majesty King Don Felipe, our lord, of his people and royal fleet
for the discovery of the islands of the West: in response to the
summons of the very illustrious Gonzalo Pereira, captain-in-chief of
the Portuguese fleet, served on me the twenty-seventh day of this
present month of October I declare that it is true, as contained
in his summons, that "actions speak louder than words," as also do
offers without actions--which in his case we have seen to be very
different. For it is manifest and known to all that his actions
have been, and are, very different from good words; since on the
twentieth day of this month, without any cause or legitimate reason,
or without the removal of the assurances given by one to the other,
or without making or giving any warning or information, his grace
ordered his galleys and small vessels to make an attack on certain
fortifications and defenses of ours. And they attacked and fired
many cannon and arquebuse-shots at the people on the shore and bank
near the fort aforesaid, without any artillery being fired at them
in return from this camp, which could do them harm, until the outcome
of the affair was seen. On the contrary, astonished at the treatment
afforded us when we had not given any occasion whatsoever for the same,
I wrote to his grace that very day. He, without any reply to what I had
written, sent, the next morning, two galleots and a pinnace to take up
a position in the other entrance of this harbor (where they now are),
in order to prevent us from receiving any supplies or provisions. He
has blockaded us upon all sides; and, what is most intolerable of all,
the galleys and pinnaces aforesaid have sacked, fired, and burned all
the neighboring villages, and killed the natives and inhabitants,
without exempting even women and children, in the towns of Gavi,
Cotcot, Diluan, Denao, and Mandavi--for the sole reason, and no other,
as I understand, that they had been at peace with us, and had supplied
and sold us provisions for our money. All this cannot be denied,
inasmuch as we have seen it all with our own eyes. This may well
be called deeds, and not words: and he has answered with a war of
incredible cruelty. And in view of this, it is not surprising that
we should have taken or that we do take some precautions, since he
has made war so openly, and now tries to do us so open violence and
injury. As far as the pleasing of God and of our rulers is concerned,
it is of very little service, or none at all, to say that we should
go to his fleet; for this cannot be done without violating his
majesty's orders, to which I shall not expose myself. Moreover,
all possible justifications have been offered on my side for not
departing from this land and leaving it free; and, if necessary,
I now offer them again. And it has no bearing on the subject to say
that I have been here four years and desire to remain four years
more; for my intention and desire has not been, nor is, to remain
here even one year, but to depart as soon as I receive despatches
and ships from his majesty--which, at latest, will be here with the
next northeast wind. And as for his saying that only the _patache_
"San Juan" and one ship can reach me, that is all nonsense; for his
majesty, if he desire, can send one, six, ten, or twenty ships from
Nueva España, for they have them in the South Sea there. And, what
is more, I offer to depart with those that come, whether they be few
or many, this being the easiest, shortest, and quickest remedy for
what his grace says he wishes and desires--namely, that I should leave
this land free and unembarrassed. And in this way he will receive full
satisfaction very shortly, without loss, damage, or injury whatsoever
to the one side or the other, unless his grace himself chooses to
give occasion therefor. And, if he do this, he will do his duty, and
what he is bound to do in the service of God and of our sovereigns,
and will obviate the necessity of shedding Christian blood--as well
as an infinite number of damages and annoyances which might otherwise
ensue and come to pass now or in the future. And if, in the event of
his grace's not being willing so to do, any further damage, loss,
or scandal should ensue, then I declare that he shall be guilty of
it all; and that he shall be considered to have acted criminally in
all respects and be obliged to give an account of his deeds to God
and to our sovereigns and rulers. And I ask and summon him--once,
twice, thrice, and as many more times as I am required by law--not
to permit violence to be done me, or any injury or warlike action
such as he has undertaken, much to the displeasure of God and of
our sovereigns and lords. And I protest, in all ways in which I have
already protested, and all others in which, on his majesty's behalf,
I am bound to request, declare, affirm, and allege--all of which,
although not specified in detail, is fully expressed herein. And
as for what he says about its being better to join his fleet in the
work of propagating our holy Catholic faith, and destroying the sect
of Mahomet in Maluco, Java, and Achen, in compensation for the many
occasions on which the sovereigns of Portugal aided those of Castilla
against the Moros--I say that if his highness or he, in his royal
name, wage war against the pagans in these islands, and have need
of other people's assistance, I am ready and prepared to give him
soldiers to help, and to go with him to the places above-mentioned,
in the service of the very illustrious and puissant King of Portugal,
conformably to the instructions and orders which I have from his
majesty, provided that his grace give them ships and supplies,
and such other securities as may be reasonable from one party to
another. Regarding what he says of the clauses of my instructions,
the unequivocal, holy, and sincere intention of his majesty stands
clearly forth therefrom, and should be received and admitted as such;
and likewise the fact that I myself have fulfilled his royal orders,
and have no intention of injuring any one or taking other people's
property from them. For I offer and stand ready to depart, just as
soon as possible, from everything which his grace declares to belong
to his highness, without any further summons; and to pay for all the
years of my stay here. This--being, as it is, the truth--is sufficient
satisfaction for all that his grace has said or may say in the matter;
for I desire to follow his instructions provided it be within my power,
and depart from this land and leave it free and unembarrassed. And
therefore I declare that I will do this, as I have said--refusing at
the same time to admit his allegations, and basing myself upon those
which I have made on my own part, which are true and certain. Given
in this settlement and camp on the twenty-eighth day of October in
the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight.
_Miguel Lopez de Legaspi_.
(_Notification_: In the galley "San Francisco" of the royal fleet of
Portugal, on the twenty-eighth day of October in the year one thousand
five hundred and sixty-eight, I, Christoval Ponze, notary, read and
made known this response and summons of the very illustrious Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi, governor and captain-general of the fleet for the
discovery of the islands of the West, to the very illustrious Gonzalo
Pereira, captain-general of the royal fleet of Portugal, in his own
person, _de verbo ad verbum_, in such a way that he understood it. He
responded that he heard and would make answer to the same, witnesses
being Don Duarte de Meneses, admiral of the said fleet, Antonio Lopez
de Sequeyra, Mendornellas de Vasconcellos, and the factor Alonso
Alvarez Furtado, all of whom signed here their names. Don Duarte de
Meneses, Antonio Lopez de Sequeyra, Mendornellas de Vasconcellos,
Alfonso Alvarez Furtado.)
(This copy was carefully collated with the original by me, Pero
Bernaldez, notary-public of this fleet, without there being found any
interlineation or erasure which would cause doubt--although there is
an erasure of the word _no_ ["not"] which was made without deceitful
purpose. At this comparison was present the said Fernaõ Riquel,
who signed here with me, together with Baltesar de Freitas, notary
of the fleet, who placed here his approval on this twenty-ninth day
of December, in the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight.
_Pero Bernaldez_.)
(This copy was compared before me, Baltesar de Freitas, notary of
this fleet, on the day aforesaid.
_Baltesar de Freitas_.)
(I was present at the correction and comparison of this copy on the
month, day, and year aforesaid.
_Fernando Riquel_.)
_Fifth summons_: In response to the fourth reply which the very
illustrious Miguel Lopez de Leguaspi, general of the fleet and people
of Nova Spanha, sent and had conveyed to me on the twenty-ninth
day of the month of October in the year one thousand five hundred
and sixty-eight, by Christovão Ponze de Leon, notary of his camp,
I say that I cannot help being amazed again and again at seeing how
his Grace attempts to depreciate my actions and give luster to his
own--those on the one side being so different from those on the other,
and done in sight of his camp yonder and of this fleet stationed
here. When there are, however, so many noblemen and gentlemen of
such reputation for sincerity and truth, his Grace will not be able
to deny that during the forty days of peace in this port, he did not
see any sign of hostility in this our fleet of the king, our lord,
or any indication thereof, inasmuch as ships were allowed to enter to
him with men and provisions aboard--when by capturing them, as could
have been done easily, I could have caused him much annoyance, if
my intention had been to bring about such a consummation. His Grace,
however, in great contrast to my own procedure, on the same days and
during the same peace, had many breastworks and defenses constructed
in his fortress, and corresponding defenses outside of the same
with a great amount of artillery mounted on many baskets filled with
earth. These were quite sufficient to defend himself against a great
army, rather than a small band of Portuguese zealous in the service
of God and of the kings our lords, and reluctant to shed Christian
blood even in so just a cause. Nor will he deny that--not content
with having so strong a fortress, with so many Spaniards to make
defense against us in our own territory in case I should undertake to
do him violence therein--he ordered, during the term of the peace,
an artillery station to be established on the bank opposite where
he took in water, in order to prevent me from obtaining any; and up
to the present time he has refused to let me have any, although this
is our own land. Moreover, he desired to cannonade the fleet at short
range from the fortress aforesaid, as afterward more clearly appeared;
for, on my immediately writing his Grace through Baltesar de Freitas,
notary of the fleet, to do me the favor to order that this should not
occur again, since it seemed more the act of an enemy than of a friend,
he wrote me in return things irrelevant to the case, while the rest of
his letter consisted only of vain words and compliments. I wrote to
his Grace again the next day, sending my letter by Pero Bernaldez,
notary-public of this fleet. In this letter I asked him again to
do me the favor of ordering the work to be destroyed; otherwise, I
should consider myself authorized to declare that war had broken out,
and that the assurances between us would remain null and void--as his
Grace will see in my letters, since his memory is so feeble as he says
and declares, since he says and declares that without the assurances
being canceled as yet on either side, and without giving any warning
or intimation whatsoever, I ordered the boats and galleys to fire on
his fortifications and basket defenses. But this I did, in reality,
in firing on the black people of the land, who were acting against
their true king and lord. Little blood was shed in this affair, as I
have ascertained, but all this business his Grace owes to his failure
to reply to or satisfy me--acting as if he wished open war with me,
as was seen by the breast-work which he had constructed. And--after a
few volleys had been fired from the said boats, galleys, and pinnaces,
in reply to the many broadsides which they let fly at us from their
fortress--here on the afternoon of that same day Fernan Riquel,
notary-in-chief of that camp, came with a reply from his Grace, also
a copy of certain clauses from his instructions, and a message to
the effect that he would finally have the work stopped, if this fleet
would stand off farther from shore. This I showed to the said Fernaõ
Riquel, who suddenly became short-sighted, in order not to see it;
nevertheless, I ordered the boats to retire, and to fire no more. And
the next day I did not, on my part, consent that they should go on
increasing the work further. In what, then, does his Grace find here,
up to the present time, more good words and deeds than mine? Moreover
I gave him much more peace. It should be added that after the boats
had killed many Indians and a few Spaniards, they ceased from further
shots that afternoon and the following day. It would then have been
just and due to us that his Grace should have had the basket defenses
destroyed--for that was the true road to peace and amity after so long
a period of enjoyment of our land--rather than to allow a bombardment,
as cruel as if against heretics, to take place and endure from eleven
o'clock in the morning till sunset. These ships of the king our lord
were pierced with balls in his own port, killing several persons,
and so aimed as to kill many more, if I had not used caution and
retired. This affair is certainly an ugly and terrible one, before
God and men. I did not, however, consent that any broadside should be
fired from this galley, the "San Francisco," although I had pieces
of very large caliber therein, which could have done much damage to
the fortress and defenses. And therefore, up to the present time,
I have not shed, nor given occasion for the shedding of Christian
blood as his Grace has done in batteries and ambuscades--although none
whatever were made against him, inasmuch as I restrained myself when
I could have done him much injury by fire and sword. The sovereigns
yonder, however--who are so good Christians and have clear minds--will
judge of the fair words and fair deeds of his Grace, and of my
deceitful words and most evil deeds; for we cannot be good judges
in our own behalf in such an offense committed against the king, our
lord, and his vassals. Quickly turning to the work at hand, a little
later on the same day of the cannonading, I ordered the galleys to
take possession of the other mouth of this harbor; for, now that his
Grace has broken out in war against me, it seemed to me better service
to God, and to the kings our lords, and a Christian's obligation,
to pursue hostilities by means of starvation rather than by fire and
sword--for although I blockade you with it, I have ordered this fleet,
and it stands ready, to bring you a great quantity of supplies, that
you may not perish through lack thereof. And as for the damage which
the oared vessels have done in the territory of the infidels, it does
not appear to me so serious and unheard-of as his Grace depicts it;
for it is juster in war that we should punish those vassals of the
king our lord for unfaithfulness and opposition to their true leaders
than that his Grace himself, although a stranger here, should, in time
of peace, give them very different kind of punishment for slighter
cause, in addition to making them pay tribute. As for his assertion
that he will pay and satisfy the king our lord for all the losses and
damage which he has done him in this land of his, it was unnecessary
to write such a thing; for his Highness is not a merchant nor is he so
avaricious as to take satisfaction in money or property from any other
sovereign, particularly from his captains; and he will be satisfied,
and I, in his name, only at his Grace's leaving the land free and
unencumbered, and thus not bringing about the death of his vassals
there in so many ways. As for his Grace's being willing to give me
people and assistance for the augmentation of the faith and the service
of the king our lord, certainly he may be sincere in this one matter;
but the Moros of Maluco, Java, and Acheen are, through our sins,
so numerous, that without his Grace in person, and all his company,
it would be difficult to sweep them away. But with such aid I hope in
God that much service will be done Him by us all; for on His account
they ought to be resigned to take a voyage much longer than from
India to Espanha, inasmuch as He suffered Himself to be crucified
and shed His precious blood for our salvation. For the letters of
instruction issued by Christian princes do not forbid their captains
the propagation of the Catholic faith and the destruction of the sect
of Mafamede, in any land of in any way whatsoever--especially when
the rightful king, through his captains, requests this so necessary
assistance from his Grace; and when there is so much intimacy and so
close a relation between these kings our lords, as to justify asking
that there be given him all the supplies and munitions necessary and
sufficient to their needs, and even much more. But since his Grace
is not willing, for the sake of God and the aforesaid sovereigns, to
go so long a way toward carrying out their wishes, I protest in the
terms already on my part protested. And I require you, Pero Bernaldez,
notary-public of this fleet, to read and make known this response
to the said Miguel Lopez; and to deliver into my hands an instrument
drawn in public form, containing all the summons, protests, replies,
duplicates, and letters, which may be needed for the outcome of this
business. Given in this galley the "San Francisco" on the thirtieth
day of October, in the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight.
_Goncalo Pereira_
(_Notification and Reply_: On the thirtieth day of the month of
October in the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight, at the
place now occupied by the very illustrious Miguel Lopez de Leguazpi,
general of the fleet and forces of Nova Spanha, at the command of
Goncallo Pereira, captain-general of the fleet of the South Sea,
I, Pero Bernaldez, notary, read and made known to him _de verbo
ad verbum_, this reply as above written. He responds as follows to
the same: "that the captain-general should well remember that, in
the first letter in which this summons is mentioned, he asked only
for the cessation of the work of erecting the wicker defenses, which
request was granted immediately and the work ceased, although baskets
cannot constitute war, and are rather for defense than offense. And
on the following day, by a second letter which his Grace wrote, he
again reiterated and requested that the baskets should be taken down,
and that he should receive either yes or no as an answer, with which
he would consider himself to have received a final answer. With the
same letter he sent me word by the factor Andrés de Mirandaola and
Hernando Riquel, notary-in-chief of this camp, that if the baskets
were not taken down by nightfall, he would consider war to have
broken out between us. While I was engaged in framing an answer to
this, and before the time-limit set by him had expired, he sent his
galleys and small boats to attack the defenses and the people who were
stationed on the shore. Then our soldiers, seeing that the Portuguese
were attacking them and had begun hostilities, determined to complete
their defenses, and fought with the Portuguese from about noon-time
until sunset, without any cannon-shots being fired at the Portuguese
from this camp. And on the morning of the following day, without any
new action on our part, the said captain-general sent two galleys
and a small boat to seize upon the other entrance to this harbor, and
this order was executed. They have been and still are located there,
toward the east; and they refuse to allow any person, or supplies,
or anything else whatsoever, to come in or go out from this camp--a
procedure for which I am at a loss to find the proper designation,
unless it be war and the intention to starve us to death, which
is not a usual action on the part of Christians. Consequently, he
should not be astonished if this causes us to think that his actions
do not correspond to his words, and to the offers made on his part;
while, on the contrary, there is in truth all possible justification
on our part, and we have offered assistance and favor, should they
be necessary, against infidels, and in the interest of his Highness,
the very illustrious and puissant King of Portugal. For I will carry
out and fulfil that promise with the same willingness with which it
is offered, in the consciousness of being therein of service to his
Majesty. And it is but little relevant to say that, unless I go in
person with all my camp, nothing can be effected; for either there or
here, or any place whatsoever, I could be of little use, and would
be but little missed; nor is it just, in view of the impossibility
of my performing it without the express permission of his Majesty, to
attempt to oblige and bind me to perform the same. And as for the rest,
I confirm what I have already said, responded, requested, and protested
against, in his Majesty's name, in previous replies and rejoinder;
and if it be necessary, I again request, demand, and protest, as many
times as I am by law obliged, and as may be befitting. As for the war,
violence, and injuries which his Grace does, and tries to do me, I
elect almighty God, who knows the whole truth and the hearts of men,
as judge, and pray that He, out of the infinite pity and benignity
of His heart, may aid and favor him who most truly and with least
injury has tried and is trying to obtain peace from the opposite side,
without Christian blood being shed, to His great displeasure and that
of the kings our lords. Therefore I exculpate his Majesty, and myself
in his royal name, as well as all those in his royal service at this
camp, so that neither now nor at any subsequent time may blame or
responsibility be charged upon or imputed to them." He signed the
above with his name, and said that he gave it, and he did give it, as
his answer. There were present, as witnesses, Captain Juan Maldonado
de Berrocál; the ensign-general, Amador de Arriaran; the accountant,
Andres Cauchela; the chief constable, Graviel de Ribera; and the
notary-in-chief, Fernando Riquel--all of whom, together with me,
the said Pero Bernaldez, signed the same. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,
Juan Maldonado de Berrocal, Andres Cauchela, Amador de Arriaran,
Graviel de Ribera, Fernando Riquel.
_Pero Bernaldez_
_Sixth summons_: In response to this fifth answer from the very
illustrious Miguel Lopez de Leguazpi, general of the fleet and people
of Nova Spanha. I admit briefly that in my first letter to him,
I requested him to discontinue the defenses, and in the second,
to destroy them--which his Grace refused to do, although it was a
thing so just and so important to the lords of the land, as well
as to my own advantage, for him not to employ hostilities against
me, or give me occasion to accept the same; for it was but a slight
cost or humiliation for a man who has so great a desire for peace as
his Grace constantly says he has, to destroy the defenses, in which
more hostility than friendship is displayed. I, on the other hand,
had more than sufficient reason and justification for sending the
galleys to take possession of the other entrance to this harbor,
inasmuch as our respective courses of action were very unlike during
the peace, as has been stated in other responses. Moreover, his Grace
will not, in spite of all, deny that the galleys had not yet left
this position when his people began to bombard me; and that those
vessels had taken a very different route from that of going to cut
off supplies. And as for his Grace's excusing himself and the rest
of the company from engaging in the service of God, of his Majesty,
and of the king our lord, as I have requested, more cogent reasons
exist than that his presence is not very important in a case of so
great urgency. Concerning his reiterated plea that he cannot violate
his royal Majesty Don Felipe's instructions, I declare to him that
since he entered here in violation of the same, and against the will
of the king our lord, the latter will be well served by his Grace's
going still farther, in his willingness to employ himself in his
Majesty's service. And in all the rest, I take my stand upon what has
already been said, and protest by what has already been protested. I
order you, Pero Bernaldez, notary-public of this fleet, to notify him
thereof, and deliver into my hands such instrument or instruments as
shall be necessary to me, drawn up in legal form. Made in this galley
"San Francisco" on the first day of November in the year one thousand
five hundred and sixty-eight. An erasure was made by me therein which
shall not cause doubt, since it was made without intention to deceive.
_Goncallo Pereira_