Of another mission in the farthest villages of Yrraya in the
province of Cagayan
Not only in that mission of Zambales did the province labor in
that time, but also in another of not less fruit in the ends and
confines of Cagayan. There were formerly four villages there, namely,
Batavag, Pilitan, Bolo, and Abuatan. They comprised about two thousand
houses. Those villages in the seventh year of their foundation, when
although many of their inhabitants were heathens, notwithstanding
that more of them were already Christians, were abandoned on the day
of the Ascension of the Lord in the year 1615, by their dwellers, who
retired into the interior, deceived by their aniteras or priestesses,
who did not look with favor upon their Christianity, because of the
profit that they lost thereby in their sacrifices and diabolical
functions. And so much were those priestesses able to say to induce
them to make that retirement, that at last they resolved to do it,
apostatizing from the faith which they had received, as is mentioned
in the first part of this history, book 2, chapter 3. [7] That
apostasy caused great pain, especially to the fathers of Cagayan,
who had charge of those four villages which they had founded amid
severe labors, drawing their inhabitants from heathenism and luring
them to the faith of Christ. When they saw now that all that they
had obtained by their labor in many years was lost in one single day,
they were caused great pain and disconsolation, and they saw that the
fruit of their labors had been ill obtained. Therefore those fathers
made a few efforts on various occasions to reduce those Indians to
a settlement, but they obtained from them no further fruit than the
obtaining of a few souls whom God had predestined for His glory. But
since the zeal of the religious was directed to much more, namely,
the reduction of all that people, they lost no opportunity for that
enterprise, to solicit it with might and main.
In the year 1673, when the father commissary, Fray Phelipe Pardo,
was elected provincial of this province, the definitory (as we
remarked above) charged him straitly to strive for new missions
and reductions of heathens to the faith of Christ. Consequently,
the said father provincial going to visit the province of Cagayan,
the religious of that province petitioned him to found that mission
of Yrraya, and the prelate meeting their fervor, sent two religious
to that district, namely, father Fray Pedro Sanchez and father Fray
Geronimo de Ulloa, [8] who played the part of explorers, in order
that by talking and by treating with the apostates, they might sound
their minds and good will, and ascertain whether it was the season
for that harvest so that they might put therein the sickle of the
preaching. The two said religious went thither, and although the
apostates received them well, they could not obtain what they were
after by entreaty, namely, that they should reduce themselves to
their former villages. For those people were prevented beforehand by
the Indians of the village of Cabagan, who induced them, for their
own private interests, not to return to their Christianity. In order,
then, to get them to reestablish the said villages, they were prevented
from trading with the heathen, which was a source of great profit and
gain to them, and at the same time those of Cabagan remained more
in the interior of the province, without having so easy a place of
retreat open in time of any insurrection. Just as in the wars with
Portugal, some did not wish that country to be conquered, so that they
might have an easy refuge in the time of any trouble, so also, those
Indians of Cabagan, although Christians, induced the heathens not to
become Christians, and pointed out to them the burden of the tribute,
the polos, the personal services, and other penalties and troubles
which the Christians feel when they are settled. What passes in this
country is incredible, for on one and the same foundation, namely,
greed, opposing results are built. Many Chinese heathens live here,
and very rarely does one see one of them who dies without baptism, not
only because of the inducements of our religious, who have charge of
that mission, but also because when any of those heathens falls sick,
all his relatives, even the pagans, unite in persuading him to become
a Christian, not for any zeal which they have for the faith, for they
remain in their paganism, but for fear lest, if they die heathens,
their property might suffer some loss, as has been established in
practice according to law or custom. On the contrary, it happens among
the Indians, that the Christians of the villages near the heathens
persuade them not to become Christians, in order that they might not
lose thereby their commerce and trade, in which is placed their gain
and interest. And it is not to be wondered at that the Indians do so,
since they are new and recent Christians; for there are Europeans
who oppose the missions greatly, for their own interest. Whatever the
religious effect by their efforts is destroyed easily by an alcalde or
a commandant for his own private conveniences. This has always been,
and is, the cause, as abovesaid, of there being so much infidelity in
these islands. In fine, the two religious whom the provincial sent,
returned without it having been possible for them to obtain anything
of substance, as the apostates were very obstinate because of the
inducements of the people of Cabagan.
In the year 1677, a provincial chapter was held in this province. Among
other ordinances established in it was the one mentioned above several
times, namely, that the vicars of the villages near the heathens
endeavor most earnestly to reduce them. The venerable father, Fray
Pedro Ximenez, [9] an apostolic man, and one at home in missions,
was elected vicar of Cabagan in that chapter. In addition to the
said ordinance of the chapter, the recently-elected father provincial
charged him with the reduction of those infidels and apostates. The
father provincial going upon his visit, and consulting over the method
of that reduction with the fathers of the province of Cagayan, sent
the said father Fray Pedro Ximenez to the abovesaid site of Yrraya,
assigning him as companion of that undertaking his own associate and
secretary, then father Fray Andres Goncalez, afterward bishop of Nueva
Caceres. But the said father provincial having died in a few days,
the said reduction ceased for the time being.
In the following year of seventy-eight, a chapter was again held in
this province, and the said father Fray Pedro Ximenez was reelected
vicar of Cabagan. While that chapter was being held, the governor
of these islands, at the petition of the archbishop and the bishop
of Cagayan, as well as of the recently-elected father provincial,
namely, father Fray Balthasar de Santa Cruz, called a council of
war in regard to that reduction. In that council it was resolved
that the said father Fray Pedro Ximenez, selecting five Spaniards,
five Pampangos, and sixteen Indians should proceed to the reduction
of those heathens, summoning them in the name of the king, our
sovereign, by pardon for all their apostasies, murders, and other
crimes that they had committed, and that the apostates who became
reduced, would be excused from paying tribute for three years, and
the heathens for ten years if they were converted. He was ordered to
inform the superior government of the result of his journey so that
the measures necessary and fitting for the said reduction, might be
taken. With that order the said father, Fray Pedro Ximenez, went to
Cagayan. The alcalde-mayor of that province furnished him with all
that was needed for that undertaking, although the father refused
to take any soldiers with him but only the sixteen Indians for his
protection and so that they might act as rowers in the boat. The
father ascended to those paramos and desert places, and by treating
those heathens with kindness and gentleness he reduced many of those
of a district called Ziffun to descend to settle in a place called
Santa Rosa, where the village of Batavag had formerly stood. They did
that immediately without any delay, and without the aid of troops
or escorts. Besides them others offered themselves to the father,
in number about three hundred, but since they lived farther inland,
they needed escorts to accompany them and to take charge of their
effects and household goods. The alcalde-mayor of that province,
Admiral Don Pedro de la Pena, who was zealous for the honor of God and
for the welfare of souls, was of great help with his measures. They
were allowed to select a village where they wished to live. Some
of them went to Cabagan, others to the said village of Santa Rosa,
and others to another new village called Ytugug, which was under the
advocacy of Nuestra Senora de Victoria. Besides them a hundred persons
descended and founded the village of San Fernando, where the ancient
village of Bolo was established. Thus of the four former villages,
three have been reestablished, namely, San Fernando, Santa Rosa,
and Ytugug.
The devil was envious of that reduction, and accordingly attempted to
destroy it and undo it, making use of the same instruments by which he
had prevented it so many years before. He suggested then to an Indian
of Cabagan to stir up the Indians who had descended, but the latter
not daring to do it himself made use of a heathen called Baladdon. The
latter treacherously killed twelve persons of those who had recently
become settled, and through that deed the reduction was on the point of
being undone and the Indians of returning to the mountains, seeing how
little security there was in the villages. In order to quiet and calm
them the alcalde-mayor took a hand. By means of a troop of soldiers
whom he sent, he avenged those treacherous murders, by killing some
of the accomplices and capturing others, in all seventy in number;
and by looting their possessions and goods, which rightly went to
the troops. By that vengeance which was taken on those traitors,
the new villages were calmed and quieted, and the enemies were too
fearful to attempt another such thing. Father Fray Pedro remained in
the said new villages, instructing and teaching the apostates, and
catechising heathens, in order that they might receive holy baptism.
All this news was reported in Manila, and was gladly received there
by both the governor of these islands and the ministers of the royal
Audiencia. Taking action for the permanence of that reduction, they
ordered the alcalde of Cagayan to establish a presidio in the province
of Paniqui, which was located inland, so that the said new villages
might be assured, and the disturbances from the enemies cease. The
said presidio was not established, for although the alcalde-mayor of
the said province went by way of Cagayan, the one sent by the governor
did not arrive by way of Ytuy. But the journey of the alcalde-mayor of
Cagayan was not in vain, for father Fray Pedro had formerly treated
with some heathens of a place called Ambayao to descend to the new
villages, and now by the aid of the alcalde and his men father Fray
Pedro went down to the said Indians, with their wives, families,
and household goods, and reaching the village of Ytugug with them,
they were allowed to choose a site in which to live. Some hundred
of them remained there, while the others went down to Cabagan, Lalo,
Yguig, Fotol, and to other villages.
When the matter was at the height of its success, the devil managed
to put forth all his efforts in order to cause all the said reduction
to cease. He so overturned affairs that the very ones charged with
the movement, petitioned most earnestly that an end be put to it,
relying on some opinions apparently correct, but of little profit
to the mission. Hence father Fray Pedro was ordered to cease to
bring heathens to settle if troops and escorts were needed for that
purpose. The religious obeyed that new order and took care only to
instruct those who had been reduced, and did not attempt to make
further conquests with the aid of troops or escorts. But alone,
without troops or noise, people kept descending those mountains, and
many of them summoned him to go to get them. But since he was ordered
not to take troops, with only the Indians of the new villages, some
of whom were neophytes and others catechumens, he went through those
deserts and collected many apostates and heathens. On one occasion,
he led one hundred and fifteen persons, and one week afterward
another thirty-five followed from a place called Yobat. They said
to the father: "If you stay in Yobat two days more, a vast number of
people will descend. Do you not hear them calling to you from afar and
inviting you to go to them?" The said father did not understand it so,
but thought on the contrary that they were enemies, and as he had so
few people with him could not trust himself; besides those men whom
he took had enough to do in carrying the children and old and sick
people, and the possessions and household goods of those who descended.
Amid such glorious enterprises and tasks father Fray Pedro was
employed for seven years, during which he reduced very many apostates,
and baptized innumerable heathens, with whom he founded the three
villages above mentioned, which are still in existence today after a
period of more than sixty years. The other villages of the province
were increased by those who descended from the mountains to live in
them. But when the hopes of reducing all those pagans were greatest,
the devil laid such snares and so many witnesses rose up against the
father that it became necessary for this province to remove him from
that ministry, and to transfer him to another one very distant from
it. There without his rivals or least of all the devil designing it,
God carried him to other reductions, of which an account will be
given in due time. In the meanwhile that mission was taken charge
of by other fathers who were also zealous workers, who made their
raids into those mountains and the districts of the heathens from
time to time, and led many of them by means of their inducements
to descend to live in the settlement; in order that they might
be better taught and instructed in what pertained to the welfare
of their souls, until after the lapse of several years and [until]
all had been disabused of their error, and of the false opinion that
they were laboring under against the innocence of the said religious,
the province again placed him as minister of those new villages, in
order that he might continue the former reduction. By his efforts the
mission was rejuvenated and finally the father ended his days there,
as will be related farther on when treating of his death.
During these latter years in which this account is written, that
mission has been reestablished with seemingly more success than ever;
for although the attempt has been made several times to reduce all that
paganism, it has been impossible to obtain it until now as the said
heathens live in remote places and are separated from communication
with other provinces. Therefore, they seem almost unconvertible, as the
missionaries could not live among them without notable discomfort,
lack of health, and even not without danger to their lives. For
on eight or more occasions that the religious have entered those
mountains for the purpose of reducing the heathens who live in them,
sometimes escorted by soldiers, and at other times without that aid,
in all of them, they have experienced lack of health and death of the
missionaries and even of the soldiers who accompanied them. Hence,
the reduction of all that paganism was deemed impracticable. But now
during these latter years, the earnest solicitude of the prelates
has made that land communicable by opening through it a road from
the province of Pangasinan to that of Cagayan. Although very heavy
expenses have been incurred in this, this province considers those
expenses as excellently employed, since from them has followed the
conquering of the impenetrability of that land, the thing that rendered
the said reduction most difficult. That difficulty having been thus
removed, there has been no difficulty in the missionaries living and
dwelling there permanently, as at present some religious are doing,
occupied in the conversion of those heathens. Many of the latter are
now baptized and are founding many new villages which make a good
province distinct from those of Pangasinan and Cagayan; and it is
hoped that there will be a very plentiful harvest, according to the
good condition of the crops which are now apparently ripe and only
need the workers from Europa to gather the fruit of our labors.