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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 32, 1640: 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.Aduarte, Diego

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 32, 1640: 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.

Name: The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 32, 1640: 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.
Author: Aduarte, Diego

Aduarte, Diego

Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources

[If this island were of no value, its spiritual promise would make
it important; and if it were poor in material things--and it is not,
because it has many mines of gold and silver, and is fertile--it would
still be well that our nation has set foot on it. It is of spiritual
use because it is from hence, as it appears, that the conversion of
the great kingdom of China is to have its rise. It is of importance in
a material way, because of its nearness to the trade of that kingdom,
which is so rich and so abounding in merchandise. That both spiritual
and temporal ends might be attained, Don Juan de Arcaraço, [48] who
was commandant of the island at that time, decided to send an embassy
to the viceroy of Hucheo, the capital of the nearest province, with
a view to opening up trade with it, but without saying anything about
matters of faith. He offered our religious an opportunity to go on the
embassy. Two religious were accordingly sent--the father vicar of the
convent, Fray Angel Coqui, a Florentine by birth, who had assumed the
surname of San Antonino; and, as his companion, father Fray Thomas
de Sierra, who was called here "de la Magdalena." He was a native
of Cerdeña. His natural gifts were but small, but his spiritual ones
were great, as will be seen. They set out accompanied by two soldiers
and seven Indians, carrying their letter of embassy and a present
for the viceroy. They took what they needed to say mass, and a very
little money for their support; and embarked (December 30, 1630)
in two very small vessels. On the way a heathen Chinese, master of
the vessel in which the religious were, planned to kill them in order
to rob them. The signal being given, the Chinese killed five of the
members of the expedition, and wounded two with the clubs which they
used as weapons--for, among the Chinese, soldiers only are permitted
to carry weapons of iron. Father Fray Thomas was one of those who lost
his life. The narrative may pause for a moment to give some account
of him. He was a native of Cerdeña, and a son of the convent there. He
was destined to the Order of St. Dominic from his mother's womb. Since
the schools in his part of the country were not very good, he strove
to be assigned to the province of Andalucia, and went to the convent
of San Pablo at Cordova. Hearing of the devout manner of life of the
religious in this province, he desired to enter it, and departed from
España in the year 1627, at which time I was bringing over a body of
religious. This was the third company which I led (besides the first,
in which I came with others under leadership, which is now about forty
years ago). I accepted his application, thinking that he could complete
his studies in this province as well as in España. He was of most
gentle and patient disposition. He suffered greatly from headaches,
and was unable to carry on his studies, though in some cases of moral
theology he showed ability. He was sent to the island of Hermosa,

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