By order of the captain:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
This said letter in the above form written in the Moro speech and
signed by the said captain before me, the said notary and before
witnesses, was given and delivered on this day, the sixth of April of
this year, to Sibandao, an Indian chief of this town, so that he might
give it to the said Limasancay. Sibandao, through the said interpreter,
offered to take it and deliver it to Limasancay. In order that it might
appear in the records, this copy was inserted. The said captain and
the said interpreter signed it. Witnesses were Francisco Velazquez,
Lope de Catalina, and Juan Lopez de Queto.
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Miguel Godines_
Before me:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
This is a well and faithfully executed copy of a commission given to
Lope de Catalinaga by the illustrious captain, Gabriel de Ribera,
who comes to pacify these islands of Mindanao and Jolo, by order
of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, of his Majesty's
council and governor and captain-general of these islands. Its tenor
is as follows:
I, Grabiel de Ribera, captain of infantry and of the fleet and people
who come to pacify the islands of Jolo and Bindanao, at the order
of the very illustrious governor and captain-general for his Majesty
of these islands: Inasmuch as the instructions of the said governor
ordered me to send some one from the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus
to pacify the river and tingues [mountains] of Butuan; and considering
how much we may shorten the long voyage by going from this district
of Cavite instead of from the said town, and that we have here ships
and rowers suitable for this undertaking--therefore in the name of his
Majesty I entrust the said expedition to Sergeant Lope de Catalinaga. I
order him to go as leader for the said pacification with fifteen
soldiers besides himself. I order him to go with the said soldiers
to the said river and tingues of Butuan to pacify the said people in
the tingues. He shall try to render them obedient to his Majesty,
making the best possible terms of peace by means of interpreters
whom he is taking. From the natives of the said tingues, when they
are pacified, he shall have power to collect such tribute as in all
fairness can be collected from them. As he has the matter in hand,
he shall do what is most convenient in this. Having collected the
tribute, he shall keep one-half of it very carefully, as it belongs
to his Majesty. The other half, according to his Lordship's orders,
shall be divided among his soldiers, according to custom. Everything
that shall be done upon this expedition shall be attested by notary;
and I authorize him to appoint one, before whom shall be transacted
all the proceedings necessary, so that an account may be rendered of
everything. I order all his soldiers to regard, consider, and obey
him as their leader, and observe his orders, under such penalties
as he may inflict. Given in Cavite on the fourteenth of April, one
thousand five hundred and seventy-nine.
_Gabriel de Ribera_
By order of the captain:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
Collated with the original:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
In the port of Cavite, on the fourteenth of April, one thousand
five hundred and seventy-nine, after his arrival at this port, the
illustrious Gabriel de Ribera, captain of infantry and of the fleet
and people who came to pacify the islands of Mindanao and Jolo,
by order of the very illustrious governor of these islands, saw in
this port three vessels manned with Joloans. These vessels contained
about fifty persons from the said island of Jolo. The said captain
summoned them to his presence, and through the said interpreters,
Laquian and Miguel Godines, asked them who they were. They replied
that, when the captain was going to the river of Mindanao, he had sent
a Boholan Indian to notify them to collect the tribute, as the said
captain would come for it on his return. Therefore they, as soon as
they heard this, went thither to confer with the said captain. The
said captain asked them why they had left their village, and [had
not] collected their tribute, since he had sent to tell them that
they should have it ready; whereupon they all answered with one
voice that the chief named Rasea had gone to Borney, four months
ago, with a galliot and four vireys full of people, to the number of
about three hundred. These had gone with the said chief to settle in
Borney. Those left were about two hundred men, who were all reduced
to despair through the great famine which they are suffering and have
suffered since Esteban Rodriguez was in their village, and because
of the damage inflicted upon them by the said Esteban Rodriguez. The
said Esteban Rodriguez had told them that they would not be assessed
tribute for two years. For this reason the people had gone to look for
food in other islands. They had collected fifty-seven tributes, which
they brought, with the request that his Grace would not go to the said
village of Jolo because of the severe famine there; if he did, they
must all abandon it. The said captain asked them if they had caught
the elephants as the said captain Esteban Rodriguez had ordered and
which they had promised to his Lordship. They said they knew nothing
of this and that if elephants had been promised, it was by Raja Yloi;
but he had gone to Borney and it was impossible for them to catch any
alive. The said captain went outside secretly, and informed himself,
through the said interpreters, from the Boholan who had been sent,
and from the people of this port of Cavite, regarding the famine from
which the said Indians asserted they were suffering. These declared
that it was very well known and true, and was current talk on this
coast, that the said Raja Ylo had gone to Borney with the people above
mentioned; and that, in the opinion of the people who came from the
island of Jolo, there will be much famine in the future. They are a
poor people and in need of food. All of them begged among the ships
of the fleet, and in the Spanish tongue, that, for the love of God,
_humay_ be given them for they are hungry. It was seen that they gave
their weapons and clothes in exchange for rice. Thereupon the captain
ordered the tributes brought by them, as they said, to be placed
before him. They brought some robes, daggers, dishes, and articles
of slight value and price, and cloth of their land, but no gold or
silver. When the said captain saw how slight was the tribute and that
it was in almost worthless articles, and as he had heard that there
was a large field-piece in the village of Jolo, taken from the lost
galley, he said that, since they did not have the tribute collected
and were so pressed by dire need, he would have pity and not take
the tribute, on condition that they would give the said piece. They
said they would all assemble and discuss this, and they asked the
said captain to await them there until they returned to Jolo. His
Grace told them that this would trouble him considerably because of
his great lack of food; but that he would send Pedro de Oseguera in
a fragata to bring back the said piece, and to ascertain whether they
had told him the truth. Thereupon that very night he ordered the said
Pedro de Oseguera to get ready and embark with ten soldiers in the
said fragata. He was to go to the said island of Jolo and examine
the people and their settlement and ascertain their need of food. He
was to take note of everything, charging his men to act cautiously,
and was not to land or molest the natives. The said Pedro de Oseguera
left that night to execute this commission, in order to take back
the tributes that the said natives had brought, and took them.
Witnesses, Francisco Velazquez, Juan Davila, Melchor de Torres,
and many other soldiers.
Before me:
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
In the port of Cavite, on the nineteenth day of the month of April of
the said year, Pagalugan and other chiefs and timaguas of the island
of Taguima [Basilan] appeared before the said captain in the presence
of me, the notary, and of witnesses. They said that they brought to
his Grace, in recognition of tribute (for they knew the fleet needed
food), twenty fowls, twenty pieces of colored medriñaque, three hogs,
and one _chivanta_ of wax in four pieces. They said that they had paid
their tribute to Juan Lopez de Aguirre in civet-cats, fowls, swine,
goats, and cloth. They came also to find out to whom they must pay the
tribute hereafter, and how much they must pay. The captain asked how
many people they were and how they could pay their tribute. Through
the said interpreters they replied that they could pay their tribute in
wax, civet-cats, tortoise-shell, and colored cloth. With the tinguianes
[mountaineers] they number about one thousand men more or less. Upon
this day the captain, seeing the fleet's need of food and the slight
prospects for getting any, ordered all the said vessels of this fleet
to return to the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus.
Witnesses, Melchor de Torres, Francisco Gomes,
and others.
Before me:
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
In the port called Dapitan, on the twenty-third day of the month of
April of the said year, Pedro de Osegura, whom his Grace had sent
to the island of Jolo, as above recorded, and who arrived at this
port today with the men and fragata that he had taken, appeared
before the said captain, and in the presence of me, the notary,
and of witnesses. He said that, in fulfilment of his Grace's orders,
he had gone to the said island of Jolo. He anchored at the mouth of
the river there, for four days. As soon as he arrived he summoned the
chiefs. They came, and through the said interpreter Laquian he learned
from them that Raja Ylo, with the Indians of the island--three hundred
men, and their women-with his wives, children, slaves, and all his
possessions, had gone to settle in Borney. He [Oseguera] tried also
to learn who had remained, whether they had a famine, as reported. He
was told that not more than one hundred and forty Indians remained
and that, they were suffering a most severe famine. He ordered them
to bring the piece that was said to be inland. In three hours they
brought one to him, and he brought it hither in his fragata. It
seems to be of about twelve or thirteen quintals' weight. Thinking
that they were lying in regard to the people and their poverty,
he insisted upon asking them for the tribute, telling them that
everyone who becomes his Majesty's vassal, pays that recognition,
as a return for his Majesty's expenses in his fleets. They showed
so great poverty, and were so little able to give anything, that,
although he had the chiefs on his vessel and sent them to notify all
the Indians of the land that they must bring tribute in three days,
not forty Indians came with tribute--and that was in dishes, cloth,
and articles of but little worth. The chiefs told him to go ashore
and see for himself that there were no more people. Consequently he
bargained with an Indian, a timagua of the said island (the one who
had owned the said cannon), as he learned that the Indian had traded
for it with others; and gave back to them the fifty-seven tributes
given them by the captain. Then he returned to the fleet. This was
his declaration, and he affixed his signature thereto. Witnesses,
Juan Davila and Francisco Gomez.
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Pedro Brizeno de Oseguera_
Before me:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
Thereupon, upon this said day, Pedro de Oseguera declared before
the said captain that the said Indians of Jolo had given, in token
of tribute, forty-three tributes, consisting of two tacs of gold,
nineteen pieces of colored medriñaque, and eight tributes in dishes,
a total of forty-three--besides the fifty-seven that were taken on
account for the piece. The full total is one hundred, and he delivered
them to the the captain. Witnesses, the above-named persons.
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Pedro Brizeno de Oseguera_
Before me:
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
In the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus, on the eighth day of
the month of May, of the said year, the said captain said that,
inasmuch as his Lordship, the governor of these islands, ordered in
the instructions given him for the said expedition that one-half
of the tributes be given to his Grace's soldiers and the other
half to his Majesty; and having seen the small amount collected
and its little value, and the great lack in this town of food for
this fleet: therefore he ordered that all the tributes of cloth and
gold be delivered over and divided among the four ships commanded
by Francisco Velazquez, Tome de la Ysla, Juan Rodriguez de Norvega,
and Alonso Pimentel, respectively. He ordered that it be inspected in
order to make a note thereof. There were forty-four pieces of colored
medriñaque and forty maes of gold. Therefore each ship received
eleven pieces of cloth and ten maes of gold, which was delivered to
the above officers, and they gave receipts for it. Witnesses were
[Juan Lopez de] Queto, Francisco del Castillo [MS. illegible]. The
captain affixed his signature.
_Gabriel de Ribera_
_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet
In the city of Manila on the tenth day of the month of June, one
thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, the very illustrious Doctor
Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general for his Majesty in
these islands of the West, after examining these records, ordered that
I, the said notary, make two copies of them all, signed and attested,
so that they may have authority. I was ordered to give and deliver
them to him, to be sent wherever was most fitting for his Majesty's
service. In each one of them he said that he would sanction them, and
he did thus sanction by his authority and judicial decree, so that
they may be valid and have credibility in court or out of court. He
affixed thereto his signature.
_Doctor Francisco de Sande_
And I, Alonso Beltran, notary of his royal Majesty and of the
government of the Filipinas islands of the West, was present at the
above proceeding. I had him affix his signature and affixed my own
in testimony of truth.
_Alonso Beltran_, his Majesty's notary
_[Endorsed at beginning_: "Testimony and proceedings in regard to
the expeditions to Burney, Jolo, and Mindanao which were made during
the past year (seventy-eight) and this one (seventy-nine) by command
of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and
captain-general of the Philipinas Islands of the West. These papers
are forwarded for his Majesty and his royal Council of the Indies."]