The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 5 of 55 - 1582-1583 - Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Show by Various
page 277 of 287 (96%)
page 277 of 287 (96%)
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the Philippine colony and the crown of Spain.
[5] Thomas Candish, the English navigator, relates in picturesque style the fortunes of the Spanish settlement here referred to, "King Philips citie which the Spaniards had built." Candish halted there in January, 1587; the place was then deserted, and he named it Port Famine. It was located not far from the extreme southern point of the Patagonian mainland, at a point commanding the Strait of Magellan. Candish says: "They had contriued their Citie very well, and seated it in the best place of the Streights for wood and water: they had builded vp their Churches by themselues: they had Lawes very seuere among themselues, for they had erected a Gibet, whereon they had done execution vpon some of their company.... During the time that they were there, which was two yeeres the least, they could neuer haue any thing to growe or in any wise prosper. And on the other side the Indians oftentimes preyed vpon them vntill their victuals grewe so short... that they dyed like dogges in their houses, and in their clothes, wherein we found them still at our comming.... To conclude, they were determined to haue trauailed towards the riuer of Plate, only being left aliue 23 persons, whereof two were women, which were the remainder of 4 hundred." See Hakluyt's _Voyages_ (Goldsmid ed., Edinburgh, 1890), xvi, pp. 12, 13. [6] Don Lorenzo Juarez de Mendoza, Count of Coruña, assumed the duties of viceroy of New Spain on October 4, 1580; he was then advanced in years, and died at Mexico before his three-years' term of office expired--on June 19, 1583. [7] Antonio Sedeño was born at San Clemente, in 1532 or 1535. In his youth he was a soldier and military engineer, but entered the Jesuit order in 1558 or 1559. After his ordination he went (1568) |
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