Lesson 3.

Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass. In fact, this has been the case for three
centuries, culminating in the erection of a monument in 1872 near Agusan River, which commemorates
the expedition’s arrival and celebration of Mass on 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a
rather elementary reading of primary sources from the event.

There are only two primary sources on this study:

▸ Francisco Albo’s Log

▸ Antonio Pigafetta’s Primo viaggo intorno al mondo (First Voyage Around the World)

➢ On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land
towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They found
later that its name was Yunagan.
➢ They went instead that same day southwards to another small island name Suluan, and there they
anchored. There they saw some canoes but these fled at the Spaniard’s approach. This island was
at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude.
➢ Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited islands of “Gada”
where they took in a supply of food and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows.
(Albo does not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigafetta’s testimony, this seems to be the
“Acquada” or Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.
➢ From that island they sailed westwards toward a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and
was known to have gold. (Seilani – or, as Pigafetta calls it, “Ceylon” – was Leyte.
➢ Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island called “Mazava”. That island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
➢ The people of that island of Mazava were very good. There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a
mountain-top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where
they were told there was much gold. “They showed us how the gold was gathered, which came in
small pieces like peas and lentils.”
➢ From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. They followed the coast in a
northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small
islands.
➢ From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they saw three islets, where they
dropped anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a
latitude of 10 and one-third degree. There they entered a channel between two islands, one of
which was called “Matan” and the other “Subu.”
➢ They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of
Subu where they stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into a peacepact with the
local king.
➢ The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But
between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward
directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way.
➢ It must be noted that in Albo’s account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the island of
Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte. Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the
planting of the cross upon a mountain-top from which could be seen three islands to the west and
southwest, which also fits the southern end of Limasawa.

➢ Saturday, 16 March 1521 – Magellan’s expedition sighted a”highland” named “Zamal” which
was some 300 leagues westward of Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
➢ Sunday, March 17 – “The following day” after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on “another
island which was uninhabited” and which lay “to the right” of the above-mentioned island of
“Zamal.” There they set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and had a sow killed for
them. The name of this island was “Humunu” (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees
North latitude.
➢ On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the entire archipelago the “Islands of
Saint Lazarus.”
➢ Monday, March 18 – In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw a boat coming
towards them with nine men in it. An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food
supplies , and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in “four days.”
➢ There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also they saw there some
indications that there was gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island and
called it the “Watering Place of Good Omen.”
➢ Friday, March 22 – At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two boats, and they
brought food supplies.
➢ Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday
of the following week, March 25.
➢ Monday, March 25 – In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of
Homonhon. On this day, as they were about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta:
he fell into the water but was rescued.
➢ The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was “toward the west southwest,
between four islands: namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien.” They left Homonhon
sailing westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southward, passing between the
island of Hibuson on their portside and Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then continued
southward, then turning westward to “Mazaua”.
➢ Thursday, March 28 – In the morning of Holy Thursday, they anchored off an island where the
previous night they had seen a light or a bonfire. It is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and
is called Mazaua.
➢ They remained seven days on Mazaua Island.
➢ Thursday, April 4 – They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They were guided thither by the King of
Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their route took them past five “islands” namely: Ceylon,
Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan.
➢ At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the Camotes Group, namely, Poro,
Pasihan and Ponson.
➢ From the Camotes Islands, they sailed southwards towards “Zubu.”
➢ Sunday, April 7 – At noon they entered the harbor of “Zubu”. It had taken them three days to
negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Islands and then southwards to
Cebu.

➢ Thursday, March 28 – In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light
the night before a small boat came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as
presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats came, in one of which
the native king sat under an awning of mats. At Magellan’s invitation some of the natives went up
the Spanish ship, but the native king remained seated in his boat. An exchange of gifts was
effected. In the afternoon, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore, anchoring
the native king’s village.
➢ Friday, March 29 – Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he
could provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as friends and not
as enemies. In reply, the king himself came in a boat with six or eight men, and this time went up
Magellan’s ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was made. The native
king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan’s
expedition as guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta.
➢ Saturday, March 30 – Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and
drinking with the native king and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good
Friday, they had to eat meat. The following morning (Saturday) Pigafetta and his companion took
leave of their hosts and returned to the ships.
➢ Sunday, March 31 – “Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter day,”
Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning
Magellan landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after which a cross was
venerated. Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the ship for the noon-day meal, but in the
afternoon they returned ashore to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In attendance
both at the Mass and at the planting of the cross were the King of Mazaua and the King of
Butuan.
➢ He asked for someone to guide him thither. The kings replied that the pilots would be available
“any time.” But later that evening the King of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would
himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but that would first have to bring the harvest in. He asked
Magellan to send him men to help with the harvest.
➢ Monday, April 1 – Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that
day because the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
➢ Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3 – Work on the harvest happened.
➢ Thursday, April 4 – They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.