_True relation of the Sangley insurrection in the Filipinas, and
the miraculous punishment of their rebellion; and other events of
the islands: written to these kingdoms by a soldier who is in those
islands, and abridged by Miguel Rodriguez Maldonado._ [18]
[_Marginal note at beginning of MS._: "Chinese Sangleys who remained in
this island to enjoy the liberty of the gospel, many of whom afterward
failed in their duty."]
On September 26 of the former year 603, it was reported in this city
of Manila that a negress had declared that on St. Francis's day there
would be a great fire and much bloodshed. Investigations were made in
regard to her statement, and the time passed until Friday, October
3, of the said year, the eve of St. Francis. In the afternoon, Don
Luys de las Marinas sent to Governor Don Pedro de Acuña to ask for
thirty soldiers, as he perceived that the Sangleys living in Tondo
and Minondo, where he usually lived, were in rebellion. He had learned
that a band numbering three hundred had assembled, mostly gardeners;
and, although he wished to reconnoiter them, he did not dare to,
because of the few men that he had. The messenger reached Don Pedro de
Acuña, and a little later came a Christian Sangley, one Baristilla,
then governor of the Sangleys, both Christian and pagan. He craftily
informed Don Pedro de Acuña of the news, and was heartily thanked,
as the matter was not understood. The Spaniards immediately called a
council of war, where it was resolved to send the help asked by Don
Luys de las Marinas. That same day the reënforcement left, and all the
companies were assembled with the utmost silence, in the guard-room,
and were given their orders. Some of the inhabitants were ordered
to be on their guard, and to sound the alarm if they perceived any
extraordinary excitement. Accordingly, it happened that the alarm
was sounded very suddenly, between one and two o'clock that night;
they had been obliged to give it because of a fire that they saw
near the city. There was a great commotion, as there were so few
inhabitants in the country. Every man hastened to his banner, and
all went to the guard-room, where they were ordered to take their
stations. Having manned the walls, and keeping on the alert, it was
discovered that the fire was in certain summer-houses, where Captain
Estevan de Marquina was living with his children and wife. A troop
of four thousand Sangleys went to this house, and killed him and his
wife, four children, and twenty slaves, with great cruelty, although
he defended himself as a good soldier and Spaniard. He had confessed
that afternoon, for it was the jubilee of St. Francis. Only one little
girl, his daughter, escaped from his house, whom a slave carried
out in his arms, although she was badly wounded and burned. Having
inflicted this damage, the Sangleys invested another house near by,
where the archdean, Francisco Gomez de Arellano, was living, as well
as the father-commissary of the Holy Office, and Father Fernando
de los Reyes. The Sangleys were very determined to kill those men,
but they, hearing the noise, fired two loaded arquebuses. When
the enemy perceived that they were firing arquebuses, imagining
that they had many of them, they passed by, and at one-half legua
reached a village called Quiapo. There they set a large fire, and
then immediately extinguished it. Half an hour later they built a
larger fire, which lasted a longer time. This was a signal for the
Sangleys in the Parian to assault the city, and take it. Although
the Sangleys of the Parian saw the fire, they did not then dare to
attack the city; for they were divided into factions, as the wealthy
merchants did not wish to risk their property. But as those who had
little to lose were in the great majority, they forced them to attack,
and calling to the mob, they assailed the city. [19] It is said that
they saw over the gate opposite the Parian (which they were about
to attack) a crucified Christ dripping blood, and at His feet the
seraphic father, St. Francis, with face uplifted toward Him. On this
account they became so faint-hearted that they were forced to retire,
without being observed from the city, as it was night. Those in
Quiapo set fire to it and burned it. They killed some natives, whose
moans and cries were heard on the city walls. At this juncture day
dawned, and it was seen that the enemy were marching to their camp,
in order to fortify themselves in a chapel called San Francisco del
Monte, two leguas from the city. There they established themselves,
and fortified a stronghold built of stakes filled in well with earth,
to a man's height, and furnished with two ditches of fresh water. It
seemed suitable for twenty thousand men, and had very skilfully
laid-out streets. This means that more than two hundred Sangleys
were building it for more than a month, but with so great quietness
that it was never known; for it was a district little frequented by
Spaniards, as it was swampy. The men began to gather there again, so
that at noon on Saturday, the fourth of October, the enemy had more
than ten thousand men in camp. On that day the Christian Sangleys
of Tondo and Minondo rose. When Don Luys de las Marinas saw this,
and the help that he was awaiting having arrived, he attacked them
with great spirit and killed many of them. But as he perceived that
his men were about to be attacked by a great number of people, he
requested the governor to send him a second reënforcement quickly. The
governor hesitating as to whom to send, Captain Don Tomas Bravo de
Acuña, his nephew, begged to be assigned to this task, and to take his
company, numbering seventy good soldiers--musketeers and arquebusiers,
a picked body of men. Besides this almost all the soldiers of the
country offered to go with him, as it was an expedition of so great
justice and honor. The governor was urgent in ordering that no others
than Don Tomas and his company should go. But he could not help it,
and accordingly the following persons went on the expedition.
[Here follows a list of the principal officers who accompanied the
governor's nephew. They contained such names as Captain Juan de la
Isla, Captain Villafaña, Captain Cebrian de Madrid, and Pedro de
Benavides, besides a number of citizens who are unnamed.]
They came in sight of the enemy on this day, Saturday, and having
joined Don Luys de las Marinas in Tondo and General Juan de Alcega,
they attacked the enemy. The latter were in three squadrons, of forty
companies of one hundred and eighty men apiece; and most of them
were ambushed with their colonel. Our men were not dismayed one whit
by this; on the contrary, they were animated by their justice in the
matter and by Spanish spirit. They made so furious an attack that they
forced the enemy to retire very quickly. Eager for victory, our men
went pressing on after them, so that, when they saw the trickery of the
enemy's retreat and wished to do the same, they were unable to--on the
one hand, because they had entered a swamp, and were up to their knees
in the bog; and on the other, because the enemy had surrounded them,
and they were unable to use their arquebuses and other weapons. Thus
they were all killed with clubs and cutlasses, and only four escaped,
who had retreated when they saw the multitude of the enemy. This event
was indeed one of lamentation and grief, and news of it immediately
spread all over the country, whereat great grief was felt. However, the
truth was not known with certainty for a week, in accordance with the
governor's command, in order not to cause so great pain suddenly. The
enemy sought shelter in their camp, whither they took the heads of
our men strung on some bejucos. The three principal ones--namely,
those of good Don Luis de las Marinas, General Juan de Alcega, and
Captain Don Tomas--were placed above the gates of their camp, and
they made great merriment, while waiting the night. Then they took
the heads of the others, and carried them to the Parian, opposite
the city. There many revolted with them, but more than one thousand
eight hundred Sangleys remained in the Parian--mostly merchants and
mechanics--who cautiously wished to be on their guard, in order that,
if those of their nation should gain the land, they might join these;
but if the Spaniards should obtain the victory, they would say that
they were guiltless in the insurrection. On Sunday, and until noon of
the following Monday, the governor, accompanied by all the Audiencia,
visited the Parian, where he gave what orders seemed advisable. The
Sangley merchants told them that they were friendly to the Castilians,
and that his Lordship should decide what he would command to be done
with them. The governor answered to this that they should place their
property within the city, and that a location would be assigned them
where they would be safe under their guards. The Sangleys did not
wish to accede to this, but placed a great amount of property in the
city. The governor, seeing that they did not wish to enter, ordered
each one to be given a certificate granting him life; and had them
told that he who did not have one of these would be regarded as one
who had come from the enemy's camp. After this resolution the governor
and Audiencia left the Parian on Monday at noon. On the morning of
that day, some Spaniards and four hundred Japanese had left the city,
at the governor's orders, to attack the enemy. They did so and killed
more than fifteen hundred men, and burned all their food. This obliged
them to break camp and to return toward the city, marching in three
squadrons, numbering fifteen hundred men. Every moment they were
joined by bands of two hundred and three hundred. They assembled in a
town called Dilao, situated about three musket-shots from the city,
at twelve o'clock in the morning. They united all their forces, and
carried on operations from a very strong large stone house, which
was the chapel of Nuestra Señora de Candelaría. Two days before, her
image had been carried into the city in most solemn procession. On
that day it rained heavily, and as those in the houses were fearful
lest the enemy would set fire to their dwellings, they had removed
the nipa [20] with which they were covered. In the houses built of
stone and tile there was not standing-room, as all or most of the
people gathered there, both women and children, and those incapable
of bearing arms. All was confusion and lamentation, because of this,
and since more than sixteen hundred Sangleys were in sight of the
city. Most of the people distributed themselves along that part of
the wall; and in the cavaliers and ravelins were mounted pieces of
artillery. Until now no resolution had been taken whether to put
to the sword those Sangleys who remained in the Parián, or to set
the Parián afire, or to let the people benefit from the sack of it,
which was worth more than eighty thousand pesos. However there was no
opportunity for this, as the enemy's camp was so near, that now those
Sangleys in the chapel were communicating with and going to those in
the Parián, and those in the Parian to the chapel. Consequently it
was resolved to burn it. This was done with great haste, for Divine
justice was apparently showing that such sins as were committed there
were deserving of such a penalty. When the Sangleys who had remained
in the Parián perceived that it was burning, they packed up as much of
their possessions as possible and went to the other side of the river,
where stood the residences of the wealthy merchants. That afternoon a
council of war was held in the enemy's camp. They determined to send
late that night Sangleys in pairs to the walls, to ascertain whether we
had any artillery, and whether all the people manning the walls were
Spaniards; for they thought that this was not possible, unless we had
brought the images of the saints which were in the church. They did
not think wrong, either way, for they were a thousand holy religious,
who had laid aside their holy habits for such an occasion, and they
were encouraging all with holy words and valorous deeds, and now with
musket, now with arquebus, pike, or spear, and sword and buckler,
were standing as sentries and helping on the walls day and night. The
enemy began to make grimaces and gestures within musket-range, making
obeisances, and doing other things worthy of their shamelessness. In
reply, they remained there as if born there, so that of the many
Sangleys who came, it was found that only one escaped, and that all
were killed with the balls fired at them from the walls; for both day
and night, no one took his eyes from the enemy, who went retreating
to the river in the midst of his camp, for the other side of it was
defended by a wall, and that precaution was not a bad one, if it had
availed anything. Thursday morning, on the seventh or the said month,
the governor and council of war determined to attack the enemy. Between
eight and nine o'clock, one hundred and fifty Spanish arquebusiers and
five hundred Japanese left the city, under command of Sargento-mayor
Gallinato, who was accompanied by other captains. Attacking with
greater spirit than concert, the Japanese entered in the vanguard, and
the Spaniards in the rear, and assaulted the Sangleys. They gained the
gate of the river, and the chapel, where the camp was situated. They
killed five hundred men, besides wounding many others. They gained
possession of the enemy's flags. Then the Sangleys, perceiving that
the Spaniards were becoming greedy, attacked them on both sides with
more than fourteen hundred men--and so vigorously, that the Spaniards
were compelled to retire, in spite of their disinclination, when they
saw the Japanese retreating as rapidly as possible. Consequently
they were forced to turn and retreat to the city, and to lose what
had been gained. The enemy with loud cries went to attack in their
course the gates of the city and the lowest and weakest part of its
wall. All the army hastened to that side, to the assistance of those
on the walls. They kept their matches ready, and, with each pikeman
between two arquebusiers, Sargento-mayor Gallinato retreated to
the city. As soon as he was in safety, the artillery began to play,
and gave the enemy a shower that softened their fury, and compelled
them to halt upon recognizing their danger. Sargento-mayor Gallinato,
encouraging his men, attacked anew, issuing with his men by the lower
gate, and the city was very joyful on that account. As soon as they had
cleared the country, they halted, in order that the same thing might
not again happen as before. Had they not been near the city walls,
and had not Sargento-mayor Gallinato with only ten soldiers defended
the bridge with great spirit, they would all have been killed. After
this Gallinato sent to the governor asking for orders, for the men
were fatigued and the sun extremely hot, while he was badly used by
two wounds with stakes that he had received. Such are the weapons
used by the Sangleys; and they first wound with the point like a
spear and then draw it through from behind, with so much force that
they cut a man all to pieces. The governor ordered them to retire,
and they did so accordingly. Having informed the governor of what had
happened, a spark fell into a flask full of powder and burned three
people. From that another spark fell into a jar full of powder and
burned five more soldiers. And had not the sargento-mayor been so
agile, it would have injured him. Meanwhile those in the Parian were
not rejoicing when they saw that, the day before, half of the Parian
had been burned. As men determined to conquer or die they came that
night in two machines that they had made with so great skill that one
side was low and the other high so that they overtopped the walls of
the city; thus they could with very little trouble throw thirty men
into the city each time when they attacked. Behind these machines
came a great throng of Sangleys, of whom the fury of the artillery
killed a great number. At the same time the artillery broke up the
machines. At this juncture reënforcements of one thousand men entered
the city--Pampanga Indians, comprising arquebusiers and pikemen. They
sallied out with some Spaniards and attacked the enemy. They killed
more than a thousand of them and set fire to the rest of the Parian. In
the fire three hundred of the most important and richest merchants were
burned. These, in order not to die at the hands of our men, hanged
themselves and burned themselves alive with their belongings. The
Japanese, seeing that the Pampanga Indians were destroying and sacking
the Parian with great fury, gradually joined them. Together they
killed all the Chinese whom they met, and went away, this man with a
chest, this one with a pair of breeches, [and others with] bags filled
with silks and rich articles. But no Spaniard had any leave to take
part in the sack. However, some who took part in it, at all hazards,
profited very much from the enemy. The sack lasted all the afternoon
and part of the night. The enemy, upon seeing the Parian burned in
every part, and their goods lost, were discouraged. Having held a
council that night, they very silently went to a village called San
Pablo. They were pursued by Don Luys de Velasco with five hundred
Spaniards and one thousand Indians, by order of Governor Don Pedro
de Acuña, before they reached San Pablo. The Sangleys killed of our
men six Spaniards and four Japanese, but it cost them fifteen hundred
of their men. So great was their number, and the confusion among all
of them, that our men did not hesitate to kill as many of them as
they met on the road and elsewhere. The governor immediately sent
word to his Majesty's villages and ordered them not to spare any,
but to put to the sword whomsoever they found. Of all the Chinese,
except thirty who were taken to the city--and who died Christians,
to all appearances, for they asked for the water of holy baptism--no
others are known to have taken the road to salvation, out of more
than twenty thousand who were infidels. The governor having seen that
they were killing all the Sangleys in the islands, ordered, for just
reasons, that none of those coming to the city should be killed. As
soon as this news was given out, about four hundred came. Had they
been ten thousand, they would have been received, for they were
needed in the city. They all accused Bautistilla, a Christian, who, as
above stated, was their governor, saying that he was the cause of the
insurrection, and that he had been made king of all the country. They
also accused Miguel Onte and Alonso Sagoyo--both Christian Sangleys,
and the chiefest men. Having taken their depositions, and through the
sufficient proof that was furnished, since all blamed Bautistilla,
the latter was condemned to be hanged and quartered, and his head
set in the Parian. He was declared a traitor, and his property
confiscated for his Majesty. His houses were razed and their sites
sown with salt. This sentence proceeded from the royal Audiencia, and
was executed on the eleventh of the month of October. At the foot of
the scaffold he said that that death was not due him for his conduct,
and that he had always been a loyal vassal of his Majesty; and that
God knew what was in his breast, and the thoughts of his heart. He
died with the marks of a good Christian. Then on the fifteenth day of
the said month, the two Christian Sangleys were executed. They were
condemned by the sargento-mayor and master-of-camp. One of them, in
order to save himself, declared that the mandarins had come with the
cunning purpose of spying out the land, and that the insurrection had
been by their orders. He said that they were coming soon to attack
the city, and that the Spaniards should not neglect to act very
carefully. Accordingly the governor set about taking all necessary
measures. He and the sargento-mayor worked in a way wonderful to
behold. May God strengthen their hands! Four days later, when the enemy
had fortified themselves quite strongly in San Pablo, Captain Don Luys
de Velasco went out at the head of sixty Spaniards. Having reached the
_calaco_, he attacked so spiritedly that the Sangleys retreated. He
entered the camp of the enemy in his eagerness, whereupon, uttering
loud cries, they returned in a large mob to attack him, so that it
cost him his life and those of four soldiers. The others, on seeing
their captain killed, retreated and went down the mountain. This
news reached the city, whereupon Sargento-mayor Ascoeta went Out
with 220 Spanish arquebusiers, 400 Japanese, 2,000 Pampanga Indians
(of whom 1,500 were arquebusiers and musketeers, and the others were
armed with spears, swords and arrows), 200 Monos, [21] and 300 blacks,
who came as friends to take part in this war. After having gone only
seven leguas, they met the enemy, and having rested four days, they
formed their camp. After having found where the enemy could retreat,
and holding them at every point, they attacked the Sangleys, of whom
they killed more than four hundred. Their master-of-camp retreated
to a little elevation near by, after defending himself with great
courage. Our men rested until morning of the next day, when they went
to give them the "Santiago," and killed fourteen hundred. Three hundred
fled, and hid in the thickets and woods there-about. Our men fortified
themselves with the food that the enemy had there. On the morning of
the following day they went in pursuit of the three hundred who had
hidden and attacked them, and not one of them was left alive. This
victory was obtained without the death of more than twelve Christian
Indians. Our camp rested for three days, and on the fourth began to
march to another village, on the seashore, called Batangas. There
they found a troop of twenty-five hundred hostile Sangleys with ships
and boats, with the intention of going to their own country. After
five days' march our leader sighted the enemy, whereupon he ordered
a halt and drew up his men. On the morning of the next day he gave
battle with great fury, and killed one thousand one hundred and two
Sangleys. The rest, badly crippled, sought refuge in the mountains in
the interior. The Spaniards did not go in pursuit of them, for they
were very tired after their six hours of fighting, while some were
wounded. Consequently Sargento mayor Ascoeta sent an Indian chief,
one Don Ventura de Mendoça, with two hundred Pampanga Indians, to
pursue them. In a few days all the Sangleys were killed. After this
good result and victory the sargento-mayor retired with his camp,
without losing a man outside of twelve Indians and one Japanese,
while seventeen Spaniards were wounded. The most dangerously wounded
was the captain of the guard, Martin de Herrera, who was wounded with
two spear-thrusts through the thighs. He has proved himself a very
honorable and gallant soldier on all occasions. The sargento-mayor
immediately sent a messenger to the governor, to tell him of the
victory. This was on the twelfth of November, at eleven o'clock on
St. Martin's day. After the arrival of this news another piece of news,
of no less importance to this country, was received, namely that the
king of Mindanao wishes peace with us. As security he sent his son
and his nephew as hostages, and with them all the Christians captive
in his land. He offered to help the governor as a true friend. It is a
notable thing that even the animals have tried to show the mortal hate
that ought to be extended toward this canaille. Many thanks have been
and are given to our Lord for all. Hence the most holy sacrament has
been exposed for forty days. Every monastery has observed its octave
with great solemnity and processions, accompanied ever by their good
mother [_i.e._, the Virgin] and the propitious St. Francis, by whose
help we have obtained the victory on all occasions offered us. The
plans of the Sangleys were as follows. On the day of St. Francis,
both workmen and merchants were to enter as usual into the city,
some of the merchants with shoes and others with clothes. The barber
was to attend to his duties. Then with four Sangleys in each house,
they were to put all the Spaniards to the sword, reserving the Spanish
women. These they had already distributed, the young girls for their
enjoyment and the old women to serve in the house. For this purpose
each of them was to carry a catan, or sort of cutlass, under their
long robes. Besides this they had ordered a body of five hundred to
assemble, who were to assault the monastery of St. Francis, and leave
no one alive there. Doubtless they would have killed all according to
this plan, if God our Lord had not been pleased, in His divine mercy,
to disclose it, the day before. Although there had been some rumors of
the insurrection nine days before, the Spaniards would never believe
it; for the life of the Spaniard is all confidence, and he thinks no
one can dare to do such things. The cause of the enemy dividing into so
many troops was the factions among them, so that out of the more than
22,00[0] Sangleys in all these islands, not 800 have survived. [22]
On the twenty-fourth of October they began to dig the trench about
the city wall, at which three hundred men, all Sangleys, worked. The
one thousand Moros were engaged in other works, not only on the fort
and in the new retreat, but on the wall and the supplies for it. The
ditch is seventy feet wide and two estados deep. As soon as the war
began, three hundred Sangley Christians who lived in Tondo and Minondo
embarked in some small boats with their wives and children, and went
down the river to the governor, to whom they said that they had no
wish to revolt. These were sent away safely, and returned to their
houses. The Spaniards are living with great caution toward them, for
they are treacherous and cunning in what they do. They exercise their
trades in this city. Each of them is considered as well employed, in
exchange for which they must not commit offenses as in the past, which
were great and numerous. On the fourteenth of November, Sargento-mayor
Ascoeta entered this city, marching in good order with his camp,
both Spaniards, and the Pampanga Indians and Japanese. They brought
in the banners won from the enemy. They were very well received by
the governor and Audiencia, and by all the city. Don Pedro showered
a thousand compliments on all the Pampanga captains for their good
services. They were much pleased at this, and offered their persons,
lives, and possessions to the service of his Majesty. The Japanese
and Pampangas had a share in all the wealth of the booty, and it was
large, for it consisted mainly of gold, silver, reals, and pearls.
I do not mention the stratagems of war, the instructions, and the
orders throughout the course of it, in order not to prove wearisome,
and, moreover, to leave them for one who can write them in a better
style. Only, as an eye-witness, I affirm what I have here told, and
that all in general have behaved themselves very well as honorable
soldiers (especially the leaders), both of the ecclesiastics and of
the laymen; and that in this, as in other matters, our Lord has shown
us a thousand favors.
Among the enemy's flags were two that contained characters in the
Sangley language, which, translated into our Castilian vernacular,
read as follows:
"The leader and general of the kingdom of España ... [23] so that
all the Chinese take part together in this affair and obey us by
destroying root and branch these hostile robbers, whom we have against
our will, both Castilians and Japanese. We the Sangleys swear that
after the conquest of this city we shall share the lands, even to
the very herbs, with equal shares, as brothers." That which gave the
traitor Bautistilla more courage in undertaking so great a treason
was a stratagem and subtilty which he employed to know those on his
side. This was to order each Sangley to bring a needle and deliver
it into his hand. This they did, and he put the needles in a little
box. He thus ascertained that twenty-two thousand one hundred and
fifty Sangley Indians could gather in Manila on the last of November,
the day of St. Andrew, patron of this country. He had determined and
ordered that the insurrection be made on that day both in this city and
in the other districts of these islands. But upon seeing the governor
raising the wall and taking other precautions, because of the many
rumors about the mandarins (who had departed to their own country,
and which the governor did not believe), the traitor determined to
make the attempt on the day of St. Francis, since our Lord permitted
it thus for our welfare. Blessed be He forever! Amen!
On the tenth of December, Captain Marcos de la Cueva left this city
as ambassador to the kingdom of China, accompanied by one hundred
and forty Spaniards and two friars, in order to inform the eunuch
who is the viceroy at Canton of the above events. Many thought
that he ought not to go, for if the matter were learned there, and
war-vessels were to come, then the island would be supplied with men
to be able to receive them in the same manner; and if they came for
peace they would be received in peace. In the latter case they were
to be informed of the truth of the matter, to which the Christian law
binds us, and told that we did not intend to take their possessions,
or refuse to pay them what was owing them. Nevertheless, he went,
ordered to do the contrary by the Council. May God direct everything
for His holy service.
On the seventeenth of February of 604, the said ambassador, Marcos
de la Cueva, put back to port on account of a storm that struck him,
which caused his vessel to spring a leak. He was again sent out
in another and very good vessel with one hundred and fifty picked
soldiers, under the leadership of Captain Cueva, a very honorable
and brave soldier. He left on Thursday, the twenty-fifth of the said
month, in the ship "Santiaguillo," which was quite well equipped for
whatever should happen--a very necessary thing. He arrived at the
trading-post where there are Portuguese who trade with the Chinese,
and delivered his letters to them, in order that they might be given
to the eunuch. For the period while he stayed there, no reply was
received to the letters, but he was put off with words; whereupon,
growing impatient, he returned to Manila, leaving affairs in that
condition. With the vessels that came from China this year of 605
to this city, the eunuch sent three letters--one to the governor,
another to the Audiencia, and the third to the archbishop. All were
similar. The eunuch stated that he had received the letters taken by
the ambassador. The people who had been killed were very properly
killed, as they were an abandoned people. By the information that
he had received from some Sangleys he learned that many Sangleys had
been condemned to the galleys. He asked for them in his letters since
they were still living, asking that they be sent with the property
that had been taken from them. If not, then he would go there with
a war-fleet of one hundred armed ships and conquer their land, and
give the same to others who better merited it. [24] The governor, with
the advice of the others, answered this letter to the effect that he
refused to send the Sangleys; and that before the one hundred armed
ships reached here, he would go to meet them with five hundred, for he
would rejoice to put an end to such canaille, and had enough men to do
it. This letter was given to a Sangley, one Juan de San, a prominent
man among them, and very wealthy, who had lived many years among us,
that he might give it to the eunuch. This man and others who came
in this year of 605 brought news that in [the province of] Canton,
three hundred leguas in the interior, a river overflowed so that it
drowned two hundred thousand Sangley Indians, and much property was
lost. It was also said that earthquakes had occurred, two hundred
leguas in the interior, and as far as Canton, which lasted for two
months. They were so terrific that they shook the very strong palaces,
while other houses and mosques were overthrown. This misfortune and
plague has been by the permission of heaven. At another part, the
Japanese of Great Corria have revolted, and are warring with these
Chinese, so that four hundred thousand of them have banded against
the latter, by which the Chinese are receiving great injury. [25]
Thus, by these and other things, the Chinese are being consumed and
finished, although much time is needed for it. May God be mindful of
us, as He is able, and ever give us His protection.
[A list of the chief Spanish inhabitants of Manila who were killed
during the Chinese insurrection follows. It contains such well-known
names as Luyz Perez de las Marinas, Juan de Alcega, Juan de la Peña,
Captain Villafaña, Juan de Ybarra, Marcos Diaz, Luys de Vetasco,
Estevan de Marquina, Tomas Bravo de Acuña, besides many others,
both officers and men, among them a number of friars. [26]]