Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture is looking for obscure passages in dusty old tomes that mention the Lequios Islands in a bid to prove that they are the Philippines. So, let's take up the challenge and ponder over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.
Tim claims that the passage in Fernando Pinto's journal where he sailed to the Lequios Islands, visibly saw Japan, and then entered Japan is ambiguous in the original and flawed in translation.
📉 The One-Criterion Trap
This critic has reduced Pinto's richly detailed account to a single metric—his mistaken belief that Japan was "ahead" of him. Even that is questionable, as translation ambiguity remains.
🔥 Bottom Line:
The blogger’s desperate defense of a single flawed reading—while discarding Pinto’s full context and the warnings of his own translator—is not academic integrity. It’s narrative control.
https://thegodculturephilippines.com/pinto-the-typhoon-and-the-blogger-who-can-t-read-a-storm/
That is certainly not the testimony of men familiar with his work. Here is a book from the series "The modern part of an universal history : from the earliest account of time / compiled from original writers, by the authors of the antient part." This is a massive series of books encompassing 65 volumes which was published between 1747-1768. It was a collaborative effort involving several authors who compiled travel narratives and histories covering many centuries.
The Universal History (complete title: An Universal history, from the earliest account of time. Compiled from original authors; and illustrated with maps, cuts, notes, &c. With a general index to the whole.) was a 65-volume universal history of the world published in London between 1747 and 1768. Contributors included George Sale, George Psalmanazar, Archibald Bower, George Shelvocke, John Campbell and John Swinton. The novelist Tobias Smollett edited for a short period.
It was one of the first works to attempt to unify the history of Western Europe with the stories of the known world. As a major historical synthesis on, among other subjects, European colonial activities during the modern era, the Modern Part of an Universal History (1754–65) can be considered, according to one specialist, Guido Abbattista, as a precursor of the famous abbé Guillaume Raynal's Histoire des deux Indes (1770–80), of which it was one of the most important, even if not acknowledged, sources.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_History_(Sale_et_al)
Volume 9 contains the story of Fernando Pinto's voyage to the Lequios Islands and then to Japan.
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| The modern part of an universal history : from the earliest account of time / compiled from original writers, by the authors of the antient part v.9, pgs. 355-358 |
There is not any passage relating to the subject of this chapter more curious, or more extraordinary, than what refers to the islands of Japan, which, about the same time, Pinto first were visited by two different companies of adventurers. And though, in the account we have received of both discoveries, very little notice is taken of dates, yet, from the comparison of facts, it is pretty evident, that those of whom we shall first speak arrived in that country some time in the month of May, A. D. 1542. Ferdinand Mendez Pinto tells us himself, that being in company with two of his countrymen, Diego Zimoto and Christopher Borello, at Macao, they endeavored to get a passage by sea into some other parts of the Indies, and found it very difficult. At last a Chinese pirate offered his service, promising to carry them to the islands of Lequios, of which, it seems, the Portuguese had already some knowledge. They pass under different names, for some writers call them the islands of Liqueios, others the islands of Rinku. They lie between twenty-six and thirty degrees of north latitude; having the island of Formosa on the southwest; the continent of China on the west; the islands of Japan on the north; and the ocean on the east; on which side, they seem to have no land nearer to them than America. The Japanese report, that they are the most fertile countries in the world; and that the inhabitants are the easiest, happiest, and best-conditioned, of the human race. They are subject to the prince of Saxuma, who is one of the principal lords of the empire of Japan. The Chinese were formerly masters of them; and even, at present, there is still some commerce between them and the Philippines. But our adventurers being at sea, the weather proved so bad, and the ship so leaky, that there was an absolute necessity of putting into some port to refit. The captain bore away, therefore, for a certain harbor in the island of Japan, which was that of Niaygima, in the island of Tanuximaa, where they safely arrived. This, undoubtedly, is what other authors call Tacuxima, belonging to the kingdom of Firando.
It lies in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north, at a very small distance from the great island of Ximo, which is the second in size of those three islands, known in Europe under the common name of Japan; which, as we have shown, is not the name of a particular country, but of a large archipelago of islands, the most considerable of which is Niphon. Before they entered the port, two barks came from the shore, to know who they were, and what they wanted? The captain answered, that they were come from China that his intention was to trade, if they might obtain permission. To which the principal person answered, that the lord of the island was called Nautaquim; and that, if they paid the port-duties, they might have leave to trade. The Chinese captain complied; and the patron of the barks, with great civility, conducted him immediately into the harbor.
About two hours after, the lord of the island came, accompanied by several persons of distinction, and some merchants. At the sight of the three Portuguese, he was astonished, and demanded who those strangers were, and of what nation? The captain answered, that they came from a great city, called Malacca; and that they were of a certain kingdom in Europe, called Portugal. At these words, Nautaquim appeared still more surprised; and, at last, turning to those who were about him, he said, "Let me die if I don't believe these are the Chinchigogis, of whom we read, in our old books, that they fly upon the waters, and make themselves masters of every rich country of which they hear. We shall think ourselves very happy, if they are content to be our allies." He then made no difficulty of going aboard the Chinese vessel, with some of the people about him, and asked the Portuguese abundance of questions, whom he invited to visit him on shore, promising to entertain them kindly. They went, and carried him a present, which was graciously received; and Nautaquim entered into a long conversation about their country; and, particularly, insisted on these three points, which, he said, he had been told by the Chinese and Lequians in his country: first, that Portugal was bigger than China, and richer: that the king of Portugal had conquered the best part of the world: and, that he had better than two thousand houses full of gold and silver. Pinto owns, that he did not stick exactly to truth in his answers, but contrived such as were likely to keep up the high opinion that Nautaquim had conceived of their monarch. All the time they stayed, they were treated with the utmost civility, being permitted to see everything they desired, and go where they would. This great lord was the nephew and the son-in-law of the king of Bango, one of the greatest monarchs in Japan, who, upon having an account of the arrival of these strangers, was very desirous of seeing them; and, at his request, accordingly Nautaquim sent Pinto to him; and some adventures which happened at his court, recommended the Portuguese so strongly to the king's favor, that he made him several considerable presents, besides a sum of ready money to the amount of about a thousand pounds; and not without difficulty permitted him to embark again on board the same ship which brought him, in which he went back to China, and from thence returned to the Indies.
There are no notes warning the reader that this story is ambiguous and cannot be trusted. In fact, the editors add a note explaining that while Pinto's character as a writer has suffered "in the general opinion of the world," close examination has found not only useful things in his work but reveal that "in reference to the transactions in which he was himself concerned, he is a very exact and candid writer." They vouch for his sincerity.
The character of this writer has suffered not a little, in the general opinion of the world, from that humor, common to his nation, of embellishing all he relates in such a manner as to create astonishment, by which he has incurred the just punishment of disbelief. Yet some very able judges, upon a strict perusal, and close examination, of his work, have found, that there are in it not only many curious and useful things, but that also, in reference to the transactions in which he was himself concerned, he is a very exact and candid writer. For instance, with respect to this expedition, he tells us very honestly, that there were eight of them, all natives of Portugal, that, after suffering infinite hardships, traveled across the empire of China, to the island of Sanchian, and from thence to another port, which is held to be Macao, where they found several vessels, on board of which they might have embarked for the Indies. "But whereas, says he, it is the quality of us Portuguese to abound in our own sense of things, and to be exceeding obstinate, there arose amongst us eight such a contrariety of sentiments about a matter, in which nothing concerned us so much as to act harmoniously, that we not only quarreled, but were on the point of cutting one another's throats; so that the officer, who had conducted us thither, retired with great displeasure, refusing to charge himself with our letters, declaring, he had rather the king should cut off his head, than that he should provoke God, by receiving into his custody anything that came from such wicked people." After this, he proceeds to relate the facts briefly mentioned in the text, and for which it was necessary to cite his testimony, and, as far as justice will allow, to vindicate his sincerity.
Tim might latch on to "the character of this writer has suffered not a little, in the general opinion of the world" and scoff but the fact is these editors do not treat him this way. They relate the story which is found in that section of Pinto's travelogue and have nothing ill to say about it. There is no hint the passage is ambiguous. Pinto travels to the Lequios Islands, sees Japan, is greeted by the Japanese, and then he enters Japan. That is as unambiguous as any writer can be. It remains for Tim to prove that the passage is ambiguous and flawed.
The editors note the Lequios go by many names one of which is Rinku. They describe them as being situated between Formosa (Taiwan) to the Southwest, China to the West, and Japan to the North. They also write:
The Chinese were formerly masters of them; and even, at present, there is still some commerce between them and the Philippines
How can the Lequios Islands engage in commerce with the Philippines if they are part of the Philippines? The editors of this volume are very aware that the Lequios Islands are not part of the Philippines.
The second obscure reference to the Lequios Islands can be found in a book published in 1704.
The same year 1582, Francis de Ovalle sailed from Acapulco, and running to the westward about eighteen hundred leagues, came to the island del Engano, the farthest of those called de los Ladrones, in thirteen degrees of north latitude: thence he held on his course westward two hundred and eighty leagues, to Cabo del Espiritu Santo, or the Cape of the Holy Ghost in the island of Tandaya, the first of the Philippines. He spent several days in the narrow channels among these islands, shaping his course diversly as they would permit; and coming out into the open sea run up into the Bay of Manila, now the metropolis of the Philippine islands, lying in 14 degrees and a quarter. Returning out of this bay, he made over to the coast of China, and arrived in the port of Macao. Here he furnished himself with necessaries, and turning again to the eastward passed through the islands called Lequios, whence he held his course east, and east by north, never touching any where, or meeting with any land till he came upon the coast of California in 38 degrees and a half of latitude.
In this paragraph we are told that Francis de Ovalle sailed out of the Philippines and towards Macao. He then sailed eastward through the Lequios Islands and made passage for California. This clearly indicates that the Philippines and the Lequios Islands are not the same. But, wait. There's more.
The full story 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 Luzones. 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/
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°.
Here are two obscure references to the Lequios Islands. One of them is a retelling of Pinto's entry into Japan through the Lequios Islands. The other is the tale of a voyage eastwards to California from China which passes through the Lequios Islands. In neither of these texts is the Lequios Islands equated with the Philippines. Tim already dumps all over Pinto so he won't care about the first reference. The latter two references are going to be hard for him to misinterpret. But if there is one thing I have learned it is to lose faith in the audacious mendaciousness of Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture, nevermore!
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