_They departe from the Ilandes of the Ladrones, and
come vnto them of Luzon, or Philippinas by an other
name, and doo declare the particular thoughts of those
ilandes._
[Sidenote: Archipelago.]
[Sidenote: The Island of Luzon, and citie of Manilla.]
[Sidenote: Great mountains of pepper, cloues, and ginger.]
From this Iland of Ladrones nauigating towards the west, almost two
hundred leagues, till they came to a mouth called of the Holy Ghost,
they straightwaies doo enter into the Archipelago (which is an infinite
number of ilands), almost all inhabited with their own naturall people;
but many conquered by the Spaniardes, eyther by force of warre or
friendship. Four score leagues from this is the citie of Manilla, which
is vpon the Iland of Luzon, there whereas ordinarily dwelleth the
gouernor of all those ilandes, and the officers of his maiestie: therein
is a bishop and a cathedrall church. This citie standeth in fourteen
degrees and a quarter, and round about the same there are so many
ilandes, that vnto this day there is none that euer could number them:
they do extend all of them northwest and southwest, and north and south,
in so much that the one part stretcheth vnto the Straight of Sincapura
which is fiue and twentie leagues from Malaca, and the other part vnto
the Malucos, and other ilandes, whereas they gather a great number of
cloues, pepper, and ginger, of the which there are great mountaines
full. The first that discouered these ilands were Spaniards, which came
to them in the company of the famous Magellanes, and made no conquest of
them, for that they knew better to nauigate then to conquer; by reason
whereof, after they had discouered and passed the straight (which vnto
this day beareth the title of his name) and came vnto the Ilande of
Zubu, whereas they did baptise certaine of the inhabitance, and
afterwards in a banket, the same ilanders did kill him and other forty
of his companions, which was the occasion that Sebastian de Guetaria, a
naturall Biskin borne,[69] for to escape with his life, did put himselfe
in a shippe that remained of the voyage (which afterwards was named the
Victorie), and in her and with a few people that helped him, with the
fauour of God he came vnto Siuell, hauing compassed the whole world,
from the Orient vnto the Ponient, a thing which caused vnto all men
great admiration, but in particular vnto the Emperor Charles the Fift of
famous memorie, who after he had giuen many gifts and fauours vnto the
said Sebastian de Guetaria, hee gaue order that a new armie should be
made ready, and to returne againe in demande of the said ilands, and to
discouer that new world.
[69] A native of Biscay.
So when all things were in a readinesse for to depart on their voyage
(the which was done with great breuitie) they ordained for generall of
all that fleete one Villa Lobos, commanding him to go by the Nueua
Espania. This Villa Lobos arriued at the Ilands of Malucas, and at those
of Terrenate, and at other ilands ioyning vnto them, the which ilands
were laid to gage by the aforesaid emperor vnto the crowne of Portugal.
In these ilands they had great wars by meanes of the Portugals, and
seeing themselues with little helpe and small resistance for to go
forwards with their conquests, they left it off, and went to the most
part of them with the aforesaide Portugals vnto the India of Portugall,
from whence afterwards they sent them as prisoners unto the said king of
Portugall, as offenders that had entred his ilands without his licence:
who did not onely leaue to do them any harme, but did intreate them very
well and sent them vnto their owne country of Spaine, and gaue them al
thinges necessary for their iourney, and that in aboundance.
Then certaine yeares after, Don Philip king of Spaine being very willing
that the discouering shoulde go forwards, which the emperor his father
had so earnestly procured, sent and commanded Don Luys de Velasco, who
was his vizroy of the Nuoua Espania, that he would ordaine an army and
people for to returne and discouer the said ilands, and to sende in the
said fleete, for gouernor of all that should bee discouered, Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi, who did accomplish all that his maiestie had
commanded, and made the discouerie thereof in such order, as in the
first relation of the entrie of the fathers of the order of Saint Austen
into the China dooth more at large appeare.
Of ancient time these ilands were subiect vnto the king of China, vntill
such time as hee did deliuer them vp of his owne free will, for such
reasons as were spoken off in the first part of this historie: and that
was the occasion that when the Spaniards came vnto them, they were
without lorde or heade, or anie other to whome they shoulde showe
duetie, but hee which had most power and people did most command: so
that this (and that there were so many of equal power) was the occasion
that ciuill warres continued, without any respect of nature, kinred, or
any other duety, but like vnto brute beastes, killing, spoiling, and
captiving one another, the which was a great helpe vnto the Spaniards
for to subiect that countrie with so great ease vnto the king, and
called them the Ilands Philippinas in respect of his name. They did vse
amongst them to make captiues and slaues such as they did take in
vnlawfull wars, and for trifling matters, the which God did remedie by
the going thither of the Spaniards: for you should haue a man with
fortie or fiftie other friends in his company, or seruants, that vpon a
sodaine would go and set vpon a small village of poore people and
vnprouided, and take and binde them all, and carrie them away for slaues
without any occasion or reason, and make them to serue them all the
dayes of their life, or else sell them to other ilands. And if it so
chanced that one did lende vnto another a basket or two of rice (the
which might bee woorth a ryall of plate), with condition to returne it
againe within ten dayes; if the debter did not pay it the same day, the
next day following he should pay it dooble, and afterward to double it
euery day so long as he did keepe it, which in conclusion the debt would
grow to be so great, that, to pay the same, he is forced to yeeld
himselfe for captiue and slaue.
But vnto all such as were captiued in this order, or in such like, the
king of Spaine hath commanded to giue libertie; yet this iust
commandement is not in euery point fulfilled and accomplished, because
such as should execute the same haue interest therein. All these ilandes
were gentiles and idolaters, but now there is amongest them many
thousands baptised, vnto whom the king hath shewed great mercie, in
sending vnto them the remedie for their soules in so good time: for if
the Spaniards had stayed any more yeares, they had beene all Moores at
this day, for that there were come vnto the Ilande of Burneo some of
that sect that did teach them, and lacked little, for to worship that
false prophet Mahomet, whose false, peruerse, and corrupt memory, was
with the gospell of Christ easily rooted out.
[Sidenote: The diuell was worshiped.]
In al these ilands they did worshippe the sunne and moone, and other
second causes, figures of men and women, which are called in their
language Maganitos, at whose feastes (which they do make very sumptuous,
with great ceremonies and superstition) they doo call Magaduras. But
amongst them all, they have in most veneration an idoll whome they
called Batala, the which reuerence they had for a tradition; yet can
they not say what should be the occasion that he should deserue more
then any of the rest to bee had in so great estimation. In certaine
ilandes not farre off, called the Illocos, they did worship the diuell,
and made vnto him many sacrifices, in recompence of a great quantitie of
gold hee had giuen vnto them; but nowe by the goodnesse of God, and the
great diligence put and done by the fathers of the order of Saint Austen
(who were the first that passed into these parts, and liued worthely)
and also by the friers of Saint Francis, which went thither tenne yeares
after, all these ilands or the most part of them are baptised, and vnder
the ensigne of Jesus Christ: and the rest which doo remaine and are not,
is more for lacke of ministers and preachers, then for any obstinacie of
their parts. There is nowe gone thither certaine fathers of the order
called Iesuits, who will be a helpe vnto them with their accustomed
zeale and labour. And nowe goeth thither many other religious men, very
well learned and apostolike, of the order of Saint Dominicke, who will
doo their indeuour to conuert them vnto Christ, as it behooueth
Christians to do.