MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LEGAZPI

[aukepalmhof]

The 30c stamp issued by the Cook Islands in 1975 shows most probably the flagship of the expedition the SAN PEDRO.

Since none of the expedition after Magellan from Loaisa to Villalobos had succeeded in taking over the Philippines, King Charles I stopped sending colonizers to the Islands. However, when Philip II succeeded his father to the throne in 1556, he instructed Luis de Velasco, the viceroy of Mexico, to prepare a new expedition – to be headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who would be accompanied by Andres de Urdaneta, a priest who had survived the Loaisa mission.
The vessel for this fleet were built in New Spain and completed in 1564, two galleons, two pinnaces and a small boat which was put on the poop-deck of the flagship. Not much is known on the ships. The flagship was the SAN PEDRO 550 ton skippered by Mateo del Saz, the other three were the SAN PABLO 400 ton, SAN JUAN around 80 ton and SAN LUCAS 40 ton, the small craft did not carry a name, given as brigantine rigged.
21 November 1564 the small fleet set sail from Puerto de Navidad, Mexico with on board a total of 350 men.
The fleet set a westerly course in the latitude 9-13N. making a call at Guam from 23 January till 3 February 1565, reaching the Samar Islands on 13 February. From there sailed through the Surigao Strait to Cubu Island
On 13 February, 1565, Legaspi's expedition landed in Cebu island. After a short struggle with the natives, he proceeded to Leyte, then to Camiguin and to Bohol. There Legaspi made a blood compact with the chieftain, Datu Sikatuna as a sign of friendship. Legaspi was able to obtain spices and gold in Bohol due to his friendship with Sikatuna. On 27 April 1565, Legaspi returned to Cebu; destroyed the town of Raja Tupas and establish a settlement.
I can find only that the SAN PABLO returned back to New Spain and the SAN LUCAS which had lost contact with the fleet and after made a call in the Philippines returned back to New Spain also. I have not any fate of the vessels of the fleet.
This ships are the beginning of the famous Manila galleons who for the next 250 years made the passage over the Pacific, at least 1 ship a year was making a voyage.

Cook Island 1975 30c sg517, scott?
Source various internet sites.

[Anatol]

Legazpi and Urdaneta's expedition to the Philippines effectively created the trans-Pacific Manila galleon trade, in which silver mined from Mexico and Potosíwas exchanged for Chinese silk, porcelain, Indonesian spices, Indian gems and other goods precious to Europe at the time. The trade route formed an important commercial link between Latin-America and the Asia-Pacific with the trade products even carried over to Europe via the Havana Galleons, while heavily financing the Spanish Empire. For the next 333 years, from 1565 when Spain first established a colony in the country until the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, the Philippines was a Spanish colony (including the years 1762-1764 when the British controlled Manila and the port city of Cavite but not the whole country).
Statue of López de Legazpi with Datu Sikatuna in Tagbilaran, Bohol, marks the location where the Blood compact alliance took place.
Norfolk 1994;75c;SG567. Philippines 1985;3,60;SG1909.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_L%C ... de_Legazpi.

[aukepalmhof]

About Discoverers of Oceania - Miguel Lopez De Legazpi

Born into a wealth family in Guipuzcoa in 1502, he moved to New Spain (the Americas), specifically, Mexico, when still young where he occupied various administrative posts.
He married Inés Garces, fathered nine children, and became a widower prematurely.
There is a record that he did some work in the Court of the Inquisition, work that he appears to have done alongside patronage of a Spanish school created by the Augustine fathers.
In recognition of his work, he received lands in addition to others he purchased personally in the Michoacán region.
The expedition that left his name carved into the history books set sail from Puerto de Navidad on 21 November 1564, with Legazpi as captain-general and with secret instructions to change course for the San Lázaro islands. In January they made out the Ladronas islands (Marianas) and took possession of the largest one, Guam. They renamed Leyte as the Philippines in honour of the future king, Philip II, and Mindao island as Cesarea Karoli.
They were received by chief Camatuhan and his son, regulator of Samar island, and carried out diplomatic work which gave rise to the foundation by Legazpi, on 8 April 1565, of San Miguel island.
In Cebú, they found the famous image of the Boy Jesus which must have come from a previous expedition.
Subsequently, in 1570, Legazpi entered the town of Manila, which the natives called Maynilad, a prosperous, commercial, Muslim enclave in the south of Luzon island.
After numerous clashes and conflicts, Rajah Matanda handed Maynilad over to Lopez de Legazpi.
The stamp dedicated to the great explorer, like its predecessors, is printed on wood-based paper and contains an illustration of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi along with another of the islands he conquered.

https://www.wopa-plus.com/en/stamps/product/&pgid=62137
Spain 2020 3.80Euro sg?, scott?