316 



Cortes. Don Antonio de Meudoza. 

 Policy of the conquerors. 



MANILLA. 



Geological features of the 

 islands. 



After these and various other misfortunes, only 

 one vessel of the squadron, the Victoria, returned 

 to Spain. Don Juan Sebastian del Cano, her com- 

 mander, was complimented by his sovereign by a 

 grant for his arms of a globe, with the proud 

 inscription, commemorative of his being the first 

 circumnavigator, 



"PRIMUS ME CIRCUMCEDIT." 



Two years afterwards, a second expedition was 

 fitted out, under the command of Loaisa, who died 

 after they had passed through the Straits of Magel- 

 haens, when they had been a year on their voyage. 

 The command then fell upon Sebastian, who died 

 in four days after his predecessor. Salayar suc- 

 ceeded to the command, and reached the Ladrone 

 Islands, but shortly after leaving there he died 

 also. They came in sight of Mindanao, but con- 

 trary winds obliged them to go to the Moluccas. 

 When arrived at the Portuguese settlements, con- 

 tentions and jealousies arose, and finally all the 

 expedition was dispersed, and the fate of all but 

 one of the vessels has become doubtful. None but 

 the small tender returned, which, after encounter- 

 ing great difficulties, reached New Spain. 



The third expedition was fitted out by Cortes, 

 then viceroy of Mexico, and the command of it 

 given to Sarvedra. This sailed from the port of 

 Silguattaujo, on the 31st of October, 1528, and 

 stopped at the Ladrone Islands, of which it took 

 possession for the crown of Spain. It afterwards 

 went to Mindanao, and then pursued its voyage to 

 Timor, where part of the expedition of Loaisa was 

 found remaining. From Timor they made two 

 attempts to return to New Spain, both of which 

 failed. The climate soon brought on disease, which 

 carried off a great number, and among them Sar- 

 vedra. Thus the whole expedition was broken up, 

 and the survivors found their way to the Portu- 

 guese settlements. 



The fourth expedition was sent from New Spain, 

 when under the government of Don Antonio de 

 Mendoza, for the purpose of establishing a trade 

 with the new islands, and it received orders not to 

 visit the Moluccas. This expedition sailed in 1542, 

 under the command of Villalobos. It reached the 

 Philippine Islands without accident, and Villalobos 

 gave them that name after Philip II., then prince 

 of Asturias. Notwithstanding his positive instruc- 

 tions to the contrary, he was obliged to visit the 

 Moluccas, and met the same treatment from the 

 Portuguese that had been given to all whom they 

 believed had any intention to interfere in their 

 spice trade. The squadron touched at Amboina, 

 where Villalobos died, an event which caused the 

 breaking up of the expedition ; and the few 

 Spaniards that remained embarked in the Portu- 

 guese vessels to return home. 



The fifth and last expedition was ordered by 

 Philip II. to be sent from Mexico, when under 

 the government of Don Luis de Velasco, for the 

 final conquest and settlement of the Philippines. 

 With this expedition was sent Andres Urdaueta, a 

 friar, whose reputation stood very high as a cos- 

 mographer : he had belonged to the ill-fated expe- 

 dition of Loaisa. This was the largest that had 

 yet been fitted out for this purpose, numbering five 

 vessels and about four hundred men. The com- 

 mand of it was intrusted to Segaspi, under whom 

 it sailed from the port of Natividad, on the 21st of 



November, 1564, and upon whom was conferred 

 the title of governor and adelautado of the con- 

 quered lands, with the fullest powers. On the 

 13th of February, 1565, he arrived at the island 

 of Tandaya, one of the Philippines : from thence 

 he went to Leyte ; there he obtained the son of a, 

 powerful chief as a guide, through whom he 

 established peace with several of the native rulers, 

 who thereafter aided the expedition with all the 

 means in their power. At Bohol they built the 

 first church. There he met and made peace with 

 a chief of Luzon, with whom he went to that 

 island. 



He now (April, 1565) took possession of all the 

 island in the name of the crown of Spain, and 

 became their first governor. In this conquest, 

 motives different from those which governed them 

 on the American continent, seemed to have in- 

 fluenced the Spaniards. Instead of carrying on a 

 cruel war against the natives, they here pursued 

 the policy of encouraging and fostering their in- 

 dustry. Whether they felt that this policy was 

 necessary for the success of their undertaking, or 

 were influenced by the religious fathers who were 

 with them, is uncertain ; but their measures seem 

 to have been dictated by a desire to promote peace 

 and secure the welfare of the inhabitants. There 

 may be another cause for this course of action, 

 namely, the absence of the precious metals, which 

 held out no inducement to those thirsting for inor- 

 dinate gain. This may have had its weight in 

 exempting the expedition in its outfit from the 

 presence of those avaricious spirits which had ac- 

 companied other Spanish expeditions, and been the 

 means of marking their progress with excessive 

 tyranny, bloodshed, and violence. It is evident to 

 one who visits the Philippines that some other 

 power besides the sword has been at work in 

 them ; the natives are amalgamated with the 

 Spaniards, and all seem disposed to cultivate the 

 land and foster civilization. None of the feeling 

 that grows out of conquest is to be observed in 

 these islands ; the two races are identified now in 

 habits, manners and religion, and their interests 

 are so closely allied that they feel their mutual de- 

 pendence upon each other. 



The establishment of the new constitution in 

 Spain in the year 1825, has had a wonderful effect 

 upon these colonies, whose resources have within 

 the last ten years been developed, and improve- 

 ments pushed forward with a rapid step. Greater 

 knowledge and more liberal views in the rulers are 

 alone wanting to cause a still more rapid advance 

 in the career of prosperity. 



As our visit was to Luzon, we naturally obtained 

 more personal information respecting it than the 

 other islands. We learned that the northern 

 peninsula* was composed of granite and recent 

 volcanic rocks, together with secondary and tertiary 

 deposits, while the southern peninsula is almost 

 wholly volcanic. The northern contains many 

 valuable mines of gold, lead, copper, and iron, be- 

 sides coal. 



So far as our information and observations went, 

 the whole of the Philippine Islands are of similar 

 geological formation. In some of the islands the 

 volcanic rock prevails, while in others coal and the 



It is called so in consequence of the island being nearly 

 divided in the parallel of H N., by two bays. 



