Illustrations

    Portrait of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi; photographic
    reproduction from painting in Museo-Biblioteca de Ultramar,
    Madrid. Frontispiece

    Portrait of Fray Andres de Urdaneta; photographic reproduction
    from painting by Madrazo, in possession of the Colegio de
    Filipinas (Augustinian), Valladolid.

    Signatures of Legazpi and other officials in the Philippines;
    photographic facsimile from original Ms. of their letter of
    June 1, 1565, in the Archivo general de Indias, Seville.

    The Santo Nino of Cebu (image of the child Jesus found there
    by Legazpi’s soldiers in 1565); from a plate in possession
    of the Colegio de Filipinas, Valladolid.

Preface

The next attempt to reach the Spice Islands is made by Garcia Jofre de Loaisa.  A synopsis of contemporary documents is here presented:  discussion as to the location of the India House of Trade; concessions offered by the Spanish government to persons who aid in equipping expeditions for the Moluccas; instructions to Loaisa and his subordinates for the conduct of their enterprise; accounts of their voyage, etc.  Loaisa’s fleet departs from Spain on July 24, 1525, and ten months later emerges from the Strait of Magellan.  Three of his ships have been lost, and a fourth is compelled to seek necessary supplies at the nearest Spanish settlements on the west coast of South America; Loaisa has remaining but three vessels for the long and perilous trip across the Pacific.  One of the lost ships finally succeeds in reaching Spain, but its captain, Rodrigo de Acuna, is detained in long and painful captivity at Pernambuco.  The partial log of the flagship and an account of the disasters which befell the expedition are sent to the emperor (apparently from Tidore) by Hernando de la Torre, one of its few survivors, who asks that aid be sent them.  Loaisa himself and nearly all his officers are dead—­one of the captains being killed by his own men.  At Tidore meet (June 30, 1528) the few Spaniards remaining alive (in all, twenty-five out of one hundred and forty-six) in the “Victoria” and in the ship of Saavedra, who has been sent by Cortes to search for the missing fleets which had set out from Spain for the Moluccas.  Urdaneta’s relation of the Loaisa expedition goes over the same ground, but adds many interesting details.

Various documents (in synopsis) show the purpose for which Saavedra is despatched from Mexico, the instructions given to him, and letters which he is to carry to various persons.  Among these epistles, that written by Hernando Cortes to the king of Cebu is given in full; he therein takes occasion to blame Magalhaes for the conflict with hostile natives which resulted in the discoverer’s death.  He also asks the Cebuan ruler to liberate any Spaniards who may be in his power, and offers to ransom them, if that be required.  Saavedra’s own account of the voyage states that the time of his departure from New Spain was October, 1527.  Arrivingat the island of Visaya, he finds three Spaniards who tell him that the eight companions o Magalhaes left at Cebu had been sold by their captors to the Chinese.