The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Legaspe, who was sent from Nueva Espana by Viceroy Don Luys de Velasco
with a Spanish fleet, made port in those islands. He conquered first
the island of Zebu and those in its vicinity, where he remained six
years. That region is called by another name, Pintados, still preserved
by different portions of that coast, because the Indians at that time
went about naked, and with their bodies adorned and painted [_i.e._,
tattooed] in various colors. Legaspe left a guard there and went to
occupy Luzon, one hundred and fifty leguas from Zebu. He fought the
barbarians, whom, after the surprise of our ships, weapons, and faces
had worn off, the same novelty encouraged. Legaspe anchored in a bay
four leguas wide, which shows an island midway in its entrance, now
called Marivelez. The bay has a circuit of thirty leguas to the city of
Manila, and is eight leguas wide from north to east. The inhabitants
of that city resisted him with greater courage than the Pintados, for
they had artillery and a fort. But after the Spaniards had taken that,
the defenders of it surrendered. This was done quickly, and allowed
no time for the inhabitants to unite. Thus did Legaspe enter Manila,
a place fortified by nature. At one point of it (which is surrounded by
the water of the bay) is a river of considerable volume, whose source
is the great Lake of Vay [Bay], five leguas distant. This point, narrow
and slender at first, becomes wider immediately, for the seashore
turns toward the southwest, and the bank of the river toward the east,
so that a very considerable space is left for the city. The city is
entirely surrounded with water, except that part between the west
and south. Legaspe founded the city then with wooden buildings, for
wood is produced abundantly in those regions. The roofs of the houses
were covered with nipa leaves, which resemble our mace-reed, [279]
and which form a sufficient defense against the rains. It is, however,
an inflammable material, and is the occasion of the great fires that
have happened there so often. Luzon is more densely populated than
any of the many islands--which are called Filipinas in honor of King
Filipo II, and which, as is affirmed, number eleven thousand. Luzon has
a circumference of three hundred and fifty leguas. Beyond the bay it
runs one hundred leguas to the north, as far as Nueva Segovia; from
the beginning of that province (namely, Cape Bojador), it runs for
thirty leguas east to the promontory of El Engano. Thence the coast
runs south for eighty leguas, and then with another changed direction
for forty leguas to what they call Embocadero ["the channel"], that is,
the strait opposite the island Tandaya, which is distant eighty more
leguas from the bay. Consequently the island has the shape of a square;
it has many harbors, but few capacious ports. Manila is in slightly
more than fourteen degrees of northern latitude, and in longitude
(reckoning from the Canarias) one hundred and sixty. The most northern
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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