From These Unlooked-
For Circumstances, Some Of The Spaniards Named These Islands _Islas De Los
Cruzos_, Or The Islands Of Crosses And Others Called Them _Islas De Los
Matelotes_, Or The Islands Of Companions[101].
On the first of February,
Ruy Lopez came in sight of the noble island of Mindanao, in 9 N.[102]
.
But he could neither double that inland, owing to contrary winds, nor
would the natives permit him to come to anchor on their coast, because the
five or six christened kings and their people had promised obedience to me
Antonio Galvano, and were unwilling to incur my displeasure. On this
account, and constrained by contrary winds, Lopez sailed along the coast
in quest of a place of safety; and, in four or five degrees of latitude,
he found a small island called Sarangam by the natives, which he took
possession of by force, and named it Antonio after the viceroy of Mexico.
Ruy Lopez, and his people remained here a whole year, during which many
things occurred worth notice; but as these are treated of in other
histories, I refrain from mentioning them, confining myself entirely to
discoveries.
In the month of August of the same year, 1548, Ruy Lopez, sent Bartholomew
de la Torre in a small ship to New Spain, to acquaint the viceroy of his
proceedings. Torre went first to the islands named _Siria, Gaonala,
Bisaia_, and many others, in 11 deg. and 12 deg. N. lat. where Magellan and de
Castro had both been formerly, and where the latter baptized many of the
natives; and the Spaniards called these the _Phillipinas_, in honour of
the prince of Spain[104]. In these islands Torre procured provisions, and
wood and water, whence he sailed for several days with a fair wind, edging
towards the north-east, till he came right under the tropic of Cancer. On
the 25th of September, they came in sight of certain islands, which they
named _Malabrigos_, or the evil roads; beyond which they discovered _Las
dos Hermanas_, or the Two Sisters; and beyond these again, four islands
which they called _las Volcanes_. On the second of October they came in
sight of _Farfana_, beyond which there is a high pointed rock, which
throws up fire in five places. Sailing in this manner, for some time, in
16 deg. of north latitude, they were obliged by continual contrary winds, to
bear up again for the Philippine islands, and in their way back, had sight
of six or seven additional islands, but did not anchor at any of them.
They found also an archipelago, or numerous cluster of islands, in 15 or
16 degrees of north latitude, well inhabited by a white people, with
beautiful well-proportioned women, and much better clothed than in any
other of the islands of these parts; and they had many golden ornaments,
which was a sure sign that there was some of that metal in their country.
These people likewise had barks or vessels of forty-three cubits long, by
two fathoms and a half in breadth, constructed of planks five inches broad,
and which were rowed with oars.
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