CHAP. I

The Spanyards departe from Mexico vnto the llandes Phillipinas, where they had intelligence of the mightie kingdome of China

Gouerning in the kingdom of Mexico, Don Luys de Velasco, who was viceroye, and lieftenant in that place for the Catholike king Don Philip king of Spaine, was commanded by his maiestie to prepare a great armie in the South Sea, and to leuie souldiers necessarie for the same, and to send them to discouer the ilands of the west, those which that famous captaine Magallanes did giue notice of when he did compasse the world in the ship called the Victorie.

The viceroy with great care and diligence did performe the kinges commandement. This fleete and armie being prepared readie (which was not without great cost), hee caused them to depart out of the port at Christmas time in the yeare of 1564; and sent, for general of the same fleet and for gouernour of that countrie which they should discouer, the worthie Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, who afterwarde died in the said Ilande with the title of Adelantado, a yeare after that the fathers Fryer Martin de Herracla and Fryer Geronimo Marin and their companies did enter into China.

So after that our Spaniardes hadde discouered the sayde ilandes, and some of them populared to the vse of his maiestie, but in especiall that of Manilla, which is five hundred leagues in circuit; in the which is situated the citie of Luson, and is also called Manilla, and as the metropolitane of all the iland, whereas the gouernours haue ordeined their place of abiding euer since the first discouery.