The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.
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
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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.