Chapter IV

Of the voyage made by our religious to the Western Islands

Great undertakings are wont never to lack their obstacles, which although they do not fail to unnerve those of feeble intellect, yet seem to serve only as spurs to the lofty-minded, to make them not abandon what is undertaken; and these latter show greater courage, when Fortune shows herself most contrary.  And the devil, when he divines that any work is on foot that may be for the service of the Lord unless he can hinder it, at the very least manages to impede it, and does his utmost to render it of none effect.  Thus in this departure, they did not fail to have their misfortunes, but having conquered these by their courageous souls, they continued their voyage.  For four days had they ploughed the waters of the sea, when the general thought it best to open his Majesty’s despatch and read the instructions given him, and find the route that he was ordered to take.  The instructions were given him under lock and seal, and he was ordered not to open them, until he had sailed at least one hundred leguas.  For the opening of the instructions, he had all the men of account in the fleet assembled; they found that, in accordance with his Majesty’s decree, they were ordered to go straight to the islands, now called Filipinas.  When they were reached, a portion of the army and the religious were to remain there, while Father Urdaneta, with the other portion of the fleet, was to return in order to establish the route, until then unknown, as this was the object and chief purpose of his Majesty Father Urdaneta was extremely sorry at this, for he had always been given to understand that his opinion would be followed on this voyage.  But it was certainly considered best by the Audiencia; for, besides their fulfilling in it his Majesty’s will, they observed that the journey to Nueva Guinea embraced many things, and Father Urdaneta could not discover so quickly the return voyage from the Filipinas to Nueva Espana—­and this was the chief aim of that expedition, and the object of greatest importance that was sought.

After they had understood, then, his Majesty’s will, by the instructions that were read in their presence, all obeyed them as loyal vassals, and in pursuance thereof, began to lay their course, which with so certain a beginning as that of obedience and the sacrifice of their own wills, already promised a prosperous end.  They changed their course, descending to the nineteenth degree, in which lie the islands of Los Reyes [15] and Corales. [16] From this point they began to take a direct course to the Filipinas.  In order to do this, an order was issued to steer west by south, and all the fleet was ordered to do the same, and, as far as possible, not to separate from the flagship.  But should the vessels be separated by any storm, they were given to understand that they were to follow the said route, until they