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28th of March, 1521

[The fleet anchors off Limasawa (Pigafetta’s Mazaua) at the southern entrance to Suriago Strait; Magellan and his men are well received there by the natives and good relations are established with Rajah Colambu.]

[Colambu, the rajah of Mazaua, welcomes the expedition. He happens to know Malay, the mother tongue of Enrique, servant of Magellan.]

Jueves 28 de marzo, habiendo divisado durante la noche luz en una isla, en la mañana pusimos la proa a ella, y cuando estuvimos a poca distancia, vimos que se aproximaba a nuestra nave una pequeña embarcación, que llaman boloto, tripulaba por ocho hombres. El capitán tenía un esclavo natural de Sumatra, llamada antiguamente Taprobana [se equivocaba Pigafetta pues la mítica Taprobana resulta ser la actual Sri lanka, no Sumatra], quien salió a hablarles en la lengua de su país, y a pesar de que le comprendieron y vinieron a situarse a cierta distancia de nuestra nave, no quisieron subir a bordo, y aun parecían estar temerosos de acercársenos mucho. El comandante, viendo su desconfianza, arrojó al mar un bonete rojo y algunas otras bagatelas, atadas a una tabla, las cuales cogieron dando señales de mucha alegría; pero partieron de repente, habiendo sabido después que se habían apresurado a ir a advertir a su rey de nuestra llegada.

Dos horas más tarde, vimos que venían hacia nosotros dos balangayes (nombre que dan a sus grandes embarcaciones) llenos de hombres, hallándose el rey en el más grande, bajo una especie de dosel formado de esteras. Cuando el rey estuvo cerca de nuestra nave, le dirigió la palabra el esclavo del capitán, habiéndole comprendido perfectamente, porque los reyes de estas islas hablan varios idiomas. Dispuso que algunos de los que le acompañaban subiesen a bordo, habiéndose él mismo quedado en su balangay, y partido tan pronto como los suyos estuvieron de regreso.

El comandante hizo una acogida muy afable a los que habían subido a bordo, regalándoles también algunos presentes, sabido lo cual por el rey, quiso antes de alejarse obsequiar al comandante un lingote de oro y una cesta llena de jengibre, presente que el comandante agradeció, pero que no quiso aceptar. Hacia la noche fuimos con la escuadra a fondear cerca de la casa del rey.

[56] On Thursday morning, 28 March, as we had seen a fire on an island the night before, we anchored near it. We saw a small boat that the natives call boloto with eight men in it, approaching the flagship. A slave belonging to the captain-general who was a native of Sumatra, which was formerly called Taprobane, spoke to them, and they immediately understood him. They came alongside the ship, but were unwilling to come aboard, taking a position at some little distance. When the captain saw that they would not trust us, he threw them a red cap and other things tied to a bit of wood. They received them very gladly, and went away quickly to advise their king. About two hours later we saw two balanghai coming (which are large boats and are so called by those people), full of men. Their king was in the larger of them, being seated under an awning of mats. When the king came near the flagship, the slave spoke to him. The king understood him, for in those districts the kings know more languages than the other people; he ordered some of his men to enter the ships. But he always remained in his balanghai, at some little distance from the ship, until his own men returned; and as soon as they returned he departed. The captain-general showed great honour to the men who entered the ship, and gave them some presents, and for this reason the king wished before his departure to give the captain a large bar of gold and a basketful of ginger; however, the latter thanked the king heartily but would not accept it. In the afternoon we went in the ships [and anchored] near the dwellings of the king.

Pagka-Huwebes nang umaga, ika-dalawampu’t walo ng Marso, dumaong kami malápit sa isang isla pagkatapos madatnang may apoy doon noong nakaraang gabí. May nakita kaming maliit na bangka na tinatawag na boloto [baroto] ng mga katutubo at may lulang walong kalalakihan na papalapít sa pangunahin naming barko. Kinausap silá ng isang alipin na pagmamay-ari ng kapitán-heneral, isang katutubo ng Zamatra [Sumatra] na may dáting pangalan na Taprobana. Mabilis nilá siyáng naintindihan at lumapit sa barko, nag-aalangang pumasok ngunit pumuwesto sa di kalayuan. Pagtantong hindi nilá kami pagkakatiwalaan, hinagisan silá ng kapitán ng pulang kupya at ibá pang bagay na nakatali sa piraso ng kahoy. Napakalugod niláng tinanggap ang mga ito, at agad na lumisan upang magbigay-alam sa kaniláng hari. Pagkatapos ng mahigit-kumulang dalawang oras, nakita naming papalapít ang dalawang balanghai. Malalakí itong bangka at ganoon tinatawag [ng mga táong iyon]. Punô ang mga ito ng kalalakihan, at naroon ang kaniláng hari sa mas malaki sa dalawa, nakaupo sa ilalim ng silong ng mga banig. Nang lumapit ang hari sa pangunahin naming barko, kinausap siyá ng alipin. Naintindihan siyá ng hari, sapagkat mas maraming alam na wika ang mga hari kaysa ibáng tao sa mga distritong iyon. Inutusan niya ang ilan sa kaniyang tauhan na pumasok sa mga barko, ngunit hindi siyá kailanman lumisan sa kaniyang balanghai, di kalayuan sa barko hanggang bumalik ang mga tauhan niya; at umalis na siyá pagkabalik na pagkabalik nilá. Lubos na pinarangalan ng kapitán-heneral ang mga laláking pumasok sa barko, at binigyan niya ng mga regalo, kung kayâ’t ninais ng hari, bago siyá lumisan, na bigyan ang kapitán ng malaking bareta ng ginto at isang basket na punô ng luya. Masiglang nagpasalamat ang hulí sa hari ngunit hindi tinanggap ang regalo. Pagkahapon, pumasok kami sa mga barko [at umangkla] karatig ng tiráhan ng hari.