KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 57. NIO 4. 93 



The "Santa Rosa" (which had just been completed) sailed for New Spain, in charge 

 of General Don Francisco de Teja; it had a very prosperous voyage. (Bl. & Rob. 

 XLII, p. 16].) 



1677. The same ship, on the way from Acapulco, experienced storms from the 

 tinie when it reached the Embocadero, on 30 August. (Bl. & Rob. XLII, p. 163.) 



The "San Telmo" sailed for New Spain in charge of General Don Tomas de Endaya. 

 It encountered so many storms before doubling the point of Santiago that fears were 

 entertained that it would not have time to make the voyage before the vendavals. "But 

 the bravery of the commander and of his pilot, Leandro Coelho, overcame great diffi- 

 culties, and they succeeded in reaching their destination." (Ibid.) 



1678. About the end of July came news that the galleon "San Telmo" had sighted 

 the Philippines; it was under the command of General Don Tomas de Endaya, and 

 brought the Governor Don Juan de Vargas Hurtado. The latter had visited the 

 Mariannes in the course of his voyage, on 18 June, and there taken several measures to 

 protect the missionaries against the savage inhabitants. (Bl. & Rob. XLII, p. 170. 

 Le Gobien, p. 267.) 



Governor (ad interim) don Francisco de Mansilla dispatched the galleon "San 

 Antonio de Padua" for New Spain, appointing as its commander his son, Don Felipe 

 de Mansilla y Prado, "a young man of much courage and ability". This galleon made 

 a very prosperous voyage. (Bl. & Rob. XLII, p. 169.) 



There is a narrative of this voyage by Father Pedro Cubero Sebastian, one of 

 the very few participators in these voj^ages who has left a detailed description of his ex- 

 periences. He describes the voyage day by day, reporting the course and the distance 

 run, and the latitude when solar observations could be made. A few extracts from this 

 narrative may be appended. 



The departure from Manila took place on 24 June 1678. On 30 July, in 19° lat., 

 they sighted the Ladrones, namely in the north a round island like a volcano, and in the 

 south another island extending from north to south, and in the following day they 

 passed between these islands which we can quite certainly identify with Asuncion and 

 Agrigan, among the northernmost Mariannes. After this there is no more mention of 

 any land until 22 October, when it is stated that they were in the neighbourhood of Doiia 

 Maria Laxara, which on old maps is marked as an island, but concerning which Father 

 Cubero writes in a marginal note that "it is no island but a place where thunder is heard" 

 (no es isla, sino placer donde se oyen truenos). On the following day 34° 16' lat. was observed. 

 The continuation of the narrative shows that even the voyages which are characterized 

 as the happiest had to struggle against the greatest difficulties. Cubero says: — 



This day (23 October, 11 a. m.) we were overtaken by a violent storm from the south-west. 

 The pilot commanded to strike the top-masts, to furl all sails, and to set the storm-sail on the foremast. 

 At 1 o'clock it became dark, and the heavens were covered so thick that it was almost like night. It 

 calmed down a little, which is the worst sign of all: the sea boiled and there was every indication 

 that a furious hurricane was coming on. At three p. m. it began to blow so frightfully that 



