Author: Sealtiel Enciso Pérez
Winds from the past blow towards us, carrying with them the gentle breeze of the famous Manila Galleon or Chinese Nao. Nowadays, few remember the powerful influence that the voyages, which for 250 years took place between the islands of the Philippines and New Spain, produced. Even fewer recall that in most of them, the landing site, even if accidental or temporary, was the southern tip of the California peninsula.
During the 16th century, the search for a fast route to the regions of Eastern Europe, primarily the countries that make up the Asian continent, led to a desperate and tense race against time between two of the great maritime powers of the time: Spain and Portugal. After some travelers began bringing a large quantity of foods from the far reaches of the East to European kingdoms, commonly known as spices and aromatic herbs (pepper, paprika, chili, cardamom, clove, mace, cassia, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.), a great stir was caused among the wealthy classes who modified their eating habits by incorporating these "condiments", which until then had been unknown. However, the big problem was that these products could only be transported by caravans that made long journeys on foot or horseback, which lasted more than a year to complete, and they could only carry a very limited load of these products. At that time, the routes were extremely dangerous as they were infested with robbers who attacked caravans and stole their precious cargo.
It was then that the kings of Spain and Portugal became embroiled in a series of explorations looking for a faster way to get these products and obviously obtain supremacy in their trade and the lucrative profits that were obtained. The Portuguese navigators were the first to take the lead, as they managed to reach the Asian countries by circumnavigating the African continent through the Cape of Good Hope and heading towards the Indian Ocean, and finally reaching the islands and lands where spices abounded. The Kingdom of Portugal established a firm domination over this route, which it even defended with armed actions. That is why Spain turned its eyes to the western seas with the firm idea that if one traveled far enough west, given that the planet Earth was spherical, one would reach the coveted lands of the East and its precious treasure of spices.
This is how Spanish sailors and others who were not born in this country but rented their services to this kingdom began to sail the seas in search of this route. Although it is true that at the end of the 16th century (1592) the navigator Christopher Columbus had discovered some large islands on his route to the west (which would later be clarified as America), it was not until the 17th century, in the year 1519, that King Charles I of Spain integrated a fleet of 5 ships led by Ferdinand Magellan with the purpose of reaching the islands called "Molucas" by the Portuguese, and thus defining a navigation route that would be the property of the Spanish empire. Let us not forget that in the year 1494, the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal had signed a document called the Treaty of Tordesillas, in which they committed to dividing the known and unknown world through overseas voyages, along an imaginary line established 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. The Portuguese kept the routes to the east through the Cape of Good Hope, and left for the Spanish an extensive space of sea (or at least that was believed) and whatever was found to the west.
In the extraordinary expedition led by Magellan, he achieved the great feat of circumnavigating the vast American continent at its southernmost part, leaving for posterity the famous Strait that bears his name, which allowed him to enter the Pacific Ocean (Magellan was the one who gave it this name although it had already been "discovered" by Vasco Núñez de Balboa in the year 1513). Continuing his route towards the Northeast, he finally manages to land on the island called Cebu and decides to baptize this group of islands with the name of "Philippines" in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Unfortunately, Magellan dies in a confrontation against the locals and it is his pilot, Juan Sebastián Elcano, who manages to take the few survivors of the expedition and the battered flagship back to Spain, where they arrive in the year 1522.
With the security of a route that offered Spain a passage to the coveted "spice gold" in the East, expeditions were initiated to travel from the coasts of New Spain, acquire the precious cargo in the Philippines, and safely return to the starting point. From the year 1522, various expeditions were carried out to the islands of the East, including those led by Ruy López de Villalobos (1541) and Miguel López de Legazpi (1564). Unfortunately, both fleets could not count on expert pilots who could find a sea current that would offer them the possibility of returning to the American coasts, even with the lack of suitable winds. It should not be forgotten that at that time, ships depended on the winds for their movement, so if they encountered a "calm" that lasted for several months, it could mean the death of all the occupants of the ship due to hunger and thirst.
It was not until the year 1565 that the sailor and friar Andrés de Urdaneta managed to find the sea current known as Kuroshio, which propelled ships towards the northeast of the Philippines, passing near Japan, and then joining the North Pacific Current, which pushes ships starting from Cape Mendocino to descend towards the south of the continent, bordering the Pacific coasts of New Spain. This route was called "the return trip" and was the missing piece to complete the puzzle of the journeys from America to the islands of the East.
Starting in the year 1565, a rapid and exponential trade began with all of the East, as the merchants or representatives of commercial houses established in the Philippines had contact with traders from all regions of Asia. It was common to see hundreds of ships from almost all regions around the archipelago in Manila Bay, the capital of the Philippines, seeking to sell their various goods, ranging from classic spices (pepper, clove, and cinnamon) to porcelain, ivory, lacquer, and elaborate fabrics (taffetas, silks, velvet, satin), Chinese handicrafts, Japanese screens, fans, Japanese swords, Persian rugs, Ming Dynasty vases, and countless other products. This led to the development of ships that could withstand the harshness of long voyages and months under the scorching sun, bear heavy loads (there were Manila Galleons with a capacity of up to 2,000 tons), and transport a large number of passengers and crew (the Chinese nao "La Santísima Trinidad" was said to be able to transport up to 1,000 people). The trade boom was so great in those years that three or more naos were sent every year to go and bring back their precious cargo.
However, despite the fact that the route was secure in terms of the cartography already known, it was not exempt from serious dangers. On the one hand, the large amount of time it took to travel to the Philippines (about three months) and back to New Spain, usually landing in Acapulco (six months or more), meant that only those with great resistance to hunger and diseases (especially scurvy) could survive. Mortality was high, with only about 20% of those who traveled on the ship returning. In addition, the naos often capsized due to the poor conditions in which they set sail. The greed of the traders forced ship captains to make the journey knowing that a large part of the ship's surface was rotten and that it would probably sink at any moment. They preferred to collect the hefty "insurance" on the ship rather than ensure the safety of passengers and crew. And as if that were not enough, during the 250 years that the Manila Galleon transit through the Pacific lasted, there were a large number of attacks by pirates who sought to seize their fabulous riches, even at the cost of their own lives. The fame that capturing one of the Manila Galleons gave these sea bandits ensured their place in history, as well as large sums of money.
The peninsula of California became of interest to the Spanish Crown during the 17th and 18th centuries, precisely due to the Manila Galleon route. As previously explained, the Nao de China, on its return journey to the port of Acapulco, passed parallel to our peninsula. Inside, it carried a large number of sick, hungry, and almost dying passengers. It was imperative for the Spanish Crown (or rather, for the unscrupulous Spanish merchants) to find a landing point where they could supply them with water and food to continue the journey (and take their precious cargo to their holds in Acapulco) and where the many sick they were transporting could recover. In fact, the failed attempt to establish a permanent enclave in California by the Explorer Isidro de Atondo y Antillón in the year 1683 was motivated by the pressing need of the Spanish Crown to reduce the serious losses of the Manila Galleons on their return journey. In Atondo's expedition, the first incursion towards the part of Bahía Magdalena (western coasts of California) was made in search of a favorable site with water for the arrival of the Manila Galleon, but no suitable space was found.
During the years in which the Jesuits were carrying out their evangelizing work in California, there were constant pressures from the Spanish Crown for them to explore and establish a site on the western coasts of this peninsula and to provide relief to the Nao de China. It was not until the year 1730 that the Jesuit priest Nicolás Tamaral managed to establish a Mission in the site that was called San José del Cabo, in the region that the Pericúes called "Añuití." Several Manila Galleons arrived at this site to stock up on water in the famous wetland located there and to replenish their provisions to complete the remaining stretch to Acapulco. The priest Francisco Xavier Clavijero narrates in his mission chronicles that in the year 1734, a huge Manila Galleon arrived at the bay of San Bernabé (San José del Cabo) with a large number of sick people. After staying for several days and supplying it with water and taking care of the sick, four of the most affected passengers were left at the mission, and the galleon continued its journey towards Acapulco. Three of the sick fully recovered, and only one of them, due to his advanced age and serious condition, died. The three returned to Mexico City, where, together with the captain of the Galleon, they told the Viceroy about the care provided by the Missionary. It was then recommended that all Manila Galleons make a stop to obtain "refreshments" on their return to the port of Acapulco.
However, the crew of the Manila Galleon were not always well received in the Californias. It is known that in the year 1589, the English corsair Thomas Cavendish captured and looted one of the galleons, named Santa Ana, off the coast of California (now Cabo San Lucas), which made him the richest corsair in the world at that time. In the year 1709, another corsair named Woodes Rogers attacked the galleon named Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, but failed to capture it, leaving 8 sailors dead and others wounded. It is also known that on one occasion, when a Manila Galleon arrived to stock up on water and supplies in San Jose del Cabo, a canoe with several soldiers was attacked by a group of Pericúes, who killed them.
Today, it is known that during the time when the Manila Galleon sailed its route and arrived on the coast of Baja California, a great exchange and smuggling of goods took place. The Spanish Crown, in order to prevent the goods brought by the Manila Galleon from being sold without paying the corresponding taxes, had a strong prohibition on the captain of these ships to trade with the products. However, corruption had also taken hold in these distant lands, so that the traders settled in Baja California shamelessly went in their boats towards the Nao de China and bought various products such as spices, porcelain, figurines, etc. in exchange for silver ingots. Even today, a large number of objects acquired in Baja California and originating from the holds of the Manila Galleon can be seen in the Museum of the Missions in Loreto, B.C.S.
It is believed that around 110 ships had the honorable title of Manila Galleon or Nao de China and were able to sail the seas from New Spain to their destination in the Philippine archipelago and return with their great riches. However, not all of them were fortunate enough. With the arrival of the 19th century and the independence movements that took place in all of Spain's possessions, including Mexico, the voyages of the galleon were suspended (in New Spain in the year 1815). In addition, the invention of steamships allowed the Spanish Crown to initiate alternative routes to its possessions in the Philippines, losing all interest in using Acapulco. Once Mexico's independence was consolidated, officially in the year 1821, trade with the Manila Galleon system was terminated.
The history of Old California is full of events that marked the life of our nation and had an impact on its current destiny. There is still much to discover and make known, so that generations of all times feel proud of their past and celebrate the life of this natural paradise. As a conclusion to this writing, I leave you with an inspired verse based on the legendary Galeones de Manila or Naos de China:
"Arriving from Manila to the waters of Acapulco with its great wealth, a gigantic galleon sets sail; the English come armed for war, when it moves away from land it will meet the Centurion" (The Galleon of Manila - Musador)
Bibliografía:
Almazin M. A. El galeón de Manila. Artes de México, n.º 143, 1971.
León Guerrero, María Montserrat (2000). «El gran logro descubridor del reinado de Felipe II. El hallazgo de Tornaviaje de las Filipinas por el Pacífico hacia Nueva España». XIII Coloquio de Historia Canario-Americana ; VIII Congreso Internacional de Historia de America:
Martín-Ramos, Clara. Las Huellas de la Nao de la China en México (La Herencia del Galeón de Manila). 2007.
Ibarra y Rodríguez, Eduardo (1892). Don Fernando el Católico y el descubrimiento de América. Imprenta de Fortaner, Madrid. pp. 184.
Fernández de Navarrete, Martín (1837). Expediciones al Maluco, viage de Magallanes y de Elcano. Imprenta Nacional.
LEÓN GUERRERO, Montserrat (2000). El segundo viaje colombino. Universidad de Valladolid (tesis doctoral)., pp. 20-28.
Rodao, Florentino, Islas del Pacífico: El legado español. Madrid: Lunwerg, 1998, pp. 27-35
John D. Neville. «History of Thomas Cavendish», Heritage Education Program, US National Park Service.
La Historia de la Antigua o Baja California. IV tomos. Francisco Xavier Clavijero.
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