_Of the election of our father, Fray Alonso Baraona_
Upon the arrival of the time set by the province, namely, the last
day of October of the said year 1617, all the fathers who had a vote
assembled, and discussed, as if in conflict, the question of electing
such a head to the province; that he could settle, as far as he was
able, the past quarrel, which had so upset the reputation of the order,
by his authority, example of life, and morals. For in no time had it
been more important for us to cut loose from our self-love and to fix
our eyes on our mother, the order, which was suffering for her sons;
and so that it might be understood that where there had been religious
who had caused so evil an example, there were also those who could,
by their example, edify a great community. According to this, father
Fray Estacio Ortíz seemed very suitable to those who were present. He
was the founder of the missions in Japon, and had always been known
to be of a very religious life and had been highly esteemed by the
civil government. Others declared that father Fray Alonso Ruiz, who
was known to be a person of singular virtue, was the man who ought to
fill that vacancy. Others, who had reasons therefor, sought another,
as they had present father Fray Francisco Bonifacio. In order to know
who he was, it sufficed to say that he had been prior of the convent
of San Nicolás de Sugbú, which is for the natives, without anything
ever being said in depreciation of his person. That, as was proper,
was regarded as a singular case, and not less that he went free as
did the children of Babilonia from the fire. He was a person who was
always the model for all the Pintados.
The one who was discussed least was our father Baraona, for he was
always humble by nature, and very free from pretensions, as he always
thought of himself with great humility. But, as our Lord regarded
him as provincial, He so managed affairs that votes were cast in his
favor without special effort, and he was elected as provincial. On
the last of October, then, endeavor was made, since there was nothing
to do, to have the voting fathers return to their provinces and
that the good of the province should be attempted, after deciding
on a far-reaching reformation; for our father Baraona had excellent
intentions, and to judge from these, it is to be believed that he would
direct all things in the sight of God. In his own person he visited
the province of Bisayas, which, as it was his own, he regarded with
especial love. That visit was not a small exploit, when one considers
the voyage. He always traveled at small expense, going in a champan,
like any other and very ordinary religious. He was the one who sent
most religious to España. Among them were the father visitor, Fray
Agustín Mejía, who, arriving afterward at Perú, was there adopted and
esteemed as his zeal and devotion deserved; the father definitor,
father Fray Felipe Tallada; father Fray Andrés de Ocampo, prior of
Macabebe; father Fray Baltasar Andrés; and father Fray Francisco de
Cuéllar. All died except father Fray Felipe Tallada, who afterward
returned to the province of Pampanga, where he was a fine linguist.
In the following year of 1618, with these religious he sent father
Fray Alonso del Rincón (then prior of the convent of Manila) to España
as procurator, in order to give account of the affair in España; and
to bring back religious, for death was rapidly thinning the ranks of
those who remained. He had good success, as we shall see.
After the good result with the Dutch at Octóng, which we have described
above, it happened that the Mindanaos conspired with their neighbors,
and came to plunder the islands, with a goodly number of caracoas
and vessels of all burden. They robbed much, captured, seized, and
burned, more than what can well be told; and, as fast as they filled
their boats, they sent them home. The commander of the Pintados,
Don Diego de Quiñones, was notified. He happened to be in Octóng,
where he immediately had seven very well equipped caracoas prepared,
with Indians to row and Spaniards to fight. He appointed creditable
men as commanders of them, and, as commander-in-chief of them all,
Captain Lázaro de Torres, the man who was with him in the affair
with the Dutch. The fleet set sail in stormy weather, and coasted the
island of Panay in search of the point of Potol, because the enemy had
to pass by there in order to return home. This occasioned much toil
because of the fury of the wind. Finally they reached the river, four
leguas from Potol. There they anchored, for the brisas, which there
are side winds, were breaking the counterbalances of the caracoas. At
that place the Indians told him that the enemy had arrived at Hambil,
an islet which, stretching between Potol and the island of Tablas,
forms channels between them. Thereupon he left, notwithstanding the
severe weather. Father Fray Martín de San Nicolás, associate in that
priorate, accompanied him from here, in a suitable boat. At length,
by dint of rowing, they reached the island, and when in shelter of it,
they learned that the enemy had anchored near by, behind a point that
served them as a harbor. Then order was given to the caracoas to follow
and do their duty, and at daybreak sail was set, in order to take the
enemy before they could perceive him. I have no wish to cast blame upon
the commanders of the caracoas, for they were men of great courage
and punctilious honor. Hence, they did not remain behind purposely,
but because they could sail no faster, for all boats are not equal. To
conclude, when the enemy were sighted, Captain Lázaro de Torres found
himself alone with three caracoas--his own, that of Alférez Patiño, and
that of Alférez Francisco de Mendoza, a creole from Sugbú. Our flagship
went straight toward the enemy. The others stationed themselves in
between, where they played havoc with the smaller craft. The small
boats of the enemy perceiving themselves attacked so suddenly, without
further counsel than that of fear, took to the open, which is there of
great extent, and scattered. It is reported that their loss was heavy,
and that only such and such a number arrived at Mindanao; and that
their captain-general was drowned. He was the son of Silongan, king of
Mindanao. Those who stayed behind to fight fought so bravely that the
outcome was doubtful; for the captain told me that they fought like
lions. Thus had the company [of the three caracoas] been destroyed,
and our men would have been in danger, for even yet the other four
caracoas had not arrived. Finally, the enemy's flagship was sunk,
and others foundered, while other boats took to flight through fear
of the firing, or allowed themselves to fall aside. Our men killed
many, and those who escaped, defended themselves cutlass in hand,
while swimming. Then approaching the island, our boats ceased firing,
in order to capture the enemy alive, so that they might have rowers
for their galleys. On this account about eighty landed. The Indians
seized a small height in order to defend themselves, whereat our
men were about to open fire on them. As soon as our men were ashore,
father Fray Martín de San Nicolás--who, more courageous than those
who did not come, was in the midst of the whole action, encouraging
our men--went to the Indians, and talked to and assured them so that
they gave up their arms and surrendered. I think that the captain
gave two of those slaves to the order to serve in whatever convent
the superior should think best. The remainder were taken to Octóng,
some of whom were sold, and others placed in the galleys, and those
were the most secure. Since that fleet, although innumerable fleets
have gone to attack the enemy who infest the islands, they have
never had good success, or closed with them while the enemy have
gone in and out from the islands every year, to the great loss of
the country--doubtless a chastisement on us.
[Several miraculous occurrences in various places are recounted,
all of which caused wonder. Medina continues:]
Our father Baraona, as he loved the province of Bisayas so dearly,
went through it, abandoning some houses and occupying others, and
exchanging and returning still others. And, in fact, although he did
it for the best, experience has proved that it has been bad for us. He
exchanged Aclán for Barbarán; and although the latter is on the river
Panay, it is a convent needy of all things, and has the most perverse
people, whom even yet we have been unable to subdue. The former was
very fine in all ways, and convenient for us; and within its gates it
is well supplied with all necessaries, both for itself and for other
convents. And although it is true that it could have been returned
to the order, because at the death of its first secular priest, the
bishop gave it. But the order made so little effort that it was lost;
for for what any other order would give a thousand flights, we let
slip for the sake of two steps of work.
Our order owes the district of Dumalag to the care of our father
Baraona, for he obtained it by entreaty from Don Juan de Silva--and
that while he was merely prior, and not provincial. It cost him
considerable labor, and was like to have cost his life, for he made
many trips to Manila and to Sugbú, and, in his labors in 1612,
he encountered death many times, embarking on the sea in only a
cockle-shell of a boat, and ploughing it for more than thirty hours,
when not a champán or caracoa was to be seen on the sea that was
not knocked to pieces by this storm, and those well equipped were
driven aground on some islands. The storms past, the father found
himself on the island of Mindanao, without food. He had some dogs,
for he was very fond of hunting. He ordered his men to go up the
mountain, and perhaps they would find some game which they could
take, for all were perishing from hunger. All went but himself, and
he remained or the shore. But by and by a deer of unusually large
size came bounding down toward him, to seek the protection of the
water in order to escape from the dogs. Our father, who saw it pass,
eager for the chase, went behind the deer, and seized it, so that
had not his men arrived so promptly after the dogs, he had drowned
there. For the deer had already taken to the deep water; and the
father, weighed down by his thoroughly soaked garments, was almost
drowned. But his men saved him from this danger, and killed the deer.
After they had embarked and had reached the harbor-bar of Aclán,
the little boat was overturned, so that the father lost everything,
and was able to save only the clothes on his back. Thus that boat,
which withstood so many buffetings of the sea without any harm,
happened to overturn four brazas from shore, through the carelessness
of its steersman.
After he became provincial, he left the islands with the priorate of
Ibabay for that of Tigbauan. This was not a bad thing, for the latter
was very far from intercourse and people, and in great danger. There
was necessity for religious, and permission was sent to India so
that some could come. They began to come, but experience has proved
that this measure is not effective; for when it is desired to bestow
habits they can be given to youth in Manila, who have come from España,
many clever ones of whom are in the colleges.
As soon as he could, he made father Fray Alonso de Méntrida--who was
without an appointment in this province of Bisayas, and was a pattern
for the order, as we shall see later--prior of Manila.
In all other things, he did his utmost in the service of the province,
as the great religious that he ever was. As he busied himself in going
at times to the country, he happened to discover some remarkable
things. Among others, he discovered in Dumalag a vast cave, which
must have extended more than one or two leguas. The father walked
a great distance in it, but never found its end, for his lights
went out. Another time he found a cedar-tree in the mountains of
this district, which some wind had laid low. He had a boat made of
it, the largest one ever seen in these islands that was made from
one log. I embarked in it; it must have been more than one braza
long. It was laden with more than one hundred baskets of winnowed
rice, and it carried many planks of remarkable size before the log
was destroyed. A man on one side of it was unable to see the person
on the other side. To conclude, the tree had the largest diameter
that I have ever seen. I have traveled widely and seen many trees,
but none of equal size.
While Father Baraona was prior of Salog, he had come from Dumangas, and
was returning to his convent. He did not cross in the open, but went
slowly along the coast. When they reached a beach, his crew stopped to
eat, but he meanwhile walked inland. He had a dog which went before,
and, following it, the father found that it had laid hold of a boar,
which had tusks one palmo long, and which was as large as a yearling
heifer. It was so furious that it had beaten down the reeds as a number
of mares thresh out the corn. No sooner did it see the father than it
attacked him. The father gave it a slight lance-thrust in the skin,
but the point, turning, entered no farther than the very outside. The
dog remained true, and held the boar by one leg; but the boar did not
discontinue to strike at the father with great fury. But the blows
that it thus gave him were received in his habit, which he endured
until the arrival of the Indians, with whose aid they killed that
savage animal. Brother Fray Andrés Garcia assured me that he had
never seen anything so terrible looking in España, Italia, or any
place. Many other things happened to the father, which might make a
long history, but do not apply to the matter in hand.
He was much loved by the Indians, for he rendered free and open aid
to them, so far as he was able.