voyage without once touching land until it reaches Acapulco, a period
of five or six months. Morga also describes the voyage to Spain by
way of Goa and the Cape of Good Hope, which also is long and dangerous.



Argensola writes a history of "the conquest of the Malucas," and
begins by describing the islands thus named, their inhabitants, and
the customs, mode of dress, and language of the people. He relates
the current stories of their origin and of their early intercourse
with Occidental peoples, mainly through the spice trade. The earlier
expeditions of the Portuguese to the Moluccas arouse the hostility of
the natives; and so much difficulty and expense to the government is
thus occasioned that his councilors advise Felipe II to abandon the
Philippines and Moluccas, as not worth so much cost. This he refuses
to do, on account of the necessity and duty of converting the pagans
in those lands--a decision confirmed also by Felipe III. Argensola
enumerates the various arguments pro and con regarding the retention
of the islands by Spain, which he justifies for the sake of converting
the heathen. The points thus far given are those of the brief synopsis
which results from our examination of books i-iv in the _Conqvista_,
Turning to book v, we find a brief outline of the conquest of the
Philippines by Legazpi, their peoples, their chief products, and their
fauna. The expedition of Peñalosa to conquer Ternate is described;
it proves a failure, for various causes. The king of Spain sends the
"invincible armada" against England (1588), desiring to check the
inroads of Northern heretics against Spanish commerce in the Orient;
but that fleet is defeated, and dispersed. Santiago de Vera also
sends an expedition against Ternate, but it also is a failure. One
of the princes that island asks for Spanish aid to gain its royalty