John ShaqiResearch Library

Opening the text

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

[It] practically reads that on the seventh of June, one thousand four
hundred and ninety-four, the attorneys of the Catholic Sovereigns and
of the king of Portogal empowered by their masters met in Tordesillas,
and drew up the said instrument. The agreement reached was that a
line or meridian was to be drawn from the Arctic to the Antarctic
pole, three hundred and seventy leagues west of the islands of Cabo
Verde. Everything west of the said line or meridian was to belong
to the kings of Castilla, and that east was to be the navigation,
discovery, and conquest of the kings of Portogal. The sea of the king
of Portogal was open for navigation to the kings of Castilla, with
the understanding that the latter should follow their course without
any deviation. Whatever should be found up to the twentieth of the
said month of June in the first two hundred and fifty leagues of the
three hundred and seventy, was to belong to the kings of Portogal;
and that which should be found in the remaining hundred and twenty
leagues was to belong to the king of Castilla.

_Item_, both parties agreed to send within ten months an equal number
of ships, pilots, astrologers, and sailors to mark out the said line
of demarcation.

It is not specified that within the said ten months they did send
the said pilots, astrologers, and sailors to draw the said line of
demarcation; on the contrary, it is clear that the said line was
not drawn; for according to the copy of a decree and declaration of
the Catholic Sovereigns given in Madrid on May the seventh, 1495,
and signed by the secretary Samano, it is urged that the said line
be drawn--from which it is evident that the line had not been drawn
within the ten months. That this line had not been drawn appears
also from the conferences and records concerning the possession and
ownership of the Malucos, between the commissioners of both parties
in the year twenty-four at the bridge of Acaya, Yelves, and Badajoz,
where the determination of this line of demarcation was discussed;
and the determination thereof, discussed under three heads.

First, whether a spherical or plane surface should be considered in
drawing the line of demarcation.

Second, how should the islands of Cabo Verde be properly situated
and located.

Third, from which of the said islands should they begin to measure
the three hundred and seventy leagues for the demarcation.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

[It] practically reads that on the seventh of June, one thousand four
hundred and ninety-four, the attorneys of the Catholic Sovereigns and
of the king of Portogal empowered by their masters met in Tordesillas,
and drew up the said instrument. The agreement reached was that a
line or meridian was to be drawn from the Arctic to the Antarctic
pole, three hundred and seventy leagues west of the islands of Cabo
Verde. Everything west of the said line or meridian was to belong
to the kings of Castilla, and that east was to be the navigation,
discovery, and conquest of the kings of Portogal. The sea of the king
of Portogal was open for navigation to the kings of Castilla, with
the understanding that the latter should follow their course without
any deviation. Whatever should be found up to the twentieth of the
said month of June in the first two hundred and fifty leagues of the
three hundred and seventy, was to belong to the kings of Portogal;
and that which should be found in the remaining hundred and twenty
leagues was to belong to the king of Castilla.

_Item_, both parties agreed to send within ten months an equal number
of ships, pilots, astrologers, and sailors to mark out the said line
of demarcation.

It is not specified that within the said ten months they did send
the said pilots, astrologers, and sailors to draw the said line of
demarcation; on the contrary, it is clear that the said line was
not drawn; for according to the copy of a decree and declaration of
the Catholic Sovereigns given in Madrid on May the seventh, 1495,
and signed by the secretary Samano, it is urged that the said line
be drawn--from which it is evident that the line had not been drawn
within the ten months. That this line had not been drawn appears
also from the conferences and records concerning the possession and
ownership of the Malucos, between the commissioners of both parties
in the year twenty-four at the bridge of Acaya, Yelves, and Badajoz,
where the determination of this line of demarcation was discussed;
and the determination thereof, discussed under three heads.

First, whether a spherical or plane surface should be considered in
drawing the line of demarcation.

Second, how should the islands of Cabo Verde be properly situated
and located.

Third, from which of the said islands should they begin to measure
the three hundred and seventy leagues for the demarcation.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

No reviews yet