The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 01 of 55: 1493-1529; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 01 of 55: 1493-1529; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Magalhães are honest men; but it is against the king's orders to carry
men of that nation. Letters from the king are cited to the effect that
Magalhães and Falero take only four or five Portuguese apiece. They
urge him to live up to these orders. (No. xvi, pp. 156-162.)
September, 1519. On setting out upon his voyage Magalhães leaves
for the king a memorandum of the latitudes and location of the
Spice Islands, and the shores and principal capes in the Castilian
demarcation, "because some time the Portuguese King may try to declare
that the islands of Maluco are within his demarcation." He bids the
king keep this memorandum carefully, for there may be a time when it
is necessary. (No. xix, pp. 188, 189.)
On the nineteenth of April, 1520, while at port San Julian, Magalhães
ordered an investigation of a petition presented by Alvaro de la
Mezquita, captain of the ship "San Antonio." The petition states
that on the first of April Gaspar de Quesada and Juan de Cartagena
appeared at Mezquita's ship, took him prisoner, and made themselves
masters of the vessel. Quesada refused to liberate the prisoner at
the request of the master, and checked the intended resistance of the
remaining officers and crew of the "San Antonio" by severely wounding
the master, Juan de Elorriaga and ordering the others disarmed. The
mate was taken prisoner, and carried to the "Concepcion." Antonio de
Coca, accountant of the fleet, was a party to the conspiracy. Juan de
Sebastian del Cano, master of the "Concepcion," was placed in command
of the captured vessel, which was put in a state of defense, all guns
being mounted in place. Mezquita asks for a thorough investigation of
this case, so that the fleet may be cleared of traitors. The charges of
wastefulness and cruelty preferred against him, he wishes examined;
and, if he is worthy of punishment, let it be administered. This
petition was presented on the fifteenth, and acknowledged on the
seventeenth. The testimonies were given before a notary on and after
April 19, and certified on the twenty-sixth. In the investigations the
depositions were taken of the chaplain of the fleet, and of the notary,
the pilot, a sailor, the boatswain, the steward, and the master of the
"San Antonio." In the main they are all alike, exonerating Mezquita
from all charges and condemning Quesada and his accomplices. On the
return to Seville of the "Victoria" (in which Mezquita was carried a
prisoner), these depositions were presented, through the efforts of
Diego Barbosa, to the alcalde-in-ordinary (May 22, 1523). (No. xx,
pp. 189-201.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account