ived at
Amboina Island, where Villalobos, already crushed by grief, succumbed
to disease. The survivors of the expedition, amongst whom were several
priests, continued the journey home via Cochin China, Malacca and Goa,
where they embarked for Lisbon, arriving there in 1549.

In 1558 King Charles was no more, but the memory of his ambition
outlived him. His son Philip, equally emulous and unscrupulous,
was too narrow-minded and subtly cautious to initiate an expensive
enterprise encompassed by so many hazards--as materially unproductive
as it was devoid of immediate political importance. Indeed the basis
of the first expedition was merely to discover a Western route to
the rich Spice Islands, already known to exist; the second went there
to attempt to establish Spanish empire; and the third to search for,
and annex to, the Spanish Crown, lands as wealthy as those claimed by,
and now yielded to, the Portuguese.

But the value of the Philippine Islands, of which the possession was
but recent and nominal, was thus far a matter of doubt.

One of the most brave and intrepid captains of the Loaisa
expedition--Andres de Urdaneta--returned to Spain in 1536. In former
years he had fought under King Charles I., in his wars in Italy,
when the study of navigation served him as a favourite pastime. Since
his return from the Moluccas his constant attention was given to the
project of a new expedition to the Far West, for which he unremittingly
solicited the royal sanction and assistance. But the King had grown
old and weary of the world, and whilst he did not openly discourage
Urdaneta's pretensions he gave him no effective aid. At length,
in 1553, two years before Charles abdicated, Urdaneta, convinced of
the futility of his importunity at the Spanish Court, and equally
unsuccessful with his scheme in other quarters, retired to Mexico,
where he took the habit of an Augustine monk. Ten years afterwards
King Philip, inspired by the religious sentiment which pervaded his
whole policy, urged his Viceroy in Mexico to fit out an expedition
to conquer and christianize the Philippine Islands. Urdaneta, now a
priest, was not overlooked. Accompanied by five priests of his Order,
he was entrusted with the spiritual care of the races to be subdued
by an expedition composed of four ships and one frigate well armed,
carrying 400 soldiers and sailors, commanded by a Basque navigator,
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. This remarkable man was destined to