Expedition from Lima

On Friday, April 9, 1595, Adelantado Alvaro de Mendaña set sail with his fleet for the conquest and settlement of the western islands in the South Sea.

He sailed from the port of Callao de Lima, 12.5 degrees south latitude.

Laying his course toward the valleys of Santa, Truxillo, and Saña, and collecting men, to increase his to 400 persons, and provisions, he went to Paita, is 5 degrees higher, on 4 ships. [67]

From there, he sailed west-southwest to the altitude of 9.5 degrees in search of the islands that he had discovered.

• Pedro Merino Manrique was his master-of-camp
• His brother-in-law, Lope de la Vega, was his admiral
• Pedro Fernandez de Quiros was chief pilot.

Then he sailed southwest by west to 14 degrees, where he changed his course to northwest by west.

On Friday, July 21 he reached an altitude of 10 long degrees, we sighted an island which the general named Madalena. [68]

From its port, around 70 canoes came out, each containing 3 men. Some came swimming and others on logs.

There were more than 400 natives, white and of a very agreeable appearance, tall and strong, large-limbed, and so well made that they by far surpassed us. [69]

They had fine teeth, eyes, mouth, hands and feet, and beautiful long flowing hair, while many of them were very fair.

Very handsome youths were to be seen among them. All were naked and covered no part.

Their bodies, legs, arms, hands, and even some of their faces, were all marked after the fashion of these Bisayans.

For a barbarous people, naked, and of so little reason, one could not restrain himself, at sight of them, from thanking God for having created them.

These people invited us to their port. We in turn invited them to our flagship. Around 40 of them came aboard.

In comparison with them we appeared to be men of less than ordinary size.

Among them was one who was 1 palmo taller than the tallest man of our fleet, although we had in the fleet men of more than average height.

The general gave some of them shirts and other things, which they accepted with much pleasure, dancing after their fashion and calling others.

But being annoyed at the liberties that they took, for they were great thieves, the general had a cannon fired, in order to frighten them.

When they heard it they all swam ashore, seized their weapons, and at the sound of a conch threw a few stones at the ships and threatened us with their lances, for they had no other weapons.

Our men fired their arquebuses at them from the ships and killed 5-6 of them, whereat they stopped.

Our fleet sailed on and we discovered 3 other islands.

This island has a circumference of about 6 leguas.

We passed it on its southern side. On that side it is high and slopes precipitously to the sea, and has mountainous ravines where the Indians dwell.

There seemed to be many inhabitants, for we saw them on the rocks and on the beach.

We continued our course to the other three islands.

The first, to which was given the name San Pedro, is about ten leguas from Magdalena, and like it extends northwest by north.

It has a circumference of about three leguas. The island is beautiful, and rich in woods and fine fields.

We did not ascertain whether it was inhabited or not, for we did not stop there.

To the southeast and about 5 leguas from it lies another island to which the general gave the name of Dominica.

It is very sightly, and to all appearances thickly populated, and has a circumference of about fifteen leguas.

To the south and a little more than one legua from it lies another island with a circumference of about eight leguas, which received the name of Sancta Cristina.

Our fleet passed through the channel that separates the one island from the other, for all that we saw of these islands is clear sailing. On the west side of Sancta Cristina, a good port was found, and there the fleet anchored. [70]

These natives did not resemble the first. But many beautiful women were seen.

I did not see the latter, but some who did assured me that in their opinion, they are as beautiful as the women in Lima, but light complexioned and not so tall—and the women in Lima are very beautiful.

The articles of food seen in that port were swine and fowl, sugar-cane, excellent bananas, cocoanuts, and a fruit that grows on high trees.

Each of the last is as large as a good-sized pineapple, and is excellent eating. Much of it was eaten green, roasted, and boiled.

When ripe it is indeed so sweet and good that, in my estimation, there is no other that surpasses it.

Scarcely any of it, except a little husk, has to be thrown away. [71]

There was also another fruit with a flavor like that of chestnuts, but much larger in size than six chestnuts put together; much of this fruit was eaten roasted and boiled.

Certain nuts with a very hard shell, and very oily, were also found, which were eaten in great quantities, and which, according to some, induced diarrhoea. We also saw some Castilian pumpkins growing.

Near the beach there is a fine cascade of very clear water, which issues from a rock at the height of two men. Its volume is about the width of four or five fingers.

Then near by there is a stream, from which the boats drew a full supply of water. The Indians fled to the forests and rocks, where they fortified themselves and tried to do some mischief, by throwing stones and rolling down rocks, but they never wounded anyone, for the master-of-camp restrained them, by placing outposts.

The natives of this island saw one of our negroes. He made signs toward the south, saying that there were men like him there, and that they were wont to go there to fight; that the others were armed with arrows; and that they make the journey thither in certain large canoes which they possess.

Since there was no interpreter, or much curiosity to learn more, no further investigations were made, although,

I think it is impossible for natives to be so remote unless there is a chain of islands. This is because their boats and their customs show that they have not come from afar.

This port lies in an altitude of nine and one-half degrees.

The adelantado ordered three crosses to be planted, and on Saturday, August fifth, to weigh anchor and set sail southwest by west.

We sailed with easterly and east southeasterly winds, now southwest by west and now northwest by west, for about four hundred leguas. One Sunday, August twenty, we sighted four low islands with sandy beaches, abounding in palms and other trees. On the southeast side, towards the north, was seen a great sandbank.

All four islands have a circuit of about twelve leguas. Whether they were inhabited or not, we could not tell, for we did not go to them.

That year appeared to be one of talk, of which I speak with anger. These islands lie in an altitude of ten and three-quarters degrees. They were named San Bernardo, [72] because they were discovered on that saint’s day.