San Lázaro Archipelago. April 5, 1521.

Salvation at last seems at hand yet we can only hope our luck will hold out.

We sailed south by west for days and on March 16, 1521 at 11 N, we saw mountains rising above the horizon. As we sighted this land on the day of the Feast of Saint Lazarus, the Admiral named it San Lázaro.1 It soon became apparent that there was not just one island, but many. The mountains we had sighted were rimmed with reefs and we sailed on to the west.

We soon sighted other islands and several canoes that fled as we approached. Magellan was not about to take any chances. We could not afford an encounter with natives who could prove hostile so we could only go ashore on an island that was uninhabited. We finally found such an island that had a half moon bay and a sandy beach.

The next day, the Captain General had tents put up on the patch of sand and brought those men that were still ill ashore. Magellan himself went to each of them daily, nursing them and giving each personal attention. The treachery of San Julian was still remembered, but had been forgiven.

Magellan was also anxious to bring the niño ashore and I, of course, went as his guardian. Heaven only knows when the boy was last on land, and he looked about in wonder. Though he could now crawl easily all over the ship, and actually preferred to walk with someone holding his hands, the still land after the roll of the ship made him clumsy. But the good-natured boy laughed, amazed by the unfamiliar scenery.

Two days after our arrival, a small canoe carrying nine natives came along side the Trinidad. Magellan ordered everyone to remain still and not to speak without his permission. But the natives' manner was so friendly that he was soon put at ease and they were invited aboard our ship. A few came aboard while the others went to fetch companions who were fishing nearby.

When all were gathered together, the Admiral gave them red cloth and various trinkets indicating that he wished to trade for food. Our visitors gladly traded what they had in their piroque2 and the food they gave us was strange, but proved to be very good. They included a jug of some kind of wine, fish a strange fruit, and what appeared to be a large nut. The fruit was long and yellow and the other was a large, round with a brown fibrous outer covering. The natives promised to return in four days with more.

Shortly after this, Magellan asked San Martín to go ashore and determine our longitude. His response was not good, but also not unexpected. The astronomer fixed our location at 189º west of the Tordisillas Treaty line. We had passed into the Portuguese hemisphere and proved, to our dismay, the Spice Islands lay in their territory, not ours.

"Despite this devastating news," Magellan told us, "All is not lost. The treaty stipulates that any new lands discovered by explorers for either country can be claimed even if they lay in the other's hemisphere. And these islands we have stumbled across are certainly a new discovery. If we can establish a trading post among these islands and make alliances with the local people, this land will be ours. It is imperative to establish a friendly relationship with the people of this archipelago."

On Friday, March 22, we saw the canoes of our previous visitors and this time they brought their chief with them. He told us that his name was Humunu. Unlike his people, the chief wore fine cotton shirts embroidered with silk. Using signs, the chief told us of other islands not far from this one. In all, we spent a little over a week at this small island during which time the sick were tended and most of them were returned to health.

As we made ready to sail to Humunu's island, I was kept busy with these preparations. Antonio, with his position as a supernumerary, had little to do while we bustled about. He had taken to fishing from the bulwarks and this practice nearly cost him his life. He made the mistake of stepping on a wet spare, slipped and fell into the sea. Despite my many offers to teach him, my Italian friend does not know how to swim. He would certainly have drowned had he not managed to catch hold of the main sheet, which was trailing in the water. None of us had noticed his disappearance being to busy readying the ships and Antonio clung to the sheet while calling for help at the top of his lungs. Several of us went to his aide and hauled him back on board, joking about the size of the fish we were reeling in.

On March 25 we got underway again. We passed several more islands, which confirmed our notion that San Lázaro was an archipelago. We hove to off the promontory of a small island on the 28th of March. There we witnessed an extraordinary reunion.

Like the visitors we had before, the people of this island were friendly and inquisitive. The Admiral was anxious to befriend them and felt they would trust Enrique more than we white skinned Europeans. He went ashore with me and a few others as his escorts. Almost immediately a chattering throng of people surrounded us.

Enrique was curiously silent and when I looked in his direction, he seemed transfixed with emotion. Touching his shoulder, I asked, "What is it, Enrique?"

He glanced at me, his expression becoming one of utter joy. "I can understand them!"

"What?"

"They speak the language I knew before I was taken as a slave to Malacca. I've come home!"

How our fortunes had changed from a year ago! In three days it will be Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the mutiny. Then we had to defend our lives against treachery at San Julian and now we rest in peace and comfort among these generous people.

Shortly after Enrique's surprising homecoming, a message arrived from the chief of these islanders, King Calambu, inviting us to a feast. By this time, Antonio was fully recovered from his near death experience and immediately wished to go so he could study the habits of these people. Magellan would not allow him to go alone and I was compelled to join him in his adventure.

Rajah Calambu received us with great ceremony. Enrique, being busy with his regular duties and with the niño, whom I had left in his care, had not accompanied us and we used signs to converse with our hosts. Among the dishes that were placed before us was one of pork boiling in some kind of sauce.

Antonio and I looked at each other. "That truly smells delicious," I said, famished.

Antonio nodded but replied, "But we really shouldn't eat any though. It is Good Friday."

I nodded and we continued to stare at the food, our mouths watering. The Rajah made some signs for us to eat and I looked to my friend again. "They might be insulted if we continue to refuse to eat."

"And the Captain did order us to remain on friendly terms with them," he eagerly agreed. We enthusiastically set about eating the meat, washing it down with generous amounts of palm wine. Sinful though it was, I have rarely tasted so fine a meal.

We had hardly finished this meal, when the King invited us to a second banquet inside his own hut. We accepted. We sat cross-legged on a cane mat and this time devoured roasted fish with freshly grated ginger accompanied by more palm wine.

As we finished this banquet, a young man entered the hut. By their signs, we deduced he was the King's eldest son who had come to greet us. Once again, food was placed before us. Though already full, we were compelled for politeness' sake to eat the fish and rice. The palm wine was running through our veins and we fell asleep on the mat in the King's hut.

The following day, the fleet set about trading in earnest and our hosts were happy to oblige. Calambu was particularly pleased when Magellan presented him with a Turkish robe of red and yellow and a red cape.

The Admiral also made a display of our strength. One of our men was dressed in full armor and the natives were asked to shoot their arrows at him. They gaped in astonishment when their shots bounced harmlessly off the suit of steel and our soldier laughed at their efforts.

On Easter Sunday an altar was brought ashore with a golden cross that glittered in the rays of the sun. Then the Admiral and fifty of our men came two by two and knelt before the Cross while cannons were fired aboard our ships.

The natives reverently followed their movements and kneeled to kiss the Cross as well. The Admiral told them his carpenters would make them a Cross-which would be placed on the summit of their highest mountain so all could see and adore it. In these three short days the Rajah of this island had not only become our ally, but also a Christian brother.

After a week, Magellan has once again become anxious to move on. He has asked Calambu which of these islands is the largest and has been told it is Cebu. The Admiral has asked for a guide to take us to Cebu and the Rajah has offered to guide us there.

Magellan knows that it is of the utmost importance to make an alliance with the most powerful of the native kings and so establish our rights in this archipelago. I wonder what awaits us at Cebu?

Author's Notes

1) These islands are now called the Philippines.

2) A canoe native to the area of the Philippines.