Finding of "the Holy Child of Cebu."--The Spanish soldiers found in
one of the houses of the natives a small wooden image of the Child
Jesus. A similar image, Pigafetta tells us, he had himself given to
a native while in the island with Magellan. It had been preserved by
the natives and was regarded by them as an object of veneration. To
the pious Spaniards the discovery of this sacred object was hailed
as an event of great good fortune. It was taken by the monks, and
carried to a shrine especially erected for it. It still rests in the
church of the Augustinians, an object of great devotion.
Settlement Made at Cebu.--In honor of this image this first settlement
of the Spaniards in the Philippines received the name of "City of
the Most Holy Name of Jesus." Here Legaspi established himself, and,
by great tact and skill, gradually won the confidence and friendship
of the inhabitants. A formal peace was at last concluded in which the
dato, Tupas, recognized the sovereignty of Spain; and the people of
Cebu and the Spaniards bound themselves to assist each other against
the enemies of either.
They had some difficulty in understanding one another, but the
Spaniards had with them a Mohammedan Malay of Borneo, called Cid-Hamal,
who had been taken from the East Indies to the Peninsula and thence
to Mexico and Legaspi's expedition. The languages of Malaysia and
the Philippines are so closely related that this man was able to
interpret. Almost immediately, however, the missionaries began the
study of the native dialect, and Padre Chirino tells us that Friar
Martin Herrada made here the first Filipino vocabulary, and was soon
preaching the Gospel to the natives in their own language.
The great difficulty experienced by Legaspi was to procure sufficient
food for his expedition. At different times he sent a ship to the
nearest islands, and twice his ship went south to Mindanao to procure
a cargo of cinnamon to be sent back to New Spain.
Thus month by month the Spaniards gained acquaintance with the
beautiful island sea of the archipelago, with its green islands
and brilliant sheets of water, its safe harbors and picturesque
settlements.
The Bisayans.--In 1569, Legaspi discovered the great island of
Panay. Here they were fortunate in securing a great abundance
of supplies and the friendship of the natives, who received them
well. These beautiful central islands of the Philippines are inhabited
by Bisaya. The Spaniards found this tribe tattooing their bodies
with ornamental designs, a practice widespread throughout Oceanica,
and which still is common among the tribes of northern Luzon. This
practice caused the Spaniards to give to the Bisayas the title of
"Islas de los Pintados" (the Islands of the Painted).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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