Drake from the Pacific. Francisco de Gali,[1] having sailed from Acapulco in March 1582, left Macao on his return July 24, 1584. Taking the usual northern route, he sighted the American coast in latitude 37° 30′, and without anchoring followed it to Acapulco.[2] Subsequently the islands were governed by an audiencia, but, the commercial intercourse with New Spain increasing, it was thought expedient to make the government and judiciary of the Philippines dependent on the viceroy and audiencia of Mexico.[3] The voyage from Acapulco to the Philippines and return generally occupied thirteen or fourteen months, and usually one vessel was despatched every year.[4]
With regard to the pirates, it proved as the people of Mexico had feared. They were indeed again in the waters of the Pacific. The country was aroused, and an armed force was at once hurried to Acapulco, under Dr Palacio. Arrived at the port, it was found that the pirates had not touched there, but had been in that vicinity.[5] It appears that Thomas Cavendish,
- ↑ Also written Gualle, or Galle.
- ↑ The original Spanish diary not being extant, our only knowledge of the voyage comes from a Dutch translation publislied in Linschoten, Reys Geschrift, of which the first edition appeared in 1596.
- ↑ This change was effected about the year 1590 by Velasco, successor to Villamanrique, when Gomez Perez das Mariñas was appointed governor of the Philippines. Agreeable to a special royal commission Velasco appointed Herrero del Corral visitador to take the residencia of the oidores, and organize the government of the islands. The change does not seem to have worked to advantage, however, as we are told that there were continual dissensions between Governor Mariñas and the clergy, and some difficulties with the emperor of Japan. Torquemada, i. 654-6; 669-70. A royal decree of January 11, 1593, provided that thereafter New Spain should be the only possession in Spanish America allowed to send vessels to the Philippine Islands for trade, and merchandise was not to be brought from there to any other part of America under penalty of forfeiture. Reales Cédulas, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xvii. 420-1.
- ↑ The climate of the islands proved so fatal to the Spaniards, that of the 14,000 who had gone there during the previous 20 years, 13,000 had died. Vizcaino, in Haklvyt's Voy., iii. 560.
- ↑ It was believed at the time, and some of the old authorities, as Torquemada, Cavo, and others, followed by a host of modern authors, state positively, that this raid in 1587, during which the Spanish galleon Santa Ana was captured, was made by Francis Drake, who, as is well known, in that year scoured the coasts of Spain. Of these modern authors I will only mention Zamacois, who gives a detailed account of the affair, and says the pirate was 'Francisco Drak.' Previously he makes a short and vague mention that one 'Tomás Cawendisk' took a ship coming from Manila in 1586. See his Hist. Méj., v. 190-2.
