When Philip II. was making ready his great expedition, he remembered his father’s friend Urdaneta, and chose him to go with Legaspi as captain of the spiritual forces of the fleet. These two men, Legaspi and Urdaneta, were warm friends. It is very fitting that in the monument on the Luneta in Manila, their figures should to-day stand side by side. When we see this monument, we should remember the brave journey these two men made together years ago, and the bright future which they hoped to secure for these islands.
This new fleet sailed from Navidad, on the coast of Mexico, on the 21st day of November, 1564. The expedition was unlike the ones that had gone before it. It had for its aim the setting up of Spain’s rule in the islands, whereas the others had gone out to seek new lands and to conquer them. The men with Legaspi meant to stay in the islands and to make their homes there.
Legaspi had been warned not to go first to Cebu. His advisers thought it would be better to settle on one of the other islands and slowly to make friends with the Cebuans before going to live among them. This, however, was not Legaspi’s plan. He knew that the Cebuans were the very people whom he must win over at first, if he hoped to have peace in his new home. You see, the Spaniards as yet knew nothing about the great island of Luzon. They had no knowledge of the size and nature of this new country, but thought the best part of it lay to the south.
Legaspi sailed for Cebu, but when he began to draw near to the archipelago he sent one of his ships ahead to learn what sort of welcome the expedition might look for from the Cebuans. The commander of this ship brought back a gloomy report. The Cebuans had not been at all friendly. Instead, they had caught and killed one of the men of the landing crew from the ship, and would have killed the others had not the Spanish pulled off from shore and gone back to their ship.
When this report was brought to Legaspi he was very sorry. He at once, however, made up his mind to go to Cebu and subdue the people. This he thought was his duty toward his king; so the fleet sailed to Cebu. It came safe into harbor, and the soldiers landed in front of the town of Cebu on the 27th day of April, 1565. The Spanish were amazed and delighted with the beauty and fruitfulness of the island. Weary with their long voyage, they would gladly have made friends with the people and been at peace in that lovely spot.
ANCIENT FORT COMMANDING CEBU HARBOR.
The people, however, would not be friends. They had driven the Spanish from their shore once, and did not mean that the strangers should come back to live there. The chief, King Tupas (tö´päs), was a brave and warlike man, and with a large army he came down to the shore to beat off the newcomers. A fierce battle was fought there by the sea, but it did not last long. The spears and arrows of the Cebuans were of little use against Spanish armor, while the Spanish firearms did deadly work among the lightly-clad Cebuan warriors. After a few hours the Cebuans were forced back from the shore, and the Spanish held the town.
Legaspi now set to work to win the liking of the Cebuans. He believed firmly that the king of Spain was by divine right the lawful ruler of these islands; but for himself, he meant to govern kindly and wisely in the name of the king. He could not do this until he had shown the people that he and his soldiers were their friends. To this task, therefore, he bent all his wisdom.
So earnestly did the Spanish commander work to win over the people, that in a very few months the whole island was in a state of peace. A little later, Padre Urdaneta went back to Spain to report all that had been done. King Philip II. was much pleased with the friar’s report, and made Legaspi “governor-general of all the territory in the archipelago that he might conquer for Spain.”