RPH

• Whoever has the willpower to undertake a journey across oceans begets the one entity desired
• The development of Portuguese maritime empire, apparent scientific and technological advancement, European attraction to Asia's wealth and spices, incited Spain to expend for an expedition
• Subsequently, Spain along with other European nations engaged in discovering and taking possessions of lands beyond the continent
• From Europe came to the East huge vessels loaded with merchandize and men under a command to discover and covet lands in the east
• This was an eventuality which adjoined people and nations and such encounter had far-reaching consequences until 19th century
• The Philippine island in 1521 has been "rediscovered" by the Spanish commissioned authority, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator who gained confidence and support from the monarchy of Spain
• This information on rediscovery which the world is cognizant of is attributable to an Italian chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta
• The details of the world's first circumnavigation were accurately recorded in his journal
• This chronicle serves as the lens through which the voyage and circumnavigation of the world can be apprehended with certainty
• It specifically furnishes important details on the discovery of the islands and people inhabiting the place, these people were to be the Filipinos' great ancestors who lived peacefully and with abundance in the area
• The comprehension of the cultural life of these people was made possible through the chronicle of Pigafetta
• The narrative of the voyage which is a translation by Lord Stanley of Alderley is presented below
• Only the necessary and important details of the narrative were taken based on what is useful for the students
• The captain-general, a discreet and virtuous man, careful of his honour, would not commence his voyage without first making some good and wholesome ordinances, such as it is the good custom to make for those who go to sea
• The masters and captains of the other ships of his company did not love him, of this I do not know the reason, except by cause of his, the captain general, being Portuguese, and they were Spaniards or Castilians, who for a long time have been in rivalry and ill will with one another
• Notwithstanding this all were obedient to him
• The captain-general made his ordinances such as those which follow, so that during the storms at sea, which often come on by night and day, his ships should not go away and separate from one another
• On the twenty-sixth of the said month we arrived at an island of great Canaria, named Teneriphe, which is in twenty-eight degrees' latitude; there we remained three days and a half to take in provisions and other things which were wanted
• There is one island at the great Canaria, where not a drop of water is to be found proceeding from a fountain or a river, only once a day at 4, hour of midday, there descends a cloud from the sky which envelops a large tree which is in the island, and it falls upon the leaves of the tree, and a great abundance of water distils from the leaves, so that at the foot of the tree there is so large a quantity of water that it seems as if there was an ever-running fountain
• Saturday, the 16th of March, 1521, we arrived at daybreak in sight of a high island, three hundred leagues distant from the before-mentioned Thieves' island. This isle is named Zamal
• Monday, the 18th of March, after dinner, we saw a boat come towards us with nine men in it
• The captain seeing that these people were reasonable, ordered food and drink to be given them, and he gave them some red caps, looking glasses, combs, bells, ivory, and other things
• The island we were at was named Humunu; nevertheless, because we found there two springs of very fresh water we named it the Watering Place of good signs, and because we found here the first signs of gold
• Near this isle is another where there are a kind of people who wear holes in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through them, these people are Caphre, that is to say, Gentiles, and they go naked, except that round their middles they wear cloth made of the bark of trees
• Monday of Passion week, the 25th of March, and feast of our Lady, in the afternoon, and being ready to depart from this place, I went to the side of our ship to fish, and putting my feet on a spar to go down to the store room, my feet slipped, because it had rained, and I fell into the sea without any one seeing me, and being near drowning by luck I found at my left hand the sheet of the large sail which was in the sea, I caught hold of it and began to cry out till they came to help and pick me up with the boat
• Thursday, the 28th of March, having seen the night before fire upon an island, at the morning we came to anchor at this island: where we saw a small boat which they call Boloto, with eight men inside, which approached the ship of the captain-general
• The captain showed the king various items including cloths, linen, coral, and other merchandise
• The captain had some of his artillery fired in front of the king, which astonished the king
• The captain showed the king a soldier in white armour and said he was worth a hundred of the king's men
• The captain asked the king if two of his people could go with him to see things in the captain's country, and the king agreed
• The people


  • They are gentle, go naked, and are painted
  • The women wear a piece of cloth made from a tree, like a linen cloth, around their body to cover their natural parts
  • They are great drinkers
• Things found on the island

  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Pigs
  • Fowls
  • Goats
  • Rice
  • Ginger
  • Cocos
  • Figs
  • Oranges
  • Lemons
  • Millet
  • Wax
  • Gold mines
• The island is named Mazzava and is in 9 degrees and 2/3 north latitude, and 162 longitudes from the line of demarcation, 25 leagues distant from another island
• The captain waited for the King of Mazzava near 3 islands - Polo, Ticobon, and Pozzon
• The captain had his ships fire all their artillery when approaching the port of Zzubu, which frightened the people
• The captain sent a young man and interpreter to the King of Zzubu to explain the artillery firing was a sign of peace and friendship
• The captain told the Moor merchant that their arms were soft to friends and rough to enemies
• The captain passed between the island of Cagayan and the port of Cipit, taking a course east and a quarter south-east to seek the Maluco islands
• Near the islands of Zolo and Taghima, pearls are found, and the King of Burne obtained two large pearls from the King of Zolo by force
• In the districts of Cavit and Subanin, the best cinnamon grows, but they did not have time to obtain much