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
By the fifteenth day of the month of March, the governor had
thoroughly prepared the fleet--which consisted of five ships, four
galleys with poop-lanterns [_galeras de fanal_], three galliots, four
champans, three funeas, two English lanchas, two brigantines, one
barca chata [23] for the artillery, and thirteen fragatas with high
freeboard. There were one thousand three hundred Spaniards, counting
regulars, captains and officers, substitutes [_entretenidos_], and
volunteers. Among them were some Portuguese captains and soldiers,
under charge of the chief captain of Tidore, [24] who was at that
island when the Dutch seized it. These Portuguese came from Malaca
to serve in the expedition. There were also four hundred Indian
pioneers--Tagals and Pampangos of Manila--who went to serve at their
own cost, under their own officers, and with their own weapons. There
was a quantity of artillery of all kinds, ammunition, tools, and
provisions for nine months. [25] Don Pedro de Acuna left the point of
Hilohilo, which is near the town of Arevalo in the island of Panai,
[on the above day] with all this equipment, and coasting the island
of Mindanao, made port at La Caldera, in order to replenish his water,
wood, and other necessaries.
The governor embarked in the galley "Santiago" and took under
his charge the other galleys and oared vessels. The ship "Jesus
Maria" acted as flagship of the other vessels, and was commanded
by the master-of-camp, Joan de Esquivel. Captain and Sargento-mayor
Cristoval de Azcueta Menchaca acted as admiral of the fleet, which,
after attending to its necessities at La Caldera, left that port. On
setting sail, the flagship, which was a heavy vessel, was unable to
leave port, and the currents drove it shoreward so that, without the
others being able to help it, it grounded. It was wrecked there, but
the crew, artillery, and a portion of its ammunition and clothing,
were saved. After setting fire to the ship, and taking what nails and
bolts they could, so that the Mindanaos could not make use of them,
the fleet continued its voyage. The galleys coasted along the island
of Mindanao, and the ships and other deep-draught vessels sailed in
the open sea, all making for the port of Talangame, in the island of
Terrenate. The vessels, although experiencing some changes of weather,
first sighted the islands of Maluco, after they had been reconnoitered
by a large Dutch ship, well equipped with artillery, which was anchored
at Terrenate. This vessel fired some heavy artillery at our vessels,
and then immediately entered the port, where it fortified itself under
shelter of the land, and with its artillery and crew and the people
of Terrenate. The master-of-camp went with his vessels to the island
of Tidore, where he was well received by the Moro chiefs and cachils;
for the king was away, as he had gone to the island of Bachan to be
married. The master-of-camp found four Dutch factors there, who were
trading for cloves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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