The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-13
THE PHILIPPINES AND SOME OF THEIR HISTORY
Their Discovery by the Spanish NaVigatOrS Dates Back into the Sixteenth Century-Ihe
 Work of MaghallaneS.

No portion of the world is more in the eye of the American public at the pres ent time than the Philippine archipelago. and yet but little is popularly known of the history of the islands and their people, Their discovery by the Spanish navigators dates back to the early part of the sixteenth century. A Spanish | the port of San Lucar de Barrameda on
 August 10. 15l9. taking the direction ef | the Canary Islands. arriving at Rio Jane- | fro on December 1S. Following the coast
 in search of the longed-for passage to the Pacific Ocean. they entered the Soils | River-so called because it's discoverer,
 Joao De Soils. Portugese. was murdered | there, Its name was afterward changed | to that of Rio de la Plata tthe silver l river.)
 1 Continuing their course. the intense cold determined Magellan to winter in | the next large river. known then as San | Julian.
 l TumuIts arose; some wished to return | home; others harbored a desire to sepa- | rate from the fleet, but Magellan had
 remain with him. reminding them of the
 shame which would befall them they | returned only to relate their failure. He
 added that so far as he was concerned, l nothing but death would deter him from | executing the royal commission. Mutineers Punished.
 1 As to the rebellious captains, Juan De Cartagena was already put in irons and | sentenced to be cast ashore with pro | visions and a disanected French priest | for companion. The sentence was car | ried out later on. Then Maghailanes | sent boat to each of three of the ships | to inquire of the captains whom they | served. The reply from all was that they | were for the king and themselves. There- | upon thirty men were sent to the Vic- | toria with a letter to Mendoza. and while he was reading it they rushed on board l and stabbed him to death. Quesada then k~ass xtaN th.ao oa ftx nl lrtzerA dA nf hA | idac. and. with sword and shield in hand, | called in vain upon his men to attack. | Maghallanes, with great promptitude, gave orders to board Quesada's vessel. l The next day .Quesada was executed. Af-
 ter these vigorous but justifable measures | obedience was insured.
 Still bearing southward. within sight of
 the coast. on the 18th of October. 15H. | the expedition reached and entered the
 seaway thenceforth known as the Mag
 elan Straits, dividing the island of Tier
 ra del Fuego from the mainland Of Pat agonia.
 On the way one ship had become a
 total wreck and the San Antonio deserted | the expedition; her captain having been
 wounded and made prisoner by his mu- | tinous officers. she was sailed in the d. | rection of New Guinea. The three re- | maining vessels waited for the San An- | tonic several days and then passed
 through the straits. Great was the re- l toicing of all when, on the 18th of Mo- l VeHneT, ioZu, IneY' IOuuu tu6luSEttSS Ou | the Pacific Ocean. 1t was a memorable day. All doubt was now. at an end as
 they cheerfully uavigated across that
 broad expanse of sea:
 Trouble With Natives.
 On March 1s. 1b2i. tho Ladrone Islands
 crowded with natives that they were
 obliged to be expelled by force. They
 stole one of the ships boats and ninety | men were sent on shore to recover 1t. I hat na VI re- | gained and the fleet continued its course l westward, Coasting along the north of l the island of Mindanao, they arrived at | the south of the Butuan River. where | they were supplied with provisions by the | chief It was Easter week and on this
 shore the first mass was celebrated in | the Philippines. The natives showed great friendliness, in return for which | Maghallanes took formal possession of | their territory in the names of Charles l. l The chieftain himself volunteered to pilot | the ships to fertile island-the Kingdom | of a relation of his-and passing between ! the islands of Bojol and Leyte the ex- petition arrived on April at Cebu, where on receiving the news. over 2,ooo men | appeared on the beach in battle array. l with Iances and shields.
 | explained that tho expedition brought | people of peace who sought provisions. | The King agreed to tIeaty and pro-
 josed that 1t should be ratified according
 
 | from the breast of each party. the one drinking that of the other. This form | of bond was called bv the Spaniards the pacto de sangre, or the blood compact. | Maghallanes accepted the conditions | and a hut was built on shore in which to say mass. Then he disembarked with | his followers and the King ana queen
 and prince came to ,satisfy their natural | curiosity. They appeared to take great | interest in the Christian religious rites | and received baptism, although 1t would | be venturesome to suppose that they
 understood their meaning. as subsequent | ly was proved. The princes and head | men of the district followed their exam pie and swore fealty and obedience to
 the King of Spain.
 Maghailanes Cor Magellan) espoused the
 war with the tribes on the opposite coast. | and on April 9, 152l, he passed over to
 Magtan island. In the affray he was l mortally wounded by an arrow. and thus | ended his brief but lustrous career. which
 The Discoverer Maligned.
 On tho left bank of the Pasig River
 facing the city of Manila stands a mon
 ument to his memory. Another has neea zen l where he Is supposed to have been slain
 on the Eth of April. 1921. Also in the l city of Cebu, near the beach. there IS
 an obelisk to commemorate these heroic | events.
 l It was well perhaps for Maghallanes | to have ended his days out of reach ot | his royal master. Had he returned to | Spain he would probably have met | fate similar to that which befell Colum- | bus after all his glories The San An | tonio which. as already mentioned. de-
 serted the fleet at the Magellan Straits. l continued her voyage from New Guinea | to Spain. arriving at San Lucar de Bar | ra meda in March. 1521. The captain, AL | varo Mesquita. was landed as prisoner, accused of having seconded Msghallanes I dinu l hallanes were ascribeG the worst cruel l ties and infractlon of royal instructions. 1 Accused and accusers were alike cast ! into prison. and the king. unable to lay l hands on the deceased Maghallanes. l sought this hero's wife and children. | These innocent victims of royal ven | geance were at once arrested and con- { Veved to Burgns. where the court hap | percd to be. while the San Antonio was | placed under embargo.
 | On the decease of Maghallanes the Eu- preme command of the expedition in | Cebu island was assumed by Duarte De l Rarbcsa, who. with twenty-siX of his 1 followers, was slan at a banquet to which they had been invited by Hama | bar. the king of the island. Juan Ser
 rano had so ingratiated himself with the
 natives during his sojourn on shore that | his life was spared for while. Stripped 1 of his raimant and armor. he was con | ducted to the beach, where the natives l demanded ransom for his person Of two | cannons from the ships artillery. Those | on board saw what was passing and un- l derstood tho request. but they were 1 loath 10 cudanser tho lives of all for l the sake of one Melius est ut pereat