Cebú for New Spain. The fleet set sail from "Puerto de Navidad, Monday,
November 20, two hours before midnight, or rather on Tuesday, November
21, three hours before daybreak." It consisted of the flagship,
"San Pedro," the "San Pablo," captained by the master-of-camp,
Mateo del Saz, and the _pataches_ "San Juan" and "San Lucas,"
captained by Juan de la Isla and Alonso de Arellano respectively. The
vessels bore as pilots Esteban Rodriguez (chief pilot), Pierres
Plin (or Plun, a Frenchman), Jaymes Martinez Fortun, Diego Martin,
Rodrigo de Espinosa, and Lope Martin. Legazpi's vessel, the "San
Pedro," carried a small brigantine on her poop deck. On November 25,
Legazpi opened the instructions given him by the _Audiencia_, which
radically changed the course from the one that had been hitherto
pursued--the new course being in accord with the advice of Carrión,
and by the same route which Villalobos had taken. "The religious in
the fleet were very sorry at this, giving out that they had been
deceived; and had they known while yet ashore, that such a route
was to be pursued, they would not have accompanied the expedition,
for the reasons that father Fray Andres de Urdaneta had advanced in
Mexico." But they expressed their willingness to make the expedition
now for the service of God and the holy Catholic faith, the increase
of the kingdom, and the general good of the fleet. On the night of
the twenty-ninth, the "San Lucas," which, by the general's orders,
was accustomed to take its position at night ahead of his vessel,
became separated from the rest of the fleet and was seen no more. [47]
Being speedier than, the others, Legazpi naturally expected that
it would reach the islands ahead of him and there await the fleet,
but he was disappointed. The fleet reached on December 18, the ninth
degree of latitude, from which it must proceed westward to the island
of Los Reyes. It was found that there was no uniformity among the
distances and reckonings of the pilots; and although each contended