The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 | Page 6

May 13, 1525. The crown reserves the right to appoint persons
to take the place of any officials dying during the expedition. In case
Loaisa should die, his office as governor of the Moluccas is to be filled
in the following order: Pedro de Vera, Rodrigo de Acuña, Jorge
Manrique, Francisco de Hoces. His office as captain-general falls first
to Juan Sebastian del Cano; then to those above named. Further, the
chief treasurer, factor, and accountant are next in succession; and after
them a captain-general and other officers shall be elected by the
remaining captains, treasurers, factors, and accountants. Instructions are
given to Diego de Covarrubias as to his duties as factor-general of the
Moluccas. He is to exercise great care in all matters connected with
trade, selling at as high rates as possible. (Nos. vii, viii, pp. 218-222.)
A relation by Juan de Areizaga [4] gives the leading events of Loaisa's
voyage until the Strait of Magellan is passed. The fleet leaves Corunna
July 24, 1525, and finishes the passage of the strait May 26, 1526. On
the voyage three ships are lost, the "San Gabriel," "Nunciado," and
"Santi Spiritus." The "Santiago" puts in "at the coast discovered and
colonized by. . . Cortés at the shoulders of New Spain," to reprovision.
Loaisa is thus left with only three vessels. (No. ix, pp. 223-225.)
The deposition of Francisco Dávila--given (June 4, 1527) under oath
before the officials at Corunna, in order to be sent to the king--and
several letters by Rodrigo de Acuña, dated June 15, 1527, and April 30,
1528, give the interesting adventures of the ship "San Gabriel" and its
captain after its separation from Loaisa's fleet. The vessel after various
wanderings in the almost unknown seas near South American coasts,
and exciting adventures with French vessels on the coast of Brazil,
finally reaches Bayona May 28, 1527, in a wretched condition and very
short of provisions. She carried "twenty-seven persons and twenty-two
Indians," and is without her proper captain Acuña, who had been left in
the hands of the French. Abandoned by the latter on the Brazilian coast,
he was rescued by a Portuguese vessel and carried to Pernambuco "a
trading agency of the King of Portugal," where he was detained as
prisoner for over eighteen months. In his letter to the King of Portugal,

Acuña upbraids him for treatment worse than the Moors might user
"but," he adds, "what can we expect when even the sons of Portuguese
are abandoned here to the fare of the savages? There are more than
three hundred Christians, the sons of Christians, abandoned in this land,
who would be more certain of being saved in Turkey than here.... There
is no justice here. Let your majesty take me from this land, and keep
me where I may have the justice I merit." Late in the year 1528, Acuña
is ordered to Portugal, as is learned from another document, dated
November 2 of that year. Before leaving Pernambuco he desires that a
testimony of everything that has happened since his departure from
Spain until his arrival at Pernambuco be taken down by the
notary-public, this testimony being taken from the men who had come
with him, "and the Frenchmen who were present at my undoing, and
others who heard it from persons who were in the ships of the French
who destroyed me." Acuña desires this in case any accident befall him
while on the way to Portugal, and "that the emperor may be informed
of the truth, and that I may give account of myself." This testimony is
much the same as that contained in the other documents. (Nos. xxiii, pp.
225-241; and no, xv, pp. 313-323.)
June 11, 1528. Hernando de la Torre, captain-general and governor in
the Moluccas, sends the king a log of the fleet up to June 1, 1526,
followed by the adventures of the flagship, "Sancta Maria de la
Victoria," after its separation from the rest of the fleet, with a
description of the lands and seas in its course. The log was made by the
pilot of the "Victoria," Martin de Uriarte. De la Torre prefaces these
accounts with a letter in which he asks for aid, "of which we are in sore
need." He says "all the captains of the ships, caravels, and the tender,
seven in number; the treasurer, accountants, and officials, both general
and private, ... are dead or lost, until now only the treasurer of one of
the ships is left" and he [de la Torre] has been elected captain, "not
because they found in me any good qualifications for the office, but
only a willing spirit." He gives account to the king "of all that has
happened, as I am obliged to do, and because of my office it