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
_Item_: when it came to a vote as to the island from which the three
hundred and seventy leagues was to be measured, they voted for the
islands of La Sal and Buena Vista. This was quite contrary to justice,
inasmuch as the measurement should begin at the island of Sant Antonio,
the most westerly of the Cabo Verde islands, as is apparent from
reasons adduced by us. It is apparent also from these reasons that,
at our last meeting in Yelves, they brought in a globe upon which the
line of demarcation had been drawn by them twenty-one and one-half
degrees west of the said island of Sant Antonio. This they tried to
disavow so that the notaries could give no testimony regarding it,
telling them they could give no other testimony than that they saw
a reddish band just like many others on the globe. Nevertheless in
downright truth, in a globe marked with the points of the compass
as it was, on which the principal winds were shown in black, the
mid winds in green, and the quadrants in lines of a reddish hue,
there could not be a quadrant or colored band passing from pole
to pole--especially since there was but one, all the others being
black--which they were substituting for the north and south wind,
blowing from one pole to the other, and which is placed on such globes
instead of the wind or meridian line.
Therefore it is apparent from the above that they had drawn this line
long before they voted for the line of demarcation, by the sphere
which they showed to have been made long before; and which if it had
other reddish lines girdling the sphere, these latter did not pass
through the poles as this line did, but started from the center of
the compasses placed on the equinoctial, and were in proportion to
other circular lines. But this line was in proportion to no other line,
saving one corresponding to the number of the three hundred and seventy
leagues reckoned from the island of Sant Antonio, just as we voted it
must be located. Therefore it is proved by this line and globe that
the said line was in harmony with our vote in regard to the distance
it must have from the said island of Sant Antonio and in regard to
its passing from one pole to the other, according to the stipulation
of the first treaty negotiated between the Catholic sovereigns and
King Don Juan (may they rest in peace), and not in harmony with it,
in regard to the other things maintained on this point in the said
globe. Therefore it results that they voted contrary to justice,
with intent to show that they had navigated a shorter distance, and
to delay and cause disagreement in these negotiations because of this
point. All the above is apparent and is proved by the records of this
assembly, and it is inferred therefrom that they did not consider or
regard as true the few degrees they had given out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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