_The fryers and their companions depart from the port
of Illocos, after they had committed vnto God the
direction of their voyage. They passe great daungers
and troubles, and do ouercome them all with the
confidence they haue in God, and came vnto the
kingdome of China miraculously._
[Early in the morning of the following day (being the festival of St.
Antony of Padua), they said mass and returned to the frigate to take
their departure; but the sea was still so boisterous and rough that it
took the ship on her broad-side, and she leaked very much, until at
length it pleased God that she drove on the shore, where, striking on
the sand several times, it was a most evident miracle that she did not
go to pieces, and that all in her were not drowned. It was their firm
belief that God had done this through the intercession of the blessed
St. Anthony, whose day it was, and to whom they had with sincere
devotion commended themselves. They then put back from the river which
they had left, and this they accomplished, but with great exertion and
danger, insomuch that the Father Stephen Ortiz became so terrified, that
no persuasion could induce him to continue the voyage which they had
started upon: He replied that he would not further tempt God, since the
signs which they had seen were sufficient to show that it was not His
holy will that they should prosecute that journey at that time, the
which proved a trouble and stumblingblock to all the rest. The Father
Costodio concealed his vexation and put a good face on the matter,
telling them all to keep up their courage, for that great difficulties
attended every good work at the commencement, but that these easily
yielded to perseverance and patience, as experience had often shown. In
this manner he talked with them until the day of the Trinity, when,
after the priests had said mass and confessed the laymen, and
administered the sacrament to them, they all returned with good will to
go on board, except the above-mentioned Father Ortiz, who remained at
home in his old obstinacy, and with him the Chinese who had been
baptized, the latter having fallen very ill, which caused great grief to
all.][36]
[36] The commencement of the chapter, here inserted between brackets, is
not given in Parke's translation.
So the next day, after they had committed themselues to God with great
deuotion, they embarked themselues and made sayle, and by the will of
God they went out of the harbour, although with great danger; and they
carryed with them an other barke a sterne their ship, in the which they
did determine for to set a lande such Indians as they carried with them
from the Esquipazon,[37] to helpe them out of the harbour: the which they
did not for feare they should be drowned. So when they were out of that
riuer, they sayled towards the little iland that was but one league from
that place, and there they put the Indians a shore, and with them a
young man, a Spaniard, that they brought from Manilla to serue them. So
those which should go on that voyage remayned there the same night, who
were the frier Costodio; frier Peter de Alfaro, borne in Siuel; frier
Iohn Baptista, borne in Pesaro in Italy; fryer Sebastian de San
Francisco, of the citie of Boecia;[38] and frier Augustin de Tordesillas,
of the same towne whereof he hath his name; all these foure were
priestes of the masse.
[37] This word (thus given by Parke with a capital letter) means the
equipment or rigging of a vessel, evidently put for the vessel itself.
[38] Misspelt for Baeza, in the province of Jaen, in Andalusia.
The fryer Costodio would with a very good will haue carried more of
them, but he durst not for two causes; the one for that hee would not
haue beene discouered, and the other (which was the principal occasion),
because he would not leaue that prouince of the Illocos without such as
shold instruct them, whereas were many baptized: for which respect he
left some behind him, which afterwarde hee would have beene very glad
that they had beene in his companie. There were three Spaniards
souldiers that did beare them companie, the one was called the ancient
Francisco de Duennas, of Velez Malaga--the other John Diaz Pardo, of
Saint Lucas de Barameda, the third Pedro de Villa Roel of the citie of
Mexico. Besides these they had a boy of China who could speak the
Spanish tongue, and was one of them that were taken at the siege of
Limahon the rouer, and other foure Indians of Manilla.
[Sidenote: They were in great perill.]
They departed from this little islande upon a Munday, the first quarter
in the morning which was the fifteene day of the said moneth of June,
and sayled that way so nigh as they could gesse to be the way vnto
China, without pilot or any other certaintie, more than that which God
did shewe and put into their minds with their great desire, which seemed
vnto them to comprehende and bring it to passe. This day the winde was
contrarie and against them, which was the occasions that they sayled but
little. Towardes the evening, the winde changed and blewe at the north
(the which winde vppon that coast is very dangerous), which made them
greatly afrayde; yet was that feare driven away by an other feare much
greater than that, which was that they should be discovered, and that
they should be pursued by the commandemente of the governour of Manilla,
for which occasion whereas they should have throwed themselves under the
land, they wrought contrary and cast about vnto the sea in great danger
to have beene cast away; but it was the will of God that when as night
came, the winde did calme (which commonly falleth out to the contrary),
but the sea remayned very rough and loftie, that they thought verily to
have beene drowned with the furie thereof, for it tossed the frigetta in
such sort, that it seemed a whole legion of diuels had taken holde on
both sides of the shippe, forcing the one against the other that it
rowled in such sort that many times the halfe decke was in the water, so
that the mariners could not stand upon their feete, but were driven to
sustaine themselves by the ropes and cables. But the religious men
trusting in God, whose zeale had caused them this great trouble, did
pray and desire him with many tears, that hee would deliver them out of
the same daunger, and not to give place vnto the diuell for to disturbe
them of their voyage and enterprise.
[Sidenote: The Fryers vsed certaine coniurations for that S. Antonie was
a sleepe.]
These their orations and prayers did so much prevaile, with certaine
coniurations which they made against the diuels, (who they thought they
did see visibly), that after midnight the north winde ceased and began
to blowe at the north east, with the which the sea began to waxe calme;
so that they might make their way to be east north east, for that they
had intelligence that that course was the shortest cut to the firme
land. This winde which was so favourable vnto them, did increase so much
in two hours that the sea waxed loftie and caused them to forget the
sorrowe past, and constrained them (for that the shippe was but small)
to cut their mast ouer borde, and to put themselves vnto the courtesie
of the sea with little hope to escape the danger. But our Lorde whose
zeale did moove them to attempt that iourney, did direct their voyage in
such sort, that the next day following it came to be calme in such sort
that they might set up a newe mast, in the place of that which was cut
ouer borde in the storme, and therewith to nauigate forwardes with their
begunne voyage. So upon the Fryday following at the break of the day
they sawe lande, and thinking that it had beene the firme land of China
they gave thanks unto God, and rejoiced, in such sort that they had
cleane forgotten the troubles of the stormes and foule weather passed,
so they made towards it and came thither about noone, but when they were
a shore, they found that it was but a small island and situated foure
leagues from the firme land; and for that it was so nigh, a farre off it
seemed to be all one thing. But when they came unto this ilande they did
discover many ships which were so many in number that it seemed all the
sea to be covered with them. The friers, with the great desire they had
for to knowe in what port they were, they comanded to gouerne their ship
towards whereas they were, who when they saw them, and could not know
them by the strangenes of their ship and sailes, they did fly from them
all that ever they could. The which our men perceiving and could not
imagine the cause thereof, they were very much agrieued and sorrowful,
and the more for that they could not learne nor vnderstand where they
were. But seeing nigh vnto them to the lewarde three ships, they made
towards them, and when they were somewhat nigh they put themselves as
the others did. In this sort they spent all the rest of the day in going
from one port to an other vnto those ships, for to informe themselves
where they were; but all this diligence prevailed them nothing at all
till it was almost sunne set. They entred with their frigat into a gut
vnder the shore, whereas fell from a high rocke which was more than one
hundredth fatham by estimation, a stream of water which was as bigge as
the bodies of two men together.
In this gut there was three other ships, and they came to an anker in
the middest amongest them, the which beeing done they asked of them what
countrie that was, but they answered nothing, nor made any semblance,
but looked the one upon the other; and in beholding of the Spaniards
they gave great laughters. In this gut they remained all that night,
almost amased to see how those people were, as though they were
enchanted; and they without any light of their desire, which was to
knowe where they were. So the next day folowing (which was Saterday),
very early in the morning they set sayle, and went amongst a great sort
of islandes, always bearing vnto them, which they thought to be the
firme lande, being greatly amarueiled to see the infinite number of
shippes both great and small that they sawe; some were a fishing, and
some under sayle, and other some ryding at an anker. The same day about
noon there happened unto them a strange and miraculous thing, and it
was, that passing through a straight that was but a quarter of a league
of bredth, which was betwixt the firme lande and a small islande, in the
which was continually four score ships of warre set there for watch and
warde; they passed through the thickest of them and were never seene,
for if they hadde, without all doubt they had sonke them or slain them.
Their order and commission is so straight given them by their generalles
of the sea, in the which they are commanded, that whatsoever kinde of
people of strange nations that they do meete upon the coast, for to kill
them or sinke them, except they do bring licence from some governor of
such cities as be upon the coast; for that such as doo meane to have
traficke doo sende to demand the same, leaving their ships a great way
at sea.
This lawe for to watch and warde was made and ordayned (as they do say),
in respect of the Japones who did enter into certain of their portes,
dissembling themselues to be Chinos; being apparelled as they were, and
speaking their language, they did vnto them great and strange hurtes and
damages, as is declared in the booke before this. So when they were
passed this straight, they sayled almost sixe leagues forwardes into a
verie fayre and great bay, following other shippes that went before
them; for that it seemed that they would enter into some port, and there
they might informe themselues where they were, which was the thing that
they most desired. When they had sayled about two leagues in this bay,
they overtook one of the three shippes, and asked of the people that
were within her (by the intrepreter they had with them), whether they
sayled, and what lande that was which they sawe before them.
Then the principall that was in that ship, did put himself into his boat
the which hee had at sterne, and came vnto the ship where the Spaniards
were, the better to vnderstande what they did demand; for they before by
reason that they were somewhat farre off the one from the other, could
not vnderstande the Spaniards demand but by signes. So when that he
vnderstoode their request, he answered them that it was the country of
China, and how that he came laden with salt from the citie of Chincheo,
and went to make sale thereof vnto the citie of Canton, which was so
nigh hand that they might ariue there before night. But when that he was
entred into the Spanish ship and saw the friers and the rest that were
in their companie, and saw that their apparell and speech was strange
vnto him, he asked of them what they were and from whence they came, and
whether they went? (and when that he vnderstood that they were
Castillos, and of the islands Philippinas, and came from the said
islands and were bound vnto China, with intent to preach the holy
gospell), he asked them whose licence they had to conduct them vnto the
firme lande? But when he vnderstood that they had none, hee asked them
howe they passed and escaped the fleete of ships that was in the
straight aforesayde? The Spaniards answered, that they found no
impediment nor let. So he being greatlie amazed as well of the one as of
the other, entered into his owne boate, and with great furie departed
from their shippe and went into his owne; but at his departure the
Spaniards did request him that he would conduct them vnto the citie, who
gave them to vnderstande by signes that he woulde, although he feared
the rigorous punishment that in that kingdom is executed vppon all such
as doo bring into the same any man of a strange nation (as hath been
tolde you in the first part of this historie.) So hee fearing that if
hee shoulde enter with him into the port, the fault would be imputed
unto him, therefore at such time as hee came within halfe a league of
the riuer's mouth, he cast about his shippe and sailed to sea, and went
so farre that in a short time the Spaniards had lost the sight of them;
who when they saw that they had no guide, they followed the course of
another shippe that they had discovered before the other did cast about
to sea, for which occasion the other two ships that we spake off before
were departed. So a little before the sunne set, they discouered the
mouth and entrie of a great and mightie brode riuer, out of the which
came two great streames or armes, and in them many ships entering in and
going forth; and considering how they had the winde which serued them
well they entered into the same. But when they had sailed forwards a
quarter of a league, they discouered so great a multitude of barkes that
it seemed vnto them a grove, or some inhabited place, and as we drew
nigh vnto them, they not knowing our shippe, all began to flie and run
away with so great noise, as though they should haue beene all set on
fire or smoke in that place. The Spaniards seeing that they were the
occasion of this feare amongst them, they withdrew themselves into the
middest of the riuer, whereas they strooke saile and came to an anker,
and there they did ride all that night, and it was in such a place that
none of al the other barks and boats came nigh them by a great way.
The next day following, which was Sunday, the one-and-twentieth day of
June, they weighed anker, and went vnder their foresaile vp that arme of
the riuer, the which within a little while they had sailed did ioine
with the other arme aforesaide, and was in that place of so great
widenesse that it seemed to bee a sea; there sailed in and out many
shippes, barkes, and boates, of whom the Spaniards demaunded how farre
the port was off from that place, but they answered nothing at all, but
with great laughter and wonder to see the Spaniards and their kind of
attyre, they departed. But when they had sailed two leagues up the
riuer, they discouered a high towre and very faire, vnder the which were
at an anker a great number of shippes; thither they sailed right on. So
when as they came right ouer against the towre, they saw on shore a
great mighty crane, to discharge merchandize withal, whereat lay many
ships; but when they came to the point, fearing that some ordinance
would be shot at them, they strook all their sailes, according vnto the
vse and custom in the ports of Spain. They, after a while that they had
remained in that sort, and saw that neither the towre nor the ships did
make any motion towards them, they turned and hoised up again their
sailes and went wheras al the ships were, and when they came amongst
them they let fall their anker; wheras they did ride, looking when they
would come to demand of them anything.