Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the WorldVerne, Jules
History
Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the World
Verne, Jules
Discoveries in geography; Explorers; Voyages and travels
On the 16th of March was seen, at about 900 miles from the Ladrones,
some high ground; this was soon discovered to be an island which now
goes by the name of Samar Island. There Magellan, resolving to give
his exhausted crews some rest, caused two tents to be pitched on
land for the use of the sick. The natives quickly brought bananas,
palm wine, cocoa-nuts, and fish; for which mirrors, combs, bells,
and other similar trifles were offered in exchange. The cocoa-nut, a
tree which is valuable beyond all others, supplied these natives
with their bread, wine, oil, and vinegar, and besides they obtained
from it their clothing and the necessary wood for building and
roofing in their huts.
The natives soon became familiar with the Spaniards, and told them
that their archipelago produced cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmegs,
ginger, maize or Indian-corn, and that even gold was found there.
Magellan gave this archipelago the name of the St. Lazarus Islands,
afterwards changed to that of the Philippines from the name of
Philip of Austria, son of Charles V.
This archipelago is formed of a great number of islands which extend
in Malaysia, between 5 degrees 32 minutes and 19 degrees 38 minutes
north latitude, and 114 degrees 56 minutes and 123 degrees 43
minutes longitude east of the meridian of Paris. The most important
are Luzon, Mindoro, Leyte, the Ceylon of Pigafetta, Samar, Panay,
Negros, Zebu, Bohol, Palawan, and Mindanao.
When they were a little restored, the Spaniards put to sea again, in
order to explore the archipelago. They saw in succession the islands
of Cenalo, Huinaugan, Ibusson, and Abarien, as well as another
island called Massava, of which the king Colambu could make himself
understood by a slave a native of Sumatra, whom Magellan had taken
to Europe from India, and who by his knowledge of Malay rendered
signal service in several instances. The king came on board with six
or eight of his principal subjects. He brought with him presents for
the captain-general, and in exchange he received a vest of red and
yellow cloth, made in Turkish fashion, and a cap of fine scarlet,
while mirrors and knives were given to the members of his suite. The
Spaniards showed him all their fire-arms and fired some shots from
the cannon in his presence, at which he was much terrified. "Then
Magellan caused one of our number to be fully armed," says Pigafetta,
"and ordered three men to give him blows with the sword and stiletto,
to show the king that nothing could wound a man armed in this manner,
which surprised him greatly, and turning to the interpreter he said
to the captain through him, 'that a man thus armed, could fight
against a hundred.' 'Yes,' replied the interpreter, in the name of
the commandant, 'and each of the three vessels carries 200 men armed
in this manner.'" The king, astonished by all that he had seen, took
leave of the captain, begging him to send two of his men with him,
to let them see something of the island. Pigafetta was chosen, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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