The new soldiers who had come to the succor of Manila, desirous
of encountering the enemy--for which there was not yet opportunity,
according to the arrangements of the governor--made forays through the
open country, in small bands, always with good success. [71] They were
encouraged to these sallies by the reward which the governor offered
to any one who should bring in the head of an enemy; as a result,
many heads came in to the city every day. A large number of men having
been collected, the governor resolved to post troops close to the very
camp of the insurgents, in order to surround them; and although they
tried to prevent this, they were unable to do so. Instead, they found
themselves, in all the attacks that they made, compelled to retire with
losses always of many men--although on one occasion, when the governor
with the master-of-camp and some Spaniards undertook to reconnoiter a
position, the Sangleys came about them, placing them in such evident
danger that they were very fortunate in being able to escape. This was
secured by the coming, with succor, of Captain Sebastian de Gastelu,
who was stationed at a neighboring post, with his men. Some took
the governor for the master-of-camp. The sargento-mayor, Don Pedro
de Jara, and Captain Gastelu peppered them well with the artillery,
which caused them so great loss that even within their very camp
they were not safe. Preparations were now made [on our side] for
attacking them on a set day; but it seems that the enemy, guessing
this plan, and the disastrous result which they might expect from
it, since they were surrounded on all sides by towers and redoubts,
concluded to take flight. This they did on Thursday, December 29,
at night, with so much silence (since the [word in MS. missing] was
so great) that there was no indication or suspicion of their resolve
until, on the morning of the next day, certain knowledge of their
departure was furnished by our noticing that they did not sally out
into the open country. The governor, who was in our camp, immediately
commanded that the enemy's camp be delivered over to pillage; in it
they found more than ten thousand fanegas of rice, by which not only
the Spaniards but the negroes and Indians of the surrounding villages
profited. The governor went in pursuit of them with his men, and got
sight of them between the villages of Pasig and San Mateo, to which
they had gone with the intention of crossing the river on rafts, for
which purpose they had cut there twenty thousand bamboos. They were
prevented from this, and our people prepared to give them battle on
Saturday, December 31; but the Chinese did not wait for them, but took
to flight that night also. Our troops continued to pursue them, [72]
and reached them at nightfall, finding them encamped in the village of
San Jose, a visita of Bocaue, which is a mission village of the fathers
of St. Francis. When the governor was asked there where our men were
to be lodged, he replied, "Where the enemy are." Our soldiers were
so honorably obedient that, crossing a stream that separated the two
forces, they dislodged the Sangleys from their camp, compelling them
to flee; the enemy left behind the supper that they had prepared, as
spoils [for our men, disregarding] the opportunity, and its importance
for the hungry and needy condition in which they were. [73]
On the first of January, 1640, in the morning, the Sangleys were
attacked by our men, and forced to do as they had done the night
before--although with greater loss, since many in their flight rushed
head-long into the river, where they perished. The rest took the road
to Pampanga, intending to secure through that province a passage to
that of Pangasinan; but, after fighting their way, and receiving damage
on all sides, they fell back to Bocaue. This move caused anxiety among
our people, who feared that the Sangleys did this with the intention of
again crossing the river of Manila, in which case they would destroy,
as they had already done on the side opposite [Manila], the churches
and villages on the other side. Seeing, then, the danger at this time
of need, and considering that the soldiers were with the governor
and the citizens acting as garrison, and that in no place could the
forces be divided, since everywhere they were so small, father Fray
Juan Ramirez, the Augustinian provincial, offered to keep guard over
the river with his religious, and asked the other religious orders to
help him in this with such men as they could spare. All willingly gave
their aid, and the governor also sent the commander of the galleys,
Andres Lopez de Asaldegui, for the same purpose; and, aided by so many
religious, he kept the river safe for our trade, and prevented the
enemy from crossing it. At Bocaue the governor was confronting the
enemy, and having various skirmishes with them, being sometimes the
attacker, sometimes the attacked; and although usually these occasioned
loss to the enemy, sometimes also our people lost--especially one day
when a large troop of Indians, with a number of Spaniards, sallied out
against the Sangleys. The latter resorted to the artifice of setting
fire in all directions to the patches of sedge (or rather the fields
of cogon [74]), which were a great cause for fear; and the Indians,
unexpectedly surrounded by fire, took to disorderly flight. This was
the cause of some few Spaniards being left there dead; their firearms
were seized by the Sangleys, who with these did considerable damage
to our men. On this occasion the governor was in notable danger; for
he, considering that the enemy's encampment was in an advantageous
location, convenient to food-supplies, and having plenty of water
(which our camp lacked), determined to dislodge them from it. For
this purpose, on the night of January 9 he erected a tower near the
enemy's camp, defended by ditches, spikes driven into the ground
[empuyados], and a stockade, and well furnished with artillery. He
appointed as its commander the chief captain of the artillery, Juan
Bautista de Molina, with Captain Gastelu [as second]; and placed in
it two artillerists, twenty soldiers, and a hundred Indians armed with
arrows and arquebuses. When the Sangleys, in the morning, saw the new
fort, so unexpected to them, they rushed with great fury to carry it
by assault; but those within defended it valiantly, making great havoc
among the enemy. Hearing the report of the cannon, the governor and
the master-of-camp hastened to give them aid. Before they could arrive,
the enemy turned their backs and fled to their camp; the governor and
those who accompanied him therefore returned to their quarters. At one
o'clock the Sangleys again endeavored to seize the fort; they found
the same resistance and valor among our men as in the morning, and
many of their people were killed, without any loss to us, except that
a bullet wounded Captain Gastelu in the knee. At the time, this injury
was not considered dangerous or likely to last long; but finally,
at the end of five months it caused his death, to the sorrow of
every one that his Majesty should lose in him a valiant and energetic
officer. The governor and the master-of-camp came, as in the morning,
to the aid of the fort; but the enemy were now retreating, and, the
governor sending four men on horseback to reconnoiter their course,
God inspired such fear in those who were retreating that they began
to flee in a disorderly crowd, leaving in their camp their weapons
(lances and arquebuses) and a large quantity of provisions. Some of
our men followed them for the distance of half a legua, and in that
space killed more than one thousand five hundred of them; and when
the soldiers of our force were called together, the affair could
be considered by them all as concluded. It was regarded as a great
victory, on account of the great fear which had filled the minds of
the Sangleys, the utter disorder and confusion with which they fled,
and our having gained from them an encampment so convenient, with the
death of so many and the booty of so many weapons; and the news of it
was sent to Manila at ten o'clock that night. It was received with
general satisfaction and the ringing of bells; and on the following
day in all the churches solemn masses were said before the most holy
sacrament, by way of thanksgiving for so fortunate a success, and in
supplication to that same Lord that He would continue that favor to
our forces.