(Part 1 of a series)
A Journey of Dread is a visual narrative that first appeared in the South China Morning Post. It draws inspiration from the eyewitness account of Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri*, a 17th-century Italian adventurer who kept a colorful record of his galleon voyage from the Philippines to Acapulco. Just a glimpse is featured here.
This was during the height of the galleon trade, when Marinduque was one of the earliest sites identified in Las Islas Filipinas for the construction of galleons in local shipyards or astilleros.
“The voyage from the Philippine Islands to America, may be called the longest, and most dreadful of any in the world, because of the vast ocean to be crossed…with the wind always ahead, as for the terrible tempests that happen there, one upon the back of another, and for the desperate diseases that seize people in 7 to 8 months, lying at sea sometimes near the line… enough to destroy a man of steel, much more flesh and blood…" - Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, 1698
Bay of Manila, Friday, June 29, 1696
"A galleon destined for Acapulco is jampacked with goods, mostly from Chinese merchants, which are loaded right up until the moment of departure. Onboard, passengers from all over the world eagerly await weighing anchor."
"The galleon sets sail before noon. A parao tows the galleon out of port and will help direct the larger ship to the Pacific Ocean.
In those days, a lack of wind meant a galleon could only have traveled a few nautical miles from where it started the voyage, which is Manila. Any wind that does blow could send them off course. So the vessel could get stuck in the bay for several days.
Then the unfavorable winds will force the crew to tow the galleon for the next three days, and if the winds blow against the ship, they go back to where they started.
Here, for 17 days they navigate the treacherous waters we now call the Verde Island Passage where opposing currents come together that they have only managed to travel about 98 nautical miles.
Then the galleon sails through Tablas Strait right between Marinduque and Mindoro.
“As soon as there is a break in the weather, some crew, and passengers, form a hunting party. They take a sampan to Marinduque island in the hope of finding some deer or buffalo. The hunters can’t find any prey along the shore either and return to the galleon empty-handed. Once on the island, the party can barely make any headway through the dense forest.”
