The God Culture: The Musk of Los Lequios

If Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture were an object he would be a grabber. That's one of those tools people use to pick up trash. It looks like this:

That is to say Tim is a reacher. He is reaching for every piece of insignificant garbage he can find and putting in his bag like it's a jewel while ignoring all the real treasure as if it was so much brass and pyrite. This time he has latched onto the travelogue of an Italian explorer named Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri who speaks of "the musk of Los Lequios." Tim actually has three quotes from this guy and what we are going to see is Tim immediately misinterprets the man. In fact none of these citations say what Tim claims they say.

🧩 The Three References to Los Lequios

1. Geographical Adjacency (Islands “one after the other”) 

“…there are the whiskers and small Island of the Babuyanes, up to the Hermosa Island and the Lequios…” 

Here, Lequios is placed directly beyond the Babuyanes, forming a chain that stops short of Formosa (Hermosa). No mention is made of Batanes or Taiwan, but their conspicuous absence only strengthens the case: if Ryukyu were meant, why not mention the massive island of Formosa that lies directly in the way? 

This version of Lequios lives in the immediate northern fringe of Luzon, not in Okinawa. 

Gemilli says there are Islands which reach from Northern Luzon (that's the Babuyanes), to Formosa, and then up to the Lequios Islands. Tim, with his infinite wisdom and superior geographic knowledge says there is no mention of Taiwan! Does he not know that Formosa is Taiwan? Tim also writes, "Why not mention the massive island of Formosa that lies directly in the way?" Did Tim forget he himself interprets Hermosa as Formosa. It's right there in the text. It's not absent at all. Maybe this is a typo and he meant "why mention the massive island of Formosa?" Either way it's nonsensical. 

Tim also says the Lequios Islands form "a chain that stops short of Formosa." That is not what Gemelli writes. He says these small islands, the Babuyanes, reach up to Formosa and the Lequios Islands. He is lumping Formosa, TAIWAN, together with the Lequios Islands. Indeed, Taiwan was often referred to as Lequio Pequeño.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433000027304&seq=119&q1=lequios

BABUYANES, Gemelli acquaints us, are little low Philippine Islands, beyond Cape Boneador, oppofite to New Segovia, at 8 Leag. dift. fr. it, & ftretching out to the Island Formofa and Lequios. In the neareft, which is conquered, are abt. 500 Natives that pay Tribute. It produces Wax, Ebony, Botatas, [perhaps Potatoes] Cocoas, Plantans, and other Things, for the Maintenance of the Inhabitants, and of certain Creatures called in the Country Language Babuyes, whence the Name of Babuyanes was derived.

Even this guy, Andrew Brice, gets it. Of course, unlike Tim, he does not have an agenda. Brice even mentions "500 natives that pay tribute" which is a very important detail as shall be seen.

Let's take a look at the translation of this text. Here is Tim's translation: 

...From Luban forward, towards the Tramontana, there is no Island of Confidence: the Boxer's cape is just a little farther away, in front of the new Segovia, and eight leagues away, there are the whiskers and small Island of the Babuyanes, up to the Hermosa Island and the Lequios. In the first, which is closer and has been conquered, they will only pay tribute. It produces wax, ebony, sweet potatoes, palms, plantains, and other things, supported by the inhabitants and certain animals, called Babues, in the language of the country from which it came...

And here is Gemini's translation.

Beyond Luban, towards the North, no island of significance is seen: only after passing the Cape of the Boxer, opposite the new Segovia and eight leagues distant, extend the low and small Islands of the Babuyanes, up to the Island Hermosa and the Lequios. In the first one, which is the closest and conquered, there will be 500 tributaries. It produces wax, ebony, sweet potatoes, palms, plantains, and other things for the sustenance of the inhabitants and certain animals called Babuyes in the language of the country from which the name Babuyanes came.

There are a few significant differences which I have highlighted in bold. 

Here is the original text. 

The reason Tim's translation is different is because he did not use the original text. Instead he copy/pasted from the sidebar after doing a word search for Lequios. 

You can see in the original text "500" comes after "faranno." But in the sidebar "500" has become "soo." That is why Tim's translation omits "500." The rest of Tim's translation is also a bit sideways. Why would Gemelli describe islands as "whiskers?" He wouldn't. "Baffi" is Italian for whiskers or moustache. The text says "le baffe, e picciole Ifole de los Babuyanes." "Baffe" is really "basse" which means low. This text was published in 1700 when "s" was written as "f." That is called a "long s." Tim has overlooked that fact and as a result has rendered a mistranslation of the text. 

We are only one citation in and Tim has already gotten it all wrong. 

2. Definitive Cultural Geography: “Bordering the Babuyanes” 

“…the other [islands] by Silvestri, who border on los Lequios…” 

Here, Lequios is again presented as adjacent, not distant. The “Silvestri” (wild forest-dwelling peoples) are described as living in the northern Babuyan archipelago, placing Lequios just beyond that inhabited threshold — likely in the culturally distinct Batanes Islands. If Lequios border the Babuyan Islands, that ain't Ryukyu. Test it. 

This is a travelogue of the Philippines by observation from one who is not participating in propaganda specifically in which Lequios is in the Northern Philippines period. The specifics of this logical progression include: 

To the North of the Island of Manila (after mention of Isles in Visayas)   

The specific capes of North Luzon by name  

The distance from there to the Babuyan Isles with practically exact reference to this day  

A progression to the North to The Lequios as Batanes and then, South Taiwan  

Notice, Careri does not go to Ryukyu and this narrative cannot be massaged. The European, especially Jesuit, accounts that do so are not following the logical geography. This is what happens when a disassociated, educated gentleman simply reports what he observes proving contrary opinion propaganda, and nothing else. Also, by 1699, Japan, including Ryukyu was essentially a closed society that such a traveler would have difficulty entering.   

Translated Text from the Original Italian from p. 59: [Read the actual page]   

"...Of the other small islands, partly populated and partly uninhabited (but all known to the Indians, who go there to gather the fruit) it is not easy to make a detailed account: I will simply say in outline that opposite the island of Manila, on the northern side, between two capes, called Boxeador and Engaño (24 miles away) are the islands, called de los Babuyanes; the first is inhabited by Indians, tributary Christians; the other by Silvestri, who border on los Lequios; and the island of Formofa, on the western side. Before Paragua, opposite Manila, are three islands, called de los Calamianes; and then another eight or nine, all populated..." 

In his first mention, it is evident something is awry with later maps and Jesuit accounts. The initial findings of the Portuguese and Spanish hold as evidentiary fact from this lawyer's report in 1699.  

Keep in mind that Gemelli has already placed the Lequios Islands beyond Luzon near Formosa (TAIWAN). Tim says Gemelli did "not go to Ryukyu" because Japan was closed off by then. That is a non-sequitur. He is simply describing places. That does not mean he visited them. The place being described is the Babuaynes. Gemelli then mentions islands inhabited by Silvestri. Tim thinks that is Batanes. The Babuyan Islands are north of Luzon, followed by Batanes, and finally Formosa (TAIWAN.) To the east of Formosa lie the Lequios Islands which stretch out to Japan forming a northern border to Batanes and the Babuyan Islands. 

Tim claims Gemelli wrote:

the other by Silvestri, who border on los Lequios; and the island of Formofa, on the western side

But did he write that? No. Notice the semi-colon after Lequios. That is not in the text. 

So, where did Tim get the semi-colon? From the sidebar!

That semi-colon is a misrecognized punctuation mark due to OCR. In actuality it's just a comma. The correct translation of the full passage is as follows.

Of the other small islands, partly populated and partly uninhabited (but all known to the Indians, who go there to gather fruit), it's not easy to give a detailed account. I will simply say in outline that opposite the island of Manila, on the northern side, between two capes called Boxeador and Engaño (24 miles distant), are the islets named de los Babuyanes. The first is inhabited by tributary Christian Indians; the other by Silvestri, who border on los Lequios, and the island of Formosa, on the western side. Near Paragua, opposite Manila, are three islands called de los Calamianes; and then another eight or nine, all populated. Then, returning south, ninety miles distant from los Calamianes, opposite Caldera (point of Mindanao), are Taguima and Xolò, with other smaller ones around them.

That comma more directly links the Lequios and Formosa (TAIWAN) as bordering Batanes.  If the Lequios Islands were any part of the Philippines Gemelli would not differentiate them from the Babuyan Islands or the Batanes or Silvestri. 

Does Tim now think the Lequios Islands are either the Babuyan or Batanes islands? What happened to his whole bifurcated Luzon theory with House Lequios in the North and House Luçoes in the South? Gemelli does not support any theory Tim has about the Lequios Islands. 

3. Trade and Aroma: “The Musk of Los Lequios” 

“…the musk of Los Lequios…” 

In the context of global luxury goods (diamonds from Golconda, cinnamon from Ceylon, porcelain from China), this line stands out. True musk — supposedly a secretion from the Himalayan musk deer — was rare and did not originate in Batanes in that sense. So what could “musk” from “Los Lequios” possibly be? 

🌿 Enter Lagikuway: The "Father of Musk" 

The answer may lie in Batanes ethnobotany. The Ivatan people cultivate a plant known as Lagikuway (Lagikway, Both Tag.) , a musky aromatic crushed for ritual and medicinal use, and revered in Arabic as the “father of musk” or "source of musk" (Dr. Stuart). 

• Native to Batanes (Barakue: "my boy", could this be named for Abel literally from the Land of Creation?) 

• Strong, musky scent especially from the seeds 

• Used in spiritual and healing practices 

• Culturally and commercially significant 

• Though in trade, the Himalayan Musk became famous, the source of ancient musk appears to be this plant instead 

If Careri’s sources (likely drawing on Spanish-Dominican knowledge of Luzon and its northern peripheries) referred to this plant or its trade, then “the musk of Los Lequios” may not refer to a far-off deer secretion — but to a local botanical treasure, traded southward, and misidentified by European chroniclers unfamiliar with its source.

Also, let us remember in this era, Ryukyu was conquered and part of Japan. Not only was it not open to visitors, the listed trade from Japan is not that of Lequios, which is still separated in this mention clearly as the Philippines.

This section is all conjecture so it's not worth getting into great detail and attempting to discover what this "musk of Lequios" was. He even tosses in some nonsense linguistics attempting to connect this plant to Adam's son Abel. However, it is more than clear Tim gets it wrong. Here is his translation.

...OF THE GEMINI. 119 if we speak of Oriental countries, the diamonds of Golconda; the rubies, topazes, sapphires, and the precious cinnamon of Seilon; the pepper of Sammatra and Java; the cloves and nutmeg of the Moluccas; the pearls and carpets of Persia; the fine linen and cloths of Bengal; the camphor of Borneo; the Mengioy and ivory of Cambodia; the musk of Los Lequios; the linen, cloths, linens, and cotton blankets; the fine porcelain, and other rarities of China. When the trade with Japan flourished, two or three ships arrived every year; and they sold fine silver, amber, cloths of feta, chests, coffee, and tables of precious wood, beautifully varnished; in exchange for leather, wax, and fruit of the country....

"Of the Gemini?" What? Do you know what this means? It means Tim did a word search in this text for "Lequios" and instead of reading the whole context he copy/pasted what he saw in the sidebar into a translator and thought that's all there is to it. This is the same thing he did with the first and second citations. 

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ucm.5320208663&seq=131&q1=Lequios

But that's not all there is to it. This passage begins on the previous page and continues into the next. Here it is:

Regarding Manila, it was placed in such a location by the Author of Nature, in an equal space between the rich Kingdoms of the East and West, that it can be counted among the places of greatest traffic in the world. The Spanish, coming from the West, and the Portuguese, from the East, end their journey in the Moluccas Islands, which were under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Government. And because every middle usually partakes of the extremities, as that which connects them, the Philippines therefore gathers the best of both Indies.

One finds here the silver of Peru and New Spain; and speaking of the Eastern countries, the diamonds of Golconda; the rubies, topazes, sapphires, and precious cinnamon of Ceylon; the pepper of Sumatra and Java; the cloves and nutmeg of the Moluccas; the pearls and carpets of Persia; the fine linens and silk cloths of Bengal; the camphor of Borneo; the Mengioy and ivory of Cambodia; the musk of the Lequios; the silks, cloths, linens, and cotton blankets; the fine porcelain, and other rarities of China. When trade with Japan flourished, two or three vessels came from there every year, leaving finest silver, amber, silk cloths, chests, coffee, and tables of precious wood, excellently varnished, in exchange for leather, wax, and fruits of the country.

It can be seen how suitable Manila's location is for accumulating immense riches through merchandise, since a vessel that goes from there to Acapulco returns loaded with silver, earning up to four hundred percent. I, for my part, do not believe that there are more abundant Islands in the World. And indeed, where will one find mountains that sustain such a quantity of wild men with only the fruits and roots that trees and the land spontaneously yield? For they do nothing but hunt, and yet their number is ten times more than the subjects of the Spanish.

See the difference? In context this passage says Manila was a center of trade where many foreign riches were found. Among those foreign luxuries to be found in Manila was "the musk of the Lequios." That means whatever this musk was, it was not native to the Philippines. It is likely this musk was imported into the Lequios Islands for the express purpose of trading it with other nations. The Japanese were not entirely closed off as they did trade with the Dutch, the Chinese, and the Koreans. Ryukyu, while under Japanese dominion, was allowed to trade with the outside world as they also accepted Chinese claims of dominion. 

In the spring of 1609, the Ryukyu kingdom 琉球王国 was defeated by an invasion by the Satsuma domain of Japan, ruled by the Shimazu 島津 family. King Shō Nei 尚寧 and major Ryukyuan officials were marched off to Satsuma as prisoners of war. In response to the daimyo’s report on the invasion, the Tokugawa bakufu recognized Satsuma’s control over Ryukyu. The Tokugawa authorities, thus, brought Ryukyu, a kingdom that had maintained tributary relations with Ming China since the latter half of the fourteenth century, within the political orbit of Tokugawa Japan. From then until 1879, when the Meiji government abolished the kingdom and annexed Ryukyu into Japan as Okinawa Prefecture, the Ryukyu kingdom accepted both Chinese and Japanese claims of suzerainty.

In the fifteenth century, Ryukyu, acquiring a huge stock of Chinese commodities through the tribute trade, actively developed a state-run transit trade with the countries of East and Southeast Asia. Because the Ming interdiction of seafaring resulted in the general suppression of Chinese maritime trade, Ryukyu could sell Chinese products in short supply to East and Southeast Asia, while delivering products from these other countries to the Ming empire. The kingdom’s main trading port was Naha. Commercial ships from East and Southeast Asia visited the port, and some seafarers settled there 

Residents of Kumemura performed services such as interpretation, composing diplomatic documents in Chinese, building ships, and sailing, thus supporting Ryukyu’s diplomacy and trade not only with Ming China but also with Korea and other countries of Southeast Asia.

 The Tokugawa World, pgs. 420-422

As the Ryukyuans navigated the complexities of Chinese and Japanese rule, this trade which began in the 15th century did not cease.  Ryukyu was not completely closed off to the world. The Ming dynasty had suppressed Chinese maritime trade which facilitated Ryukyu's trade in Chinese goods to East and Southeast Asia. It is not unreasonable that this musk was exported from China to the Lequios Islands where it was either specially prepared or exported raw. Either way the last port of origin would have been the Lequios Islands which makes "the musk of the Lequios" an appropriate name. 

As for the article Tim links to about Lagikuway, it says the Japanese use that plant to make paper. 

In Japan, known as tororo aoi, the plant is used to make neri, a starchy substance used in making washi, a traditional Japanese paper.

https://www.stuartxchange.org/Lagikuway

The article says it is called tororo aoi in Japan. It's also called Ryukyu tororo aoi. 

 CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology by Umberto Quattrocchi, pg. 3

While it may not be native to Japan or the Ryukyu Islands it has been grown there for centuries to make paper. 

Nowhere in the article Tim links is this plant said to be used for making musk. 

Etymology: The genus name Abelmoschus derives from Arabic, meaning 'father of musk' or 'source of musk' referring to the scented seeds. 

The seeds have a musky scent but the plant is used primarily for medicinal purposes. This plant is not the source of "the musk of los Lequios."

Elsewhere in this article Tim says:

We get it right in the end as true researchers go through such a process, sharing our work along the way, and I am proud of our team for stepping up with these blogs. It has been a learning experience I am proud to lead.

"We get it right in the end?" The God Culture made its official debut in 2017 and Tim still gets it wrong at every turn. Is Tim really proud to lead a bunch of bumbling stumblebums who do not even bother to read the context of a passage and then pass that off as research? He is not leading a team, he is the ringmaster of a circus. 

Tomé Pires, Duarte Barbosa, Documento 98, Fernando Pinto, and the many references in The Philippine Islands series all point to the Lequios Islands being in the north near Japan. Those are the jewels Tim is ignoring. It's not that Careri's book is garbage, it's that Tim is ignoring major primary sources for those that are obscure. There is no need to go sifting for obscure records that allegedly point to the Lequios Islands being in the Philippines. Not a single obscure record Tim has cited, be it the story of three shipwrecked Lequian Indians or the travelogue of Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, prove the Lequios Islands are the Philippines. What new source will Tim next twist for his purpose? There is no "true research" going on here. All of Tim's "research" has been proven to be "a farrago of nonsense that is contravened by a multitude of eyewitness accounts, inconvenient facts, and simple common sense."

The only positive thing that can be said about this article is Tim has finally provided a link to his sources as well as providing screenshots. However, he still has the alleged and unverifiable quotes about the Jesuits altering maps posted in the article which have no page numbers, no links, and no screenshots. It's always one step forward and two steps back with Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture. 

The God Culture: Alleged Quotes Proving The Jesuits Changed Maps

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture is so dead-set on proving the Jesuits altered maps to hide the Philippines that he has restored to citing texts which say nothing of the sort. Thus the proof for his claim lies in misunderstanding and misrepresenting those texts. Let's take a look at all of them one-by-one.

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/the-shipwreck-that-proves-lequios-was-in-the-philippines---not-ryukyu/

Juan Alzina (1668): “It is not enough to describe what one sees; one must interpret it according to the divine plan, so that the world may understand the providence of God in these distant lands.” [✔️ This is a direct translation of a passage from Alzina's Historia de las Islas e Indios de las Islas Filipinas (1668), a Jesuit missionary report admitting the reinterpretation and manipulation of history. You can find this in Spanish editions or modern English translations.]

I really have to thank Tim for alerting me the reader that this book can be found in "Spanish editions or modern English translations" and then not linking to the book. I also thank him for not providing a page number so the quote can be easily found. I thank him again for getting the title of the book wrong. Lastly I thank Tim for getting the author's name wrong. All of that is very helpful for the reader to find the quote and read it in context. 

There is no Juan Alzina who is the author of a book titled "Historia de las Islas e Indios de las Islas Filipinas." Tim's referencing an author and a book that do not exist is enough to dismiss this quote as a fabrication. However, Tim might have confused this non-existent author with a real person who did write a book about the history of the Philippines in 1668. 

That real author is Fransisco Igancio Alcina. His book is titled "History of the Bisayan people in the Philippine Islands." It is a multi-volume work and Tim does not provide the volume in which this quote is to be found. Already we are off to a bad start. The repeated incompetence of Tim and/or his alleged research team is unfathomable and unbelievable yet here it is on full display. 

The three volumes of Alcina's work can be found easily online. None of them contain this quote. Not volume 1, volume 2, or volume 3. Perhaps it is in a volume not found online. In that case posting a picture of the page would very helpful. But seeing as Tim cannot even provide a page number it would not be reasonable to think he would post a picture of the text. As for now this quote remains unverifiable. From all appearances this quote has nothing to do with mapping. Here is Gemini's analysis.

This quote, if accurate (it's always good practice to verify direct quotes from primary sources, especially when used to make strong claims), reflects a common theological and philosophical perspective of the era, particularly among missionaries. Missionaries, by their very nature, sought to understand and present their observations through a religious lens. They believed in a "divine plan" and saw their work as part of it. This quote suggests an interpretive framework rather than an admission of deliberate manipulation of factual geography or history. Interpreting events through a "divine plan" is not the same as falsifying geographical locations on maps. To present this as an "admission of reinterpretation and manipulation of history" in a conspiratorial sense is a significant overreach and misinterpretation of the quote's likely original intent. It's about theological framing, not cartographic fraud.

I could not have said it better. 

Gaspar de San Agustín (1722): “The Jesuits, with their learning and favor at court, have taken it upon themselves to write the history of these islands. But they do not always tell the truth, preferring to glorify their own works above all others.” [✔️ Direct quote from Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas (1722). Available in Spanish as "…no siempre dicen la verdad…"]

Again, no page number and no link. How are we supposed to verify this? Tim's motto is "Prove all things." Why do we the readers have to do all the leg work to verify Tim's quotes? Providing a page number and a link is not hard, it's standard practice. This is also a multi-volume work and the volume in which this citation is to be found is not given. The quote is not in part 2. The other volumes do not seem to be online. Maybe that's why Tim provided no link or page number. 

Once again, on the surface this quote has nothing to do with altering maps. This quote is an Augustinian monk talking about the faults of his rivals, the Jesuits. Here is Gemini's analysis:

This quote is plausible and highlights a common dynamic among competing religious orders and even secular authorities in colonial settings. Rivalries between religious orders (Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits) were rampant, and each order often sought to emphasize its own contributions and achievements. It is entirely conceivable that Gaspar de San Agustín, an Augustinian, would critique the Jesuits for self-aggrandizement and for presenting history from their own biased perspective. This is a critique of historical bias and self-promotion, which is a recognized aspect of historical writing, especially from that period. However, this does not directly equate to a conspiratorial effort to change maps or systematically falsify geographical locations for a hidden agenda. It speaks to narrative control and emphasis on one's own order's role, not cartographic deception.

Perhaps in the full context Gaspar de San Augustin reveals what the Jesuits were not being truthful about. That also depends on if this is a genuine quote from his book. 

Jerry Brotton (2012): “The Society of Jesus… made use of maps not only as instruments of navigation but also as tools for evangelization and empire-building.” [✔️ Taken directly from A History of the World in Twelve Maps (p. 245), published by Penguin Books.]

Finally a page number. This quote and the context should be easy to verify. 

https://archive.org/details/historyofworldin0000brot/mode/2up?q=%22society+of+Jesus%22

https://archive.org/details/historyofworldin0000brot_t8k7/mode/2up?q=%22society+of+Jesus%22

https://archive.org/details/historyofworldin0000brot_y7r3/mode/2up?q=%22society+of+Jesus%22

Absolutely unbelievable. Astounding. Incredible. No edition of this book has Jerry Brotton's alleged quote. The book doesn't even mention the Jesuits. So, where did Tim get this quote? From a different edition that is not available online? As of this writing this quote remains unverifiable. 

However, on the surface this quote does not say the Jesuits altered maps to hide the location of the Philippines. Here is Gemini's analysis. 

This quote from a modern scholar like Jerry Brotton is accurate and widely accepted within the history of cartography. Maps were indeed powerful tools for European powers and religious orders during the age of exploration and colonization. They were used for navigation, to claim territory, to document resources, and to plan missionary activities. "Evangelization and empire-building" are broad categories that encompass the spread of both religious and political influence. This quote describes the purpose and utility of maps for the Jesuits within their historical context, not a conspiratorial act of falsifying geographical data. It means they used maps to facilitate their missions and imperial expansion, which is entirely consistent with historical understanding. It does not imply that they deliberately drew maps incorrectly to conceal existing geographical facts.

Tim began this section of his article by writing:

These are verbatim citations from original texts or reputable scholarly works defining the Jesuits changed Maps specifically working through all the factions of the Catholic Church:

But as we have seen that is not true. These citations appear to have been fabricated. They also absolutely do not support Tim's claim the Jesuits changed and altered maps.

These are three "direct quotes" which cannot be verified and do not appear in the sources which are available online. Perhaps these quotes are available in texts which are not online. The proper thing for Tim to do is to provide proof the quotes are genuine. That means providing a link to them or a picture of them. Either way none of these quotes supports the thesis that the Jesuits altered maps to hide the Philippines and the Lequios Islands. Tim goes on to provide four paraphrases of academic sources but none of those paraphrases claims the Jesuits altered maps either. As it stands, and as it will ever stand, the idea that Jesuits altered maps to conceal the location of the Lequios Islands is a fabrication invented by Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture. 

The God Culture: The Shipwreck That Changes Nothing

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture is doing a deep dive into The Philippine Islands series by Blair and Robertson. As I have previously documented, this series of books mentions the Lequios Islands as a place separate from the Philippines and close to Japan. Tim continues to ignore all that, calling it a "Jesuit conspiracy" and has found a new narrative to latch onto: Three Shipwrecked Lequian Indians.

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/the-shipwreck-that-proves-lequios-was-in-the-philippines---not-ryukyu/

Buried in the pages of Volume XVI of The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 (Blair & Robertson), there lies a maritime account that has gone largely unnoticed — yet it may contain one of the most direct pieces of evidence placing Lequios in the Philippines , not Ryukyu.

This is the story of Juan Bernardo de Fuentidueñas , a Spanish pilot who survived a shipwreck near Macao in January 1610 — and discovered something unexpected on a remote island.

Three survivors.

Three Lequian Indians.

And no sign of Ryukyu anywhere.

⛵ The Voyage and the Wreck

In early 1610, pilot Juan Bernardo de Fuentidueñas set sail from Manila aboard a small vessel bound for Macao. His mission was urgent: warn a departing ship to delay its journey until Dutch forces had cleared the seas.

But fate intervened.

Near Macao, his boat struck an unseen reef far from land. As dawn broke, he and his crew spotted the wreck of a large Chinese vessel nearby — empty, save for scattered silver coins and signs of struggle.

Then came the discovery that changes everything.

On a nearby islet, they found three indigenous men who had been stranded for months.

“...they found three Lequian Indians , who had been there for months. They were the only survivors of ten who had left their country.” 

🧭 Who Were These "Lequian" Men?

The term “Lequian” appears nowhere else in colonial records. But here, it seems clear: these men hailed from Lequios .

Crucially, the text does not say:

• “Japanese”

• “Ryukyuan”

• “Okinawan”

• “Chinese”

Instead, it identifies them by place of origin : Lequios.

Now consider the context:

• The voyage began in Manila

• The route followed known Philippine sea lanes

• The stranded men spoke Tagalog or another native language

• There is no mention of Ryukyu at all

These men were almost certainly from the northern Luzon coast — part of the Ilocos-Zambales-Batanes corridor that we’ve long argued was the true location of Lequios .

🌊 Why This Matters

This passage isn’t just a forgotten footnote. It’s a smoking quill — direct testimony from a Spanish chronicler that places Lequios within the Philippine archipelago , not 1,000 miles north in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.

Here’s why this matters:

1. Maritime Context Matches Luzon

• Ships traveling between Manila and Macao hugged the Philippine coast.

• Ryukyu was off-route and rarely involved in Manila-based voyages.

2. Lequios Was Known to Spanish Navigators

• Lequios appeared on early maps like the Cantino Planisphere (1502) and Diego Ribeiro’s Royal Charts (1529).

• These maps placed Lequios along the northern Luzon arc , not in East Asia.

3. Indigenous Participation in Colonial Voyages

• Native laborers, sailors, and interpreters often traveled aboard Spanish ships.

• These “Lequian” men likely worked on such a vessel before being stranded.

4. No Evidence Supports a Ryukyu Connection

• No language clues

• No cultural markers

• No navigational alignment

Just one phrase: “Lequian Indians.”

🧾 What This Changes

For centuries, historians have assumed that Lequios = Ryukyu , based largely on later Jesuit-era reinterpretations and editorial biases.

But this account from 1610 predates many of those shifts.

It shows that:

• Lequios was understood as a Philippine region

• Its people were part of the colonial maritime network

• Its geography fits Northern Luzon — not Okinawa

This is not speculation.

This is firsthand testimony from a Spanish pilot who saw it with his own eyes.

Now, this is an interesting story. However, as always, Tim gets it wrong. Let's take these claims one by one. 

1. The term “Lequian” appears nowhere else in colonial records.

What does Tim mean by this? If he means that this term only appears once in The Philippine Islands series he is wrong. This term appears in volumes 17, 33, and 54. It does not appear in volume 16 which Tim lists as his source. 

In the beginning of January, 1610, a fragata was sent to Macao with warning for the said ship to remain there until the Dutch were driven from these seas. As commander in it was the pilot, Juan Bernardo de Fuentidueñas, who was sick with the fever. He went on the voyage, and before dawn of Thursday, January 28, ran foul of a reef, where no land could be seen in any direction, except a few rocky points at low tide. The fever left the pilot at this sudden catastrophe, and at dawn the Spaniards saw on the reefs a large ship, that looked like a Chinese vessel, which had been wrecked. They went to this vessel to get its small boats. Entering it, they found not a soul, living or dead. But they found considerable silver scattered about. Not content with what they found in the vessel, the Indians began to dive into the water to see if they could find any more. Their efforts were not in vain, for they must have found in that way about eight thousand reals of eight to the peso, although somewhat oxidized by the sea-water. From the top of the little elevation, an islet was discovered, of not more than one legua in circumference. They went thither in successive trips of the small boat, and found three Lequian Indians, who had been there for months. They were the only survivors of ten who had left their country. On this island, the Spaniards refitted, as well as possible, their boat and another one that the Lequians had at hand, although it was also small. They divided themselves between the two boats, and taking as much of the money as they could carry, started for Macao.

The Philippine Islands, vol. 17, pgs. 130-131

Two days' journey thence to the northwest is found a large island called Lozon, where six or eight junks belonging to the Lequian people go yearly.

The Philippine Islands, Vol. 33, pg, 207

The reference in volume 33 is Pigafetta's journal. As I have pointed out many times Pigafetta says the Lequios travel to Luzon for trade. They are not from Luzon. That makes this claim:

• Ryukyu was off-route and rarely involved in Manila-based voyages.

WRONG!

2. The stranded men spoke Tagalog or another native language

This is pure conjecture. Nothing in the passage says what language they spoke. Yet, Tim rightly notes:

• Native laborers, sailors, and interpreters often traveled aboard Spanish ships.

So, it would not be surprising that these stranded sailors could be understood. But nothing in the passage even hints at what language they were speaking. 

3. Lequios was understood as a Philippine region

This is wrong. The third time "Lequian" appears in The Philippines Islands series is on page 434 of volume 54 which is an index. That reference leads to volume 8 which contains a letter from the King of Japan who says he has conquered the Island of Lequio. 

An Embassy from Japan 

Letter from the King of Japan

It is more than one thousand years since Japon has been governed by one sovereign. During this period the wars and dissensions among the rulers of the country were so many, that it was impossible to send a letter from one part to the other; until now the Lord of Heaven has willed that the country be united in my time, and that it be reduced to my obedience. In accomplishing this, everything was so favorable to me, that as yet I have lost no battle, but have been victorious in every one for ten years. Likewise I have conquered the island of Lequio, which was not under my sway, and Acoray [Korea]; and even from Eastern Yndia embassies have been sent to me. Now I am about to invade Great China in order to conquer it, for heaven, and not my forces, has promised it to me. I am much surprised that that country of the island of Luzon has not sent me ambassador or messenger, and I was therefore of a mind, on my way to China, to attack Manila with my fleet, were it not that Faranda, a Japanese noble, told me of the good treatment accorded to my vassals, the Japanese traders, who go to those islands from here. When I asked him if the ruler there was my friend, he answered and assured me that, if I should send a letter to the governor, he would send me an ambassador. And should he not do it since I am well established in my kingdom, I am so powerful that I have men who can go to conquer any kingdom whatever. Although this messenger is a man of low rank, I have accredited him, because of the good account he gives. And also, since I am not sending the troops I thought to send, I shall descend, within two months, from where I am now, to Nanguaya, my seaport, where are stationed the forces composing my army; and if an ambassador comes to me there from those islands, and I ascertain that the governor is my friend, I shall lower my banner in token of friendship. If an ambassador is not sent, I shall unfurl my banner and send an army against that country to conquer it with a multitude of men; so that that country will repent at not having sent me an ambassador. In order to become the friend of the Spaniards, I am sending this embassy from Miaco, in the year 19, [_sic_] from the country of Japon, to the country of Luçon. 

The Philippine Islands, pg. 260-261

This letter was written in 1591 and at that time Korea has not been attacked let alone conquered by Japan. The King is doing what all kings do, he is boasting. A note on the text clarifies this situation. 

The conquest of Korea was not accomplished until 1592, although the preceding year had been spent in vigorous preparations for the campaign. Hideyoshi evidently made this statement in boastful anticipation of success. His design was to conquer, at one blow, both Korea and China.

The complete conquest of the Ryukyu Islands would not happen until 1609 which is one year before the shipwreck story Tim cites. 

The invasion of Ryukyu (琉球侵攻, Ryūkyū Shinkō) by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place from March to May of 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryukyu Kingdom's status as a vassal state under the Satsuma domain. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Ryukyu

However, before 1609 the Ryukyu Kingdom was assisting the Japanese and paying them tribute. When the Ryukyu Kingdom refused to pay tribute the Japanese invasion occurred as a punitive measure.

In the final decades of the 16th century, the Shimazu clan, along with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan from 1582 to 1598, requested or demanded various types of aid or service from the kingdom on a number of occasions. King Shō Nei (r. 1587–1620) met some of these demands. Shō Nei sent a tribute ship, the Aya-Bune, to Satsuma in February or March of 1592, and agreed to provide approximately half of his allocated burden in preparation for the invasion of Korea in 1593. However, Shō Nei also ignored many communications from Shimazu and Hideyoshi, which spurred the Shimazu, with the permission of the newly established Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867), to invade Ryukyu in 1609, claiming it to be a punitive mission.

It is not unreasonable for a king to declare he had conquered a nation when that nation is paying tribute.

The point is the King of Japan wrote a letter to the Spaniards in which he differentiates between the Lequios Islands and Luzon. It would be the height of absurdity to claim the King of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was part of a Jesuit conspiracy to conceal the Philippines. That makes Tim's claim:

These men were almost certainly from the northern Luzon coast — part of the Ilocos-Zambales-Batanes corridor that we’ve long argued was the true location of Lequios .

WRONG!

4. There is no mention of Ryukyu at all

This is a non-sequitur as Lequios was the Spanish name for what we now know as the Ryukyu Islands. 

'The place from which the letter was written was probably the town of Shiuri, the chief port of the Riu Kiu (or Loo Choo) Islands, known to the Spaniards as Lequios. See Basil Hall's "Bibliography of Luchu," in Transactions of Asiatic Society of Japan, xxiv, pp. I-11.

The Philippine Islands, vol. 8, pg 263

The shipwreck story Tim cites doesn't prove or change anything. For one thing few details about the Lequian Indians are given. For another, just 18 years prior the King of Japan claimed to have conquered the Lequios Islands and asks for an ambassador to be sent from Luzon. That is is proof that not even the Japanese thought Luzon was the Lequios Islands. There is literally no evidence anyone, anywhere, at anytime equated the Lequios Islands with Luzon. It's simply more ignorance parading as restored knowledge from Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture.