would
be best for their convenience, honor, and reputation, and as to what
means should be taken to fulfil all their commission. The strongest
reason that he adduced was the discovery of the return passage to
Nueva Espana; and he said that that had been the most potent reason
for the construction of that fleet. In short, the unanimous reply,
given through the mouth of Father Urdaneta, was that it was very proper
to ascertain correctly the return passage, since by it, the kingdoms
of Nueva Espana and even of Espana, would be strung together, as they
say. The flagship "San Pedro" was selected for the voyage, as being,
in their opinion, the strongest and best able to resist so new and
unknown seas, as were supposed to exist on the return trip. Meanwhile,
the almiranta "San Pablo" and the patache "San Juan" were to stay among
the islands, although it was judged better to go to the island of Sugbu
[Cebu], where the Spaniards had been several times already, and where
they were known. Also they believed that, if they should experience
any difficulty, they would be justified in making war there, because
of the treachery that its inhabitants had shown to Captain Hernando de
Magallanes--whom they had killed treacherously with many of his men,
at a banquet, where they had been invited in good faith. Besides that,
those Indians had offered themselves for the service of the king of
Espana, and many were baptized, in the time of the said captain,
who afterward apostatized. This was a very strong and sufficient
foundation, upon which father Fray Andres de Urdaneta and the others
based the right to make war, in case that the Indians refused to
receive them peacefully, as was their pretense. All approved this
opinion. However, I must note here the strongest reason that they ought
to have alleged, unless they must have neglected and passed it by as
being so well known, in order to find others more constraining. When I
read the various opinions of the doctors regarding our right to make
war on the western Indians, although they are somewhat sufficient,
that which has most real power to quiet the conscience--while those
who opposed it can only be esteemed as rash--is the concession of
Alexander VI which is, in brief, as follows.

[Here follows the portion of the bull of Alexander VI of May 4, 1493,
included in _Et tu tanti negotii ... auctoritate et jurisdictione
facimus, constituimus et deputamus_.] [22]

Since, then, the supreme pontif