1535.  In the year thirty-five, Simon de Alcacava was despatched with two hundred and forty men.  He passed the strait of Magallanes and one of the ships returned to Santiago de Cuba.

1536.  In the year thirty-six, Cortes sent Grijalva and Alvarado with two ships below the equinoctial line.  They reached the Malucos.

1542.  In the year forty-two, Don Antonio de Mendoza sent from Nueva Espana Ruy Lopez de Villalobos with four ships, four hundred soldiers, and four hundred Indians.  He discovered Mindanaos, Cubu, and Nata.

1543.  In the year forty-three, Villalobos despatched Bernardo de la Torre to give an account of the expedition and its route; he discovered and named the Philippinas islands.

1545.  In the year forty-five, the said Villalobos went to the island of Nuzo, to the city of Sanuso, to Gilolo, and to Tidori.  From Tidori he sent Ynigo Ortiz de Roda as captain, and Gaspar Rico as pilot.  On the way they discovered the coast of Nueva Guinea, which had been discovered by Saavedra in the year twenty-seven.

1545.  On November the ninth, 1545, his Majesty the Emperor wrote from Bruxas [Brussels] to Don Antonio de Mendoca, viceroy of Nueva Espana, saying that the ambassador of the king of Portogal had in behalf of the latter complained that the fleet of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos went to the islands of Maluco; and that, being requested by the governor of that place to leave, had gone to another island, where it remained.

(Ruy Lopez de Villalobos died, and his companions endured so many hardships, that finally they were obliged to return to Spana by way of the province of Yndia.  This is verified by a letter of Fray Gonzalo de Santistevan, an Augustinian, who was with the fleet.)

In order to please the king of Portogal, his Majesty ordered the captain and his people to leave that place immediately.  The said viceroy and other magistrates in whose districts the captain and his men might land were requested to arrest them, and to confiscate their drugs and spices.  His Majesty warned the viceroy that this decree was issued to please the king of Portogal, and requested him to send news of the outcome.  Dissembling and secrecy was required, etc.

1559.  On September 24, 1559, a decree of his Majesty was sent from Valladolid to Don Luys de Velasco, ordering him to send men to discover the Philippinas islands, and other places where spices could be found; but in doing this they were to avoid Maluco and other places forbidden by the compact.

1560.  On May 28, 1560, Fray Andres de Urdaneta wrote from Mexico that he had received the above-mentioned decree of September 24, and offered himself to undertake the expedition.  He sent a memorial in which he declared that the Philipina island does not come within the agreement, and that the expedition could be made under the pretext of going to rescue the men who were captured from the fleet of Fray Garcia de Loaysa in