Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/494

450 SPANISH HISTORY ments of Columbus and Di Gama, all of them the most striknig events in the history of mankind. The first land which Magellan made, after quitting the western shore of America, was the port of Batuan^ in the great island of MindanaOy from whence he sailed mto the midst of the cluster, and touched at Zebu, He was hospitably received, both at Batuan and Zebu, by the wondering na- tives ; but this man of genius wanted prudence and moderation, and was strongly tinctured with the indiscreetest religious zeal, the vice of his age. By planting a cross in Zebu, and sprinkling a little water on the king and his family, with some of his subjects, he imagined himself establishing the Christian religion. The petty prince of the insig- nificant islet of Mactan, which lies opposite the great island of Zebu, happened to be a man en- dowed with a strength of mind above the fears of his countrymen, and saw in the Spaniards nothing but what was mortal. He challenged Magellan to combat, who, with the characteristic chivalry of his time, accepted the challenge. Fifty Spaniards in armour entered the lists against a host of na- tive adversaries, — they were decoyed into a marsh, and, fighting up to their necks in vyrater, the great navigator, with six of his companions, lost their lives. The rest saved themselves by a precipitate flight, and the result convinced the people of Zebu that their visitors were mere men, perhaps that