ANNO DOM. 1575.
Of the Administration of Don Francisco La Sande, second Governor
of Manila.
Doctor Don Francisco La Sande, born at Caceres in Estremadura,
and Oidor of Mexico, took possession of this government on the
24th of August 1575. He instituted an inquiry into the conduct of
his predecessor, and acquitted him of any misapplication of his
authority. At the commencement of La Sande's government, the embassy
returned from China, and proved to have had a favourable issue,
as the Viceroy of Fouquien received them with great respect; and
although he could not permit the friars to remain in the province,
as he had no orders to that effect, he forwarded the letter, which the
Governor of Manila had written to the Emperor of China, contributing
all in his power to second his views: and this fully appeared by the
answer, which the Chinese brought in the month of February, the year
following, by which the Emperor appointed one port in his dominions,
for commercial intercourse with the Spaniards. The Chinese brought
considerable presents, which they would not deliver to the actual
Governor, but to Guido de Labexares, who, as Governor ad interim,
had despatched the embassy. This affront Don Francisco La Sande felt
so severely, that he behaved to them with great coolness, and made
them no presents when they returned. The unhandsome conduct of the
Governor, frustrated those expectations, which had been raised by
the defeat of Limahon, and the subsequent mission; by making a most
unfavourable impression on the minds of the Chinese, who discharged
their whole vengeance, on the heads of the two Augustine friars. They
landed them in the province of Zambales, scourged them most cruelly,
murdered, before their eyes, their interpreter and slaves, and left
them bound fast to trees; in which situation they must have perished,
had not, providentially, Morones been passing that way, who released
them, and cured their wounds.
This year, 1576, was unpropitious to the Spaniards in the Philippines;
for, independent of this disgrace, they had the misfortune to lose
Juan de Salcedo, who died on the 11th of March, and who had been a
second Pizarro, or Cortes, in this conquest. He was seized with a
fever while in Ylocos, and when in that state, visiting a mine in his
domains, he drank some cold water, which operated so powerfully on the
intestines, that he died in three hours. On the island of Catanduanes,
likewise, a party of Augustine missionaries was shipwrecked: this
was a public loss, and most severely felt, as, without the labours
of the religious, the military exploits of the Spaniards, would have
been of little avail, in securing the subjection of these islands.
This loss was repaired the following year, by the arrival of some more
friars, and seventeen Franciscans, whom the Augustines received in
their convents, and assigning to them the ecclesiastical authority
over a number of towns, the Franciscans began their labours with
indefatigable zeal.
About this time, Queen Elizabeth of England, sent the famous Drake with
a considerable squadron, for the purpose of subduing the Moluccas. In
passing the Straits of Magellan, he lost several of his ships;
but he pursued his course in his own ship, committing many acts of
hostility on the voyage, and giving a name to several islands which
he discovered, such as St. Bartholomew, St. James, and New Albion,
a large island, where he was detained six weeks. Arriving at Tidore,
he began to gather cloves, without permission from the King of the
island, at which the latter took great offence; but Drake having
made him presents, he stipulated for the assistance of their arms,
in case he should require it, permitting the English to establish
factories for collecting cloves and nutmegs, and, in token of his
amity, sent a most superb ring to the Queen of England. Richly laden
with spices and Chinese merchandize, which he had captured in several
of our vessels, on their voyage to New Spain, Drake proceeded on his
return to England, where, after a variety of disasters, he arrived,
filling all Europe with admiration of the valuable nature of his
cargo. That strangers might not, by such means, acquire a footing in
the Moluccas and neighbouring islands, the Governor sent an expedition
against the island of Borneo, which, by the following circumstances,
became a matter of easy conquest. Sirela, King of Borneo, had come to
Manila, to solicit the assistance of the Spaniards, in the recovery of
his kingdom, of which he had been unjustly deprived by his brother;
and he promised, in the event of his success, that the whole of this
large island, should become tributary to Spain. Don Francisco La Sande,
conceiving this a most desirable object, and that it would necessarily
lead to the conquest of all the Archipelago of Maluco, determined to go
in person, that he might not lose the favourable opportunity, which now
presented itself, by replacing Sirela in the possession of his kingdom.
He sailed from Manila in thirty vessels, with a large body of Spaniards
and friendly Indians, and arrived safely at Borneo. Having entered
the river, he proceeded along it, until he arrived at the residence
of the usurper, upon which he immediately directed his artillery. The
King, however, with his troops, gallantly attacked the Spaniards,
but in a short time, fled in great disorder, and took refuge in the
mountains. The Governor placed his deposed brother on the throne, and
returned to Manila, where he planned several other expeditions. He sent
a squadron to Jolo and Mindanao, which reduced these two islands,
and compelled them to pay the customary tribute to the King of
Spain; but from the great distance they were at from Manila, and
the very limited number of clergy then in the seat of government,
a sufficiency could not be spared, for the purpose of converting the
natives to Christianity, during the short time these islands were
held. He completed the conquest of the province of Camarines by means
of Captain Chaves, who founded the city of Nueva Caceres, close to the
town of Naga. The Augustine friars began their spiritual conquest,
but finding their number unequal to the task, of duly attending the
undertaking, they called in to their assistance the Franciscans,
to whom eventually they ceded this district.
Towards the close of La Lande's government, an unpleasant disagreement
arose between the clergy and laity. The factors had introduced into
their respective districts, several abuses, which the clergy would
not countenance. Certain services were required of the Indians, beyond
the stipulated rents, which were extremely vexatious, and which little
accorded with the Christian character. The friars began by preaching
against these abuses, but this had little effect, and in the end,
so many complaints were made, that it reached the ears of the King
(Philip the Second), who issued an order, in which he reproved the
conduct of the factors, and enjoined them, to pay strict obedience to
the instructions they had received, to confine their imposts to the
stipulated rents alone. The Governor gave every aid to the order of
his Majesty, making regulations, by which the Indians might be secured
against such encroachments in future. This, in some respect, abated
the gathering storm, but tranquillity was never completely restored, as
the avarice of the factors set at defiance all laws, human and divine.