The death of father Fray Francisco de la Mina, and the council which
was held in place of the intermediate provincial chapter.
[Father Fray Francisco de la Mina was a native of Andalucia, where he
assumed the habit of the order. He afterward went to Mexico, preaching
there both in Spanish and in the Indian language. He was one of those
who formed the plan of sending from that province some religious
to ask for the approval of the most reverend general of the order
for the foundation of the new province in the Philipinas. He served
in the mission to the Indians of Bataan, learning their language;
and was afterward appointed prior of Manila, the second post in the
province. He lost his health after his return to Manila, and soon died.
In the month of December, 1594, the father provincial Fray Alonso
Ximenez assembled a council of the religious in the neighborhood of
Manila, to serve in place of an intermediate provincial chapter. The
rules which they adopted were of much importance. It was determined
that on visitations the hours should be kept as in convents. It was
also ordained that the convents should be visited in order, as might
best be done. It was also provided that no business should be done
with Indians or Spaniards, except in case of the necessity of sick
persons, before prime or after the Ave Maria, or for one hour after
meals. Also that no religious should have any peculiar mark on the
table, or on his cup or on his spoon, or should carry either with him,
that there might be absolute uniformity. This order was made because
the father provincial Fray Alonso Ximenez used a marked spoon, not
because it was any better than the others, but that he might neither
receive nor give others anything to cause disgust; and, though it
was so trifling a thing, they would not permit it to the provincial,
but discussed the matter, and placed their resolution in their public
formal acts--so precise were they and so closely did they follow
the rule that the superior shall have nothing more than the rest,
and that all things shall be uniform.
While the religious were in council, the governor, Don Luis Perez
das Marinas, appeared before them, and called their attention to the
great need, for the Spaniards in the city and the province of Nueva
Segovia, of a priest to confess them; and to the still greater need of
someone to teach and preach the holy gospel to the native Indians in
that province--who, though they had now been many years subjects of
his Majesty, and had paid tribute to his encomenderos, had never had
anyone to preach the faith to them, and were as blind and as heathen
as if they had never accepted as king a Catholic prince. The petition
of the governor made such an impression that, in spite of the small
number and the heavy duties of the religious, they assigned two to
this mission. The need was indeed very great, for the Spaniards who
lived there had been more than six months in constant danger of death,
without having any priest. The Indians were enemies of the Spaniards,
very valiant, and very numerous considering the small number and
the discord of the Spaniards who were in that province. As superior,
father Fray Diego de Soria (who afterward became bishop of that region)
was appointed, the ecclesiastical chapter giving him full power in
spiritual matters, and the governor in temporal matters. His associate
was father Fray Thomas Castellar. They found that they needed all the
authority which they had received, to bring to some order the great
laxity which prevailed among the Spaniards. It was this, and their
great perversity and pertinacity in dissensions, which had caused
the priests whom they had had to leave them. After those priests went
away, their hatreds and their sins increased even more. The importance
of this province, which includes the major part of the territory in
charge of this order in the Philipinas, makes it desirable to give
some very brief notice of it.] It is a hundred and fifty leguas from
Manila, and constitutes a part of the island of Lucon. The climate
is one of the best in the islands, being refreshing, mild, and not
so excessively hot as that of most of the other provinces which are
comprised in this island. It is for this reason that it was called
Nueva Segovia, after Segovia in Espana, which is a cool region. It
is in nineteen degrees of latitude and is only sixty leguas, or a
little over, from China. It accordingly resembles China somewhat
in its good qualities--the abundance of fish in its rivers, of rice
and other produce of the soil, of animals of the chase, and of wild
boars and buffaloes in the mountains; while of Spanish plants which
have been introduced here the crops obtained have been very large. In
the colder regions pines and live-oaks grow naturally. The occasion
which obliged the Spaniards to conquer it was an attack made upon it
in 1581 by a Japanese fleet, the Japanese desiring to have control
of this region because of the abundance of products which it yields
that are lacking in Japon. The Spaniards who were in Manila were
informed of this project, and they did not think it best that the
Japanese should come so near to them, when they were so few and the
Japanese were so many and so audacious; they accordingly determined
to go and prevent them from entering this country. With this purpose
they armed a galley and other small vessels, the expedition including
only forty Spaniards. Their leader and chief was Captain Carrion,
and their chaplain father Fray Christoval de Salvatierra of our order,
who was the associate of the bishop, Don Fray Domingo de Salazar; he
was a man of great prudence, much courage, and very superior virtue,
as will be declared later. They set out from Manila on the voyage to
that province; and in the bight of the cape called Cabo del Bojeador
(which is close to Nueva Segovia) they found a Japanese vessel,
which was prowling along the coast and pillaging it. The galley made
an attack upon the Japanese ship, and with the mid-ship gun brought
down its mainmast; and immediately the Spaniards, with more boldness
than was expedient, bore down upon the enemy, and thrust their iron
beak through his side. But they were not slow in finding out their
mistake, much to their own cost; for the Japanese leaped aboard,
doing much execution with their cutlasses (some of which are shaped
like our cutlasses and others like broadswords), and they attacked
our vessel so furiously that they got control of the deck, back to
the mainmast. The Spaniards found themselves obliged to retreat to
the poop, and cut the halyard of the mainsail. The sail fell down,
with the yard, and served them as an intrenchment so that they could
fire their arquebuses, doing great execution and driving off the
enemy. The Spaniards continued their voyage, and entered the river
of Nueva Segovia [i.e., Rio Grande de Cagayan], which may compete
in size and in the excellence of its water with the finest rivers
of Spain. Here they found the enemy's fleet concealed. In order to
attack it they went up the river and intrenched themselves on land,
working hard all night and making their breastworks of turf and
fascines between stakes. They took out of the galley a paterero and
two culverins, placing them under cover, and aiming them toward the
land-side, as there would be the place where the Japanese, if they
came, would attack them. Thus prepared, they all waited on their
arms, having their weapons at hand even when they were obliged to
rest awhile. Since they had learned by experience that Japanese who
are wounded by pikes grasp hold of the pikes in order to kill those
who have wounded them, the captain had the pikes greased on the upper
half, in order that our men might be able to draw them from the bodies
and the hands of the Japanese, if the latter should pull by the pikes;
and this device was of great use in the conflict which ensued. [51] The
Japanese were not idle, for they landed two hours before day, coming
well armed and in good order, and protected by the darkness of the
night. They advanced upon our soldiers very silently, intending to take
them by surprise; however, they did not succeed, but were discovered
by the sentinels. Our men put themselves in good order, to wait for
them while they advanced. Although they perceived that the Spaniards
had detected them, they made a very spirited and courageous assault,
but were beaten back with even greater courage once, twice, and three
times. After a short rest, they attacked again with wonderful spirit,
though the arquebuses and muskets brought many to the ground. Finally,
the whole force of Japanese attacked our fort on the side where the
cannon were, without knowing what awaited them there. The cannon were
filled to the muzzle with ammunition, and were fired so seasonably that
they did great execution among the Japanese. Those who were left alive,
seeing what had happened, retreated, leaving their camp full of dead
and mangled men. Their captain had lost so many men, who were left
lying on the shore, that he set sail; and they were so thoroughly
punished that they never again thought of coming to conquer this
country. In this way the Spaniards found themselves in this region,
but against the will of its inhabitants, who as little wished to see
them there as to see the Japanese. This was immediately manifested
by their retreating into the interior, leaving the Spaniards alone
with nothing to eat, so that the latter consumed all the provisions
that they had brought with them. The natives even made some assaults
upon them, attacking them when it seemed that they could do so with
safety. The Spaniards accordingly suffered much hardship, want, and
hunger, because supplies from Manila came very insufficiently and
slowly, while they had in that country nothing but cruel war. At the
same time, they were much aided in their purpose to remain in it by
the many factions and wars among the Indians, who could not live in
peace and were constantly slaying one another, following no law but
"Let the conqueror live." [52] On this large river a valorous Indian
by the name of Guiab had raised himself above the others. He was at the
head of only three hundred followers (since he did not wish to lead any
more); he was in a fair way to make himself lord of the province, and
would soon have been such if the Spaniards had not come. This Indian
was so determined that he had no hesitation in attacking anything with
the few courageous Indians who followed him. He was so choleric that,
whenever he wished to make any address to them, he could not speak to
them at first, out of sheer fury--until, little by little, he cooled
down and went on with his speech. He ruled his people like a great
captain, rewarding them with largesse, which was at other people's cost
and was obtained from the great wealth which he procured by robbery;
and he punished them with rigor for any sort of liberty taken with him,
or disrespect shown to him, or for disobedience to his orders. They
carried to him the news of the Spaniards, and told him that they
were very courageous men who had come there from far countries;
that they had beards and handsome faces, and that they did not wear
the hair of their head long, as the Indians were accustomed to; they
reported that the strangers went dressed in iron, and that they carried
sticks with which they slew from a distance anyone whom they pleased,
without its being visible by what means they did so (referring to
the arquebuses). Guiab was greatly delighted with these reports,
and, as a valiant man, he immediately felt an affection for these
others who were so valiant. He strove to procure their friendship
by sending them a great present of rice, chickens, large fat hogs,
and other products of the land, all of them coming very opportunely
because the Spaniards were in such a state of need. Doubtless, if
the Spaniards had joined with him, they would have subjected the
province without more war. But as Guiab had oppressed many of the
people in the land and frightened all, they went to the Spaniards,
begging them not to ally themselves with Guiab, and did nothing but
speak evil of him. On this account the Spaniards, purposing to gain
the good will of so many, caught Guiab and hanged him on a tree. The
event was altogether opposite to what they had expected; for all the
Indians retreated from the Spaniards and began to make open war upon
them, often challenging them to lay aside their arquebuses and to
come out into the field, man to man, with all the other weapons they
pleased, so courageous are these people. Though the Spaniards lost
this opportunity, they soon had another. In the maritime part of that
region there were two of the ablest chiefs in the province--brothers,
but at variance with each other--who were constantly making war against
each other with the greatest cruelty. Tuliao, one of them, at last
got the other in his hands, put him in a cage, and kept him there
for a long time. The brother in prison begged the other to kill him,
because death would be better and more easily borne than the painful
and disgraceful imprisonment in which he was. The other answered that
he did not do that, because he was his brother. "Then let me go,"
answered the prisoner, "since you wish me well because I am your
brother." The other one refused to do this, because he knew perfectly
that he would be obliged to make war again, as in fact happened;
and they were at war as long as they lived, until our troops reached
that region. Then one of them, finding himself very hard pressed by
the other, went to beg the favor of the Spaniards; and the Spaniards
put an end to their strife by taking from them the lands about which
they had been quarreling. This was a great benefit to that province,
not only because the light of the true and divine faith was brought
to it, but because they were so continually engaged in civil war
that, if the Spaniards had delayed their coming, they would have
been likely to destroy each other. The life which they led did not
deserve the name of life, because of the daily alarms to which they
were exposed. Brother was unable to trust brother, and no man left
his house unarmed, or without great danger. He who had the greatest
power made as many slaves as possible, on any ground, no matter how
slight--even for taking a single stalk of sugar-cane, when the poor
people were dying of hunger because they could not cultivate their
fields on account of the wars. Many of them went, of their own will,
to eat in the houses of the chiefs, in order to save their lives,
and in this way became their slaves. From all these evils the faith
which was brought by the Spaniards freed them. The latter, by the aid
of some of the Indians against the others, conquered many of their
villages though at the cost of many deaths; and established the city
which they called Nueva Segovia, a name which was also given to the
whole province. The priest who accompanied the Spaniards in these first
events was, as has been said, father Fray Christobal de Salvatierra,
of the order of our father St. Dominic. He was the first priest whom
these Indians had seen; and although, on account of his ignorance
of the language, he did not occupy himself with their conversion,
he did not fail to do much for them by accompanying the soldiers,
in order that they might not do as many wrongs to the Indians as they
would otherwise have committed--for entirely to prevent outrages was
impossible. He soon returned to Manila, where his personal presence
was necessary. There went to that province religious of our father
St. Augustine, who lived in the new town with the Spaniards, but who
undertook no ministry to the Indians. They even felt that a mission to
them was impossible because of the excitement of the Indians resulting
from the many homicides committed among them by the Spaniards, as the
latter have done in the other parts of the Indias. Besides this, these
Indians were so warlike that not even a religious went out of the town
except in a company of soldiers and with arms; nor did the encomenderos
go to collect their tributes without an escort of many soldiers,
coming back immediately with anything that the Indians were pleased
to give them, for they feared the danger incurred by remaining. The
conduct of the soldiers and of the colonists who lived there at that
time was so little Christian, and the exhortations of the religious
had so little effect upon them, that the friars regarded it as wise
to leave them in their dissensions, since they did not wish for the
peace to which the religious persuaded them. Accordingly, one night,
without being perceived, the fathers left them and went away. For
a long time they lived without a priest, without sacraments, or
Christian teaching, so careless of God and of their souls that they
let the cattle feast in the church; and a picture of our Lady which
had been left in it was covered with spider-webs, there being no one to
keep it in order, so forgetful were they of their souls. Such was the
needy condition of that province when the noble and devout governor
Don Luis Perez das Marinas came to the council above mentioned,
and asked them to send religious, who might at least administer the
sacraments to the Spaniards. On account of the great need, the two
religious mentioned went to the province, receiving orders that, if no
religious came from Espana in the ships for which they were waiting,
they should return. The number of the religious was, indeed, so small
that they could not even attend to what they had in their charge, much
less assume the additional charge of that province, which was so far
from the missions which the order had in those regions. The religious
did their duty with great care and diligence; and that Lent they made
great efforts with sermons and addresses, planning and delivering them
with the object of inducing the inhabitants to settle their differences
and confess themselves during Lent. To this end public documents were
drawn up before a notary, with the purpose of adjusting debts and
settling dangerous controversies. All this was a necessary and most
holy work; and when it was concluded and they had left the consciences
of the Spaniards at rest, the time had come when the vessels from
Mexico might have arrived. Since they had no news that religious
were coming, these two friars, in fulfilment of the order given them,
set out for Manila again, at the time when six others, who had newly
come from Espana, reached the province. All eight met in the town of
Pata, which is at the entrance to that province. Here those who were
going away received with joy those who came; and together they gave
many thanks to the Lord. They then began upon the conversion of the
province, as will be told. We shall begin with what happened to these
religious on their journey from Spain, and with the deaths of some
who died on the way, with great manifestations of the highest virtue.