ANNO DOM. 1584.
The Administration of Don Santiago de Vera, fourth Governor of
Manila.
The Governor, Don Gonzalo Ronquillo, had sent to Madrid Captain
Gabriel Rivera, to solicit several objects, necessary to the general
welfare of these islands, and in particular, that a Royal Audience
should be established there, as it was extremely disadvantageous and
embarrassing, to be obliged to have recourse to that of Mexico.
The King granted this request, and sent Don Santiago de Vera, of
Alcala de Henares, as Governor and President of the Royal Audience; and
Don Melchor de Avalos, and Don Pedro de Rosas, as oidores of it. The
third oidor, Don Antonio Rivera, arrived two years afterwards. Don
Gaspar de Ayala was nominated fiscal. Don Santiago took possession of
his government May, 1584, and immediately formed the Royal Audience,
bearing the royal signet with much ostentation, under a canopy, from
the convent of St. Augustine, to the palace. The Chancellor was Gabriel
de Rivera, who arrived this year, with the title of Mariscal of the
lake of Bombon. Immediately that Don Santiago took possession of his
government, he put in force the orders which he had received from
the King, to chastise those factors, who had abused the authority,
they derived from the possession of the lands granted them. He
began, by dispossessing Bartoleme de Ledesma, factor of Abuyo, and
others the most culpable, punishing the rest in proportion to their
irregularities, after full conviction of their delinquency.
In the following year, 1585, he sent Juan de Morones and Pablo de
Lima, with a powerful squadron, to reduce the Moluccas under the
Spanish dominion, but it returned to Manila with similar disgrace
to the preceding one, without being able to take possession of the
fortifications of Ternate. The Governor was much chagrined at the
ill success of this expedition, and was desirous of repeating the
attempt, conformable to the positive instructions received from
the King to that effect; but he was not able to execute it, as the
troops from New Spain had not arrived, and, independent of this,
the insurrections of the Indians were of too formidable a nature,
for they lost no opportunity which presented itself of breaking the
yoke of the Spaniards. Those of Pampangos and Manila entered into a
conspiracy with the Moors of Borneo, who had ostensibly come there
for the purpose of traffic. They formed the plan of traitorously
entering the town in the night, setting fire to it, and killing in
the confusion all the Spaniards. This conspiracy was discovered by
a female Indian, married to a Spanish soldier. The Governor checked
it in its commencement, imprisoning many, and severely punishing
others by way of example. The islands of Samar, Ybabao, and Leyte,
were likewise far from being in a state of tranquillity, and the
factor of Dagami, a town of Leyte, had nearly lost his life by the
Indians, in the collection of the tribute paid in wax, and which
he had attempted to levy by a measure, containing double the usual
quantity. This compelled him to fly for safety to the mountains, and
he passed from thence in a boat to the island of Zebu. The Governor
sent Captain Lorenzo de la Mota to quell these disturbances, which
he soon did by promising to punish the delinquent.
Among the calamities which happened during this government, the
loss of the ship Santa Anna was not the least; she was on her way,
richly laden, to Acapulco, and was taken by the English. Cavendish,
an English pirate, emulous of the fame of Drake, having equipped five
ships, with the assistance of Queen Elizabeth, took his departure
for this quarter of the world; and having committed many acts of
hostility on the coasts of Brazil and Peru, he arrived at Molucca,
where he procured every information respecting the produce of the
Philippines, and the rich cargoes which every year were sent from
these islands to Acapulco. Well instructed, likewise, in the tract
observed by our galleons, he sailed for the coast of California, to
lie in wait for the annual ship destined for New Spain. In due time
the Santa Anna, as is customary, made her appearance on that coast,
in prosecution of her voyage to Acapulco, and fell into the hands of
the English without any resistance, being quite unprepared.
The English having made themselves masters of this valuable prize,
directed their course to the Philippines, and arriving at the island
of Panay, where we had a ship in the dock of Yloylo, an attempt was
made to burn her, but it was rendered ineffectual by Captain Lorenzo de
Limas, who made a vigorous resistance, with such soldiers and Indians,
as he was able to collect in the province. Abandoning this object,
the English commander sent a letter to the Governor, to apprize him
of the capture he had made of the Santa Anna, and to inform him he
should return frequently to those seas. He departed from Panay for
the Cape of Good Hope, from whence he sailed for England, and arrived
laden with such riches, that his name became more renowned than ever
was that of Francis Drake.
In the year 1589 no ship was despatched to New Spain; for two which
had been equipped for this voyage, were lost in the port of Cavite
in a dreadful storm, which happened on St. Peter's Day. About the
same time many insurrections of the Indians took place, and in
particular, those of Cagayan, who were always very troublesome,
murdered many Spaniards. Those likewise, in the valley of Dingras,
in the province of Ylocos, resisted the collections of tribute, and
murdered six people from the city of Fernandina, who were travelling
through their towns. Don Santiago quelled these tumults, and restored
tranquillity, by duly mingling punishment with clemency. He likewise
constructed a strong fort of stone, where the royal gate now stands;
he removed to Manila the foundery which was hitherto in Santa Anna; and
cast some artillery, with the assistance of an Indian of Pampango. He
founded an hospital for the Spaniards: but the principal mover of
this pious act was Don Luis de Vivanco, who, jointly with his wife,
endowed it, and appropriated it to the reception and cure of the
sick. The Governor divided several portions of land among those
soldiers and sailors who deserved it most, and conducted himself in
the exercise of his authority, so much to the general satisfaction,
that his character as an excellent Governor was established by the
declaration of the licentiate Herber del Corral, who was chief judge
on the occasion of passing his trial of approbation.