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
The Portuguese map contained Cape Verde with the Rio Grande to the
Arbitro, but no more; and toward the north Cape Bojador, which lies
thirteen and one-half degrees from Cape Verde; _Item_, an islet
called La Ascencion, and then nothing to Cape Buena Esperanza,
which was a northwest direction with a north and south distance of
fifty-two and one-half degrees, and a run of sixty degrees; _Item_,
a nameless bay; _Item_, Cape Guardafui whither it was navigated from
Buena Esperanza to the northeast, with a north and south distance of
fifty and one-half degrees, and a run of fifty-six degrees; _Item_,
Cape Comerin whither it was navigated from Guardafui in an east and
west direction, one-half degree northwest, five degrees east, and a
run of twenty degrees; _Item_, to Zamatra and up to the point called
Ganispola, a run of fifteen and one-half degrees, from which point
to the Malucos it was twenty-seven degrees.
Thereupon the judges for Portugal, with the exception of Francisco
de Melo, who had departed, said they would answer the other points
made by the deputies from Castilla in the morning.
May 24. _Ibid._ The judges for Castilla presented the following writ:
"To say that the maps were only for the purpose of locating the Cabo
Verde islands is strange, inasmuch as we are discussing the bringing
by each side of our respective navigations, in order to determine
the distance of the Malucos, as witness the members of the Council,
who were and are present. It is also strange that among such persons
they should withdraw the plans and maps of their navigation, and not
allow us to examine them. In our navigation the only thing necessary is
to see the distance in dispute, and we will locate on it anything else
they wish. The line is drawn according to our opinion. Let them do the
same on theirs meanwhile, in order that it may not prove an obstacle
to the third point. As to what they say about their map being like
ours, it is not so, for they have located only capes and points. We
show the entire navigation up to the Malucos just as they saw it
therein. As to the principal matter that there are one hundred and
thirty-four degrees eastward from La Sal to Maluco, that is a matter
we shall look into, and discuss, and say what we shall deduce as the
truth. As to whether we have located the Cabo Verde islands properly,
why was there no doubt about that when they agreed to it yesterday
afternoon, comparing them in the book of Domingo Lopez de Sequerra,
wherein the whole world is shown in meridian circles? Pero Alfonso
de Aguiar assured the licentiate Acevedo, who showed doubt upon the
matter, many times of this. But for greater abundance of proof we are
going to bring back the maps so that they will be sure of it." [This
writ seems to be an answer to the following one, but they are in the
order written.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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