Arrival of the new governor, Don Diego Salcedo; and of the mission
of religious which came the same year.
(1663-64)
It was the will of divine Providence that, after so many and continual
returns of the galleons to port, as aforesaid, the ship "San José"
which had left the port of Cavite in the past year of 1662 under
charge of Commander Francisco Garcia del Fresno--a native of Cadiz,
and very skilful on the sea; and afterward artillery general for
his Majesty--should reach Nueva España in safety. The viceroy of
Nueva España was the conde de Baños, Marqués de Labrada, [111]
who, after he became a widower, left the vanities of the world,
took the discalced Carmelite habit, was ordained a priest, and died,
bequeathing fine examples of virtue and admonition. His example was
later followed by his son, Don Juan de Leiva, who received the habit
of a lay religious of our father St. Augustine in the convent of San
Felipe in Madrid. The successor of Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara,
namely, the master-of-camp Don Diego Salcedo, a native of Bruselas--a
son of a Spanish gentleman (a native of Cuenca) and a Flemish lady--was
then in the city of Méjico. He had been a very brave soldier in the
Low Countries for many years, and for his services had been made
master-of-camp of an army of Walloons. [112] For that reason, and
because he was a favorite of Don Juan de Austria, whose captain of the
guard he is said to have been, he was granted the government of these
islands. On account of the fact that so many galleons had put back
[to these islands] he had been detained in Méjico for several years.
In the same city was also found father Fray José de Paternina, [113]
a son of the convent of Badaya, who had been detained for three years
with a mission of ten religious who had been sent from the province of
Castilla by the procurators of this province of Filipinas, the father
masters Fray Gaspar de Lorenzana and Fray Francisco de Aguilera. That
mission was conducted with the money which was left owing to this
province by its procurator and definitor, Fray Cristóbal Enríquez,
who had died in the city of Cáceres, his native place.
At that time our most reverend father-general of all the Order
of St. Augustine, the master Fray Pablo Luquino, was at the
court of Madrid. He had gone to visit the provinces of España and
Portugal. Moved by his great zeal, he aided greatly with his authority
in the collection of that mission, which was small because of the
scarcity of means for its transportation, but large because of the
great lack of religious in this province. As his vicar and prelate
of that mission, he appointed father Fray Diego de Jesús, a son
of the convent of Salamanca and a native of Béjar, and then master
of novices in the convent of San Felipe in Madrid. But the latter
having petitioned our most reverend father-general to be excused from
it, because of legitimate reasons that he had, father Fray José de
Paternina, a native of the town of Álava, and son of the convent of
Santa Catalina in Badaya, was assigned for that duty in his place. He
conducted eleven religious of the province of Castilla and of this
province, as they were given the habit in order to pass thither. [114]
They reached Méjico, where they were detained three years because of
the lack of the galleons from these islands, as we have related.
At the same time Don Andrés de Medina, with a Peruvian gentleman, a man
most skilful in astrology, mathematics, and cosmography, had arrived
at Méjico from Madrid. He had offered to his Majesty to discover the
islands called Salomón because of their great wealth. [115] These are
the islands which Adelantado Alvaro de Mendaña y Neira went to discover
in the year 1595, with four vessels which he took from Callao in April
of the said year. His chief pilot was Pedro Fernández de Quirós, who
is mentioned in the first part, book 3, chapter 16, page 476. [116]
After having endured many hardships, and after the adelantado had died,
his men reached the port of Cavite under command of the adelantado's
wife, Doña Isabel Barreto, in February of 1596, and later returned to
Nueva España in the galleon "San Gerónimo." Mention of that discovery
will be found in the relations of Doctor Don Antonio de Morga, which
I omit here, as it is foreign to our subject. Don Andrés de Medina
brought royal decrees ordering the viceroy of Nueva España to give him
vessels in the South Sea, and men, for that discovery and conquest;
but it was impossible to do so at that time, because of the lack of
ships, which is constant on the said sea. However, in order to content
him, because of the letters and decrees that he bore, the viceroy,
Conde de Baños, appointed him commander of the galleon "San José,"
after removing its commander, Francisco Garcia del Fresno, who had
brought the galleon from Filipinas. That was contrary to the royal
ordinance, which prohibits the viceroys to change the commanders
(unless the commander has died), and those who have the future
succession to the governorship of the Filipinas.
When the time arrived, Governor Don Diego de Salcedo embarked, taking
with him the most distinguished train of people that has been seen on
any occasion. For of captains alone there were twenty-six, and I think
it advisable to inscribe their names here, because of the great honor
and prestige that they brought to the community of Manila. They were
as follows: Don Antonio Sanchez de Quirós, ex-captain of cuirassiers
in Flandes; Juan Martinez Corrionero, alférez and adjutant in Flandes;
Don Francisco de Moya, Don Juan de Briones, and Don Tomás de Castro
Andrade; [117] Don Pedro de la Peña Maceda, a soldier of Flandes; Don
Antonio Xigundi; Don Francisco and Don Martín de Tejada, brothers;
Don Luis Matienzo, Don Juan de Guzman, Don Pedro Mendiguerren,
and Don José Alsara; Don José Cornices, and Don Gonzalo Samaniego;
Juan de Alquica, a brave Vizcayan; Juan de Palomares Castro, Don Juan
de Pimentel, Don Feliciano Velázquez, and Don Joaquin Ramírez; Don
Francisco Vanderváez, Don Alonso Valdés, and Don Juan Giménez; Don
Pedro de la Mancha, Don Diego Castañeda, and Don Miguel de Alegría;
the chief pilot, Leandro Cuello; and others. Two auditors embarked,
namely, Licentiate Don Francisco de Coloma Maceda, and Licentiate Don
Francisco de Mansilla Montemayor; and many other persons of account.
Father Fray José de Paternina, whom the Inquisitors of Méjico had
appointed commissary of the Holy Office for the city of Manila,
embarked with eleven of our religious; and father Fray Cristobal de
Santa Mónica, of the discalced religious of our father St. Augustine,
with another fine and more numerous mission--among whom was that
virtuous and erudite preacher, Fray Isidoro de Jesús María, one of the
best preachers of that century, whose sermons might arouse admiration
in Europa. Where he surpassed, moreover, was in those that he preached,
for twenty consecutive years, on the sorrows of most holy Mary. But
his sermons did not have the good fortune to be printed, except the
first on that subject, and a few others on other festal occasions.
Governor Don Diego was very angry at the affront that the viceroy
had put upon the commander, Francisco García del Fresno, without any
authority for it beyond the mere authority of viceroy. Therefore, as
soon as the galleon left the port of Acapulco and had lost sight of
land, he ordered the drums to be beaten, and deprived the commander
Don Andrés de Medina of his office, which he restored to Francisco
García. When that was learned in the royal and supreme Council of the
Indias, his Majesty approved of it, and issued a new decree ordering
the viceroys of Nueva España not to change the commanders or those
who were to succeed in the second place [as governor]. Don Andrés
de Medina, being a wise and prudent man, made no resistance, except
that he retired to the quarters of the boatswain, from which he did
not emerge until the galleon after many months cast anchor at Cavite.
The galleon "San José" sighted these islands late, and, as the
vendavals had set in, could not make port in either Palapag or
Lampón. After having suffered many storms they were obliged to
make port in the most remote and unsuitable harbor--namely, that
of Pasipit, in the province of Cagayán, which lies in 19 degrees
north latitude. The governor, the auditors, and the two missions
disembarked, and after many hardships traversed five provinces by
land, three of which (Ilocos, Pampanga, and Bulacán) were in our
charge, and two (Cagayán and Pangasinán) in charge of the religious
of St. Dominic. Our small mission was so unfortunate that three of
them died in the province of Ilocos: namely, father Fray Tomás de
Villanueva, a religious already aged, of the province of Castilla;
brother Fray Bartolomé de Grecia, a native of La Mancha; and father
Fray Juan de Ezquerra. The other eight reached Manila after so long
a journey; and these were received there [with the demonstrations]
that the great lack of religious in the province demanded. They were
as follows:
The father-commissary of the Holy Office, Fray José de Paternina,
son of the convent of Badaya, forty years old. He became prior of
Manila and Guadalupe, and died at sea in the year 1674.
Father Fray Juan García, of the convent of Burgos, and a native of
Álava. He was an excellent and efficient minister in the province of
Ilocos. He went to España and Roma as procurator for this province,
whence he returned with a plentiful mission of religious in the year
1679. He returned to the province of Ilocos, where he died in the
year 1699 with the reputation of great virtue.
Father Fray Pedro Martínez, son of the convent of Burgos and native
of Las Encartaciones; [118] an able minister in the province of
Ilocos, where he was vicar-provincial, and came to be definitor
of our province. He was a religious of great virtue, mildness, and
peaceableness. His death occurred in Manila, in the year 1683.
Father Fray Juan de Guedeja, native of Salamanca, son of that convent,
and thirty years old. He was a minister in Pampanga, and very skilful
in that language. He was a religious of various capacities, and was
greatly beloved for his gentleness. He was occupied in honorable
posts in this province, and died in the year 1689.
Father Fray Francisco Muñoz, son of the same convent of Burgos and
native of Álava, thirty years old. He was a zealous minister in the
province of Ilocos, where he died in the year 1687.
Father Fray Diego Gutiérrez, native of Madrid, son of the convent of
San Felipe, twenty-eight years old and eight years in the habit. He
was an excellent minister in the province of Tagalos, and died in
the year 1676.
Father Fray Nicolás de la Cruz, native of Zalaya, son of the convent of
San Felipe, twenty-eight years old. He was a minister in the provinces
of Bisayas, and died in Cebú in the year 1675.
Brother Fray Diego de la Puente, native of Madrid, son of this
province, twenty-one years old. He was a minister in the province
of Pampanga, and very fluent in that language. He was a religious in
whom were reposed great hopes, which were disappointed by his early
death in 1677.
Brother Fray Juan de Ibarra, native of Durango, son of this
province. He was a minister in Ilocos for a short time; most of his
life (which was very long), he passed in the convent of Manila, where
he was an example of poverty and humility, and where he died in 1713,
aged 75. [119]
Of the two auditors the senior in rank, by concession of his
Majesty, was Don Francisco Coloma. But Don Francisco Mansilla,
as he was stronger and younger went on ahead in forced journeys,
and took possession of his seat in the royal Audiencia. After a
considerable time, Don Francisco de Coloma arrived, and demanded the
seniority that belonged to him by precedence in their appointments as
auditor. Don Francisco de Mansilla alleged the act of prior possession;
and that gave rise to a suit that caused great trouble, as will be
seen later. [120] The sentence was sent to the supreme Council of the
Indias, and the preference was given to Don Francisco de Coloma, in
whose favor the declaration from España came after a number of years.
[One of the first acts of the new governor is the taking
of the previous governor's residencia which is entrusted to
Auditor Coloma. Many complaints are made by the citizens; for
the government of Filipinas "as it is more absolute, is more apt
to create dissatisfaction," arising from the governor's severity,
or from envy. He is, however, cleared of all charges in Spain; and
60,000 pesos that he has been compelled to deposit are returned to
him from the treasury of Mexico.]
Don Diego Salcedo commenced his government with the disaster of
the return in distress of the ship "San Sabiniano," under charge
of Commander Juan de Chaves. That caused great affliction, since
no galleon had succeeded in making its voyage to Nueva España in
safety. But divine clemency willed that better success should be
experienced by the first galleon that he despatched during his
government, namely, the "San José"--the vessel in which he had
come, and in which Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara returned to Nueva
España. That galleon was the most fortunate of all that have been
built in these islands, for it never had to put back in distress,
and lasted for many years. It brought two governors to Filipinas,
Don Diego de Salcedo and Don Manuel de León; besides taking back in
safety the other, Don Sabiniano.
[Andrés de Medina, who had been deposed by the new governor on the
high sea from his ill-gotten command, obtains permission from the
latter after their arrival in the islands to go wherever he wishes,
to secure treatment for the illness from which he is suffering. He
has a ship prepared secretly, and goes first to Bolinao, "where he
discharged and paid the rowers. With the aid of father Fray Juan
de la Santísima Trinidad--a discalced Augustinian religious who was
minister of that village, and afterward provincial of that province
of San Nicolás--ship's-stores and all else needed for the voyage were
prepared, and they crossed the sea toward the west to the mainland of
Cochinchina, where it appears that they arrived; and where the natives
of that country murdered them for the sake of robbing them." Some of
their merchandise, and some of the mathematical instruments belonging
to Medina are afterward offered for sale to some Portuguese who go
to Cochinchina.]
Governor Don Diego de Salcedo was a man of great intelligence and
wisdom, and commenced to govern to the satisfaction of all. His first
measure was to place on the stocks the galleon "Nuestra Señora de la
Concepción" a work of the great master, Juan Bautista Nicolás. He sent
ambassadors to the surrounding kingdoms to build up the commerce which
is the mainspring of the community of Manila and all these islands. He
sent the commander Don Juan de Vergara to the kingdom of Camboja,
accompanied by Captain Fernando Quintela, to discuss the building
of galleons in that kingdom. That mission had no effect, however. He
sent Don José de la Vega, a native of Manila, treasurer of the royal
exchequer, a man of great intelligence and capacity, to the kingdom of
Banta; and Don Francisco Enríquez de Losada to the kingdom of Siam. All
complied with the obligation of their duty, which was directed to
the establishment of commerce and friendly relations. He also sent
Don Juan de Zalaeta to Batavia to buy anchors for his galleons, as
there were no smithies in Filipinas where they could be made of the
size demanded by those galleons. That commerce was very good in his
time, and Captains Juan de Ergueza, Diego de Palencia, and others made
repeated voyages, and brought back quantities of cinnamon and spices
which are very profitable to the commerce of Nueva España. In these
and other arrangements and provisions the whole year 1664 passed during
which time no event of consideration, or any worth writing, occurred.