Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture is blowing the cobwebs off old manuscripts and looking for anything he can distort into assisting his cause of identifying the Lequios Islands with the Philippines. His latest catch is a manuscript by Don Martin Fernandez de Navarete. Before diving into Tim's comments let us read the full story. It is contained on pages 55-58.
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| https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=aeu.ark:/13960/t81j9zj6w&seq=8&q1=lequios |
Added to all this was the necessity of finding and having a good port towards California, where ships coming from the Philippines to New Spain could be repaired and supplied, as they were often forced to put back into their port of origin due to storms or lack of provisions, causing serious harm to trade and navigation. With such views, Archbishop of Mexico D. Pedro Moya de Contreras, who governed as Viceroy, conceived the idea of exploring the entire northern coast of America, which some believed extended to border with the land of China, and others that it ended at the strait called Anian. The expedition was to resolve these doubts with new and reliable geographical knowledge. Two frigates had been ordered to be built in Acapulco for this purpose, and other provisions made, when Francisco Gali arrived from Macan or Macao, captain and chief pilot of a ship, a man of good standing in nautical science, with whom the Archbishop consulted his project. It seemed better to this expert that the expedition should be made from the Philippines, discovering and recognizing the islands of the Lequios and others neighboring Japan, ascending to the highest latitude that could be navigated, in order to properly discover the coast of New Spain in this way, and whether it was a continuation of that of the Asian continent; and finally, that for the execution of this plan it would be more advantageous for the ships to be built on the island of Mindoro. This expedition was also assigned to a certain Jayme Juan, inventor of some instruments for knowing the variation of the compass needle, which he was ordered to test. The Archbishop reported everything to the King; but the short interim nature of his government, which only lasted one year, and perhaps the tendency of those who take office not to follow the plans or ideas of their predecessors, meant that the great thoughts of that illustrious prelate did not come to fruition.
The just concept that he formed of Gali, saying he was the most distinguished and trustworthy man there, and that in matters of cosmography and the art of navigation he could compete with the most select of Spain, has been confirmed by some writers who deal with the discoveries and routes of this navigator. We especially owe to a Dutchman the news of what Gali did in 1582 from Acapulco to the Philippines, from these islands to Macao, and from here to New Spain; on his last voyage, having departed Macao on July 24, and sailed to the SE. and ESE. due to strong currents to the NW., he passed through several narrow channels until he passed the island of Branco without having seen it. He continued to the ESE. one hundred and fifty leagues to reach where the islands of the Lequios begin, which are in 21¾° latitude, and from there he traveled two hundred and sixty leagues in a course to the E. and NE., until he passed said islands and headed for those of Japan, of which the most western and southern is called Firando, where the Portuguese trade; the extension of all of them being one hundred and thirty leagues, and the latitude of their easternmost point being 32°. Having passed these islands, and followed the same course up to three hundred leagues from Japan, he found a very spacious and deep sea with currents coming from the N. and NW., without these or that being altered by the wind, whatever its violence or direction, until having navigated seven hundred leagues he reached the coast of New Spain, in which place he no longer observed the currents nor the depth of the sea that up to then he had: which made Gali believe that there was the channel or strait between New Spain and Tartary or northern Asia. Also, throughout that seven hundred league journey, he found a large number of whales, tuna, albacore, and bonito, which are commonly fish that stay in channels where there are water currents: whose circumstances further confirmed his belief in the existence of the aforementioned strait in that area. Sailing in the same direction, he arrived near the coast of New Spain at the latitude of 57½°, and sighted a beautiful country¹ very populated with trees, and entirely without snow. At a distance of four leagues from the shores, he saw many roots, reeds, and leaves like fig trees floating, and he also found a large number of sea lions: inferring from this that there must have been many rivers, bays, and coves throughout the extension of that coast to Acapulco. From there, continuing to the SE. SSE., and sometimes to the ESE., he reached Cape San Lucas, which is the southern tip of California, at a latitude of 22° and five hundred leagues from Cape Mendocino.
The story is as follows. The Spanish need to find a port in California where ships from the Philippines can be repaired and resupplied on the way to New Spain. It is recommended that the expedition's ships be built in Mindoro. Francis Gali is chosen as Captain. His route is to depart from the Philippines, head for Macao, depart from Macao and head east south east against the current until he reached the Lequios Islands, follow them North to Japan, and then steer towards the coast of America. A side task of the journey was "discovering and recognizing the islands of the Lequios and others neighboring Japan."
The departure FROM the Philippines to discover the Lequios Islands should be enough to indicate the twain are not the same. Of course Tim has some objections.
1. Lequios begins (its Northern boundary meaning it is South of there) at 21¾° N — which corresponds precisely to the Batanes Islands maritime territory, as a border to southern Taiwan's. But... not Ryukyu, which lies between 24° and 27° N.
This journey happened in 1582. By 1573 the Batanes were already known according to Captain Diego de Artieda.
Captain Diego de Artieda describes the island of Luzon and mentions the Batanes, which Tim is now claiming to be the Lequios Islands, though not by that name. A few pages later he mentions the Lequios Islands and says they are in-between Japan and China. That is clearly the Ryukyu Islands.
Farther to the northeast of Masbat lies the island of Ybalon or Luzon. It is a large island, with many rivers, in which gold is found--although, as I have ascertained, in but little quantity, because its most influential inhabitants are Moros. While I was in Panae, [S:the leading man among its people] sent a Moro, his steward or treasurer to trade there; but he could hardly get for me one _marco_ of gold in exchange for four of silver, which he bought for me. Buffaloes are to be found here. We have [M: not] explored much of its coast, and I have seen no one who could inform me fully concerning its south-eastern, southern, and eastern parts, because no one has sailed around it. Between this island of Ybalon and that of Panae, lies Masbat. Farther on, and lying north and south, are some other small islands, in one of which is to be found much brazil-wood.
[62] Probably the _sibucao (Cæsalpina sapan_); its wood produces a red coloring-matter which is highly valued, especially by the Chinese. Some varieties of it are more highly esteemed than are those produced in Brazil. These "Brazil" Islands are apparently the small groups north of Luzón, now known as Batanes and Babuyanes.
Farther north than the aforesaid islands are others, the nearest to Luzon being called Xipon [S: Japan].
A little to the east between these islands and China are the islands of Lequios. They are said to be rich; but we have been unable to learn much about them, for I have not seen any one who has been there. For this reason I conclude that they must be small, and that the people are not much given to commerce.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044077731628&seq=206&q1=lequios
If the Batanes are the Lequios Islands why would they need to be discovered when they were already known? Here is Tim's answer.
In 1825, Batanes was already under Spanish control. But Navarrete’s call to “discover and recognize the islands of the Lequios” was not about finding them — it was about reaffirming what had been lost in a fog of Jesuit cartographic revision.
Navarrete wasn't putting out a "call to discover and recognize the islands of the Lequios.” He was relating Francis Gali's voyage. This is not Navarrete's personal logbook. It is a collection of stories of voyages.
Tim fixates on the coordinate of 21¾° and ignores the fact the Batanes did not need to be discovered. The Ryukyu Islands are a chain which stretches all the way from Japan and includes Taiwan which historically has been known as Lequios Pequeño. The Batanes islands are located at 20°.
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| https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-communities-and-traditional-arts-sccta/northern-cultural-communities/the-batanes-islands/ |
2. The expedition then sails 260 leagues (≈ 832 nautical miles) east-northeast, passing through an arc of unnamed islands (likely the Ryukyu chain) before reaching Japan at 32° N. Ryukyu = "those islands" not even named in this log.
"Those islands" are named in this narrative. They are the Lequios Islands. Let's have Gemini analyse the sentence.
The "said islands" being referred to are the islands of the Lequios.
The sentence immediately preceding it in the text states: "...He continued to the ESE. one hundred and fifty leagues to reach where the islands of the Lequios begin, which are in 21¾° latitude..."
So, the phrase "said islands" refers directly back to the "islands of the Lequios" that the navigator had just reached.
It's a shame that an Artificial Intelligence program has to teach Tim how to comprehend English.
3. If Ryukyu were the famed “Lequios,” Navarrete would have named it.
This an ahistorical, anachronistic non-sequitur. Ryukyu was not used by Europeans until well into the 19th and 20th centuries. Even the expedition of Commodore Perry to open Japan referred to the Ryukyu Islands as Loo Choo which is a variant of Lequios. Here is the description of Perry's departure for what is now known as Okinawa.
The latter vessel reached Shanghai on the 4th of May, when Commodore Perry transferred himself to the former, and prepared for his departure for Napha, the principal port of the great Loo Choo island, which was appointed as a general rendezvous for all the ships.
Japan Opened, pg. 63
Expecting a book which was published in 1802 (it's not 1825 as Tim claims, the date is right at the bottom of the title page) to use the place name Ryukyu is foolish to say the least.
That takes care of Tim's objections. But here is what he does not know. There is much more detail to this story which is to be found in "The Third and Last Volume of the Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation" by Richard Hakluyt.
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| pgs. 445-446 |
Chapter 3
The Navigation or course of the aforesaid Francisco Gualle out of the haven of Macao to New Spain, with the situation and stretchings of the same, with other notable and memorable things concerning the same voyage.
When we had prepared ourselves, and had taken our leaves of our friends in Macao, we set sail upon the fourth and twentieth of July, holding our course Southeast, & Southeast and by East, being in the wane of the Moon: for when the Moon increases, it is hard holding the course between the Islands, because as then the water and currents run very strong to the Northwest: we traveled through many narrow channels by night, having the depth of eight or ten fathom, with soft muddy ground, until we were about the Island Ilha Branca, yet we saw it not, but by the height we knew that we were past it.
Being beyond it, we ran Eastsoutheast an hundred and fifty leagues, to get about the Islands called Os Baixos dos Pescadores, and the beginning of the Islands Lequeos on the East side, which Islands are called As Ilhas Formosas, that is to say, The fair Islands. This I understood by a Chinar called Santy of Chinchon, and he said that they lie under one and twenty degrees and there it is thirty fathom deep: and although we saw them not, notwithstanding by the height and depth of the water we knew we were past them.
Being past As Ilhas Formosas, or the fair Islands, we held our course East, and East and by North, for two hundred and fifty leagues, until we were past the length of the Islands Lequeos, respecting about fifty leagues from them: the said Chinar told me, that those Islands called Lequeos are very many, and that they have many and very good havens, and that the people and inhabitants thereof have their faces and bodies painted like the Visayans of the Islands of Luzon or Philippines and are apparelled like the Visayans, and that there also are mines of gold: he said likewise that they did often come with small ships and barks laden with Bucks and Harts-hides, and with gold in grains or very small pieces, to traffic with them of the coast of China, which he assured me to be most true, saying that he had been nine times in the small Islands, bringing of the same wares with him to China: which I believed to be true, for that afterwards I inquired thereof in Macao, and upon the coast of China, and found that he said true. The furthest or uttermost of these Islands stretching Northward and Eastward, lie under nine and twenty degrees.
Being past these Islands, then you come to the Islands of Japan, whereof the first lying West and South, is the Island of Firando, where the Portugals used to traffic: they are in length altogether an hundred and thirty leagues, and the furthest Eastward lies under two and thirty degrees: we ran still East, and East and by North, until we were past the said hundred and thirty leagues.
According to this voyage the people of the Leuqios Islands are painted and appareled like the Visayans of Luzon and they also possess mines of gold. Despite the similarity of appearance it is abundantly clear that these are not inhabitants of Luzon. Not only has this ship sailed out of Philippine waters at this point but the Lequios are being compared to the Visayans of Luzon. That comparison is a dead giveaway that they are not the same people. The Lequios possessing gold mines directly contradicts Tim who says:
There is no native gold, no deep harbor, no ships, no identity, and no archaeological proof to tie Ryukyu to the Lequios — only an echo of colonial cartography, uncritically parroted by academia.
https://thegodculturephilippines.com/ryukyu-was-never-lequios----even-their-scholars-admit-it/
This text also says:
the beginning of the Islands Lequeos on the East side, which Islands are called As Ilhas Formosas, that is to say, The fair Islands. This I understood by a Chinar called Santy of Chinchon, and he said that they lie under one and twenty degrees
Here we see the Lequios Islands begin at Taiwan. "They lie under 21°." This agrees with Navarette's coordinate of 21¾°. In this sentence the word under does not mean BELOW, it means they are located at that latitude. Batanes lies at 20° which is south of the stated coordinate given in Richard Hakluyt's book.
Lest Tim claim I am changing language by saying under does not mean below here are two entries from the Oxford English Dictionary proving otherwise.
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| https://archive.org/details/the-oxford-english-dictionary-1933-all-volumes/The%20Oxford%20English%20Dictionary%20Volume%2011/page/122/mode/2up |
III. In senses implying that one thing is covered by, or included in, another.17. Denoting inclusion in a group, category, class, etc. under (them) all, in all, altogether.
1585: The Persians..which went under the Army of Darius.1635: Under these eight provinces all France is contained.
Although the northernmost Philippine island (Mavulis in Batanes) sits at 21° 10′ N, Navarrete places the start of the Lequios at 21¾° N — just 35 nautical miles north of the final Philippine landmass. In maritime terms, this still falls well within the navigational boundary of the Philippine archipelago, especially by 19th-century standards, where national influence often extended over 30 nautical miles beyond land. To a navigator like Navarrete, 21¾° N was still “Philippine sea” — and the Lequios, by that reckoning, began in Philippine waters, not Japan.
The furthermost of the Lequios Islands is said to lie at 29° which agrees 100% with Fernando Pinto.
Essa ilha léquia jaz situada em vinte e nove graus
https://fundar.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/peregrinacao-vol-ii.pdf pg. 53
Tim says nine and twenty means a range of latitudes but that is an impossibility in this narration. It is a firm 29°. It should be noted that Pinto's journal was published in 1614 while Richard Hakluyt's book was published in 1600. Hakluyt predates Pinto by 14 years! That is two independent witnesses corroborating and confirming the Lequios Islands being at 29° and further proof the latitude as given by Pinto is not ambiguous.
Let's recap. Tim misinterprets the story of Francis Gali's voyage, his objections are based upon those misinterpretations, and there is much more to the story that he has missed. The rest of the story puts as plain a difference between the Lequios Islands and the Philippines as can be. It's another strike-out for Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture.
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