Libro Xx De La Segunda Parte De La General Historia De Las Indias
Resumen del Libro
Nineteenth century manuscript copy of Book XX of Fernández de Oviedos Historia general y natural de las Indias, first published separately by Francisco Fernández de Córdova in Valladolid in 1557, and containing an account of the discovery and explorations of the Strait of Magellan, the Philippines, and the Moluccas or Spice Islands. In his introduction to Book XX, Fernández de Oviedo praises the many men whose bravery and sacrifices led to the discoveries that made the Spanish empire the greatest in history, unsurpassed by those of Alexander the Great, or the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. The author expresses his admiration for the early disoveries of Columbus which were the basis for all the subsequent explorations and conquests in the Indies which added another hemisphere and a half to the empire of Charles V. Book XX specifically describes Magellans 1519-1521 voyage through the Strait of Magellan, his discovery and exploration of the Philippine Archipelago, and his death at the hands of Indians on the Philippine island of Mactan. Fernández de Oviedo bases some of his material on accounts by eyewitnesses such as Antonio Pigafetta and Juan Sebastián de Elcano, captain of the Victoria, the only one of Magellans ships which returned to Spain. Book XX also describes a second expedition to the Moluccas, led by García Jofre de Loayasa in 1525, which retraces Magellans route through the Strait to the Mariana Islands and the Philippines. Several chapters describe the geography of the Moluccas and some of the manners and customs of the natives.
