rows up fire in five places. Sailing in this manner, for some time, in
16 deg. of north latitude, they were obliged by continual contrary winds, to
bear up again for the Philippine islands, and in their way back, had sight
of six or seven additional islands, but did not anchor at any of them.
They found also an archipelago, or numerous cluster of islands, in 15 or
16 degrees of north latitude, well inhabited by a white people, with
beautiful well-proportioned women, and much better clothed than in any
other of the islands of these parts; and they had many golden ornaments,
which was a sure sign that there was some of that metal in their country.
These people likewise had barks or vessels of forty-three cubits long, by
two fathoms and a half in breadth, constructed of planks five inches broad,
and which were rowed with oars. The people told the Spaniards that they
were in use to sail in these vessels to China, which was not above five or
six days sail from thence, and offered to supply them with pilots, if they
were inclined to go thither. Several of these barks, handsomely decked,
came off to the Spanish ship, in which the master, and other principal
people, sat on a high platform, while the rowers sat underneath, who were
_blackamoors_ or negroes with frizzled hair. Being asked whence they had
these negroes, they answered that they were brought from certain islands
near Sebut, where there were abundance to be had. The Spaniards wondered
much at finding negroes in this place, being above 300 leagues from the
nearest land of the negroes. It is therefore probable that these people
were not originally natives of this part of the world; but that they have
been scattered somehow in various places over the circuit of the earth, as
they are found in the islands of Nicobar and Andaman, in the bay of Bengal.
From thence, for the space of 500 leagues, we do not know of any other
black people: Yet Vasco Nunnez de Valboa pretends to have discovered them,
when he went to explore the coast of the South Sea, in a country which he
named _Quareca_; but there never were any found in New Spain, Castilia del
Oro, or in Peru.

In the year 1544, Don Gutierre de Vargas, bishop of Placenza, the cousin
of Mendoca, sent a fleet from Seville to the straits of Magellan,
instigated by the advice of the viceroy. Some said that this fleet was
destined for the Moluccas, others for China, and others again, that it was
meant only to explore the coast from