The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and
their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions,
as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the
political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those
islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the
close of the nineteenth century,
Volume XXXVIII, 1674-1683
Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson
with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord
Bourne.
The Arthur H. Clark Company
Cleveland, Ohio
MCMVI
CONTENTS OF VOLUME XXXVIII
Preface 9
Miscellaneous Documents, 1674-1683
Manila and the Philippines about 1650 (concluded).
Domingo Fernandez Navarrete, O.P.; Madrid, 1676. [From
his Tratados historicos.] 17
Condition of the clergy of the Philippines. Pedro
Diaz del Cosio, O.P., and others; Madrid, 1674-75 72
Prerogatives of ex-provincials granted to Augustinian
procurators from Filipinas, Innocent XI; Rome,
December 17, 1677 76
Royal patronage extended to the university of
Santo Tomás. Carlos II; Madrid, May 17, 1680 78
Letter to Carlos II. Francisco Pizarro Orellana; Manila,
February 24, 1683 81
Insurrections by Filipinos in the seventeenth
century. [Accounts by various early writers covering the
period 1621-83.] 87
Dampier in the Philippines (to be concluded). William
Dampier; London, 1697 241
Bibliographical Data 287
ILLUSTRATIONS
Map of Manila and its suburbs; photographic facsimile from
original MS. (dated 1671) in Archivo general de Indias,
Sevilla 45
The Philippine Islands; photographic facsimile of map drawn
by Captain John Kempthorne, ca. 1688; (evidently from earlier
map of 1676); from original manuscript map in the British
Museum 95
Map of portion of Philippine Islands; drawn by William Hacke,
ca. 1680; photographic facsimile from original manuscript map
in the British Museum 213
Inhabitants of the Ladrones Islands; photographic facsimile
of engraving in T. de Bry's Peregrinationes, 1st ed.
(Amsterdam, 1602), tome xvi, no. iv, p. 34; from copy in
Boston Public Library 257
PREFACE
The present volume (1674-83) is partly descriptive of the Philippines,
as seen by the quaint Dominican writer Navarrete; and about half
of it is occupied with the insurrections by the Filipino natives in
the seventeenth century, a topic of special importance in regard to
the relations between the natives and their conquerors, and to the
influence of the missionaries.
Resuming the relation by Navarrete (begun in the preceding volume), we
find an account of the fall of Fajardo's favorite Venegas; of various
dangers from which the writer escapes; etc. He praises at length the
excellent qualities and abilities of Governor Manrique de Lara. He
relates a missionary trip to Luban and Mindoro, and describes those
islands, their products, and their people. Navarrete is stationed in a
curacy in Mindoro, and relates some of his experiences therein. Having
returned to Manila, he goes to Bataan, where he and others are
grievously annoyed by goblins or demons, for several months. He goes
again to Mindoro, with another priest, and while there a threatened
attack by pirates sends the Indians in flight to the hills, which
compels the fathers to return to Manila. Navarrete relates the loss
of several galleons by storms. He laments the cruelty with which
the Spaniards treat the natives in the labor of shipbuilding, and
says that "at times, religious are sent to protect and defend them
from the infernal fury of some Spaniards." Then he describes Manila
and the products of Luzón, in sketchy but enthusiastic fashion. He
mentions with surprise the number of Chinese, besides mestizos and
natives, who are maintained for the service of the Spanish colony
there. The Chinese are, in religious matters, under the care of the
Dominicans. Navarrete enumerates many prominent persons in Manila whom
he knew, both laymen and ecclesiastics; and describes the hospitable
and pious treatment accorded to the Japanese Christians (some of them
lepers) who were exiled to Manila. He decides to leave the islands,
and goes (1653) to Macasar; the hardships and perils of that voyage
are vividly related. Buffeted by fierce storms, the vessel does not
arrive at its destination until nine months after leaving Manila--some
two months being spent at a Malay village on the northern coast of
Celebes, where the Spanish passengers on the vessel suffer greatly
from hunger. They finally reach Macasar, where Navarrete spends several
years, in 1658 departing for Macao, to enter the Chinese missions. His
narrative, although rambling and sketchy, is fresh and picturesque;
and it indicates a keen and shrewd observer, and a man intelligent,
enthusiastic, outspoken, and humane.
The Dominican procurator-general at Madrid represents to the Spanish
government (1674) the evils arising from the "almost perpetual
vacancies" in the episcopal sees of the islands, and their subjection
to the secular government there; and he makes recommendations for
correcting these evils. In consequence of his efforts, the royal
Council recommend various measures for this object.
A papal decree of December 17, 1677, allows to the Augustinian
procurators the same prerogatives and privileges that are enjoyed by
ex-provincials of the order.
By royal decree (May 17, 1680) the university of Santo Tomás is placed
under the royal patronage.
The bishop of Nueva Segovia, Francisco de Pizarro, writes to Cárlos II
(February 24, 1683), giving a brief outline of the controversy between
the Jesuits and Dominicans over their respective colleges in Manila;
he takes occasion to praise the Jesuits and their labors.
Much light is thrown upon the relations of the Spaniards with the
Filipinos, and upon the native character, by the accounts (some of
them almost contemporary) here presented of insurrections by Filipinos
in the seventeenth century. These occur in northern Luzón (1621,
1625, 1629, 1639), Bohol and Leyte (1622), Mindanao (1629, 1650),
Pampanga (1645, 1660) and Pangasinán (1661) in Luzón, the Visayan
Islands (1649-50), Otón in Panay (1663, 1672), and among the Zambals
(1661, 1681, 1683). Accounts of these are here translated from early
chronicles, their writers representing the various religious orders;
and are arranged chronologically. These revolts are caused partly by
Spanish oppression, but even more by the influence of certain chiefs
who desire to restore the old worship of idols, and who appeal to the
superstitious, credulous, and fickle natures of their followers. They
are, in each case, sooner or later quelled by the Spaniards, thanks to
their bravery and their possession of firearms; and severe punishments
are inflicted on the ringleaders, thus restraining further attempts
to throw off the Spanish yoke. The rebellion of 1649-50 is so general
that the Spaniards are obliged to call in the aid of the Lutaos of
southern Mindanao, themselves enemies and pirates not many years
before; but they willingly go to attack their ancient enemies the
Visayans. In several of these insurrections, great dangers are averted
by the influence that the missionaries have acquired over the natives,
and they sometimes are able even to prevent rebellions; they often
risk their lives in thus going among the insurgents, Nevertheless,
the first fury of the insurgents is directed against the churches,
and sometimes against the missionaries as well as the other Spaniards;
they kill some friars, burn the convents and churches, and profane the
images. Diaz ascribes this to the shrewd scheming of the ringleaders to
involve the crowd in general guilt, and thus secure the adherence and
more desperate resistance of their followers. One of the insurrections
is led by a scheming priest of idols who persuades the natives that
he is God; and certain of his associates personate Christ, the Holy
Spirit, and the Virgin Mary--only to receive heavier punishment when
their rebellion is overthrown. The policy of the Spaniards toward
the natives is plainly shown in these accounts, and often reminds the
reader of that pursued by the French with the North American tribes,
and by the English with the natives of India.
The English buccaneer William Dampier spent most of the years
1686-87 in the Philippine Islands; his own account of this sojourn
(published in 1697) is an interesting and valuable addition to
Philippine documentary material. Departing from Cape Corrientes in
Mexico (March 31, 1686), they sail across the Pacific in order to
plunder the vessels engaged in the Philippine commerce, and on May
21 reach Guam, whose people and products are minutely described. The
population of that island is greatly reduced, because most of the
natives had left it after an unsuccessful rebellion against their
Spanish conquerors. The English obtain a supply of provisions here,
by professing to be Spaniards. Thence they depart for Mindanao (June
2), where they remain until January 13, 1687. Dampier describes, with
much detail, the fauna, products, people, and customs of Mindanao. This
document will be concluded in VOL. XXXIX.
The Editors
April, 1906.
MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS, 1674-1683
Manila and the Philippines about 1650 (concluded). Domingo
Fernandez Navarrete, O.P.; 1676.
Condition of the clergy of the Philippines. Pedro Diaz del Cosio,
O.P., and others; 1674-75.
Prerogatives of ex-provincials granted to Augustinian procurators
from Filipinas. Innocent XI; December 17, 1677.
Royal patronage extended to the university of Santo Tomás. Carlos
II; May 17, 1680.
Letter to Carlos II. Francisco Pizarro Orellana: February 24, 1683.
Insurrections by Filipinos in the seventeenth century. [Accounts
by various early writers covering the period 1621-83.]
Dampier in the Philippines (to be concluded). William Dampier;
1697.
Sources: The first document is concluded from VOL. XXXVII, q.v. The
second is obtained from the Ventura del Arco MSS. (Ayer library),
iii, pp. 1-5. The third is from Hernaez's Colección de bulas, i,
p. 592. The fourth is from Algunos documentos relat. á la Uuniv. de
Manila, pp. 31-33. The fifth is from a MS. in the Archivo general
de Indias, Sevilla. The sixth is from various early writers, full
references to each being given in the text. The seventh is from the
Voyages of Dampier, London ed. of 1703, i, pp. 279-402; from a copy
in the library of Harvard University.
Translations: The first, second, fourth, and seventh of these
documents are translated by James A. Robertson; the third, by
Rev. T. C. Middleton, O.S.A.; the fifth and sixth, by Emma Helen Blair.
MANILA AND THE PHILIPPINES ABOUT 1650
(Concluded)
CHAP. V
What I observed and accomplished in that time
1. In the year of 53, Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara, a brother
of the Conde de Friginiana, arrived in Manila as governor of the
islands. He was accompanied by the archbishop, Don Miguel de Poblete,
a creole from La Puebla de los Angeles; the bishop of Nueva Segovia,
Señor Cardenas, a creole of Pirù, of my order, a very learned and
illustrious preacher; the bishop of Nueva Caceres, one San Gregorio,
a Franciscan; and Doctor Ucles, [1] dean of the Manila cathedral, as
bishop of Zibu. He brought people and money, with which the islands
were resuscitated. All their citizens were worn out, poor, sad, and
exhausted with the severity and too great seclusion of Don Diego
Faxardo. The affability of the new governor was very pleasing. He
held intercourse with all, gave audience to all, went through the
city, visited the convents, and scrupulously attended the feasts, and
sermons published on the list. He was entertaining, and could sustain
a conversation very agreeably with his fine understanding. He was
not at all vain or proud, but was pious and very religious. At times
when I heard him speak of the things of God and of freeing oneself
from the deceits of the world, he kept my attention, absorbed,
both with the words that he uttered, and with the effective way
and the spirit with which he expressed them. He was never partial
[in dealing] with the orders; but he venerated, loved, and wished
well to them all, bearing himself toward them as a prince ought. He
showed himself to be devout, and very devout on not few occasions;
and he personally attended the processions which were formed in the
city. He was a giver of alms, and tried hard to advance the [welfare
of the] community. For that purpose, many marriages took place by
his arrangement; and he aided in them by bestowing some offices. On
the occasion when the new archbishop absolved that land, by special
order of his Holiness, from the censures incurred through the exile
pronounced against the archbishop by Corcuera (of which mention has
been made above), the same Don Sabiniano brought Señor Poblete to
the postern of the Almacenes [i.e., magazines], where that exile had
been enforced, so that he might pronounce his blessing there. When
it was done, Don Sabiniano threw himself at the archbishop's feet,
and said: "Your Excellency may be assured that I shall never cause
such disturbances." That action was a fine example for all men.
2. He was unfortunate in some things, especially in the loss of ships
during his time, but I do not see that he is at all to blame for
this. What blame could be attached to Don Sabiniano because the ship
in which Don Pedro de Villaroel was commander was wrecked? Where did
Don Sabiniano sin because another ship was lost in which the commander
Ugalde and Thomàs Ramos were so interested? What I know is that that
gentleman labored assiduously, that he built fine ships, and that he
fortified the city admirably to resist the Chinese. I heard of some
charges afterward that had been made against him in his residencia,
which surely are more worthy of being laughed at than to be taken
in any other way. The little bad temper that he had was the best
thing that he could display in that land. I noted one thing, over
which I pondered with all my care, namely, that if he ever through
his quick and choleric nature uttered two words in anger to anyone,
he was so sorry and repentant, that there was no means or method that
he did not seek in order to assure and content the one aggrieved,
to whom thereafter he showed much kindness, and treated with unusual
expressions of love--a great argument that for his good and pious
disposition. That is a matter on which much could be written, if my
purpose did not prevent me.
3. But my heart will not allow me to let the great services and merits
of that very illustrious gentleman remain buried in forgetfulness; for
that reason I determined to insert some of them here. I am not playing
the part of a great thinker, and still less that of an historian,
for my pen is very weak and limited. I shall merely relate simply,
in accordance with my style, what I am very sure of. It is not my
business to publish the blueness of his blood, nor to attempt to
give the world knowledge of the origin and stock of the most noble
family of the Manriques de Lara, or of its most brilliant branches,
which make glorious and illustrious so many houses of España; for
besides the fact that that is superior to my limited abilities,
I would be presuming to exhibit the resplendent rays of the sun....
4. I confess also that if the subject of whom I am treating had no
greater splendor than that communicated by his blood, my attention
would not be so taken up with him. It cannot be denied that the
heir to nobility deserves great praises; nor is there any doubt
that acquired nobility mounts above and lifts the former even to the
clouds.... And thus I say that that gentleman has with his devotion,
excellent example, and services for his Majesty gained new splendors
for the Manriques de Lara, and greatly increased their glories.
5. While I was in the port of Cavite in 1656, I heard that he had
held the appointment of master-of-camp at the age of nineteen. There
are men who acquire more in a few years by their valor and courage
than others in many years.
[Navarrete relates that when the princess Margarita of Portugal was in
Lisboa, Don Sabiniano was made admiral of the fleet assembled against
France, and held that post for eighteen months. At the separation
of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns he was taken prisoner, and
was confined in various prisons, from December 25, 1640 to May 8,
1645. After being set at liberty he was soon given the post of
castellan of Acapulco.]
Then followed the government of Philipinas, a post [which is bestowed]
as a reward for the greatest services, and is the first and best
of all in the Indias. He governed as I have written, and as I shall
write hereafter. He has held no other place, because he did not desire
it. I remember quite distinctly what he said to me one day in Manila:
"Father Fray Domingo, if God carries us to España, your Reverence
will see how I shall seclude myself at Malaga, in order to live [so as
to prepare] for death, without meddling more with the affairs of the
world." Thus did he do, and I see that he is doing it. I would very
willingly write at greater length, if, as I have said, the principal
purpose of this work did not prevent it.
12. Shortly after the new governor had entered the country, I
discovered in the mountains of Batan the famous fruit considered as
a delicacy in China, which is called lechias by the Spaniards and
li chi by the Chinese. It is one of the best fruits in the world. I
took some to Manila, and they were the first fresh ones that have
been in that city; for those taken thither from China are dried,
and do not at all resemble the fresh ones. I wrote about this fruit
in the first treatise. [2]
13. At that time, when I was convalescing, I offered to accompany one
of Ours who was about to go to the island of Luban, and thence to the
island of Mindoro, to visit some mission fields, and do what I could
to benefit those wretched Indians. The island of Luban is situated
twelve leguas from that of Manila. It is small but beautiful. There
are many cocoa palm-groves in those fields, and considerable cotton
from which very fine cloth is made. The village has about 200
tributes. That place contains a well-built fort, which has a most
excellent moat, for the purpose of defending the inhabitants from the
Camucones robbers. The latter, through our very culpable neglect,
infest that and other districts every year with the greatest loss
of his Majesty's vassals. During the season when we were there,
there was an unexpected attack. We hastened to the fort, but the
attack ended in nothing. The church is a suitable one and is well
adorned. The cura had established the custom that, when the time
for the Ave Marias rang, they should ring to recite the rosary, to
which all the village hastened. Some people assured us that after the
establishment of that holy devotion no enemy had ever gone thither,
although before that time many had attacked and pillaged them of all
their possessions. Formerly, they neither recited the rosary nor had a
fort; and afterward they had all that, but the first was sufficient for
their defense. We confessed and preached there until after the feast
of the Nativity, which was celebrated very solemnly. During that time
a fearful storm arose, and, in order to assure our safety, we descended
to the portal, for we thought the house would be carried away. A royal
champan was sailing not very far from that place, in which were the
captain and alcalde-mayor of Caraga and his wife, and three Recollect
fathers. They were running before the wind without knowing where they
were going. The night was very dark, and the seas were running high;
they thought that they were lost, but they did not know whether the
land was far or near. Two of the Augustinian Recollect fathers took
counsel between themselves, alone and secretly; and according to what
is believed they must have said that it was better to anticipate and
not to wait until all of them should fall into the water, where there
is generally some difficulty in keeping clear of one another. Each
of them tied up his small mattress, which was filled with varo (a
material like cotton, which will float on the water for a long time),
and then, calling his servant, jumped into the sea without being
perceived or seen by anyone. The result only gave the others occasion
to imagine what has been written. Their associate and the others felt
it keenly. Neither of them was ever heard of again. The first heavy
sea must have washed their mattresses out of their hands, and they
must have perished without any help. At dawn the little vessel ran
ashore on the beach of a small island one-half legua from Luban. All
the people were saved except a female slave, who was drowned suddenly
when she jumped into the water to go ashore, and no one was able to
aid her. They reached Luban, so weak and miserable that their faces
plainly showed their sufferings. The cura treated them very hospitably.
14. On Epiphany we crossed by sail and oar the channel to Mindoro. That
same afternoon we went up to the village of Calavit, which is situated
more than one legua from the sea; all the way the road lies straight
up hill and is rough. After three days we descended in order to
go to Guistin, where we were to lodge, and whence we were to go
to all other parts. We walked more than six leguas that day over
the most infernal road that can be imagined. In places we clambered
over rocks, and in parts, even with the aid of the Indians, we were
unable to ascend. We found a place where the rocks were all jagged,
and so sharp and penetrating that, actually and truly, they wore out
the soles of our shoes. The poor Indians, who go barefoot naturally
and legitimately, walked along with the soles of their feet dripping
blood, which caused us to overflow with compassion. We reached the foot
of the mountain of Guistin without having eaten a mouthful. There we
found some Indians who had some roasted potatoes, although these were
cold. We ate a trifle of that refreshment and then began to climb
the mountain. It is as high as the other but without comparison
much rougher. For a goodly distance we did nothing but clamber up
by laying hold of the roots of trees. We walked the rest of the way,
but after taking twenty paces we would throw ourselves on the ground
to breathe a bit. Finally, by God's help we arrived and found the
church. Without being able to enter it, we fell face downward on the
earth near the door, where we stayed a long time in order to rest a
little. We found ourselves afterward so sweaty that even our outside
habits contained moisture. The wind which was blowing was cold and
violent in the eighth degree. [3] We took shelter for that night in
a poor little hut of straw, which was open to the four winds. Our
supper was a small bit of biscuit soaked in a trifle of the wine used
for mass, [which we drank] for fear of the cold. We slept sitting,
close to one another. Next day (which dawned clear) we made use of the
sun to dry our clothes. After mass we set about our business, namely,
looking after the souls of those Indians. It must be observed that the
whole refreshment there consisted of some eggs, rice, and potatoes;
those mountains contain many and excellent potatoes. On the day of
the Purification, after having said mass and preached, I returned
in one day to Calavit, passing for the second time over that good
road. The weariness, sweat, wind, and poor food caused me an attack
of illness that night, while I was alone in my wretched little hut
of bamboo and straw--so that I thought I would end my life there;
and in truth I was consoled. I remained there for some days, doing
what I could. Then I went to two other small villages, the way thither
being over a very bad road; there I instructed, preached, and baptized
some of the people. One day I found myself with nine young fellows of
marriageable age who had descended the mountains to ask baptism. They
had never seen a priest. Having been catechised they received the
waters of baptism. One old man who must have been, beyond any question,
more than eighty years old, responded very readily to the catechism,
and showed himself very devout. When I was going to recite the divine
office, he walked back of me. Once I called to him and asked him what
he wanted, and why he always dogged my footsteps. He replied to me:
"Father, I hear you say that we are obliged to know the Christian
doctrine; and as I do not know it, I am seeking the opportunity so
that your Reverence may teach it to me." "How many years," I asked
him, "have you been a Christian?" "One year," he replied; "and I
am sure that I understood what it was from childhood." Thereupon
I asked him further: "Who baptized you, and how?" He gave me an
account of everything, and said that no word had been taught him;
and that he had been told that it was because he was old and could
not learn. That caused me a great sorrow and I began immediately to
catechise him. I took him with me to the seashore, and, we twain having
seated ourselves, I explained the Credo to him as clearly as possible,
accommodating myself to his capacity. Said I to him: "You see this
sea and that sky: God created them all." He immediately answered:
"Is it possible? is God so great that He could do that?" I repeated
what I had said, and explained it to him, and said again: "Yes, that
sky, this earth, the sea, etc., all are the work of God." He repeated
in great astonishment: "So great, so great is God?" He repeated that
many times. I took great pains with him and he did the same himself,
for he understood it better than did the young fellows. I confessed
him afterwards, and found that I had to absolve him. I asked him "Juan,
have you ever sworn or told a lie?" "For what purpose, Father? or why
should I swear or tell a lie?" he answered. "Have you had any words
or quarreled with any person?" "Father, I live alone; I attend to my
field; I neither see nor talk to anyone. Even if I wished to quarrel,
I have no one with whom to quarrel." Thus did he reply to all my
questions. I gave him some small articles of clothing, and told
him that his name was Juan de Dios [i.e., John of God]. He was very
happy, and I was very much consoled. That little village having been
instructed, and the children baptized, as well as the adults above
mentioned, I returned to Guistin. The cura of Nanhoan, thirty leguas
south, summoned one of us, and I resolved to go there immediately.
15. When sailing in sight of a beach, the Indians discovered a carabao
or buffalo which was near the water. We drew to the land. I remained
on the sea, and the Indians attacked with their spears. The animal
performed some queer antics; it rushed madly into the sea, and made
furiously for the boat where I was. It struck the outside bamboos,
and, had it not done that, I would have been in danger of my life. The
Indians finally killed it, and immediately cut it into bits on the
spot for drying. I landed to await my men, when we immediately caught
sight of a band of Negrillos of the mountain. We recognized that they
were peaceful, whereupon I calmed myself. In order that the sight of
me might not scare them, I hid among some trees. About thirty men,
women, and children came, all of whom, both male and female, carried
bows and arrows. All were naked, except for the privies, which they
cover with the leaves of a certain tree. The men were tattooed in
white, the women in other colors, and they wore large wild flowers
in their ears. In truth, both men and women resembled devils. When
they began to chat with the Indians I came out suddenly and spoke
to them in their language, and offered them tobacco in the leaf, a
thing which they esteem highly. When they saw me they were thrown into
confusion, and almost all the women and some of the children ran away,
with such swiftness that one would think that they were flying. The
others remained quiet. I gave them tobacco, coaxed them and treated
them with great gentleness. Two women went to look for fresh drinking
water; and the Indians, having finished with the carabao, left these
[Negrillos] there with the intestines, stomach, and bones. The Indians
told me that, after our party would leave the place, all these wild
people would gather here, and would not go away until they had gnawed
the bones, and would even eat the stomach with its contents.
16. At ten o'clock at night we ascended the river of Baccò, which
is the chief town of that island. The rain fell so heavily that the
village was under water. I remained there twenty-four hours. There
is a very lofty mountain within sight of the village, down which
falls a river which, when viewed from below, appears like a crystal
mountain. The water passes near the village, and, as it seethes so
mightily, and is overhung by a quantity of sarsaparilla, it is a
wonderful sight. That island has some peculiarities. First, it has a
great number of civet cats, from which much civet can be obtained for
trade. There is the greatest quantity of wax in all those mountains;
no account is taken of the honey. There are potatoes, sweet potatoes,
grapes, yams, and fruits, in the greatest abundance; an infinite number
of cedars, [4] whose flower, which I saw often, exhales the sweetest
odor and is very large; and cocoa-palms in great abundance. There is
another kind of palm from which they get honey, wine, vinegar, tuba,
and sugar. There are also innumerable trees, resembling bananas,
from which a black fiber is obtained for the rigging and cables of
ships, of which there are so many that one is surprised. There is
another species of white fiber which comes from another tree called
abaaca. There are more of that kind in another part. It is excellent
for ship cables, for the more it is wet the stronger it becomes. There
is another tree on which a certain bark grows, as white as snow. It
is soft as soft can be to the touch, and the Indians use it for
their beds and for clothing--although they are not without cotton,
of which they make excellent clothing. [5]
17. Rivers and sea abound with fine fish. The fish called pexemulier
[6] is found there. Very valuable rosaries are made of its bones,
because of the great virtue residing in them against hemorrhages; one
which has been tested by experience is worth many ducados. Licentiate
Francisco Roca, the cura of that place, related to me what happened in
his district--a very notable case. An Indian who went to fish every day
found near the water a pexemulier, which is said to resemble a woman
from the breasts down. He had regular intercourse with this creature,
and continued that bestial concubinage daily for more than six months
without losing a single day in that communication. After that time
God touched his heart, and constrained him to confess. He confessed,
and was ordered not to go to that place any more; he obeyed, and
ceased that abomination. I avow that if I myself had not heard it
from the above [cura], I would have doubted its truth exceedingly.
18. On the afternoon of the next day, we (the cura, the alcalde-mayor,
and I) set out in three boats for another curacy, namely, the one to
which I was going. All three had to be reconciled, because of some
slight differences that had preceded, and for that reason the voyage
was made. The cura entertained us royally and we embraced and became
good friends, and the feast was ended with a grand banquet which he
gave us. It is not going to excess to add somewhat more than usual in
such great occasions and feasts.... The truth is there was no wine,
but only plenty of good water. In a few days I went out to the visitas,
which were numerous and distant one from another. Having passed the
first, I turned inland in order to cut off a large cape which extended
far into the sea from a mountain. The crossing was thickly overgrown
with trees, so high that one could not see the sky at all for two
leguas. The leeches were so numerous that we could not estimate
them. On reaching the sea I crossed a rivulet on the shoulders of an
Indian, who carried his spear in his hand. Half-way over he descried
a fine ray-fish; he threw his spear, and nailed it to the sand. When
he had carried me over, he returned and got that fish, dragging it
along through the water. The Indian told me what fine food its liver
was, and they cooked it for me, and truly it is a fine delicacy. I
mentioned that in Roma in the year 73, and it so struck the fancy
[of those who heard me] that some of them were anxious to secure that
dainty. I did not know at that time the great virtue of the spine or
claw at the point of the tail of that fish. It is an admirable remedy
against toothache, and if the teeth be merely rubbed with that claw the
pain leaves them; however, it must be cut off while the fish is alive.
19. I went to celebrate Holy Week in a small village whose little
church was located in the most pleasant and agreeable place that
can be found anywhere. It lay three leguas from the sea, and one
ascended thither by a fine and full-flowing river, which has a bed one
legua wide during the rainy season. Near that river is a low-lying
mountain which resembles a pleasant garden. At the south it has the
most beautiful cocoa-palms; on the east and north it is covered with
cacasuchiles full of flowers, which are beguiling to the sight and
smell; to the east one sees very lofty mountains, which are very
sightly. Round about it was a hedge of tall maguey, [7] and in the
middle of that stood the house and church. The village site, on the
north side, and on the south, where the river flowed, was very steep,
and had a fine spring at the foot. The means of approach to the village
were suitably hidden, for safety from the hostile Camucones. Indians of
other villages assembled there; all confessed and communed, and some
were baptized. Two things in especial happened to me there. One was
a confession that covered thirty years. Truly that Indian confessed
remarkably well, and had a very fine understanding. The other
was that of a woman already of marriageable age and of excellent
mind. She said to me: "Father, I went to the mountain with a youth,
and we lived there as if we were married for six years." (There
is no lack of food in the mountains without any work.) "One night,
as often before, we went to sleep upon the grass. At dawn I awoke,
raised myself up to look at him, and beheld him dead at my side. So
great was my fear on beholding that that I immediately descended to
the village with the determination to confess and change my life. I
have found an occasion when the father is here, and I wish to make
use of it." I counseled her as to what she would better do, and told
her to be ever mindful of the mercy that God had shown her. Literally
was the remark of God verified in this case, namely, that "two shall
be sleeping, and one shall be taken and the other left." [8] The poor
wretched youth suddenly attacked by death would run enough risk if
one thought of the time and occasion when he was summoned.
We practiced all the ceremonies of the church from Palm Sunday to
the day of the Resurrection. They had their altar; the chief of the
village gave all the wax that was used on it. I remember that, when
the mandato [9] was being preached, the good old man was softened,
and suddenly kneeled down, weeping and sobbing. That devotion drew
tears from me and the rest, and with them was the sermon finished.
20. All of those people are, as villagers of the mountain regions,
sincere, and without a bit of malice. They attend church with great
devotion, and no word is spoken to them that does not fructify;
therefore the gospel will continually spread among them. But there
they are held by a mass every two or three years; those who die remain
dead; and immediately the cura takes great care in collecting the
tribute from them, and the personal services and fees.
21. One of the great conveniences for the Indians in having religious
in their districts is that, since the latter are changed every little
while, if the Indian who is cowardly is afraid to confess to one,
or has had a quarrel with him, he unbosoms himself to the other, and
confesses well and freely to him. But if he once exhibits fear of the
cura, or the cura gets angry at him, it is very difficult for him
to show clearly what is in his breast when he goes to confess. He
who made the confession to me that covered the thirty years had
been silent about some matters, through fear and terror. This point
is worthy of consideration. The fathers of the Society had been in
that island in previous years; and they had four missionaries there,
who labored very earnestly. The seculars to whom it belonged before
went to law with them. It was returned to the seculars, and only one
cura is stationed there to administer what was administered by the
four religious. Already one can see what must become of it. This is
to seek Quæ sua sunt, non quæ Jesu Christi. [10] There were visitas
where the cura had not set foot for fourteen years.
22. On the day of the Resurrection, after the mass, and after the
mystery had been explained to the people, and some rice, potatoes,
eggs, and fruit had been distributed among some poor people who
had come to me, I went overland to another village. I slept on the
way in the shade of some trees. There I encountered an infidel from
the mountains, who had an excellent disposition. I showed him many
kindnesses, but since no inclinations [toward the faith] had preceded,
they availed but little. Next day I lodged in the house of another
infidel, who treated me very well. These Indians and thousands of
others do not become baptized because they fear the tribute and
personal services, as I have already observed in another place.
23. We arrived at the village of Santiago, which has a very
poor climate, and is much exposed to the attacks of the hostile
Camucones. The year before, some of them had been captured; and one
of them said to me: "Father, my wife was giving birth to a child in
this house, when the enemies arrived. I jumped through that window
and some followed me. The others, especially the women who were in my
house, were captured. They were taken along that path, and my wife,
being weak and exhausted, could not walk. To make her go forward they
kept striking her with clubs, and I watched it from behind here,
quite powerless to aid her. She was carrying the newborn infant on
one arm, and while there those men cleft it in twain from its head
down with a catan and left it there." O barbarous cruelty! All that
saddened my heart, and fear would not allow me to sleep, and daily I
found my health getting worse. I said to the Indians that we should go
to another place which was more healthful and safe, and they agreed
to it. In a short time they built a chapel there and a little house
for me. They built huts in their own manner for themselves, which are
sufficient to protect them from the air and the rains. Cold there is
not, but the heat is excessive.
24. One of the Chinese boats which was en route to Manila by way of
that island stopped there. The Chinaman, named Gote, told me how he
had outwitted six hostile boats by a trick and his boldness. His boat
carried a father of the Society, and one Spaniard. Seeing that the
enemy were about to attack him, he anticipated them. He ran up his
flag, sounded his gongs, summoning and inviting them to fight and made
for them. The enemy got together to take counsel, and the result was
that they fled. The Chinaman told me, in his broken Spanish: "Those
people neither saw nor knew what I was carrying in my boat. They also
fear death. Had I fled, without doubt I would have been killed. Was
it not better then to attack? They must have thought or suspected
that I had arms; for who would risk his own life?" On the day of
St. Philip and St. James I was in great tribulation. I was confessing
in the chapel. I noticed that the seat in which I was seated, which
was of bamboo, was shaking. I imagined that some dog was under it,
and asked the Indian to drive it away from there. He answered: "No,
Father, it is not a dog, but an earthquake." It increased in violence
so much that, abandoning my penitent, I knelt down and begged God for
mercy. I thought that surely the end of the world was come. I have seen
many earthquakes, but none so severe as that. At the close I said:
"If that earthquake has been as violent in Manila, not one stone has
remained upon another." I learned afterward that it had caused some
damage, although it was not great. The distance thence to Manila is
very nearly one hundred leguas and there is a goodly stretch of water
in between.
25. During those days I gave instruction and confession and
administered the communion to all. There were no adults to baptize,
but there were children. As the heat increased, together with the
danger of the enemy and my lack of health, I resolved to return,
although not a little sorry to leave two more visitas, twenty leguas
from that place. I reached Nanhoan by passing again through the same
villages by which I had come. During that voyage I observed that,
having ascended a river and told the Indians to prepare me a place
wherein to say mass and another in which to sleep that night, they made
the whole thing in two hours, by making a covering above that place
with only the leaves of the wild palm. That night a very heavy shower
fell, but not a single drop leaked inside the shelter. Then and on
many other occasions I have noticed that each leaf was so large that
an Indian carried it by dragging it; and since they are fan-shaped,
and have channels, and are strong, they could withstand as much rain
as might fall. In another village an incident happened that caused
the Indians great fear, and myself not a little wonder. The Indians
were down at the shore, mending the boat in which I was going to
embark, when suddenly a well-known fish came out of the water, which
we call picuda, [11] and the Portuguese vicuda. It seized an Indian
so firmly by the instep that it began to drag him into the sea. His
companions hastened to his rescue and made the fish loose its prey
by means of clubs and stones, and return to the water. They brought
the young fellow to me wounded. He confessed, and was very sick. He
recovered his health afterward, but was lame in that foot. Those men
were astonished, for they had never seen or heard that that fish went
ashore, and much less that it attacked men.
26. There is a fine lake near Nanhoan [12] which is so full of fish,
especially skates, that one can sometimes catch them with the hands,
take out the eggs and let the fish go. If those eggs be salted, they
make a fine accompaniment for rice and are considered a dainty. While
I was there an Indian woman came to bathe, but she remained behind in
the teeth of a crocodile. I left for Manila, and a chief and his son
with four Indians set out from the southern side. The enemy met them
and, although they resisted, they were captured and taken prisoners
to Mindanao. The Lord delivered me and those with me. I passed
the bay of Batangas and went round by way of the lake of Lombon,
[13] which is very beautiful. From Manila, where I remained several
days, I went to Batam, where I suffered the greatest discomforts and
uneasiness from witches or goblins. We do not know what it was, but
the result showed that it was a work of the devil. Considerable danger
to any man was not experienced, but we heard rumblings and noises,
and stones were thrown. The house became dirty in an instant, and was
clean again as quickly. Chairs were overthrown with great swiftness,
and we could not see who moved them; and such things as that did we
see with our eyes. We passed whole nights without sleeping.
27. One of those nights another [disturbance occurred]; when I had
already retired, and the noise was somewhat silenced, the fiscal
and governor and some other Indians came into the sleeping-room to
see whether they could discover anything. They were advancing very
courageously and threatening with punishment those persons who were
disturbing the house; but they had no sooner entered than a stairway
fell down upon them, showering them with a mass of stones, sand, and
mud. They were so scared that they never returned to make another
examination. I was summoned to Manila, whereupon I was delivered
from that most vexatious trouble, which had continued for months;
and others had much to suffer and endure.
CHAPTER VI
Of my second mission to Mindoro
1. I entered the college of Santo Thomàs for the third time, and that
time it was to teach the morning classes in theology. The last of
April of the following year, the archbishop assigned Don Christoval
Sarmiento, cura of Nuestra Señora de Guia, as visitor of Mindoro. He
asked me to go in his company, and he did not have to beg me urgently,
for the air at the college was very bad for me. The father provincial
gave his consent, and, having taken one of my pupils as associate,
we all went up-stream together, and then crossed over to the sea;
and, on the day of the Cross in May, I preached in Bacò. The devotion
of the Indians to the cross is very remarkable; they venerate and
celebrate it to the greatest degree imaginable. There is no Indian
village which is not full of crosses, and the Indians set up and
fix them with great neatness. As we entered the first visita on our
way up-stream, we were overtaken by a furious storm, and passed a
miserable night indeed in the boat, which was very small. For the
second time we crossed over the mountain of the leeches, with great
suffering. I had left the second visita until my return. A chief asked
me to confess him, but I told him to wait a few days until my return,
when I would have plenty of time. He insisted and begged me to hear
him confess. I did so, and when I returned he was already dead. I
considered that it was the result of his predestination. I remember
that he confessed very well and with great tenderness of heart.
2. I reached the village with the beautiful location of which I have
already written. But since the Camucones had in the preceding year
captured the chief of it on his leaving Nanhoan, I found it changed
now and all the people sad and disconsolate. I talked with his wife,
who was in mourning, and confessed her. Before I had confessed her,
it is true that she had never uncovered her face. Such sedateness and
modesty as this is observed by many Indian women, even by villagers. I
consoled her as well as I could. In another village before we reached
that of Santiago, many Indians were assembled; we remained there for
a considerable time. I noted there that the dogs barked excessively
during the night, and, as it was a dangerous place on account of
the Camucones, that caused some anxiety. I asked the Indians the
reason for so much barking. They answered: "Father, there are many
crocodiles in this river. When the dogs wish to cross over to the
other side they gather in one spot and bark for a long time until
they believe that the crocodiles have collected there (for it is a
fact that is well known that crocodiles look for dogs as cats do for
rats); and then, some of the dogs running above and some below, they
cross over safe and secure from the crocodiles. That happens nightly,
and consequently, there is no [cause for] anxiety when they are heard
to bark." I wondered, and I remembered that I had read that the dogs
of the Nile region do the same thing.
3. On one of those days a spy of the enemy came to us, who beguiled
us with a thousand idle stories. When we began to discover somewhat
of his purpose, it was impossible to find him. An Indian soon came
from the other visitas with the news that ten hostile caracoas were
sailing for that place. The Indians took to the mountains immediately,
and we were left alone with our servants. On receiving that bad news,
we determined to return, grieving deeply at seeing the impediments
that were unexpectedly arising to prevent our mission to the most
needy villages. While returning, I heard of many skirmishes that
the Indians had had with the Camucones, but the former always came
off the worse. Before reaching Manila, we heard that the ship "San
Diego" which arrived from Mexico with Don Pedro de Villarroel as
commander, had been wrecked at Balaian. I heard the commander Don
Pedro de Mendiola say that that ship had cost his Majesty more
than two hundred thousand pesos. That was the famous "San Diego"
which was used as a fort when the Dutch attacked Manila. All the
Dutch ships discharged their artillery at it, and it received them
all on one side, for it was beached. More than one thousand balls
were found, and of the two thousand that were fired at it, not one
passed through it. The timber of that country is uncommonly good, as
is also the strength with which the ships are built. The ship which
went to Acapulco that year suffered violent storms, and one huge sea
carried off fourteen sailors, according to a letter that I saw. Those
of the ship afterward affirmed the same thing, and they also said
that when the wave that carried the men off subsided it had thrown
them again into the waist of the ship, which was a piece of marvelous
good fortune. He who has traveled even a little by water will have no
difficulty in seeing how this could be. Years before, the sailors in
Cavite say, another sea, which had broken upon a ship when making the
same voyage, had dragged off thirty-six men; a great wave that. Some
few were saved, but the others were buried in the waters. When Don
Pedro de Villarroel returned, he who is now the archbishop of Manila,
Don Fray Juan Lopez, wrote me that a heavy sea had completely torn
away the stern gallery. I had seen the ship before, and it was so
staunch that it seems incredible that a wave should do such damage. At
that time one would believe that some spirit stood in Mariveles with
a cutlass in his hand, forbidding the entrance of any ship into the
bay. Thus did I preach in the port of Cavite. The ship which Don Diego
Faxardo had built in Camboxa came near there, and was wrecked on the
Japanese shoals, where some persons of quality were drowned. After
it left Mexico under command of Lorenco de Ugalde, while it was in
a river, so furious a storm struck it that whatever of the ship was
above water was cut away and driven ashore; and some men were flung
against the masts to which they remained clinging, where they were
afterwards found, to the surprise [of their rescuers]. Considerable
money was lost and considerable was stolen. It was told in Manila,
as a positive fact, that the commander had obtained from cards
alone twelve thousand pesos between Acapulco and that place. Who
would believe such a thing here? In Pangasinan there were thunder,
lightning, and earthquakes; and rocks fell, and stones so large that
they weighed five arrobas. Bishop Cardenas wrote about that to the
governor and Audiencia, and added that he himself had seen some of
the above-mentioned stones. It was inferred that the stones had come
from some volcano, but no one ever heard where they had come from.
3 [sic]. The loss of so many ships caused us great sadness of
heart. The greatest hardship fell to the Indians, for they cannot
live without ships. When one is lost it is necessary to build another,
and that means the cutting of wood. Six or eight thousand Indians are
assembled for that task, and go to the mountains. On them falls the
vast labor of cutting and dragging the timber in. To that must be added
the blows that are rained down upon them, and the poor pay, and bad
nourishment that they receive. At times, religious are sent to protect
and defend them from the infernal fury of some Spaniards. Moreover,
in the timber collected for one ship there is [actually enough] for
two ships. Many gain advantage at the cost of the Indians' sweat,
and later others make a profit in Cavite, as I have seen.
4. Before leaving Manila, it will be apropos to say something of
that island. I shall say nothing particular of the islands of Oton,
Iloilo, Zibu, Marinduque, Romblon, Caraga, [14] Calamianes, and
others (all of which belong to our king, are inhabited by Indians,
and are administered by religious or curas), for I was not in them. I
know that they abound in rice, the larger cattle, wax, cotton, and
the common fruits. But, as remarked, I do not know the details from
experience. Only I am certain that the nests built by the swallows from
the sea foam, on the crags near the shores, are valued highly, and are
very delicious. When cooked with meat, they are a marvel and contain
much nourishment. They are given as presents in Manila. Those which are
carried to China are worth many ducados, as I wrote. They are abundant
in Calamianes, but I imagine that the same must be true of other
islands also; for the Portuguese trade in this commodity in Sian and
Camboxa for China. When dry they resemble a little ash-colored earth,
but they change appearance after being washed and cooked. There is no
doubt that gold is found in all the islands named, in some more than
in others. The island of Manila is the largest and most celebrated. It
extends from nine or ten degrees south latitude to more than nineteen
in the north. From east to west it is very unequal. Manila, which is
the capital of all the islands, is near a large river and very near
the sea. There reside the governor, four auditors, one fiscal, the
archbishop, three royal officials, the alguaçil-mayor of the court,
and the municipal corporation with its two alcaldes-in-ordinary,
regidors, and alguaçil mayor. The old cathedral was overthrown
by the great earthquake of St. Andrew's [day] of 46. Another was
built later, but it was not finished in my time. There is a very
spacious and beautiful royal chapel and the convents of St. Dominic,
St. Francis, St. Augustine, the Society [of Jesus], St. Nicolas [i.e.,
the Recollect convent], Santa Clara, and St. John of God; besides two
colleges--ours of Santo Thomas, which is a university incorporated,
and affiliated with that of Mexico; and that of San Joseph, of the
Society of Jesus. There is a fine royal hospital; a church of Santa
Potenciana with a house for the shelter of respectable women; and a
fine church of the Misericordia with a seminary where many Spanish
orphan girls are reared and given dowers for marriage. The best people
of Manila look after that seminary. The [post of] head brother of the
Misericordia is one of the highest offices in that community. When I
had to preach in that church one year, I read the rules professed by
that confraternity, and they instructed me in some things. One thing
was, that during one of the former years they had distributed in alms
alone to the respectable poor thirty-six thousand reals of eight. The
city has very fine houses and palaces inside; while outside of it
are orchards, gardens, and many baths, which are most necessary for
relief from the excessive heat there. The walls, ramparts, cavaliers,
covert-ways, and diamond-points which surround the city are as much
as can be desired. The site is impregnable in itself, and, even if it
were not, the fortifications are sufficient to protect the city. The
artillery is heavy and excellent. It is one of the best strongholds
that his Majesty owns. Outside its walls it has a Babylon of villages
and people on all sides. The river girdles the wall on the north side,
and has a fine bridge, which is well garrisoned. As these things are
already known, I shall not spend time with them.
5. In their books the Chinese have mentioned the island of Manila,
which they call Liu Sung. [15] They say that it is a land where gold
abounds, and in that they say truly and rightly. The provinces of
Pangasinan and Ilocos are more remarkable in this regard than any
other. Rice is abundant and good. There is the rice of forty days,
so that it is sown, grows, and is dried, harvested, and eaten in
forty days--a very remarkable thing. There is rice of two months,
of three, and of five. There are also fine lands for wheat, if there
were any system and method in sowing it. If any Indians sow it, it is
levied upon in the king's name; and consequently, the Indians do not
devote themselves to that work. In my time, wheat was worth ninety
pesos per fanega. If they would sow it in that country, it would be
very cheap. The larger cattle are too cheap, so greatly have they
multiplied. A large and strong bull is worth four pesos, according
to the established price. Goats are not wanting, and there are
innumerable deer and very many buffaloes. The males of the buffaloes
have been crossed with cows, and the result has been a third and very
strange-appearing species. There are ducks, chickens, sugar, wax, and
wood that is called here Brazil-wood; there is so much of this that
it costs only the cutting. Excellent rattan is found in the greatest
abundance, and more than enough cotton to clothe the people of the
country. Wines and brandy, made from nipa and other materials, are not
wanting, nor people to drink them. There are many delicious fruits. The
guayava, [16] which has spread so fast that it is destroying the
pasturage, is the finest [kind of fruit]--raw, cooked, prepared in
preserves, and in jelly; it is good in all forms. The reason why it
has multiplied to such an extent is that crows and birds eat of it
and afterward drop the stones to the ground, and wherever the latter
fall they take root. The Portuguese told me that the sandalwood of the
island of Timor had increased in that way, without any other labor,
as I have already written. That tree also bears a small fruit which
the birds eat, and whose stones they reject which immediately take
root without any other cultivation being necessary. There are macupas,
bilimbins, pahos, santols, and papaws, [17] any of which can compete
with the best fruit here. There is also the nangca, [18] which is the
best fruit in the world. Some of them weigh over forty libras. They
are delicious, and the nuts or seeds which each mouthful encloses in
itself are very savory, raw or roasted. This fruit grows on the trunk
of the tree, and on the large branches, but not on the small ones,
as it would be impossible for their weight to be borne there. That
tree has no flower. Father Kirquero [19] greatly admired that fruit,
and the fruit of the pineapple (or ananasses, as the Portuguese
call them). He says that they have those fruits in China, but he was
deceived in that regard; they grow in that part of the world, but not
in China. The Portuguese praise the ananasses of Malaca highly. They
are good, and without doubt there is but little difference between
them and those of Manila; even those which I ate in Nueva España
seemed just like them. The small sapota and black sapotas, which are
numerous and good, grow there. [20] There are found, above all, ates,
[21] which for odor and taste I consider superior to all the fruits
that God has created. There are bananas, seven or eight varieties,
some better than others; and the same [may be said] of oranges. The
lemons of Manila are small. Flowers of innumerable varieties are
found, and odoriferous herbs in the same way. Sweet basil and sage
grow in the plain, so tall and wide-spreading that it is a wonder to
see them. There are many palms--cocoa, areca, and other species. The
cocoas are the most useful. Before the cocoanut sprouts from the
flower-stalk, a precious liquor is extracted which is called tuba
by the Indians, and in Eastern India sura. It is distilled at night,
and is a delicious and most healthful beverage by morning. If it be
boiled it lasts all day. A fine syrup and excellent honey are made
from it, and I have made them. The distillations of the day are
made into wine, and also into the finest of vinegar. A fine tow is
made from the outside shell of the cocoanut, which is used for the
calking of ships and other craft. Excellent ropes and fuses are made
of it for all sorts of firearms, which are used by the musketeers and
arquebusiers. From the inside shell are made elegant drinking-cups
for water and chocolate. The water contained inside the cocoanut is
drunk, and, if the cocoanut is tender, it is a very sweet and healthful
beverage. The cocoanut is roasted for the sick, and after it settles
the said water is drunk and produces excellent results. From the
white flesh into which the water is gradually converted, a milk is
extracted, with which they cook many of their eatables, among these
their rice. An excellent conserve called buchayo by the Indians is
made from it. Good oil is also extracted from this nut; and from
the residue of that process the natives and creoles make a very
savory dish with rice. There remain then the trunk and branches
[of the tree], which have many other uses. The bamboos are also
very useful. Some of them are as thick as the thigh. Chairs, tables,
houses, very large churches, fences about the stockyards, scaffolds
for buildings, and innumerable other things are made from them. There
is an abundance of fish, fine shellfish, including oysters, iguanas,
[22] (which, although they have an infernal shape, are the finest
kind of food), and the finest shads and pampanos. In the island of
Manila and other islands dependent on it only a little coolness is
needed, although there are parts somewhat temperate. For the rest,
nothing else is needed than to take care of them. Other persons will
secure rich harvests, but his Majesty gets nothing, although private
persons gain from all of them. That country has temperatures for all
products that are desired--for wheat, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper,
and for mulberry trees from which the silkworms are fed. There is
considerable excellent tobacco. Ebony in as great quantities as are
desired, and sandalwood (although it is not fine) are also found in
the mountains. Precious stones called bezoars are found in deer; I
saw a very fine one, valued, it was said, at many ducados. A deer had
been struck with a harpoon, which remained in the deer's body while
the animal still lived. After some time the deer was killed, and the
harpoon was found in its proper shape all covered with bezoar. One
point was broken off, and in that way the head was laid bare, to the
wonder of all who saw it. As arrowheads are poisoned, it was said that
that stone, as it had prevented the poison of the said harpoon, must
be a marvelous antidote against all poisons. I forgot to consider
the fertility of the land of Manila. It suffices to say that six
short leguas from that city there are certain lands, called Tunacan,
[23] which yield one hundred and thirty fanegas of rice to one fanega
sown in them. [24] That appears to me to be as much as can be desired.
6. Other minor matters pertaining to Manila were overlooked by me,
which it is not proper to bury in silence. One is of a seminary for
boys, called San Juan de Letran. It was founded by a religious, a
lay-brother of my order, one Fray Diego de Santa Maria. [25] In my
time it had more than two hundred boys, and was of great benefit to
those islands. The way in which the boys were managed was inimitable
in any other seminary. They were taught reading, writing, grammar,
and music there. Those who studied the arts and theology went to our
college. They were given two suits of clothes per year, and received
religious instruction. In the morning, before breakfast, they recited
aloud in chorus one-third of the rosary, at noon another third, and at
evening the remaining third, and the salve chanted with the litany of
our Lady; and at midnight of important feasts, the matins. While they
were eating at dinner and supper one of them read at the table. They
confessed and took communion every month, and were punished or
rewarded. Some of those boys became soldiers, some secular priests,
and some took the habit in the convents of St. Francis, St. Augustine,
and St. Dominic, so that the seminary was a general camp of soldiers,
both temporal and spiritual. An encomienda was obtained from his
Majesty to aid in their support. Alms were obtained from burials [26]
and also from the Indians. It is certainly a heroic work. I am told
that they have been taken inside the city now, and the most influential
religious of the province live there, and, during these later years,
those who have been provincials of the order.
7. All of us in this country see another very peculiar thing--namely,
that although the city is small, and the Spaniards few in number, yet
thousands of Chinese, mestizos, and natives are maintained for their
service, so that there are about two hundred Chinese carpenters in the
Parián, beside those of the other trades, and all of them are always
employed in Manila by the Spaniards. There are about two hundred
Chinese and mestizo barbers, all of whom live on the Spaniards;
and others in the same proportion. Outside the walls there is a
famous hospital for the natives, which is well taken care of by the
Franciscan fathers who have charge of it. Opposite the fortress of
San Gabriel lies our charge, namely, the care of the Chinese. There
one finds a Chinese physician, Chinese medicines, a religious who
understands the Chinese language, a nurse, and servants who have
charge of everything. Rarely does one die without baptism, and many
of them show abundant signs of salvation. All the neighborhood of
Manila, except the part that borders on the sea, is filled with
villages and churches--that of the Parián being ours, where there is
always a religious who knows the Chinese language. Dilao is a village
of Japanese, and has a Franciscan religious. The parish church of
Santiago is for Spaniards who live outside the walls; also that of
Nuestra Señora de Guia, which has a very miraculous image. Our image
of the Rosary is most miraculous, and it is the consolation of all
the city and of the islands. It is said that they have made imperial
crowns for the Son and the Mother, even more precious than those which
I said were possessed by our Lady of the Rosary and her Blessed Son
in Mexico. The Recollect fathers of our father St. Augustine have
[an image], an Ecce Homo, which excites devotion most powerfully,
and has been taken to the hearts of all people. It was placed in
position amid great rejoicing and imposing ceremonies, shortly after
the arrival of Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara--who took part therein
very fervently, and who went to hear mass in that sanctuary every
Friday throughout the year.
8. Some influential persons of the city died during those years. Among
them were Don Francisco Diaz de Mendoça, noble, virtuous, and beloved
by all; the commander Don Pedro de Mendiola, a fine soldier and very
gentlemanly, who was governor of Terrenate and castellan of Cavite,
and held other important posts; Sargento-mayor Navarro, or, as he
was otherwise called, "the just judge" (his father-in-law, Diego
Enriquez de Losada, a man of well-known virtue, was drowned in the
Camboxa ship). Of the secular priests died the two best bonnets [27]
that those islands have had, namely, Don Juan de Ledo and Don Alonso
Zapata, both dignidades of the cathedral and doctors of our university,
and notable in teaching and in the pulpit. I believe that no one of
the dignidades of my time is still living.
9. The members of the Audiencia of that time were Don Sebastian
Cavallero de Medina, a creole of Mexico; Don Albaro Fernandez de
Ocampo, a native of Madrid; Don Francisco Samaniego y Ivesta, a
Montañes; and Don Salvador de Espinosa, a creole of Vera-Cruz; and the
fiscal, Don N. de Bolivar. All showed me many favors. I have dedicated
conclusions [28] to the second and third, and others afterward also
to Don Sabiniano who was present in the royal Audiencia. [Then there
were] the master-of-camp, Don Pedro de Almonte, and the sargento-mayor,
Don Martin de Ocadiz, who had gone as commandant of the relief sent
that year to Terrenate. The commissary of the Holy Office was father
Fray Francisco de Paula, who had been provincial, and filled that
office for the second time afterward, a man of great influence in
all things. At that time, then, I resolved to leave the islands.
10. A very holy and Catholic action that occurred in Manila during
the preceding years had slipped my memory; it is very proper that
it be known by all, and venerated and applauded by the sons of
the Church. When the Catholics were exiled from Japon, they went,
as is known, to Manila. The welcome, good treatment, kindnesses,
and presents that were showered upon those confessors of Jesus
Christ cannot be imagined; the people tried to outdo one another in
showing their piety. Not a few sick and leprous persons arrived,
and yet was charity so great that they were taken into the houses
to be treated; and those who obtained some of them even considered
themselves fortunate. They were regarded as saints, and were esteemed
a great reliquary of inestimable value. Governor, auditors, citizens,
religious, and soldiers engaged in a scuffle, [29] in common phrase,
in order to secure a Japanese whether well or sick. No doubt that
caused great edification among the heathen people from China, who were
watching everything. Although the Chinese see and notice our faults,
on that occasion they experienced the marvelous effects of our holy
law. To have there such and so many witnesses must have made them see
that our conduct and mode of living was such that they would recognize
it here and glorify our God and Lord.... I heard later that some of the
people in Europa did not act so kindly to the exiles from Irlanda....