EASTER SUNDAY.--MAGELLAN PLANTS THE CROSS.
Now begins the dawn of Christianity in the Philippines. Magellan was a
deeply religious man, and Pigafetta was a Christian Knight. Magellan saw
the significance of his marvelous voyage, and his soul glowed with
gratitude to Heaven.
Easter Sunday approached. Magellan had made preparations to plant a
cross on a mountain overlooking the sea.
Easter Sunday fell on the last day of March. "The Captain," to follow
the Italian's narrative in part, "sent the Chaplain ashore early to say
mass, and the interpreter went with him to tell the King that they were
not coming on shore to dine with him, but only to hear the mass.
"When it was time for saying mass the Captain went ashore with fifty
men, not with their arms, but only with their swords, and dressed as
well as each one was able to dress, and before the boats reached the
shore our ships fired six cannon shots as a sign of peace.
"At our landing the two Kings of the islands were there, and received
the Captain in a friendly manner, and placed him between them, and then
we went to the place prepared for saying mass, which was not far from
the shore."
The ceremonies that followed were dramatic. "Before the mass began the
Captain threw a quantity of musk-rose water on those two Kings," is the
picture drawn by the Italian, "and when the offertory of the mass came,
the two Kings went to kiss the Cross like us, but they offered nothing,
and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they were kneeling like us,
and adored our Lord with joined hands. The ships fired all their
artillery at the elevation of the body of our Lord."
The scene that followed discloses the religious nature of Magellan and
his joy in what was ennobling.
He caused a great cross to be lifted, "with the nails and crown, to
which the Kings made reverence." He told the Kings that he wished to
place it in their country for their profit, "because if there came
afterward any ships from Spain to those islands, on seeing this cross,
they would know that we had been there, and therefore they would not
cause them any displeasure to their persons nor their goods; and if they
took any of their people, on showing them this sign, they would at once
let them go."
[Illustration: Mount Mayon, on the Island of Luzun.]
The Captain continued his address to the Kings in the same spirit. He
told them that it was necessary that this cross "should be placed on the
summit of the highest mountain in their country, so that seeing it every
day and night they might adore it." He further told them that if they
did thus, "neither thunder, lightning, nor the tempest could do them
hurt." This he believed to be true. The Kings "thanked the Captain, and
said they would do it willingly." The Captain asked them how they
worshiped. They answered that "they did not perform any other adoration,
but only joined their hands, looking up to Heaven, and that they called
their God Aba. Hearing this, the Captain was very joyful; on seeing
that, the first King raised his hands to the sky and said that he wished
it were possible for him to be able to show the affection which he felt
toward him."
The elevation of the Cross followed.
"After dinner we all returned in our dress coats, and we went together
with the two Kings to the middle of the highest mountain we could find,
and there the Cross was planted."
Important information followed.
"After the two Kings and the Captain rested themselves, and, while
conversing, I asked where was the best port for obtaining victuals. They
replied that there were three; that is to say, Ceylon, Zubu, and
Calaghan; but that Zubu was the largest and of the most traffic. Then
the Kings offered to give him pilots to go to those ports, for which he
thanked them, and deliberated to go there, for his ill-fortune would
have it so. After the cross had been planted on the mountain, each one
said the Paternoster and Ave Maria, and adored it, and the Kings did the
like. Then he went down below to where their boats were. There the kings
had brought some of the fruit called cocos and other things to make a
collation and to refresh us."
The fleet sailed away soon after Easter Monday, the Captain having
secured native pilots from the Kings. One of the Kings volunteered to
act himself as pilot, and this service was accepted.
Pigafetta describes the use of betel:
"This kind of people are gentle, and go naked, and are painted. They
wear a piece of cloth made from a tree, like a linen cloth, round their
body to cover their natural parts; they are great drinkers. The women
are dressed in tree cloth from their waists downward; their hair is
black, and reaches down to the ground; they wear certain gold rings in
their ears. These people chew most of their time a fruit which they call
areca (betel), which is something of the shape of a pear; they cut it in
four quarters, and after they have chewed it for a long time they spit
it out, from which afterward they have their mouths very red. They find
themselves the better from the use of this fruit because it refreshes
them much, for this country is very hot, so that they could not live
without it."
The use of the areca, or betel nut, is still common in all the
Philippine Islands.
The fleet next went to Maestral, "passing through five islands--Ceylon,
Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Satighan. In the Island of Satighan was a
kind of bird called barbarstigly, which was as large as an eagle. Of
these we killed only one," says our narrator, "because it was late. We
ate it, and it had the taste of a fowl. There were also in this island
doves, tortoises, parrots, and certain black birds as large as a fowl,
with a long tail. They lay eggs as large as those of a goose. These they
put a good length under the sand in the sun, where they were hatched by
the great heat, which the heated sand gives out; and when these birds
were hatched they pushed up the sand and came out. These eggs are good
to eat.
"From this island of Mazzubua to that of Satighan there are twenty
leagues, and on leaving Satighan we went by the west; but the King of
Mazzubua could not follow us; therefore we waited for him near three
islands; that is to say, Polo, Ticobon, and Pozzon. When the King
arrived he was much astonished at our navigation; the Captain General
bade him come on board his ship with some of his principal people, at
which they were much pleased. Thus we went to Zubu, which is fifteen
leagues off from Satighan."
The story of the Italian here, which we so freely use, leaves in the
mind a picture of the first voyage among the Philippines. The habits of
the people in these same islands are not greatly changed, but we hardly
find there now as tractable kings as were those to whom Magellan left
the Cross.