Magellan in Cebu and Mactan

Cebu

We then went northwest, passing among 5 islands:

• Ceylon
• Bohol
• Canighan
• Baybai
• Gatighan
  • This has bats as large as eagles. We killed one which resembled chicken in taste.
  • There are doves, turtledoves, parrots, and certain black birds as large as domestic chickens, which have a long tail.
  • The last mentioned birds lay eggs as large as the goose, and bury them under the sand, through the great heat of which they hatch out. When the chicks are born, they push up the sand, and come out. Those eggs are good to eat.
  • 20 leguas separates Masawa from Gatighan.

From Gatighan, we headed west to Cebu around 15 leguas (75km)

• The king of Masawa who sailed slowly so we waited for him at three islands:
  • Polo
  • Ticobon
  • Pozon
• When he caught up with us he was greatly astonished at the rapidity with which we sailed.

At noon on Sunday, April 7, we entered Cebu, passing by many villages with many houses built on logs.

• All the artillery was fired, an action which caused great fear to those people.

Magellan sent a foster-son of his as ambassador to the king of Cebu with the interpreter.

• They found a vast crowd of people with the king, all of whom had been frightened by the mortars.
• The interpreter told them that that was our custom when entering into such places, as a sign of peace and friendship, and that we had discharged all our mortars to honor the king of the village.
• The king and all of his men were reassured, and the king had us asked by his governor what we wanted.

The interpreter replied that:

• his master, Magellan, was a captain of the greatest king
• Magellan was going to discover Moluccas
• Magellan visited the Raja Humabon:
  • because of the good report from Raja Colambu and
  • to buy food with his merchandise.

The king told him that:

• he had come at a good time but that it was their custom for all ships that entered their ports to pay tribute
• it was but 4 days since a junk from Thailand laden with gold and slaves had paid him tribute.

The king pointed to a Moro merchant from Thailand who had remained to trade the gold and slaves.

Magellan’s son refused to pay tribute and threatened war.

• Then the Moro merchant said to the king “Cata raia chita” that is to say, “Look well, sire.” “These men are the same who have conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all India. If they are treated well, they will give good treatment, but if they are treated evil, evil and worse treatment, as they have done to Calicut and Malaca.”

The interpreter understood it all and told the king that:

• the Spanish king was:
  • more powerful than the king of Portugal
  • was the king of Spain and emperor of all the Christians
• if Raja Humabon did not care to be his friend then he would next time send so many men that they would destroy him.

The Moro related everything to Humabon who said he would deliberate with his men and answer tomorrow.

• Then he had refreshments of many dishes, all made from meat and contained in porcelain platters, besides many jars of wine brought in.

Raja Colambu was the most influential after Rajah Humabon and ruled many islands.

• He went ashore to speak to Humabon

Monday morning, our notary, together with the interpreter, went to Cebu.

Humabon, with his chiefs, came to the open square where we sat down near him.

• He asked the notary whether there were more than one captain with us and whether Magellan wished him to pay tribute to the Spanish king.
• The notary replied that we had only one captain and wanted only to trade
• Humabon was satisfied.
  • He said that if Magellan wished to become his friend, he should make a blood compact. Magellan agreed. Both sides then gave mutual presents

Tuesday morning, Raha Colambu came to the ships with the Moro merchant.

• He saluted Magellan in behalf of Humabon.
• He said that Humabon was collecting as much food as possible to give to him, and that after dinner he would send one of his nephews and two others of his chief men to make peace.

Magellan:

• had one of Colambu’s men armed with European arms
• told the Moro that we all fought in that manner.

The Moro was greatly frightened.

• But Magellan told him not to be frightened for our arms were soft toward our friends and harsh toward our enemies

• Magellan told it to the Moro as he seemed more intelligent than the others, and might tell it to Humabon.

After dinner, the king’s nephew, who was the prince, came to the ships with Raha Colambu to make peace with us together with:

• the Moro
• the governor
• the chief constable
• 8 chiefs

Magellan was seated in a red velvet chair, the principal men on leather chairs.

• The others sat on mats on the floor.

Magellan asked them through the interpreter whether it were their custom to speak in secret or in public, and whether that prince and Raha Colambu had authority to make peace.

• They answered that they spoke in public, and that they were empowered to make peace.

Magellan said many things concerning peace, and that he prayed God to confirm it in heaven.

• They said that they had never heard any one speak such words, but that they took great pleasure in hearing them.
• Magellan saw that they listened and answered willingly, so he began to advance arguments to induce them to accept the faith.
• Asking them who would succeed to the seigniory after the death of the king, he was answered that the king had no sons but only daughters, the eldest of whom was the wife of that nephew of his, who therefore was the prince.
• [They said that] when the fathers and mothers grew old, they received no further honor, but their children commanded them.

Magellan told them that:

• God made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything else
• He had commanded us to honor our fathers and mothers
• whoever did otherwise was condemned to eternal fire
• we are all descended from Adam and Eva, our first parents
• we have an immortal spirit, etc

All joyfully entreated Magellan to leave them at least one man, to instruct them in the faith and would show them great honor.

• Magellan refused and instead said that:
  • our priest would baptize them if they wished to become Christians
  • next time he would bring priests and friars to instruct them in our faith.

They answered that they would first speak to their king, and that then they would become Christians.

And so we all wept with great joy.

Magellan told them that:

• they should not become Christians for fear or to please us, but of their own free wills
• he would not cause any displeasure to those who wished to live according to their own law, but that the Christians would be better regarded and treated than the others.

We all cried out with one voice that they were becoming Christians out of their own free will.

If they became Christians:

• Magellan would leave a suit of armor as commanded by the King of Spain
• we could have sexual intercourse with their women without committing great sin since they were no longer pagans, and
• the devil would no longer appear to them except in the last moment at their death.

They said that:

• they could not answer the beautiful words of Magellan, but that they placed themselves in his hands
• Magellan should treat them as his most faithful servants*.

Maharlika note: This is not credible since Lapu Lapu rejected Magellan.

Magellan embraced them weeping. He clasped one of the prince’s hands and one of the king’s between his own and said to them that, by his faith in God and to his sovereign, the emperor, and by the habit which he wore, he promised them that he would give them perpetual peace with the king of Spagnia.

They answered that they promised the same.

Then the prince and Raha Colambu:

• presented some baskets of rice, swine, goats, and fowls to Magellan on behalf of Raha Humabon
• asked Magellan to pardon them, for such things were but little [to give] to one such as he.

Magellan gave the prince:

• a white cloth of the finest linen
• a red cap
• some strings of glass beads
• a gilded glass drinking cup
  • Those glasses are greatly appreciated in those districts.

He did not give any present to Raha Colambu for he had already given him a robe of Cambaya, besides other articles.

He sent to Raja Humabon:

• a yellow and violet silk robe, made in Turkish style
• a fine red cap
• some strings of glass beads, all in a silver dish
• 2 gilt drinking cups in our hands.

When we reached the city, we found Raja Humabon in his palace surrounded by many people.

• He was seated on a palm mat on the ground, with only a cotton cloth before his privies, and a scarf embroidered with the needle about his head, a necklace of great value hanging from his neck, and two large gold earrings fastened in his ears set round with precious gems.
• He was fat and short, and tattooed with fire in various designs.
• From another mat on the ground he was eating turtle eggs which were in two porcelain dishes, and he had four jars full of palm wine in front of him covered with sweet-smelling herbs and arranged with four small reeds in each jar by means of which he drank.

Having duly made reverence to him, the interpreter told the king that his master thanked him very warmly for his present, and that he sent this present out his intrinsic love for him. We dressed him in the robe, placed the cap on his head, and gave him the other things. I then kissed the beads and put them on his head, I presented them to him.

He doing the same [i.e., kissing them], accepted them. Then the king had us eat some of those eggs and drink through those slender reeds. The others, his men, told him in that place, the words of Magellan concerning peace and his exhortation to them to become Christians.

After supper, the prince took us with him to his house, where four young girls were playing instruments.

• One was a drum like ours but resting on the ground
• The second was striking two suspended gongs alternately with a stick wrapped thickly at the end with palm cloth
• The third, one large gong in the same manner
• The last, two small gongs held in her hand, by striking one against the other, which gave forth a sweet sound.

They played so harmoniously that one would believe they possessed good musical sense. Those girls were very beautiful and almost as white as our girls and as large. They were naked except for tree cloth hanging from the waist and reaching to the knees. Some were quite naked and had large holes in their ears with a small round piece of wood in the hole, which keeps the hole round and large.

They have long black hair, and wear a short cloth about the head, and are always barefoot. The prince had three quite naked girls dance for us. We took refreshments and then went to the ships. Those gongs are made of brass [metalo] and are manufactured in the regions about the Signio Magno which is called China. They are used in those regions as we use bells and are called aghon.

One of our men died on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning, I asked Raja Humabon where we could bury him.

• He replied, “If I and my vassals all belong to your sovereign, how much more ought the land.”

I told the king that we would like to consecrate the place, and to set up a cross there.

• He replied that he was quite satisfied, and that he wished to adore the cross as did we.

The deceased was buried in the square with as much pomp as possible, in order to furnish a good example.

• Then we consecrated the place, and in the evening buried another man.

We carried a quantity of merchandise ashore which we stored in a house.

• The king took it under his care as well as four men who were left to trade the goods by wholesale.