Colección de Documentos Inéditos Relativos al Descubrimiento, Conquista y Organización de las Antiguas Posesiones Españolas de Ultramar. Tomo 2, De Las Islas Filipinas, I

This volume gathers a wealth of previously unpublished papers that illuminate the earliest Spanish forays into the Pacific, from the trail‑blazing voyages of Magellan through the daring expeditions of Villalobos and the foundational campaign of Legazpi. The editor’s careful transcription preserves the original orthography, letting listeners hear the authentic voice of 16th‑century officials as they grapple with uncharted seas, rival claims, and the logistical puzzles of empire‑building.

Among the pages are full capitulations, detailed instructions, royal decrees, and candid correspondence that reveal why Legazpi’s fleet, long assumed to head straight for permanent settlement, initially set sail for New Guinea and only later shifted to the Philippine archipelago. These documents explain the strategic recalculations, the rescue of earlier captives, and the political pressures that reshaped the mission’s purpose. For anyone curious about the real‑time decision‑making behind the conquest, the collection offers a rare, grounded glimpse into the complex, often messy, birth of Spain’s overseas domain.