ased to call me to my present
state of religion, I busied myself in your majesty's service, and
most of the time in this Nueva Espana ... both in matters pertaining
to war ... and those of peace." Notwithstanding his advanced age and
his feeble health, he will undertake this new service. In a separate
and accompanying paper Urdaneta sends his opinion concerning the
Philippines and neighboring islands, which the viceroy has mentioned
in his letter. In this relation Urdaneta declares that "it is evident
and clear that the Filipina Island [Mindanao] is not only within the
terms of the treaty, [38] but the point running eastward from this
said island lies in the meridian of the Malucos, and the greater
part of all the said island lies farther west than the meridian of
Maluco." [39] He quotes the terms of the treaty to emphasize the fact
that the Filipina Island is within Portugal's demarcation. "Therefore
it seems that it would be somewhat inconsistent for your majesty to
order the said vessels to the Filipina Island without showing some
legitimate or pious reason therefor." He advises the king to despatch
the expedition strictly within his demarcation, asking him, however,
to allow the ships to go to the Philippine Islands for the purpose
of redeeming the Spanish captives, "without going to the Malucos,
or engaging in trade, except to buy some things which may be worth
seeing as specimens, or food and other articles necessary for the
voyage." The best pilots and experienced men should be engaged for
this expedition, "so that the most accurate relation possible may be
made both of the lands newly-discovered and their longitude, and the
route from Nueva Espana to the said Filipina Island, and the other
islands of its neighborhood, so that it shall be understood where
the one hundred and eighty degrees of longitude of your majesty's
demarcation end. Therefore it seems that not only is it a just cause
to go to the Filipina Island in search of your said vassals ... but
there appears to be a necessity for it, since they were lost in your
majesty's service." These men will be very useful because of their
knowledge of the language of the infidels and their acquaintance with
those regions. (Tomo ii, nos. xii and xiii pp. 100-113.)

The king replies to Urdaneta from Aranjuez, (March 4, 1561), accepting
his offer "to go to the Western Islands in the vessels that Don Luis
de Velasco, our viceroy of those regions, is sending thither by