News of the insurrection reached this city on the night of November
20; and warning was given to the entire city and its environs by two
cannon that were fired. The gates were opened, although with care
and caution, so that those outside could seek shelter, and those
who wished could guard their property. Inasmuch as the importance
of the matter did not admit of any delay, the governor despatched
Captain Martin de Aduna that same night overland, so that with his
company of cavalry, he might go to see what was being done, and mete
out the suitable punishment to the enemy, since people here were on
the outlook because of the news with warning. The governor also sent
advices to the castellan and chief magistrate of the port of Cavite,
namely, Sargento-mayor Alonso Garcia Romero, so that he might be on
the watch. Captain Aduna left Manila immediately, and taking thirty
horsemen with him, he came within sight of the enemy on the morning of
the following day, to the number of more than three thousand. All were
armed with spears, or with bamboos hardened in fire, and on these were
fastened the blades with which they harvest their rice. They defied
the Spaniards to come on and fight. Their own guilt, the number of
men, and the fortified position that they were occupying--which was
certain swamps in the lands of Vinan, whose houses and churches they
had burned--caused them to be bold. Our captain attacked them with
greater valor than prudence, for, not heeding the danger, [53] he
advanced into the swamp, where, finding it impossible to manage his
horse, he and three others who followed him in the same enterprise
were killed. The others having killed more than two hundred Chinese,
and being but few in number, retreated (since the horses were tired,
and they were in a position where they could not be aided) to the
village of Paranaque, to await the governor's orders to whom a
father of the Society, who had accompanied the captain to confess
and encourage our men, went to give advices.
The enemy advance to San Pedro. They are pursued, and are defeated
in Calamba
The news of the death of Captain Martin de Aduna caused disquiet and
sadness in the city, for he was well liked there. Greater damages
were feared if they did not immediately summon all their forces,
in order to deprive the enemy of their strength and hobble their
feet. In order to do that the governor sent out his sargento-mayor,
Don Juan de Arceo, with two hundred infantrymen, eighty cavalrymen, one
hundred Pampangos, and four hundred Tagal Indians, all with firearms,
and two pieces of cannon. They were being prepared with all possible
rapidity in Manila, when the enemy began to march toward San Pedro,
the house of the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, doing all the
harm possible along the way. They had about four thousand men,
and were joined, either through force or willingly, by those of
Calamba and the farm-lands round about. That same day, November 21,
they reached San Pedro, where a father and two brothers were then
living. The father confessed all the people of Pasay, a village
whose people had, in order to escape the danger, taken refuge in
that house. The brothers, with some of the more courageous Indians,
tried to put themselves in a state of defense; and, although with only
tiles and bricks, they wounded many Sangleys, and killed some. However,
the fury of the multitude was greater than that of the resistance; and
accordingly, the doors of the church having been battered down, the
Sangleys entered it, whence they penetrated into the house, to which
they set fire. Thereupon those above, in sore straits, surrendered
after twenty-four hours with assurance of their lives and of good
treatment--although, not trusting to the promises of the enemy, many
remained upon the vaulted roof of the church. On account of the fire,
in a short time these could not descend, nor could the insurgents
climb to the roof; consequently the former escaped with their lives,
which [otherwise] they would have lost through the barbarous cruelty of
the infidels. This was further displayed [by the Chinese] in breaking
the promise that they had given; for they put to death those who had
descended with the father and the brothers, who numbered some fifteen
persons. They bound the father securely, carrying him to their own
camp, and manacled the brothers--the chief leaders of the Sangleys
not daring to treat them more severely, as others claim, in order
not to provoke further the anger of the governor and the Spaniards
against themselves. By this time the Spanish forces, not only troops
of infantry but horsemen, had reached the enemy's camp, and began to
skirmish with them; the Chinese lost some men on their side, but we
none. An entire stop was put to this presently, by the arrival of a
great number of Sangleys from Manila to treat for peace. In order
to settle the terms of peace, the insurgents sent to the governor
the father of the Society. The suspension of hostilities lasted but
a short time; for the adjutant Benavides (now captain), having no
knowledge of it, or of the discussion that was going on, arrived
at San Pedro by way of the river, with twenty-five Spaniards. These
attacked with such fury that, suddenly falling upon the Chinese where
they least expected it, the latter immediately fled; the Spaniards went
in pursuit of them, and the enemy left three hundred dead [scattered]
through the fields, while as many more were captured by the Indians
who were scouring the country, and were taken to the galleys at the
port of Cavite. On account of the Chinese being surprised by this
unexpected attack, the brothers of the Society who were their prisoners
had an opportunity to regain their liberty; they took refuge among the
twenty-five Spaniards, and coming with them reached that same night
their college at Manila, both wounded, although not dangerously. When
the governor knew that the enemy were marching back to Calamba,
he ordered the sargento-mayor to go there with his men in pursuit
of them. By this time Admiral Don Fernando Galindo, who was at Los
Banos, seeing how the country was disturbed, collected five hundred
Indians to attack the Sangleys. But when the sargento-mayor arrived,
and learned that two thousand of the latter had fortified themselves
on a hill, in the ruggedness of which they placed their main hope
of defense, [the two Spanish leaders] determined to attack them in
various places [at once]--sending by some paths troops of Indians,
by others Spanish infantry and Pampangos, and horsemen with both
these parties. As soon as our men came in sight of the enemy, they
saw how difficult was the task; but Spanish valor conquered it. The
Spaniards arriving first, with the Pampangos, began to climb the hill
so courageously that the Chinese, although at first they thought to
beat back our men with stones and lances from the ascent, finally,
losing courage and judgment, rushed down from the hill, those who
escaped from our infantry encountering our horsemen. Thus some one
thousand five hundred of them were killed in a short time; and those
who remained alive tried to escape into the most hidden ravines and
passes of the mountains, but even there they did not find themselves
safe from the Spaniards and the courage of the Indians. This was the
first victory that was obtained over that enemy; and it was generally
understood that it had put an end to the insurrection, and taken away
the courage of those who had caused these first disturbances. It
was proposed to sing the Te Deum at Manila, by way of thanksgiving
that a fire which threatened so great destruction had been so easily
extinguished, by means of the company and soldiers of Sargento-mayor
Don Juan de Arceo, to whom the Lord had given so brilliant a victory
without any cost. This result was greatly aided by the experience and
courage of Don Fernando Galindo and of the captains who took part in
the combat--Don Rodrigo de Guillestegui, Juan de Montoya, [Francisco]
Lezcano, [Esteban] [54] Ugalde, and Don Martin de Ocadiz. The Pampangos
behaved nobly and courageously. [55]