On the fourth of August, 1639, orders were given that the ship
"Concepcion," built in Camboja, should leave the port for her voyage
to Nueva Espana; and in the afternoon of that day began a furious
vendabal, which lasted three days. This compelled the ship to ask
for aid by firing two cannons, as its people feared some danger;
but when the storm was over, the ship began its voyage.
At that very time, five large ships had sailed from Manila, on
their return to Great China; and two of these were driven ashore by
the great force of the wind, four leguas from Manila. Six hundred
China-men were drowned, although a still larger number escaped [to
land]; for, on account of the lack of succor in these two years,
[43] many were returning, leaving their houses and shops deserted.
On the seventh came the unexpected news of the relief-ships; their
arrival was celebrated with the utmost joy, and all the bells were
rung. The people were revived by this news, all the more because
these ships were the almiranta of last year, and the patache of two
years ago--which, with so great injustice and excessive harshness,
had been detained at Acapulco--the [sort of] injury of which this
country has complained to God and to the king for many years. Wives
who had put on mourning for their husbands took off those garments,
giving thanks to God and receiving from His hand their husbands,
as it were, restored to life. The Chinese, who learned the news on
board their ships, disembarked, and returned to their shops and their
trading. There was also a circumstance in this coming of the ships,
in which God displayed the providence that He exercises over this
country; for they arrived at the port of Nueva Segovia, from which
had just departed two hostile Dutch galleons, who had pretended that
they were English and friendly [to us].
On the eleventh of August arrived from Maluco Father Manuel Carballo,
rector [there] of the Society; he came on behalf of the governor,
Don Pedro de Mendiola, to ask for aid, because the kings of Tidore and
Terrenate had formed an alliance--a thing which we had never expected,
because those peoples were more hostile to each other than dogs and
cats. The reason which the king of Tidore gives for this unfriendly
act against the Spaniards is, that the present which the governors [of
Filipinas] were wont to send every year, in the name of his Majesty,
to the kings of Tidore his ancestors, has not been sent to him for
the last four years. The father rector of Maluco says that this may
be true, and is perhaps the ostensible reason; but that the king has
other and hidden reasons, which go deeper and give more cause for
anxiety. Now Francisco de Figueroa is going [there] as proprietary
governor, and he will aid in soliciting the proper assistance for
any emergency.
On the fifth of August, Captain Cristobal Marquez set out for Hermosa
Island; he is going as successor to Sargento-mayor Pedro Palomino, who
is governor there. The warder of this port of Cavite is Sargento-mayor
Alonso Garcia Romero, of the Order of Santiago; [he fills that office]
to the great satisfaction of all.
On the twenty-first of August, at daybreak, a Spaniard arrived here
from Nueva Segovia; he says that the two relief ships from Mejico
were wrecked at that port, and one hundred and fifty persons were
drowned, which has been a severe punishment from God upon the past;
[44] and with this news the people have returned to their former
sadness. The ships were lost on the fifth of August. It was afterward
learned that the succor despatched by the king had been taken out
of the ships before they were wrecked; but that the property of the
citizens that has been lost will amount, in luxuries [45] and money,
to five hundred and fifty thousand pesos.
At the end of September, General Don Pedro de Almonte arrived from
Jolo, where our affairs have been steadily improving. The natives of
the island remain subdued; almost all their chiefs who would undertake
to defend themselves are dead; and even those who never paid tribute
to the king of Jolo are now registered and are our subjects. All
the pirates have fled, and the king is hiding in the mountains; and
our men have taken more than three hundred captives during the last
three months.
On the sixth of October, the cho (craft) which came last year arrived
here from Macasar. It came loaded with slaves, and pepper, and various
kinds of cotton cloth. Its people say that the king was sorry that
he had not put to death those of his vassals who fought against
the Spaniards in Jolo; and that if any of them should go there,
the king would take his life. Knowing that Malaca was expecting
to be blockaded by the Achenese and the Dutch, and that the city
had not sufficient provisions, the king had ordered his people to
collect a quantity of rice--two hundred coyos, each coyo containing
thirty-two fanegas--and had sent it [to Malaca] in his galleys; it
is not yet known what success they had. Those people say, moreover,
that in Macasar they have heard the English and the Dutch themselves
say that in the independence and strength of Holanda there are solid
foundations for believing that that state will make strong efforts
to extend its power from the year 1640 on.
They also relate, as news, that the Dutch were at the entrance to Goa,
with fourteen ships; and the Portuguese came out in staunch galleons
to fight them, sending eleven of the Dutch vessels to the bottom;
while two of their own were sunk. It is also stated that the patache
which was purchased at Macao from the English, and despatched from
here for Yndia, was seized by the Dutch in the strait of Sincapura;
its captain, one Carballo, remained in Macasar, and it was he who
related this misfortune.
Ytem: [it is said] that a man named Caldeira went from Malaca as an
envoy to the king of Achen, regarding himself as quite safe; but that
the king gave orders that his men should arrest the envoy as soon as
he should enter the palace. When they tried to carry out this command,
this man and the other Portuguese placed themselves on the defensive;
all the men on the ship hastened to their aid with fire-balls, [46]
and with these they killed many Achenese; and the palace was set on
fire, being entirely consumed. They estimate the losses of the king
at five millions. All the Portuguese there were killed.
On the last day [of October], a ship from Terrenate arrived at
Manila. Its people say that the Tidorans and Terrenatans, aided by
the Dutch, had put to death Cachil Naro, the former king of Tidore--a
very regrettable event. He was deposed by the master-of-camp Pedro
de Heredia; and recently had come an order from his Majesty that our
people should restore Naro to power, because he had given more evidence
of friendship to us than had the present king. Indeed, the authorities
were endeavoring to accomplish that change, even if this order had
not arrived. Extensive revolts are feared there; and on this account
reenforcements are being sent, together with galleys, which are very
effective in those islands. It is also said that the Dutch will lie
in wait for these reenforcements; so, in order to circumvent them,
we shall endeavor to send the relief earlier than ever before.
By this ship comes some news from Mindanao: that Moncay had
captured a brigantine from our then and slain all the Spaniards
(who defended themselves bravely)--except their commander, who was
soon laid low by them, and remains a captive. Ytem: they say that
Moncay is making great efforts to form an alliance with Corralat;
who has answered Moncay that he must try to gain over Manaquior, and
that, if the latter shall declare himself against the Spaniards, he
[i.e., Corralat] will garrison his forts against them. Those chiefs
have assailed Manaquior with their entreaties, urging him to desist
from aiding the Spaniards; and it is reported that he already shows
himself lukewarm in his friendship to us.
From Jolo we are informed that the islanders are in such haste to be
enrolled for paying tribute that now very few of them are missing
from the list. The rest of the news will be told by extracts from
the following letters.
In one from Father Alejandro Lopez, of the Society of Jesus, dated
at Jolo on August 9, 1639, sent to Father Luis de Pedraza of the same
Society: "On the second of August, I baptized two women--one a Lutao,
the other the slave of another Lutao," etc.
In one from Father Andres de Zamora, of the Society of Jesus, in
Mindanao, at La Sabanilla, August 13, 1639, to the same father Pedraza:
"In Buhayen, thanks to our Lord, our affairs are prospering. On the
occasion of an expedition which Lucero made to Taulan, the Spaniards
obtained by a clever plan and stratagem a crowd of captives, both men
and women. Part of them are going in this champan, and the rest will
go with the brigantine--which Captain Lucero sent, in order that some
reparation might be made to them; I baptized them all. The Spaniards
who were with Manaquior went down to the lake with the dato; and
Balatamay was there with five hundred Moros, waiting for the Spaniards,
to fight against them. But they did not remain there, recognizing that
our troops were stronger than they. Our men killed twenty-five of
the Moros, and carried five to the fort. One man, who came mortally
wounded, asked for baptism, and died within twenty-four hours. On
the eighth of October, Captain Don Pedro Bermudez set out with fifty
Spaniards, in two champans, to be stationed in the presidio at the
lake of Malanao in Mindanao; Father Gregorio Belin goes with him. At
the same time, Don Pedro will pursue the Camucones, who have appeared
on a piratical expedition with sixty boats. It is known that they
have captured some vessels and the licentiate Raymundo de Quinones."
In this month of October came from Hermosa Island Sargento-mayor
Pedro Palomino, who was governor there and goes with the same office
to Samboangan. Of the two champans that went with Captain Cristobal
Marquez, one foundered in mid-ocean, with its men and the money. On the
return voyage of those who came with Palomino, one was separated from
the rest by a storm, and up to this time has not arrived at Manila.
The patache "San Nicolas" is going with the relief for Terrenate;
its chief pilot is Captain Machado, a pilot of long standing and
great experience. This vessel has orders to go, on the return voyage
from Terrenate to the Ladrones Islands, in order to carry away the
Spaniards and other people from the wrecked ship who are there.
On the fifth of November the relief for Terrenate left this port;
it carries an abundant supply of men and provisions, and is under
the command of Captain Andres de Urbina. On the same day we learned
of the depredations committed by the Camucones; and it is believed
that Dato Ache is coming, who was in Borney, urging the king to send
a large armed fleet against these islands.
On the twenty-first of November, in the morning, confused reports
reached us that the Sangleys had revolted at Calamba; and all the
rest of the day they spent in strengthening their forces. They
killed the alcalde-mayor and two priests, and burned the church;
and destroyed other churches in neighboring villages. Don Sebastian
received the news on the twentieth, at night; he had the gates of
Manila opened, although keeping them under close watch, in order
that the people living outside the walls might take refuge within,
with their goods. That very night, he despatched by land Captain
Pedro Martin de Aduna with his company of horsemen, in order to find
out how the matter stood, and punish the insurgents. On the morning
of the twenty-first, they encountered the Sangleys, who, they said,
amounted to three thousand men, while the Spanish cavalry numbered only
thirty. The captain and three others carelessly advanced into a marshy
place, where they could neither extricate themselves nor be aided,
and were slain. The rest, after killing some Chinese, retreated,
as they were so few and their horses were tired out, to Paranaque,
to await the orders of the governor; and this was the condition in
which affairs remained yesterday. It is said that the Sangleys attack
like mad dogs, and that the weapons that they carry are the sickles
with which they cut their rice, fastened to poles, and some lances.
At this port of Cavite the Chinese have remained peaceable, and with
the Indians and Japanese they very willingly dragged out some pieces
of artillery, with which Sargento-mayor Alonso Garcia Romero, who is
in command of the port, armed two small forts, which are at the end of
the village. With these and other precautions of an excellent soldier,
we all consider ourselves very safe. The natives, although they have
not forsaken their village, have sought shelter, as far as possible,
with the religious orders. The Japanese, blacks, and Indians are
full of courage, whatever be the outcome; I believe that they will
rejoice, if the opportunity arise, to satiate themselves for once
with killing Chinese.
In order that the origin of this disturbance may be understood, it
must be noted that Don Sebastian, desirous of augmenting the estate
of his Majesty, set a great number of Chinese at work in some large
meadows which are watered and rendered fertile by certain rivers,
and are called Calamba. Many of these men were levied by force,
and entirely against their will; many of them fell sick during the
past months, and it is said that more than three hundred of them
died. Accordingly, they became desperate; and it is well known that
the season is an unwholesome one. The time came for the Chinese to pay
their license money and rent, which in all was more than twenty-five
pesos for each one. The officials harassed them for the pay, and they
had not the means to pay what was due; accordingly they have broken
loose in this revolt. The rents from the lands, too, have proved to
be unprofitable, from the manner in which they have been let; while,
if they belonged to individuals, they would be a source of gain.
Since the twenty-second of November, when I wrote the above, I have
purposely omitted to write an account of current events, for along with
the facts were reported a thousand lies; but today, the twenty-eighth
of the same month, everything is now known and manifest.
After the Chinese killed Captain Martin de Aduna, they came close to
Manila, rousing to revolt all the Sangleys whom they encountered. They
arrived at San Pedro de Macati, the novitiate's residence of the
Society of Jesus. As the church there was strongly built, and vaulted,
Father Francisco Vicente and the brothers Esteban de Oliver and
Raimundo Alberto, who were the only inmates of the house at that time,
went up into it. Some mulattoes and house-servants had also taken
refuge there, as well as over one hundred persons from the native
village. These made some resistance to the enemy, but, as they had
no other weapons than tiles and bricks, finally the multitude of the
Sangleys (who numbered more than three thousand) broke down the doors
of the church and the house, and set fire to the buildings. Those
who were in the church, tormented by the smoke and flames, within
twenty-four hours came to an agreement with the insurgents, who
assured them of their lives and kind treatment. Some of the mulattoes
and natives came out with the father and the brethren; the Chinese
treated the father well, and manacled the brethren, but they killed
all the rest (fifteen in number), on the spot. At this sight, those
who had not come out of the church held back, and refused to leave
it; and this saved their lives, for at that time the sargento-mayor,
Don Juan de Arceo, arrived, with two hundred Spanish infantry and
eighty horsemen. He also had a hundred Pampango and four hundred Tagal
Indians, all carrying firearms; and two field-pieces. These began to
do damage to the enemy, but only for a short time; for the Sangleys
asked for a truce, which was granted them. The Sangleys sent Father
Francisco Vicente to negotiate a peace for them with the Spaniards. By
a special providence of Heaven, at that very time arrived, by way of
the river, Adjutant Benavides with twenty-five men. He dashed upon
them like a lion, and with his men made so fierce an attack upon
the crowded Sangleys that many of the enemy were slain. The Sangleys
who were engaged in discussing a peace sent Brother Alberto to tell
the Spaniards who had come from the river not to do them any harm,
because they were already making an agreement for peace. Arriving, he
saw that some of the enemy were beginning to make some resistance, and
he called aloud, "Spaniards, at those who are fleeing!" But they had
no need to do so, for the enemy were already in flight; the Spaniards
followed them and dislodged them from the church, and all the Sangleys,
in confusion, began to disperse. In this confusion, Brother Esteban
was able to make his escape, and those who were in the church could
now leave it. The troops of Don Juan de Arceo seized their weapons,
and also fell on the conquered ones; and the latter were quickly
dispersed through the fields, leaving some three hundred Sangleys
dead. The mulattoes and Indians from Manila killed many, and captured
more than three hundred; most of these are here in the galleys. More
than a thousand Sangleys must have been killed in these encounters.
Don Juan de Arceo, thinking that most of the enemy would go back
toward Calamba, went after them. At this time Don Fernando Galindo,
who was then at Los Banos, assembled five hundred Indians, to fall
on the Sangleys. But the sargento-mayor arrived, and learned that
fifteen hundred Sangleys had fortified themselves on a lofty hill
[47] that is above Calamba; and they agreed that their men should
ascend this hill, the Indians on one side, and the Spaniards on
the other. This was accordingly done; the Spaniards reached the top
first, and overcame the enemy, killing more than thirteen hundred
Sangleys. The rest broke away on the side where the Indians were,
and have been driven into the mountains; a company of Spaniards and
some Indians have gone in pursuit of them. With this encounter, which
was on Saturday, the whole affair has come to an end; and therefore on
yesterday, which was Sunday, the Te Deum laudamus was sung in Manila.
Among those who distinguished themselves in this last combat were Juan
de Montoya, Lezcano, and Ugalde. This last one came here this year;
although he had received three lance-thrusts, he pursued the enemy,
fighting valiantly. Don Fernando Galindo, moreover, did valuable
service in urging forward the men to the attack.
Among those whom we mentioned above as being killed with Aduna in the
marshes of Vinan was Alferez Don Antonio Tornamira, who fell senseless
when they attacked him with clubs, and they left him for dead. Later,
he came to himself, and while he was looking for some place where
he could hid himself he came upon a Sangley, who also had hidden in
a thicket; he did not wish to go with the insurgents. They agreed
together to seek for some way of escape, and the Sangley advised the
Spaniard to dress himself in Chinese garb; he did so, and finally
the two reached Manila. The governor, Don Sebastian, gave Alferez
Tornamira a suit of his own garments; and to the Sangley he granted
an exemption [from tributes?] for several years. The latter declared
that he wished to be baptized.
Yesterday and day before yesterday, the entire revolt was regarded as
suppressed and ended, without there having been any disturbance on the
other side of the river. This morning, the twenty-ninth of this month,
we saw many large fires toward Manila; we knew not what to think, until
we received a letter in which we were informed that from the other side
of the river from the river San Mateo, many new insurgents had come,
who were burning everything; and the fires that we saw were Meyhaligue
[48] and Santa Cruz, on opposite sides of the river. From the Parian
alone different troops of soldiers, both foot and horse, have sallied
out against them; we are hoping for their entire success. We are
informed that people are talking very earnestly of taking steps to
prevent such things from ever happening again; for this purpose there
was held yesterday a general conference of all the civil, military,
and religious. [49]