ANNO DOM. 1569 to 1571.
Of the Conquest of Manila.
The supply of provisions having been very short, in consequence of
the Portuguese, in some measure, blockading the port, the General,
to guard against being exposed to the same danger a second time,
determined to change his position, and establish himself in a more
fertile country than that he then occupied. He ordered the camp to
be immediately removed to the island of Panay: with this commission
he charged his grandson, Philip de Salcedo, who was very cordially
received by the natives, because he had formerly assisted them against
their enemies, and enabled them to make many prisoners. Captain Luis de
la Haya was ordered to go with his detachment, to the river Araut in
the same island; Captain Andres de Ybarra to the island of Masbate;
and the Colonel was ordered to remain in Zebu. In the interim the
camp was established in Panay, and the patache San Lucas remained at
Zebu, preparing to depart for New Spain. Juan de Salcedo ordered his
brother Philip to Panay with another vessel, which conveyed the books
and effects of his grandfather, all of which were lost in a storm;
which loss, although he felt it severely, Legaspi bore with exemplary
patience and fortitude.
Philip de Salcedo having loaded the patache San Lucas, sailed from
Zebu, and, in a few days after her departure, fell in with the San
Juan, which had sailed from Acapulco, and was commanded by Captain
Juan Lopez de Aguirre; Salcedo returned with her to Zebu, and, on
the 10th of July, sailed a second time on his voyage. By the San
Juan the Augustine fathers had sent Friar Herrera, having appointed
him a provincial, or clerical head of a province, which was the
first they had established in the Philippines. Their intention was
by this appointment, to increase the importance of the religious
orders, and induce higher respect from the new converts; the effect,
accordingly, was the addition of many to the number, stimulated too,
by the example of Tupas and his son: Legaspi stood godfather to Tupas,
who was christened Philip, in compliment to the King of Spain;
and his son was christened Charles, and had, as his godfather,
Juan de Salcedo. The feasts which were held on the day these two
new Christians were baptized, contributed, at the same time, to the
conversion of many others. This was a measure of great expediency,
although the duty of the fathers became necessarily so much more
enlarged. It was determined that a friar, whose name was Juan Alba,
should be sent to attempt the conversion of the isle of Masbate;
and another, by the name of Alonzo Ximenes, to the river Araut, in
the island of Panay, where he made many converts. Friar Martin de
Rada remained in Zebu, and the rest of the clergy accompanied the
General in the conquest of Manila.
The General Legaspi arrived at Panay, accompanied by the Colonel,
who, however, immediately returned to his command at Zebu, together
with his wife, who had just arrived from New Spain with Captain Juan
Lopez de Aguirre, in the ship San Juan. Legaspi was received by the
natives of Panay with every demonstration of joy, and they appeared
more sincere in their professions than those of Zebu. He constructed,
with all expedition, some works, to enable him to resist the attempts
of the squadron of Pereyra, and check the proceedings of a swarm of
pirates, which had issued from Jolo and Borneo in twenty vessels,
called vireyes, and had captured a Spanish vessel, with the crew. The
Colonel attacked these pirates with nine proas: he took four vireyes,
and would have taken the whole, had not seven of his vessels been too
much astern. Having forwarded the account of this engagement to the
General, he was now at liberty to assist the inhabitants of Aclan,
who had sustained considerable injury from the pirates of Mindoro. In
the month of January, 1570, Juan de Salcedo sailed on this expedition
with thirty Spaniards and many friendly Indians. He entered the town
of Mamburao, and, having made himself master of it, compelled the
inhabitants to ransom themselves with gold; after which he proceeded
to the isle of Lucban, where the pirates of Mindoro had taken refuge,
and had protected themselves by some indifferent works; he, with
ease, forced their intrenchments, attacked them with fire-arms,
and, as they were unable to resist this mode of warfare, they agreed
to ransom themselves with gold, as the inhabitants of Mamburao had
done. Salcedo divided the spoil among his soldiers and the Indians,
and returned to Panay, to give an account of this expedition.
The General, who was determined above all things on the conquest
of Manila, named the Colonel as commandant, and sent with him his
grandson, Juan de Salcedo, with an hundred and twenty Spaniards,
and many friendly Indians, to accomplish it. They sailed from Panay
the beginning of May 1570. The Colonel went directly against Manila,
but Juan de Salcedo turned aside to the country about the lake of
Bombon, which is now called the Province of Batangas, to treat with
the natives. He sent the usual peace-offerings, but they answered
him with their arms. He engaged them, and would have succeeded,
but received so severe a wound in his leg from an arrow, that he
was compelled to abandon his enterprise, and follow the Colonel to
Manila. The Colonel made terms with the Rajah, who was a good old
man, and whom history calls Raxa Matanda, that is, the old Rajah; he
had a nephew of the name of Raxa Soliman, who, likewise, made terms
with the Colonel; but little dependence could be placed on him, as he
evidently was no friend to the Spaniards, and had, as it was supposed,
secreted provisions. He was accused, likewise, of exciting the Indians
to murder the Spaniards, while on shore, which obliged our people to
behave with great circumspection toward them. One day Raxa Soliman
even ordered his men to fire upon our shipping, and, after having done
us considerable damage, he embarked on board a large junk, and left
the river, firing at us as he passed [17]. The Colonel instantly landed,
leaving Juan de Salcedo in charge of the ships, and, with eighty men,
stormed the fort which the Indians had at the mouth of the river, and
where at present stands the fort of Santiago. He ordered his soldiers
to attack the guns, and they were so fortunate in their attack,
as in their first onset to kill the principal artillery officer,
who appeared to be an European, as he was seen to cross himself
before he died [18]; the remainder, were by the vigour of the assault,
compelled to fly towards the town, which they burnt in their retreat,
that the Spaniards might not profit by their success. Among other
things, a foundery for cannon was destroyed, and it was supposed
they had thrown many pieces of artillery into the sea, as only
twelve, and a few falconets (a piece so called), were found in the
place. The old Rajah was not a party in this disturbance, as neither
he nor any of his people were engaged; and his fidelity was proved,
by his having displayed from his house a white flag, during the time
the action lasted. The Colonel, fearing that if he remained longer,
he should encounter the south-west monsoon, and be unable to return,
retired immediately to Cavite, to do the needful repairs to his ships,
and in two days sailed for Panay.
On the 23d of June of this year, Captain Juan de la Isla arrived
with three vessels, in which came the Friar Perrera with two other
religious, viz. Friar Diego Ordunez, and Friar Diego de Espinar, who
came to labour in this new vineyard. Despatches were brought by them
from his Majesty, by which Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was constituted
President of the islands of the Ladrones, and he was recommended to
settle the Philippines; at the same time his Majesty bestowed portions
of lands, with their inhabitants, on all who might be engaged in the
conquest. With a view to put these orders in execution, Legaspi first
despatched from Panay, the same Captain Juan de la Isla, with two ships
to Acapulco, and sailed for Zebu, where he ordered it to be proclaimed,
that he intended to erect the town which had been built into a
city, and to give every encouragement to increase the population,
directing those who wished to settle in it to go before the notary,
to be enrolled by five hundreds. On New Year's day, 1571, he named
two ordinary alcaldes, six regidores, a notary, and two alguazils,
who immediately took the customary oath on entering their office, and
he strictly enjoined them the discharge of their respective duties. He
likewise directed that the town, which had till then been called San
Miguel, should be named the City del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, in
memory of the discovery of the sacred child, as before related. He
settled the manner, in which rewards should be distributed among
the tributary Indians, who were in the neighbourhood of the city,
and left them under the care of the treasurer, Guido de Labezares,
in order that he might have the opportunity of finishing a stone fort,
which he had ordered to be constructed. All these and many subordinate
objects, being attained by the end of January, he returned to Panay,
to attempt from thence the conquest of Manila.
Immediately after the President arrived at Panay, the Colonel,
attended by all the officers and soldiers, joined him, leaving in
Masbate the Padre Alba with six men, and in Dumangas Padre Ximenes, in
charge of the new conquests. The Padre Herrera, with other religious,
accompanied the General in his expedition against Manila, on which he
sailed the 15th of April; and in the island of Lutaga he reviewed his
force, and found they amounted to two hundred and eighty soldiers,
consisting partly of his own people, of those of the Colonel, of
Captains Andres de Ybarra, Luis de la Haya, and Juan de Salcedo. He
passed by the island of Mindoro, and settled the tribute which the
natives were to pay to the King of Spain. Here he had the opportunity
of saving a Chinese vessel called a Sampan, from foundering; and
he received the crew, with that kindness and warmth of feeling,
so natural to the Spaniards.
The Chinese acknowledged the kindness of the Spaniards, and formed
a friendly connection with them. The President continued his voyage,
and entered Cavite, where he waited the arrival of those who had fallen
astern; meantime he treated with the natives of the place, and received
them as vassals of the King of Spain. Two days after he arrived, he
entered with all his squadron into the river of Manila. The Indians,
thinking the Spaniards had returned, to punish them for the resistance
they had made to the Colonel, set fire to the town, and with their
effects fled to Tondo. The President sent the Colonel to bring them
to terms, who, arriving at their camp, gave them to understand, by
means of an interpreter, that the Spaniards had not come with the
intention of doing them any injury. On learning this, some began
to quench the flames, and others went in search of the old Rajah;
and Lacandola, the chief of Tondo, immediately went with others to
wait on Legaspi. He received them with a smiling countenance, and
told them that he came as a friend, provided they acknowledged the
King of Spain, as their king and natural lord and master, who would
receive them under his protection, and relieve their distresses. The
principal motive, he said, which induced his Majesty to send him there,
was to propagate the true worship of one all powerful God; that he
had brought several sacred characters with him for that purpose, and
shewing them Padre Herrera, said that he was the principal of those,
who were to be their teachers. They promised to become vassals of the
King of Spain, and hear the law which they were to be taught; he hinted
to them that he did not see Rajah Soliman with them: they replied,
that he dared not appear after what had happened with the Colonel on
the first expedition; but if he would pardon him, he would immediately
appear, and promise obedience, as the rest had done. The General not
only promised to pardon him, but sent him a message to that effect,
without, however, being able to remove his apprehensions at that time.
But on the 18th of May, Rajah Soliman arrived, accompanied by his
uncle Rajah Matanda and Lacandola, making many apologies for what
had passed. The General pardoned and received him as a vassal of
his Majesty, and as such he was registered by the notary, Hernando
Riguel. Legaspi immediately commenced his arrangements for founding a
new city, and directed the Indians to finish the fort they had begun
in the mouth of the river. Behind this he erected a large building,
which served as a palace, with a church and convent for the religious,
and an hundred and twenty smaller houses for the remainder of the
Spaniards, intending this city to be the seat of government, both
spiritual and temporal, of the islands. The whole of this, the Indians
engaged to accomplish with great despatch, but it was found necessary,
to employ the Spaniards to assist them in it. A good understanding
being thus established, between the natives of Manila and Tondo and
the Spaniards, Manila was taken possession of on the day following,
the 19th of May, 1571, when, in a temporary church, the feast of
the blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated, who, from that circumstance,
was named the patroness of the new city.
The peace which Rajah Soliman and Lacandola had made, was, on their
part, by no means sincere, for the Indians of Macabebe and Hagonoy,
appearing at the mouth of the harbour of Bancusay, with forty caracoas
(an Indian vessel), proceeded to the house of Lacandola. These
men jeered at and reproached the Indians, for submitting with such
readiness, to such an insignificant number of Spaniards, promising,
if they were disposed to shake off the yoke, that they should be
assisted from Tondo and the neighbouring country, and not leave one
Spaniard alive. The President, supposing those Indians who had arrived,
had come to solicit peace, sent two Spaniards to assure them that they
might present themselves to him without fear. The chief of the Indians,
after listening to these ambassadors, leaped on his feet, and drawing
and flourishing his cimeter, he said, "The sun gave me life, and I
must not be disgraced in the eyes of my women, who would detest me,
if they thought I was capable, of being on friendly terms with the
Spaniards." With this speech he quitted the house, without waiting
to go down by the ladder, for, with great boldness, he leaped out of
the window into his caracoa, calling out to the Spaniards, "I expect
you in the bay of Bancusay." Legaspi determined upon punishing such
conduct, and sent against him the Colonel Martin de Goite with eighty
Spaniards, in some newly constructed small vessels. The Indian chief
was true to his word, and waited for them where he had said, with his
squadron. The battle began, and he fought with great valour; but,
in a short time, being killed by a musket shot, the rest dismayed,
fled with great precipitation; our people pursued, and made many
prisoners, among whom were the son of Lacandola, and his nephew,
by which his deceit and dissimulation were sufficiently manifest;
the President, however, sent them home, without the punishment they
merited for their treason. After this engagement, the natives became so
much afraid of the Spaniards, that many chiefs came to Manila begging
peace, and offering to become vassals of the king of Spain. By this
time, the works which had been ordered in Manila were considerably
advanced, and, on the day of St. John the Baptist, the President,
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, founded the city as the metropolis of the
Philippine Islands, appointing two ordinary alcaldes, twelve regidores,
an alguazil mayor, and a notary, who all took the customary oaths, to
discharge the duties of their respective offices with justice. This
ceremony took place while Philip II. was King of Spain, and Pius
V. was in the fifth year of his pontificate, the first governor
being the President, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. The public square was
now marked out, with the situation of the convent of San Augustine,
and the subordinate arrangements were left to the magistracy. Legaspi
ordered the city to be called Manila, of which his Majesty approved,
giving it a coat of arms. This city is placed in fourteen degrees
and a half of north latitude, and is thought to be the antipodes of
the river Saint Ann, in Brazil, which is in the same latitude in the
opposite tropic of Capricorn.