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Archaeological Evidence of Ophir’s Gold

In 1946, archaeologists discovered inscribed pottery shards referencing Ophir's gold...

Did the Jesuits Shrink the China Sea?

“They [Jesuits] altered ancient geographies, adjusted cartographic labels, and redrew routes to suit ecclesiastical and political needs.”

— Historical summary of Jesuit cartographic influence, paraphrased from "Jesuit Science and the Republic of Letters", Feingold, 2003

“When all else fails, just move the islands and shrink the distance. Then blame Tim for quoting too much Barbosa also forgetting several other sources that affirm Barbosa already covered, including Pinto. Oops!”
— The Smoking Quill

Note: The image referenced above is artistic in nature, created specifically for this blog post—just as the map art featured in our previous blog entry was not an actual cartographic representation, but rather an artistic interpretation.

🔥 THE SMOKING QUILL | June 2, 2025

From 175 to 30 Leagues — The Jesuit Shrink Ray In Action

When the distances didn’t fit their dogma… they shrank the sea.

— The Smoking Quill

✂️ Welcome to Another Chapter in the Colonial Trail of Tears

The defenders of the Ryukyu = Lequios narrative are now claiming that Timothy Schwab’s use of “175 leagues” from Barbosa is “anomalous,” “unreliable,” and “methodologically weak.”

But here’s what they’re not telling you:

It’s not just one source.
It’s not just Barbosa.
And it’s definitely not wrong.

Instead of addressing dozens of early sources confirming the Philippines as Lequios, our critics reach for a single Jesuit estimate of “30 leagues east of China” — and pretend that invalidates everything.

It doesn’t.

In fact, that contradiction is the smoking quill.

🧭 Distance Breakdown: What the Real Sources Say

📜 Let’s Add One More Nail: Pinto’s 250-League Bombshell

Historian Rebecca Catz, in her translation of The Travels of Mendes Pinto, documents a letter dated December 5, 1554, from Pinto to the Jesuits. In it, he states the Lequios Islands are 250 leagues from China.

Let that sink in.

That’s not 30 leagues. And it’s definitely not Ryukyu.

Even more devastating — Pinto adds that from Lequios, one must travel another 100 leagues to reach Japan. This directly supports the location of Lequios as the Batanes–Northern Luzon region, not Okinawa, which sits only ~137 leagues from China to begin with.

📏 The only way to reconcile the “Ryukyu = Lequios” claim…
…is with a Jesuit Shrink Rayand a complete erasure of all corroborating geography.

So when a blogger mocks this mountain of primary sources — pretending Tim has “no support” — they’re not just being dishonest.

They’re depending on the audience not reading the maps…
…or not doing the math.

🧠 So Let’s Ask:

How did 175 leagues suddenly become 30?
How did a land known for gold, sea trade, and sovereignty become Okinawa?

Answer:
They moved the land.
They shrunk the sea.
They erased the name.

🎯 The Jesuit Shrink Ray at Work

When missionary narratives couldn’t reconcile the facts:

They reassigned Lequios to Ryukyu (in writings)
They ignored earlier distances, maps, and Latitudes
They scribbled “[Liu-Kiu]” in brackets into Spanish texts in fraud
They shrunk the distances from 175 leagues (confirmed as 150 by Pinto even) to 30
(…while ignoring that Ryukyu is still over 130 leagues from China! Oops!)

💬 "Still not close enough..."

📜 The Final Word

Tim didn’t misread the sources — they misrepresented the truth using a passage from the Joker's playbook.

The only way Ryukyu becomes Lequios is if:

Geography no longer matters
Trade history is erased
All the maps from 1500–1590 are ignored
And the sea itself is compressed with missionary magic

Lequios was the Philippines.
The evidence is overwhelming.
And the only thing shrinking here…
…is the credibility of the opposition.

🖋️ — The Smoking Quill

Defending Truth. Exposing Revisions. Restoring the Record.

#JesuitHistory#LequiosTruth#PhilippineGold#RyukyuMyth

#ColonialCartography#TheSmokingQuill#HistoricalMaps#JesuitFraud

#LuzonLequios#TimothyJaySchwab#BiblicalPhilippines

ADDITION:

🗺️ A Jesuit Colonial Trail of Tears
The visual record of how truth was displaced, overwritten, and erased.

🎉 “The maps were never lost… only silenced. Now, the silenced speak.”

📌 1. 1714 Vander Aa – "Lossonia 5ve"
Labels the east Luzon isles as Lossonia and places "I. Parta" west of Batanes.A direct resurrection of Pinto’s Five Isles narrative.

📌 2. 1640 Jan Jansson Map
Omits Batanes but names Taiwan as "Lequios"Places "I. de Prata" west of a cluster of 5 yellow islets, very close to the Babuyanes.

📍 3. 1700 Valk Map
Labels “5. Insulae” above Luzon and includes Prata Isle, preserving the Lequios identification.

📌 4. 1774 Dutch Map
Offers fine delineation of the five Batanes isles with Prata just west. Labels Luzon as Luconia.

📌 5. 1706 Thornton Map
Uses “Five Islands” and places Prata directly west of Luzon.
The R. Hecos or R. Ilecos stands out as the Lequios River from other maps.

📌 6. 1700 Vander Aa Map – Pigafetta-Inspired

Clearly ties 5 Isles of Pinto, Prata, and the Philippines into one cohesive region.

📌 7.

1650 Antoine de Fer Map

Names Luzon as "Leuconia," echoing Lequios, and situates it above Mindanao just below the Tropic of Cancer where Luzon is.

📌 8.

1690 Coronelli Map

Offers a stunning depiction of Luzon as a bifurcated landmass, with terms like "Lucon creduta favolosa" or "Lucon believed to be fabulous" implying mythical fame—possibly a nod to Zipangu/Ophir myths.
Notice as well the bifurcated island in 2 sections– North and South just as we referenced previously.

📌 9.

1645 Spilbergen Map

Names the northern part of Luzon as “I. Locos”, a variant of “Lequios”. West of Batanes, an isle labeled “Wateb” appears—possibly a distorted Prata or ghost island.
Wateb as a label also appears as "or Isla de Prata on other maps.

📌 10.

1644-58 Janssonius Map (Colorized)

Replaces Ilocos with “ILLECOS”, a near-exact spelling of Lequios.
Preserves I. de Prata and 5 yellow isles.

Cantino World Map

1502

[See above]

Lequios of Zambales at 17N. Affirmed within.

Jorge Reinel/Rodriguez Chart

1512

[Click Image for Blog Link]

"The Main Island of Lequios" is charted and noted geographically near Luzon, not near Okinawa.

Diogo Ribeiro Map

1527

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Locates Lequios near Luzon, reinforcing the Philippines as the center of early Southeast Asian trade routes.

Anonymous Penrose Chart

1535

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Lequios plotted between 17°–20° North Latitude, matching Northern Philippines, not Okinawa.

Santa Cruz Map

1539

[See above]

SPANISH GOVERNMENT MAP! Luquios as Luzon, Philippines With Visayas and Mindanao Charted With It.

Sebastian Cabot Map

1544

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Cabot's 'Canal of Lequios' flows into the West Philippine Sea, cementing Lequios’ geographic tie to the Philippines. 10-15N.

Lopo Homem Planisphere

1554

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Colonial Propaganda Begins! Homem still places Lequios closer to the Philippines; later maps begin shifting it northward under colonial reinterpretations.

Giacomo Gastaldi

1561

Lequios Canal continues to be recognized near Palawan, and labels North Luzon as "Cangu", the likely Zipangu of Marco Polo.

Italian Urbano Monti Map

1587

Canal route for major trade between Palawan and Borneo still referenced where Lequios Canal is on previous maps.

Spanish Maris Pacifici: Abraham Ortelius

1589

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Ortelius’ 1589 map silently reversed Portuguese propaganda by restoring the Philippines’ true heritage.

Mercator Map

1607

[Click Image for Blog Link]

The famous Mercator labels Batanes just South of Taiwan as Lequio Major where Pinto was shipwrecked.

Dutch Globe

1613

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Flemish and Dutch engraver and cartographer preserves Batanes as Pintos' location for Lequios while bending to Colonial pressure for Ryukyu.

Hondius, Jodocus, and Giuseppe Di Rossi.

1615

Batanes maintained as Lequio and Ryukyu as Lequi Grand.

P. Bertius Map

1627

Lequios Minor and Pequeno are both place in the Batanes Islands in the Philippines, while moving Lequeo Grande to Ryukyu in error.

Albernaz Map

1630

4 Maps include Lequios in one Atlas. All equate Batanes Islands, Philippines as Lequeo–3 of them as Grande (main) and 1 confuses it with Ryukyu. One can see the mindset waffling into Colonial propaganda.

Bleau Map

1640

The 5 Isles of Pinto's legend appear just to the West of Batanes defining it as Lequios. This same dynamic occurs on the:

1676 Speed Map

1700 Visscher Map

French Map

1752

Just west of the Bashee Isles (Batanes), the map boldly labels:

“Les 5 Isles” — The Five Islands

Relating the legend from Pinto's shipreck with Batanes as Lequios.

Spanish-British Map

1794

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Lequios River, Batanes as Pinto's Shipwreck, Five Isles, and the Final Blow to Ryukyu Theory.

Italian Map

1799

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Pinto's legend of The 5 Isles appears West of Batanes, as Lequios.

🪶 “History didn’t just speak — it sang… and the world finally listened.”

“The final page wasn’t colonial ink — it was joy, justice, and memory.”

Archaeological Evidence of Ophir’s Gold

Want Exclusive Research Updates?

Did the Jesuits Shrink the China Sea?

“They [Jesuits] altered ancient geographies, adjusted cartographic labels, and redrew routes to suit ecclesiastical and political needs.”

🔥 THE SMOKING QUILL | June 2, 2025

From 175 to 30 Leagues — The Jesuit Shrink Ray In Action

✂️ Welcome to Another Chapter in the Colonial Trail of Tears

🧭 Distance Breakdown: What the Real Sources Say

📜 Let’s Add One More Nail: Pinto’s 250-League Bombshell

🧠 So Let’s Ask:

How did 175 leagues suddenly become 30?How did a land known for gold, sea trade, and sovereignty become Okinawa?

Answer:They moved the land.They shrunk the sea.They erased the name.

🎯 The Jesuit Shrink Ray at Work

When missionary narratives couldn’t reconcile the facts:

They reassigned Lequios to Ryukyu (in writings)

They ignored earlier distances, maps, and Latitudes

They scribbled “[Liu-Kiu]” in brackets into Spanish texts in fraud

They shrunk the distances from 175 leagues (confirmed as 150 by Pinto even) to 30(…while ignoring that Ryukyu is still over 130 leagues from China! Oops!)

📜 The Final Word

The only way Ryukyu becomes Lequios is if:

Geography no longer matters

Trade history is erased

All the maps from 1500–1590 are ignored

And the sea itself is compressed with missionary magic

Lequios was the Philippines.The evidence is overwhelming.And the only thing shrinking here……is the credibility of the opposition.

🖋️ — The Smoking Quill

ADDITION:

🗺️ A Jesuit Colonial Trail of TearsThe visual record of how truth was displaced, overwritten, and erased.

📌 1. 1714 Vander Aa – "Lossonia 5ve"Labels the east Luzon isles as Lossonia and places "I. Parta" west of Batanes.A direct resurrection of Pinto’s Five Isles narrative.

📌 2. 1640 Jan Jansson MapOmits Batanes but names Taiwan as "Lequios"Places "I. de Prata" west of a cluster of 5 yellow islets, very close to the Babuyanes.

📍 3. 1700 Valk MapLabels “5. Insulae” above Luzon and includes Prata Isle, preserving the Lequios identification.

📌 4. 1774 Dutch MapOffers fine delineation of the five Batanes isles with Prata just west. Labels Luzon as Luconia.

📌 5. 1706 Thornton MapUses “Five Islands” and places Prata directly west of Luzon.The R. Hecos or R. Ilecos stands out as the Lequios River from other maps.

📌 6. 1700 Vander Aa Map – Pigafetta-Inspired

Clearly ties 5 Isles of Pinto, Prata, and the Philippines into one cohesive region.

📌 7.

1650 Antoine de Fer Map

Names Luzon as "Leuconia," echoing Lequios, and situates it above Mindanao just below the Tropic of Cancer where Luzon is.

📌 8.

1690 Coronelli Map

Offers a stunning depiction of Luzon as a bifurcated landmass, with terms like "Lucon creduta favolosa" or "Lucon believed to be fabulous" implying mythical fame—possibly a nod to Zipangu/Ophir myths.

Notice as well the bifurcated island in 2 sections– North and South just as we referenced previously.

📌 9.

1645 Spilbergen Map

Names the northern part of Luzon as “I. Locos”, a variant of “Lequios”. West of Batanes, an isle labeled “Wateb” appears—possibly a distorted Prata or ghost island.

Wateb as a label also appears as "or Isla de Prata on other maps.

📌 10.

1644-58 Janssonius Map (Colorized)

Replaces Ilocos with “ILLECOS”, a near-exact spelling of Lequios.

Preserves I. de Prata and 5 yellow isles.

1502

Lequios of Zambales at 17N. Affirmed within.

1512

1527

Locates Lequios near Luzon, reinforcing the Philippines as the center of early Southeast Asian trade routes.

1535

Lequios plotted between 17°–20° North Latitude, matching Northern Philippines, not Okinawa.

1539

SPANISH GOVERNMENT MAP! Luquios as Luzon, Philippines With Visayas and Mindanao Charted With It.

1544

1554

Colonial Propaganda Begins! Homem still places Lequios closer to the Philippines; later maps begin shifting it northward under colonial reinterpretations.

1561

Lequios Canal continues to be recognized near Palawan, and labels North Luzon as "Cangu", the likely Zipangu of Marco Polo.

1587

Canal route for major trade between Palawan and Borneo still referenced where Lequios Canal is on previous maps.

1589

Ortelius’ 1589 map silently reversed Portuguese propaganda by restoring the Philippines’ true heritage.

1607

1613

1615

1627

Lequios Minor and Pequeno are both place in the Batanes Islands in the Philippines, while moving Lequeo Grande to Ryukyu in error.

1630

4 Maps include Lequios in one Atlas. All equate Batanes Islands, Philippines as Lequeo–3 of them as Grande (main) and 1 confuses it with Ryukyu. One can see the mindset waffling into Colonial propaganda.

1640

1676 Speed Map

1700 Visscher Map

1752

1794

How did 175 leagues suddenly become 30?
How did a land known for gold, sea trade, and sovereignty become Okinawa?

Answer:
They moved the land.
They shrunk the sea.
They erased the name.

They shrunk the distances from 175 leagues (confirmed as 150 by Pinto even) to 30
(…while ignoring that Ryukyu is still over 130 leagues from China! Oops!)

Lequios was the Philippines.
The evidence is overwhelming.
And the only thing shrinking here…
…is the credibility of the opposition.

🗺️ A Jesuit Colonial Trail of Tears
The visual record of how truth was displaced, overwritten, and erased.

📌 1. 1714 Vander Aa – "Lossonia 5ve"
Labels the east Luzon isles as Lossonia and places "I. Parta" west of Batanes.A direct resurrection of Pinto’s Five Isles narrative.

📌 2. 1640 Jan Jansson Map
Omits Batanes but names Taiwan as "Lequios"Places "I. de Prata" west of a cluster of 5 yellow islets, very close to the Babuyanes.

📍 3. 1700 Valk Map
Labels “5. Insulae” above Luzon and includes Prata Isle, preserving the Lequios identification.

📌 4. 1774 Dutch Map
Offers fine delineation of the five Batanes isles with Prata just west. Labels Luzon as Luconia.

📌 5. 1706 Thornton Map
Uses “Five Islands” and places Prata directly west of Luzon.
The R. Hecos or R. Ilecos stands out as the Lequios River from other maps.