The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 03 of 55: 1569-1576; 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 03 of 55: 1569-1576; 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
In the year of seventy, your Majesty's camp being in the island of
Panae, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, your governor, was informed that the
island of Luzon was very fertile and well populated, and afforded a
good opportunity for trade. Since the island of Panae was poor, and
the men there were in great extremity, he sent the master-of-camp,
Martin de Goiti, with a sufficient force to examine the island
of Luzon, and offer peace and friendship to its natives. The said
master-of-camp, having arrived at the said island of Luzon, at the
port and city of Manila, found that the natives had built a fort and
mounted six pieces of heavy artillery and a number of chambered guns,
and had collected a large force to defend the entrance. The said
master-of-camp, seeing that the people of the said town of Manila had
taken up arms, required them many times, by means of an interpreter
whom he brought, to receive them in peace; because the governor sent
them to win their friendship, and to see if there was any place
where they might come to settle, and not to do them any harm. The
natives of Manila would not admit these reasons, on the contrary
they began to discharge their artillery, trying to sink the vessels
that the said master-of-camp brought. The latter, seeing that they
made war on him, disembarked his men, took the fort without assault
and its artillery. The men fled inland, forsaking the town and fort,
where the said master-of-camp awaited them four days, to see if they
would make peace, to which effect he questioned them many times. When
he saw that they would not accept his terms, he took their artillery
and ammunition and returned with these to the island of Panae, where
was the aforesaid governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. When the latter
heard the true report and relation that was brought from that land,
he left, in the year following (of seventy-five) [102] the island of
Panae, where he had settled, for that of Luzon, because the latter
is well populated and has a considerable trade with the neighboring
islands and the mainland of China. He entered the harbor with his
fleet and by means of the interpreter whom he carried with him,
using on many different occasions, the necessary means, he urged and
notified the natives to receive him in peace, as vassals of your
Majesty. He told them that by your Majesty's order the Spaniards
had come to that land to protect the natives from their enemies,
to instruct them in civilization, and to preach to them the gospel
and the way of salvation--for such is the attitude that your Majesty
is pleased should be taken toward them--but the said natives would
not consider it. They put the governor off with long delays for four
days, during which the latter permitted nothing to be landed from the
fleet. Thus he made the natives certain of his intention. At the end
of the four days, the chiefs of the said town and vicinity came to
seek peace for themselves and their villages. The said governor, in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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