorgo,
ginger, figs [i.e., bananas], oranges, lemons, sugarcane, garlic,
honey, cocoanuts, nangcas, [362] gourds, flesh of many kinds, palm
wine, and gold. [363] It is a large island, and has a good port with
two entrances—one to the west and the other to the east northeast.
[364] It lies in x degrees [365] of latitude toward the Arctic Pole,
and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-four [366] degrees from the
line of demarcation. Its name is Zubu. We heard of Malucho there before
the death of the captain-general. Those people play a violin with
copper strings.