he succumbed some time after 1570, though the date and place of his death do not appear in the records. His remains found their last resting-place in the city of Durango. From all accounts his services were never rewarded; his estate dwindled away, and after his death hardly yielded enough to pay off the large debts he had contracted in fitting out and supporting his great enterprises.
The Philippine Islands had now been in the hands of the Spaniards for more than ten years. Acting on the glowing accounts of Andrés de Urbaneta, a soldier and a famous navigator and cosmographer, who had been with García de Loaisa, and of his companions, García de Escalante and Guido de Labazares, who had visited those parts, the Spanish sovereign directed Velasco to fit out an expedition for the Philippines, with the view of making settlements there, to which were to be sent as many colonists as could be procured.[1] In 1563 the expedition was ready to depart the following year.[2] After consultation with Urdaneta, the command was given to Miguel Gomez de Legazpi, a resident of Mexico, who made Mateo de Saúz his maestre de campo, and the young Basque Juan de Lezcano, his secretary. Guido de Labazares was appointed the king's factor. The missionary part of the adventure was placed in charge of the Austin order, and six fathers were chosen.[3]
- ↑ The captain was now Friar Andrés de Urdaneta. Viceroy Mendoza had tendered him the command of Alvarado's fleet, but he declined it, and soon afterward, tiring of the world, joined the Austin order in Mexico; and yet he went to the Philippines as a missionary with much alacrity. Grijalua, Crón. S. August., 109-12.
- ↑ There has been some discrepancy as to the strength of the military force, which is stated by one at 600 men, by another at 700, by a third at 450, and by a fourth at 400. The crews are also given at various figures. Cavo, Tres Siglos, i. 176; Grijalua, Crón. S. August., 109-20; Burney's Hist. Discov. South Sea, i. 250, 272. 'La grita era que yban á la China ... y que allí abian de enrriqueçer, y así se hizo muy buena armada.' Peralta, Not. Hist., 185-7, 346.
- ↑ Fathers Urdaneta, Martin de Rada, Diego de Herrera, Andrés de Aguirre, Lorenzo Jimenez, and Pedro de Gamboa. Jimenez died before the embarkation. Lezcano, the secretary, in later years became a Franciscan in Mexico, and rose to the head of the order in his province. Torquemada, i. 621; Calle, Mem. y Not., 133-4.
