Of the Conquest of Zebu, and Discovery of the Route to New Spain. The glory of conquering the Philippines, was reserved for his Catholic Majesty Philip II., by means of, the valour of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the prudence of the Augustine friars, and the skill of one of those friars, Andres de Urdaneta, who had been a captain in the armament of Loaysa, but subsequently took the habit of San Augustine in Mexico, in the year 1552. His Majesty issued an edict, encouraging and recommending an expedition, to be sent by the Viceroy of Mexico, to the western isles. Friar Urdaneta acquiesced in the will of his sovereign, and the Viceroy chose five other religious of the same order, viz. Andres de Aguirre, Martin de Rada, Lorenzo Ximenes (who died in the Puerto de Natividad), Diego Herrera, and Pedro Gamboa, with the view to a spiritual, as well as temporal conquest. This squadron was composed of two ships, one small galleon, and a patache (a vessel so called). The command was given to Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, a noble Biscayan, from whose valour and prudence, the Viceroy expected greater results, than had been obtained from the other expeditions. The fleet sailed from Puerto de Natividad on the 21st November, 1564, with sealed orders; and when about a hundred leagues from the coast, the seals being broken, they found directions to proceed to these islands. Urdaneta had formed his plan, on the idea conceived by the Viceroy of first making New Guinea, but, obliged to conform to the royal instructions, he shaped his course nearly due west, in order to arrive at the ninth degree of latitude, and from thence to run direct west, to demand the submission of those islands, which lie between the ninth and tenth degree, passing by the islands of Arrecifes and Matalotes, together with those of La Nublada and Rocapartida, the two latter being too far out of the track. On the 31st of December, the patache separated, as if by accident, and never rejoined the squadron; Don Alonzo de Arellano was her commander, and Lopez Martin, a Mulatto, the pilot; and there was reason to believe that the separation was intentional, as it afterwards proved, that they went to Mindanao, where, taking in a cargo of gold and spices, they proceeded to New Spain. The squadron pursued its course, and on the 9th of January, 1565, discovered an island, which Legaspi called Barbudos, because the inhabitants wore longer beards than the other Indians. On the 22d they discovered the islands Ladrones, where they remained some days, taking in water and purchasing fresh provisions, which they procured from the Indians, in exchange for European commodities, especially iron, an article in great esteem with them. These Indians pilfered whatever they could lay their hands on, and assaulted our people while procuring water; yet, many Spaniards were desirous of remaining among them, and petitioned the General to found a colony there, and despatch a ship to Acapulco for that purpose; but having no