Volume 23 — Chapter VII

Of the arrival and landing of the fleet at the island of Sugbú

An Indian named Tupas was the chief of that island. Although all manner of efforts were made with him, he refused to come to good terms with the [166] commander. He continued to occasion innumerable delays, while, on the other hand, he negotiated with his men to arm and oppose the Spaniards, according to their custom—so that not only would they defend their country from them, but even finish them all, doing to them the same thing that their ancestors had done to Magallanes’s men. For, he said, those foreign nations could bring them no advantage, but would deprive them of their liberty, which they enjoyed as rulers of the land. Furthermore their babaylans, who were their priestesses, made every effort so that the Spaniards might not set foot on land; for the devil, with whom they were in accord, seeing that his reign was about to end, acted with more than usual vigor through his infernal ministers. But when the Lord is pleased with anything, there is no effort that can disturb Him. Hence when our commander beheld the Indians preparing for the defense, and filling the shore with their lances, darts, campilans, and long shields (which they call carasag), and the sea with their boats—to which they give many names, which we pass over—although the commander saw all this, still he did not neglect to announce peace, by means of the father prior, Fray Andrés de Urdaneta, and by public act of the notary. But it had no better effect than the preceding efforts. Hence he ordered his artillery to be discharged, somewhat high, so that he might frighten and startle them, without doing them any harm. This succeeded as he expected, for those people, little accustomed to similar reports, immediately abandoned the shore and sea, fleeing more quickly than they had gathered. Thus our men landed without any opposition. The Indians are much more nimble than the Spaniards, and it is very [167] easy for them to run through their land, while it is difficult for us. Our men were unable to enter and obviate the danger, for, when the firearms were discharged, they set fire to some houses. These were burnt, inasmuch as their material is very inflammable, and with them much food, which, in short, was the greatest loss, for there was great need of it. Without doubt all the village would have been burned had not the wind been contrary, and for the time being favored the other houses, so that they were not burned.

[The eighth chapter of Medina’s narrative relates the finding of the image of the child Jesus, which had been left in the island by a member of the Magallanes expedition. Our author exults over this find, which he extols as miraculous, and asserts to be the “greatest relic ... of the islands.”]