Wreck at Boronga of the galleon "San Francisco Javier;" and the
election of our father Fray Alonso Quijano as provincial.
[The loss of the galleon "San Francisco Javier" in the port of Boronga,
in the island of Leyte--one of the best harbors in the Philippines--is
keenly felt in the islands; and, together with the putting back in
1655 of the two ships "Victoria" and "Santiago," which had sailed
for Nueva España, is provocative of much misery. The people of the
first-named vessel are all saved, but all the cargo and money are
lost. The Filipinos along that coast are the only gainers of the wreck,
for they recover much of the money. The loss is investigated by the
auditor, Francisco Samaniego Cuesta, who shows himself unnecessarily
severe in his investigations. The wreck is looked upon by people
generally as a punishment from Heaven for the cruelties practiced
on the natives in the building of the "San Francisco Javier." The
islands are reduced to a wretched condition "both for the lack of
money (although some was recovered from the 'San Francisco Javier'),
and because the reënforcements of infantry were delayed which the
governor had requested from the duke of Alburquerque, "who was
governing Nueva España; as well as through the fact that trade with
China had greatly fallen off, because of the lack of the food which
preserves it, namely, Mexican pesos."]
Our father provincial, the lecturer Fray Andres Verdugo, finished the
term of his governorship to the universal satisfaction of all because
of his great prudence; and all were desirous to reëlect him after the
six years had passed, which is the length of time assigned by our
rules before the provincial as well as the definitors and visitors
can be reëlected. The time for the chapter meeting having arrived,
the fathers assembled May 6, 1650, in the convent of Manila. Father
Fray José de la Cuesta, the only definitor (as the other three first
ones had died) presided over the chapter. As provincial they elected
our father Fray Alonso Quijano, a native of Corral de Almaguer in La
Mancha, a minister of very long standing in the provinces of Visayas;
he was a man of great prudence and wisdom, and great knowledge, and
very skilled in the difficult science of commanding. As definitors were
elected Fray Dionisio Suárez, the lecturer Fray Baltasar de Herrera
[94] (who afterward joined the Order of St. Francis), the father
master Fray Lucas Ortiz, [95] and father Fray Juan de Torres. [96]
The visitor of the preceding triennium, father Fray Alonso Clemente
[97] and Fray Pablo Maldonado, were present. They passed acts very
suitable to the excellent administration of the missions in our charge,
and for the better observance of our rules.
After that chapter had been concluded, not only our order but also
the fathers of St. Dominic and our discalced Recollects (who had
celebrated their chapters on the same day) were confronted by a
great exigency. [This is an order by the governor and royal Audiencia
requiring the presentation of the lists of the chapters, as is done in
the other parts of the Indias. The Audiencia being petitioned allows
the orders to continue their former practice in this regard, after
sending an account of the matter to the Council of the Indias. After
a digression called forth by this exigency, the author proceeds:]
As soon as the new governor, Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara assumed
his office, and had performed his first duties, and had taken the
residencia of his predecessor and given sentence in the cause of the
latter's favorite, he devoted himself with great activity to carrying
out such measures as were possible for establishing the prosperity
of his government. He found the community of Manila greatly afflicted
and weakened by its past troubles and wars, and its wealth exhausted
by the lack of commerce with Nueva España, because of the so repeated
return of the ships in distress and the wrecking of the galleons. In
that year of 1654 was lost a large galleon which was being built
in the kingdom of Camboja at great expense to the royal treasury;
it was dashed to pieces near Luban, fourteen leguas from Manila,
when it was coming here after having been completely finished.
[The remainder of the chapter is concerned with Mindanao affairs,
which will be sufficiently noted elsewhere.]
[Chapter xiv treats of the Chinese pirate Kuesing, and of the answer
sent him by the governor of the Philippines; chapter xv of the
earthquake at Manila, August 20, 1658, and the embassies from Siam
and other kingdoms to the governor; and chapter xvi of Mindanao and
Joló affairs, all of which will be noted hereafter.]