Talk:Andrés de San Martín

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[edit] San Martín and Ginés de Mafra

These two are crucial to resolving a long-standing geographical controversy on the true identity of the island-port of Armada de Molucca under Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan, named Mazaua.

The controversy is referred to by Philippine historians and historiographers as "Where is the site of the First mass in the Philippines, Butuan or Limasawa?" In my paper, which I read before The Society for the History of Discoveries held at the U.S. Library of Congress, Washington DC, I pointed out that Mazaua, Magellan's lost harbor, was an isle that had a good anchorage. Limasawa has no anchorage, while Butuan is not an isle. My paper is published at the website of Italian nuclear scientist Dr. Vasco Caini at http://www.xeniaeditrice.it/mazaua.pdf De Mafra's testimony, which probably coincides with San Martín's, describes an island that is located at 9° North latitude putting it right smack in Mindanao and more precisely in the vicinity of today's Butuan City. De Mafra also gives a precise measurement of the circumference of Mazaua at 3-4 leguas or 9-12 nautical miles. This translates to an area of up to 3930 hectares.

As far as I can tell this is the first time the name Andres de San Martín, the chief pilot-astrologer of Magellan's fleet, appears on the World Wide Web. This is a singular contribution to the growing literature of Mazaua historiography. --Vicente Calibo de Jesus (talk) 05:10, 6 May 2008 (UTC)