From the twenty-sixth of November to the second of the following
month the insurgent Sangleys continued to be so elated that every
day we saw them from Manila, on the other side of the river, with
many little banners which they proudly waved, daring the bolder of
our men to fight; for they thought that even if every Spaniard cost
them fifty of their own men, they would finally remain conquerors, and
masters of the country, on account of the smallness of our numbers,
the many men in their camp, and the accession of those who were
continually joining them. Our artillery quickly made them disperse
and retreat; but the decision was reached that it was not expedient
to sally out against the enemy, on account of the little confidence
that was felt in the Sangleys of the Parian, and because our army
could not hold these in check [no les cogiesen por las espaldas]
if it were engaged in a campaign. But on the second of December,
the day of the great apostle of India, St. Francis Javier, between
ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the suspense came to an
end, and our uncertainty regarding the fidelity of the Parian was
cleared up. For those Sangleys, seeing that the insurgents had more
troops than on former occasions, and that they were more daringly
undertaking to make an attack at one side, also raised the banner
of revolt, and sallied out from the shops in which they were; and
they killed some negroes and Indians, and a few soldiers who were
stationed near the church of the Parian itself. They raised an outcry,
"For the bridge!" and "To arms against the Spaniards!" desiring to
join their countrymen by way of the bridge, which for this purpose
had been replaced. The sargento-mayor went out against them with the
infantry which were in garrison on that side, and made them turn back,
retreating toward the church of the Parian; and because the greatest
danger was at the bridge, the master-of-camp, Don Lorenzo de Olaso,
went to defend that passage. Although his men were few, with gallant
defiance he repulsed the main body of the enemy; but he saw that he
was in great danger, and his very courage extricated him. Immediately
they began to demolish the Parian, and to throw down their houses on
the land side. The governor went to the walls, to give orders as to
what must be done in view of the present necessity; and, since there
was so great need of men, all the ecclesiastics and religious were
obliged to go with arms to guard the walls, as it was suspected that
the enemy might attempt to scale them. At that time the city was full
of confusion and tumult; for as there were even in the [Spanish] houses
so great a number of Sangleys, the people within these saw that they
were in danger if the Sangleys escaped outside. To free themselves
from this, the cry was made, I know not by whose order, that, under
penalty of treason all should kill the Sangleys whom they kept, [61]
which immediately rendered active the indignation or the hatred against
them. Through all the streets the Sangleys were seen lying dead; and
everywhere were heard their outcries or their weeping, causing in all
natural compassion, [even] in the midst of the general danger. In the
fort were many Sangleys who had been seized in various sallies, who,
seeing death so near, tried to escape it, defending themselves even in
the place where they were imprisoned; but they all died there, slain
by arquebus-balls. The artillery continued its fire from the walls,
killing thus a great number of the Sangleys. Others flung themselves
into the river, but immediately fell into the hands of some of our
men who were guarding it in boats, and perished miserably. Fire was
set to the Parian; it immediately began to burn, and a great quantity
of wealth was reduced to ashes by the flames. [62] Many persons who
had concealed themselves were burned to death; others, who thought
it a less evil to be the object of our men's harshness than to become
the prey of the flames, rushing from the buildings, threw themselves
upon the sharp swords. Thus in a few hours the costly structure of the
Parian [perished], and its beautiful church alone was left [63] as a
memento of what had been there--the pillars of stone which remained
standing being monuments, as it were, which proclaimed, "Here stood
Troya." The number of those who died that day in the city and fort,
in the Parian, and in the river, amounted to three thousand, according
to the statement of those who make the most moderate estimates. On the
morning of the following day, some two hundred traders came out from
some marshes and miry places that were behind the Parian; they had
buried themselves in the mud there, in order to preserve their lives
in the general misfortune of their countrymen. All came with crosses
in their hands, entreating mercy; this could not be denied to them
by Christian charity, all the more when it was known that these men
were not accomplices in the insurrection. Command was therefore given
that they be conveyed to the fort, where they were kept under guard;
and they were aided with their support in a time of so great need,
in which they were utterly destitute. Many of those who died had time
[allowed them] to become Christians first, and those who already
were such, to make their confessions; others were deprived of this
by their own obstinacy, or by the sudden anger of our people.