Spanish East Indies chief consort, and his subjects. Seeking to develop trade between the East Indies and the Americas across the Pacific Ocean, Antonio de Mendoza encouraged the exploration of these Asian territories and commissioned the expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos to the Philippines in 1542–1543. Miguel López de Legazpi set out from Mexico, and established the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines in 1565, which became the town of San Miguel in present-day Cebu. That same year, another member of the expedition, Andrés de Urdaneta discovered a maritime route from the Philippines to Mexico, across the Pacific, leading to the important
East Indies theatre of the French Revolutionary Wars to Macau. After seeing his charges into harbour in December, Captain Edward Cooke investigated Manila himself in "Sybille", accompanied by "Fox". There he discovered the weak state of the Spanish squadron. Other British ships were operating in the East Indies: in July 1797, "Resistance" and a force of EIC troops captured Kupang on Timor but were subsequently driven off by an armed uprising by the Malay citizens of the town. In the street fighting 13 British troops and 300 Malays were killed. "Resistance" was subsequently lost on 24 July 1798, accidentally destroyed with more than 300 of its crew in