Contextualising Fragments Containing Fresh Perspectives about the Spanish Settlements in Taiwan (1636–1638)

Abstract

This article examines extracts relating to the period 1636–1638 in Taiwan, when the Spanish occupied two settlements in northern Taiwan, one of them being abandoned in 1637. These fragments reveal fresh perspectives on Taiwan as a stepping stone between the Philippines, the Ryukyu islands, and mainland China, giving rare first-hand accounts of the perils of journeys to these places from Taiwan’s Spanish settlements in the 1630s. The extracts also reveal fresh aspects to Spanish relationships with Taiwan’s Indigenous people. These descriptions add to arguments that the Indigenous people had a significant influence on the departure of the Spanish from the island. The fragmentary details in these texts give further evidence of the multinational exchange that took place during those years. To analyse these fragments, a thematic analysis places them at the centre of discussions, to explore what they add to existing knowledge about the settlements during those years.