Asian Pearl
A Filipino AAR
Part I
Introduction
The most successful of the European colonial powers where Spain, their great armada stretched across the Atlantic and far into Asia. Queen Isabella I of Spain moved her hand over a blank spot of the world map, a place where no man had ever set foot before. A place far beyond Africa, even further away then India. She arranged an exploration fleet, and set them of into the unknown.
The fleet had been given orders to find a reliable trade route to India and then go further across the Asian seas. From a port in Andalucía they would set sail towards St. Helena then the edge of Africa, in between the Madagascar strait and finally arrive in India.
On armada, consisting of a dozen ships in varying sizes, lived and worked several soldiers, priests, scribes, and ofcourse merchants. Even a couple of scientist where stuffed onboard.
Everything seemed to work just as planned, but the voyage took its toll on the crew. Passing the African ‘Cape’ went smoothly, but after only a couple of days a violent storm pulled the ships almost apart. Trying to gain control over the fleet they steered towards the African coast only to find themselves loosing two ships against the cliffs. The stormed refused to subside and went on for days.
When the storm was finally over the crew tried to locate themselves, but during the storm a lot of their navigational instruments had been lost or destroyed along with several dead men. The captain took his 'last chance' towards India, unfortunatley he made a fatal error and choose the wrong course, it took weeks until they fully understood their position. They now tried to move towards the north, which they assumed was where India laid, yet the ocean did not want them there it seems and threw them into the distant unknown.
The Spanish queen never saw her beloved armada again, and for her the map remained blank.
However that’s only the beginning of the story, the armada was more or less destroyed by the waves and wind. Hunger and thirst plagued the crew, most of the men onboard died on those ships but Gods plan did was not for them to die, so the rest was miraculously saved from certain death by a humble trading ship. The crew knew nothing of this new land but where welcomed like kings.
They had been taken to The Philippine Islands.
A Filipino AAR
Part I
Introduction
The most successful of the European colonial powers where Spain, their great armada stretched across the Atlantic and far into Asia. Queen Isabella I of Spain moved her hand over a blank spot of the world map, a place where no man had ever set foot before. A place far beyond Africa, even further away then India. She arranged an exploration fleet, and set them of into the unknown.
The fleet had been given orders to find a reliable trade route to India and then go further across the Asian seas. From a port in Andalucía they would set sail towards St. Helena then the edge of Africa, in between the Madagascar strait and finally arrive in India.
On armada, consisting of a dozen ships in varying sizes, lived and worked several soldiers, priests, scribes, and ofcourse merchants. Even a couple of scientist where stuffed onboard.
Everything seemed to work just as planned, but the voyage took its toll on the crew. Passing the African ‘Cape’ went smoothly, but after only a couple of days a violent storm pulled the ships almost apart. Trying to gain control over the fleet they steered towards the African coast only to find themselves loosing two ships against the cliffs. The stormed refused to subside and went on for days.
When the storm was finally over the crew tried to locate themselves, but during the storm a lot of their navigational instruments had been lost or destroyed along with several dead men. The captain took his 'last chance' towards India, unfortunatley he made a fatal error and choose the wrong course, it took weeks until they fully understood their position. They now tried to move towards the north, which they assumed was where India laid, yet the ocean did not want them there it seems and threw them into the distant unknown.
The Spanish queen never saw her beloved armada again, and for her the map remained blank.
However that’s only the beginning of the story, the armada was more or less destroyed by the waves and wind. Hunger and thirst plagued the crew, most of the men onboard died on those ships but Gods plan did was not for them to die, so the rest was miraculously saved from certain death by a humble trading ship. The crew knew nothing of this new land but where welcomed like kings.
They had been taken to The Philippine Islands.
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