The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 17 of 55: 1609-1616; 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 17 of 55: 1609-1616; 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
In the beginning of January, 1610, a fragata was sent to Macao with
warning for the said ship to remain there until the Dutch were driven
from these seas. As commander in it was the pilot, Juan Bernardo de
Fuentiduenas, who was sick with the fever. He went on the voyage,
and before dawn of Thursday, January 28, ran foul of a reef, where no
land could be seen in any direction, except a few rocky points at low
tide. The fever left the pilot at this sudden catastrophe, and at dawn
the Spaniards saw on the reefs a large ship, that looked like a Chinese
vessel, which had been wrecked. They went to this vessel to get its
small boats. Entering it, they found not a soul, living or dead. But
they found considerable silver scattered about. Not content with what
they found in the vessel, the Indians began to dive into the water
to see if they could find any more. Their efforts were not in vain,
for they must have found in that way about eight thousand reals of
eight to the peso, although somewhat oxidized by the sea-water. From
the top of the little elevation, an islet was discovered, of not more
than one legua in circumference. They went thither in successive trips
of the small boat, and found three Lequian Indians, who had been there
for months. They were the only survivors of ten who had left their
country. On this island, the Spaniards refitted, as well as possible,
their boat and another one that the Lequians had at hand, although
it was also small. They divided themselves between the two boats, and
taking as much of the money as they could carry, started for Macao. A
short time after, a very violent vendaval struck and separated the
boats. The boat of the pilot Fuentiduena, obedient to the waves, was
able to escape the danger and reach its destination. Nothing is known
of the other. It is regarded as certain that it has foundered, and
that its occupants have perished. The ship for which they were looking
in order to warn it had left Macao five days before for Manila, where
the pilot himself returned many days after. Upon his relation of the
event, he was sent as pilot of the boat that went to look for the men
of the wrecked ship. On the way, perhaps he will look for the reef or
the Chinese ship again, in order to finish getting what money it has.
Three ships left here in July of 1609 for Nueva Espana, and all of
them were exposed to dangers and storms. The ship "San Andres,"
which was almiranta, and was the only one to reach Nueva Espana,
encountered so terrific storms that its bow was under water during
most of the voyage, and they were in so great danger that the pilot
vowed never to embark again--a very rare thing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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