ANNO DOM. 1644.
The Administration of Don Diego Faxardo.
Don Diego Faxardo, Knight of the order of Santiago, took possession
of his government on the 11th of August, 1644, and immediately gave
proof of his unrelenting disposition by his conduct towards Senor
Corcuera, by confining him in the fort of Santiago, in which he
remained five years.
The new Governor found these islands infested by Dutch squadrons, and
to enable himself to meet them with effect, he deemed it necessary
to unite the whole of the Spanish force, dispersed through the
different garrisons. He directed the officer in command at Zamboanga,
to enter into an amicable arrangement with Corralat, King of Mindanao,
which was effected very satisfactorily, through the mediation of a
friar. He likewise directed the officer commanding at Jolo to adopt
similar measures with the King of that island, and evacuating all
the forts, to bring all the Spaniards to Manila; but this was not to
be effected so easily, Salicala, hereditary Prince of the kingdom,
having gone to Batavia, soliciting assistance from the Dutch, to
drive the Spaniards from the island. They, however, spared him only
two ships, with which trifling aid, having made many attempts against
our principal position, which was defended vigorously by Don Estevan
Ugalde, a valiant Biscayan, the Dutch retired to Batavia, promising
the Moors to return next year, with a more effective force. The
Jesuit friar was, in the mean time, commissioned to make peace with
them; which he effected on very advantageous terms. Jolo being thus
evacuated, the Dutch arrived at the appointed time with the promised
assistance; and finding that the Spaniards had retired to Zamboanga,
they determined on attempting the capture of the fort of Caldera,
in Mindanao, but they were repulsed with such loss, that they made
a rapid retreat to Batavia.
The following year, the Dutch again appeared in these seas, with a
squadron of twelve ships, when eleven of them remaining on the coast of
Batan, the commodore came forward alone, to reconnoitre Cavite. Senor
Corcuera, who was in confinement in the fort, as already mentioned,
immediately saw the error the Dutch commander had committed, in not
making the attack with his whole force, while the place was in an
unguarded and defenceless state. Every advantage was taken of the
error, and Cavite was furnished, without delay, with the necessary
reinforcements, and supplies of ammunition and provisions. On the
third day the Dutch squadron made their attack, but the Governor,
Andras Azaldegui, a very active man, defended the place so effectually,
that great slaughter ensued, and the Dutch General received a wound,
of which he died. On this they retired, and disembarked in Pampanga,
where the Alcalde Mayor of the province having collected six hundred
Pampangos, and fortified himself as well as possible in the convent
of Abucay, the Dutch assaulted him, when the Indians fled in such
disorder, and with such precipitation, that four hundred of them were
killed in the pursuit. The Dutch not deeming it prudent to remove
far from their ships, returned on board, and disembarked a second
time in the town of Samal, where the Spaniards having gone to Manila,
the Indians alone remained, who repulsed them, and compelled them to
take refuge in their ships.
They then took their station close to Mareveles, to intercept our
commerce, and while here they had information that a galleon, built at
Leyte, was on her way to Manila. They despatched six ships to take her,
but the commander understanding that the Dutch were in these seas,
put into a harbour, and fortifying the entrance with batteries,
remained perfectly secure from all insult, and the Dutch deeming
the attempt unjustifiable, returned to Batavia, without reaping any
advantage from their expedition.
Salicala, son of the King of Jolo, a turbulent character,
notwithstanding the peace he had concluded with the Spaniards, begun
to infest our seas with a squadron, which committed great depredations
in every quarter; and Cachile, Lord of Tup Tup, in Borneo, having
followed his example, it was found necessary to send against them an
adequate force. The Spaniards encountered the squadron of Cachile
between Masbate and Burias, and an engagement took place, in which
he was killed, and his fleet dispersed. Immediately on this Salicala
retired to Jolo, where his attention became sufficiently occupied, in
disputes respecting the succession to the throne. The Moors of Borneo,
imitating the conduct of the Indians of Jolo in their piracies, the
Governor sent Major Monforte with orders to chastise them severely,
as a warning to the rest. Monforte landed in Borneo, burning and
destroying all the towns within his reach, together with great
quantities of provisions, and a number of vessels, and making about
two hundred prisoners, thus retaliating on them for their piratical
attacks on us. Exclusive of these continual depredations of the Moors
and Dutch, the provinces in Luzon were by no means in a tranquil state.
A commotion, likewise, was begun in Palapag, by murdering the Jesuit
friar, who was the curate of the place; and, to enhance the criminality
of the action, and comprehend every one in the rebellion, Sumoroy, who
was the assassin, was for two days parading the town, avowing publicly
that he killed the friar; and, setting at liberty two insurgents,
whom the Jesuits had confined, he ordered the people to plunder the
church and convent: from this source, the insurrection spread through
the whole island. The Camarines imitated the conduct of the people of
Palapag, in every thing but the murder of the friars. The island of
Zebu, likewise, notwithstanding its garrison, wavered in its loyalty;
and, indeed, all the islands were ripe for rebellion: the people of
Caraga, however, were the most violent, having murdered many Spaniards
and Friars. There is no question that the Bisayas would have been
lost on this occasion, had not a stop been put to these atrocities
in due time.
The Governor sent a force to Palapag, and ordered that four hundred
Indians of Lutao, who had been lately converted from Mahometanism,
should be incorporated with this force sent from Manila, and
jointly attack the rebels. The Jesuit friar, Vincente Damian,
took compassion on the misguided Indians, and attempted to persuade
them to return to their obedience; but, thinking themselves strong
enough to overcome the Spaniards, they would not listen to reason,
and fortified themselves on a hill, which Sumoroy had made his head
quarters. Captain Roxas commanded the Spaniards, Don Andres Azaldeguy,
who was the proper commanding officer, having had orders from the
government, to go and secure the property, in a ship which had been
lost on the coast of Camarines. Roxas was a man of ability and bravery,
and came to the resolution of assaulting the hill in the night, when
the rebels would be less on their guard. The Spaniards arrived at the
outposts, when they were discovered, and notice given to Sumoroy. The
precipitation with which the Indians fled is incredible: it resembled
that of a flock of goats, our people following them, and making great
slaughter. Sumoroy attempted to escape; but his people killed him,
with the view of ingratiating themselves with the Spaniards, and
delivered up his head to Roxas, who placed it on a pole as a warning
to the rest. The friars being now able to return to their duty,
in the respective towns, soon reduced the discontented to obedience.
The ringleader of the rebellion in Caraga was an Indian, named Dabao,
who was not in the least suspected of disaffection. He entered
one day into the fort, bringing with him eight men with their hands
bound, apparently with the view of surrendering them; but yet, at the
same time, so loosely bound, as to escape when they chose. When the
Spanish officer came out to receive them, Dabao struck him on the head
with his sword, and the eight men, immediately releasing themselves,
unexpectedly attacked the people in the fort. They made such carnage,
that only one friar and five soldiers escaped, by throwing themselves
from the wall, and retiring to the convent, where they fortified
themselves. The Indians immediately forsook the town and fled to the
mountains, when the friar, and the Spaniards who were in the convent,
built a boat, and retired along the coast to another town, to which
the insurrection had not spread.
The Governor sent them relief from Manila, and offered a pardon
to those who should return to their towns, and their allegiance as
before. The Spaniards, however, broke their word, and hanged many of
the ringleaders.
On the day of Saint Andrew, which was the anniversary of the victory
the Spaniards obtained over Limahon, about eight o'clock at night,
an earthquake happened, which destroyed almost all Manila, with the
exception of the church and convent of St. Augustine. The public
edifices, in particular, were nearly all thrown down and destroyed,
and more than six hundred people buried in the ruins: some were found
alive between the stones and the wood, who had remained there even
three days. The calamity reached the towns of the islands; in Cagayan,
a hill was rased from its foundation, and fell on a town, burying in
its fall all the inhabitants. In some parts the earth sunk; and, in
others, torrents of sand burst out, overwhelming man and beast. Many
other extraordinary changes occurred in the course of sixty days,
during which a succession of earthquakes prevailed. The people of
Manila left the city to live in huts in the fields, until it was
ascertained that they might return in safety to their houses. It
was said that the image of St. Francis, placed in the house of an
Indian of Dilao, sweated most copiously during this calamity, and
shed abundance of tears; in consequence, he was elected patron of
earthquakes, and is designated St. Francis of Tears.
As a proof of that harshness which characterized Senor Faxardo,
it will be sufficient to mention his conduct to Christoval Romero,
whom the Viceroy of Mexico had sent, to bring him intelligence of the
state of these islands, two years having elapsed without the usual
ship having appeared at Acapulco. He arrived at the port of Lampon,
and, understanding that the Dutch were infesting these seas, he landed
the silver, and despatched it to Manila, in order that he might with
less risk get round. Soon after he had sent away the silver, the Dutch
arrived, and entered the port with their launches. Romero being far
inferior in force to the enemy, burnt his vessel, as he saw no chance
of saving it, and came to Manila by land. Everybody considered this
man as entitled to great praise for his conduct on the occasion,
and expected that he would be well received and rewarded; but the
rigorous Governor, on the plea that the burning of the launch was
an act of cowardice, imprisoned him, and condemned him to lose his
head. All Manila clamoured against this sentence; and the object of
it appealed to the Royal Audience, who revoked it. This rigour of the
Governor was imputed to his not having been duly bribed by Romero;
but nothing of that nature could be absolutely proved against him.
About this time, the hospital or college of St. Juan de Letran was
founded by Juan Geronimo Romero, who compassionating the situation of
unfortunate orphans, took them into his house, and carefully brought
them up. His Majesty being informed of this praise-worthy conduct, by a
royal order protected the establishment; but granted so little in aid
of it, that recourse was necessarily had to the contributions of the
well disposed, in order to render it of more general use. It was, at
length, removed to a spot behind the city: the boys were allowed a blue
coat, cap, &c., and were supported, as in others, with the additional
aid of a college pension, to enable them to pursue their studies at
the university; the college having no establishment of this nature.