There he made blood-friendship with the natives, but
one of his men was treacherously killed. Rodriguez’s
reckonings were taken according to the Mexican rather
than the Spanish rules. Rodriguez and Goyti were
commissioned to explore among certain of the islands
in order to find safe channels for the ships.
They found one such between Panay and another island.
They passed Tandaya and Cabalian during their ten
days’ cruise, and the fleet, in consequence of
their report sailed to the latter place. The
treacherous conduct of the Portuguese to both Spaniards
and natives is discovered. “The general
determined to go to Betuan, which is a very rich island,
whence much gold is brought,” and anchor was
cast before Bohol, from which place Legazpi despatched
Juan de la Isla to explore westward, and Martin de
Goyti eastward A small boat was despatched under Rodriguez
“to discover some islands that could be seen
from here. We went in the frigate, fifteen men
and one Indian, who knew the language, the pilot of
a junk captured by the master-of-camp and Captain
Martin de Goete.” This detachment coasted
among various islands, among them Licoyon and Binglas.
[65] They were blown out of their course by a storm.
A prau was sighted, but its occupants took
flight, ran their vessel ashore, and hid on the island.
The Spaniards went to the prau, and found therein
a “little Indian girl of about three years, very
pretty. She was hanging over the edge of the
prau with her body in the water, and screaming.
When we came and wished to take her, she slipped into
the water and would wellnigh have drowned, had not
one of our men leaped in after her.” Shortly
after this a battle with other natives was averted
only by the wind blowing off the covering to their
two pieces of artillery, at sight of which the natives
fled in confusion and hid themselves. The inhabitants
showed themselves hostile at all points and the Spaniards
had several narrow escapes on this island of Negros.
From here they crossed to the island of Cebu.
“This Cibuy is a fine island, about sixty leagues
in circumference and thickly populated.... We
found fourteen or fifteen villages on its sea-coast....
We did not dare to go ashore, although we were in
need of food.” The detachment returned
to the fleet after twenty days, although they had been
ordered only to cruise during six. The natives
and two soldiers sent to look for these men had missed
them by going to the opposite side of the island from
that where Rodriguez had been The fleet set sail for
Cebu, where after landing they found the village deserted.
Legazpi ordered that each mess of four soldiers should
take one house and the rest of the houses be destroyed.
Everything was removed from the houses before any
were destroyed. The general ordered that a thick
set palisade of stakes be built, including therein
a few wells of fresh water. “This village
was built in triangular shape, with two water-fronts
and one land side.” The artillery was placed