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History of the Philippine Islands Vols 1 and 2

A >> Antonio de Morga >> History of the Philippine Islands Vols 1 and 2




A storm overtook the fleet, and the flagship which carried Juan
Xuarez Gallinato and the majority of the Spaniards, took refuge
in the strait of Sincapura near Malaca, where it remained for many
days. The other two junks which carried Diego Belloso and Blas Ruyz
with some Spaniards, Japanese, and natives of Manila, reached Camboja
with great difficulty, and Blas Ruyz, preceding Belloso, went up the
river Mecon as far as the city of Chordemuco. There they learned
that the mandarins of Camboja had united against the Siamese whom
they had conquered and driven from the kingdom; and that one of these
mandarins, Anacaparan by name, had taken possession of the country,
and was governing under the title of king, although against the will of
the others. Diego Belloso, Blas Ruyz, and those with them thought that
they had arrived in good season for the furtherance of their designs,
since confusion reigned among the Cambodians, and the Siamese were
out of the country. Expecting Gallinato and the flagship to arrive
directly, they spent several days in Chordemuco with the permission
of Anacaparan, who resided nine leguas away in Sistor. Although the
latter knew of the entry of these ships and their men, and that many
more were coming, whose intentions he knew; and although he thought
that it would not be favorable to him: yet he dissembled with them,
waiting to see what time would bring. At the same time six Chinese
ships with their merchandise arrived in Chordemuco and, while they
were discharging it, the Chinese being many and hating the Spaniards,
behaved towards them with great arrogance and insolence. This obliged
the Spaniards, for the sake of their reputation, and in order to
avenge themselves for injuries received, to take up arms against
the Chinese. This they did, killing many Chinese and seizing their
ships and all their cargo. Anacaparan took offense at this, and was
desirous for the Chinese to avenge themselves by his aid. To remedy
this evil Fray Alonso Ximenez, [52] of the Dominican order, who
accompanied the Spaniards, thought that he, together with Blas Ruys
and Diego Belloso, and about fifty Spaniards, a few Japanese, and men
from Luzon, should leave the rest to guard the ships in Chordemuco,
and should go up in small boats to Sistor, in order to obtain an
interview with Anacaparan and offer him excuses and satisfaction
for the trouble that they had had with the Chinese. And in order to
negotiate with him more easily, they made a letter of embassy in the
name of the governor of Manila, because Gallinato carried with him
the one given them by the governor. This device was of little service
to them, because Anacaparan not only did not grant them audience,
but after having seized their boats, kept them so hard pressed in a
lodging outside the city, and so threatened that he would kill them,
if they did not return the ships and what they had taken from them
to the Chinese, that the Spaniards were quite anxious to return to
Chordemuco and board their vessels for greater security. They decided
to do so as best they could.

Their necessity, and beholding themselves in this danger, encouraged
them, one night, although at great risk, to leave their lodgings, and
find a passage where they could cross the river to the city side. They
crossed the river, arms in hand, late at night, and as silently as
possible. Finding themselves near the city, and their courage and
determination increasing, they entered the city and went as far
as the king's house. They set fire to it, to the magazines, and to
other buildings on their way, and threw the Cambodians into so great
confusion, that that night and the following morning they killed many
people, among them King Anacaparan himself. After this they thought it
unwise to advance or maintain their ground, and accordingly marched
back to their ships as orderly as possible. Meanwhile a great number
of Cambodians, with arms and several elephants, started to pursue the
Spaniards and overtook them before the latter reached their ships. The
Spaniards defended themselves valiantly, and continued their march
until embarking without the loss of a single man, while the Cambodians
returned to the city with some of their men killed and wounded.

Diego Belloso and Bias Ruiz had hardly boarded their ships, when
Captain Gallinato entered Chordemuco with the flagship, by way of the
river. They told him all that happened with the Chinese and Cambodians
and of the favorable condition of affairs for continuing them, alleging
that, since the usurper Anacaparan was dead, many Cambodians would
immediately join the Spaniards in defense of the name and fame of
Langara their legitimate king. But, although some of the Cambodians
themselves came to visit the fleet, and assured Gallinato of the same,
of the death of Anacaparan, and of the deeds of the Spaniards in
Sistor, he appeared to give no credit to any of them, and could not
be induced to believe them, or to continue the enterprise, or even
to consider it. On the contrary he rebuked the Spaniards for what had
taken place in his absence, and after depriving them of all that they
had seized from the Chinese and Cambodians, put to sea in order to
return to Manila. Belloso and Blas Ruiz persuaded him to go at least
to Cochinchina, where the galley seized when Governor Gomez Perez was
killed was said to have been taken, and where were the royal standard
and the artillery carried aboard the galley, and for which he should
ask. They promised, while Gallinato was making these negotiations,
to go overland to the kingdom of Lao, where Langara, king of Camboja,
was living, in order to restore him to his kingdom. Captain Gallinato
consented to this, and sailed along the coast, until he entered the
bay of Cochinchina, where, although he was apparently well received
by the natives of the country, he would not disembark from his ships,
but sent Gregorio de Vargas from them to visit the king of Tunquin,
the chief king of that kingdom, and to treat with him concerning the
galley, the standard, and the artillery. While he was thus engaged,
Gallinato allowed Blas Ruyz and Diego Belloso to go ashore to endeavor
to make the journey to Lao, for he agreed easily to their request
because he thus got rid of them and left them busied in this matter,
so that they could not do him any ill turn in Manila in regard to
leaving Camboja.

Diego Belloso and Blas Ruyz went to the king of Sinua, son of the king
of Tunquin, and begged him to help them in their journey. From him they
received all that was necessary, and were well treated and served until
they reached the city of Alanchan, [53] capital of the kingdom of Lao,
where they were kindly received by the king of the country. They found
that Prauncar Langara, king of Camboja, and his elder son and daughter
had died, and that only his son Prauncar survived, and the latter's
stepmother, grandmother, and aunts. They related the condition of
affairs in Camboja, the arrival of the Spaniards, and the death of
the usurper Anacaparan. The same news was brought by a Cambodian
from Chordemuco, who also added that since the death of Anacaparan,
his younger son Chupinanu was reigning, that the country was entirely
divided into factions, and that many upon seeing their natural and
lawful king would leave Chupinanu and would join him and obey him.

The few difficulties for the departure having been overcome by the
arrival at this time of the mandarin Ocuña de Chu at Lanchan, in Lao
[54] from Camboja, who had been sent by order of other mandarins and
grandees of Camboja with ten praus well equipped with artillery and
weapons to fetch their lawful king, it was decided to go down to
Camboja. Prauncar, his grandmother, aunt, and stepmother--he wife
of Langara--together with Diego Belloso and Blas Ruyz, embarked
and journeyed in the said boats and praus down the rivers flowing
from Lao to Camboja. [55] There they found fresh disturbances in the
provinces. But as soon as Prauncar arrived many went over to his side,
especially two Moro Malays, Acuña La Casamana [56] and Cancona, who
were in the country with a Malay army and a quantity of artillery and
elephants. Prauncar was victorious on various occasions, and Chupinanu
with his brothers and other rebels having died in battle, became master
of almost all the provinces of his kingdom. He made Diego Belloso and
Blas Ruyz chiefs in war affairs, and they managed war matters until
they completely established Prauncar on the throne. When the war was
almost entirely ended, the king made Belloso and Blas Ruyz great chofas
[57] of his kingdom, gave them two provinces, and granted them other
favors, although not so many as they expected, or as he had promised
while still in Lao. The chief reason for this was the stepmother,
grandmother, and aunt of the king, who managed him, on account of
his youth, and of his being addicted to wine, in excess even of his
father Langara. The Moro Malay, Acuña Lacasamana, had great influence
with these women. Being envious of the valor of the Spaniards, he was
continually opposing them, and seeking their destruction, with whom,
on this account, they were always at odds. It must be understood
that this Moro held unlawful relations with the wife of Langara,
the stepmother of King Prauncar.

Captain Gallinato's fleet remained in Cochinchina negotiating with
the king of Tunquin for the royal standard and the artillery of the
galley, as above stated, for the galley was lost upon that coast,
and this king had the rest in his possession. The latter not only did
not restore them, but entertaining Gallinato with flattering speech,
was, on the contrary, planning to take from him his ships and their
contents. Gallinato was secretly warned of this by one of the chief
women of Cochinchina, who came to the fleet to see him, after which
he kept a much more careful watch than before, and allowed no one to
go ashore. But this order was of no avail with Fray Alonso Ximenez,
one of the Dominican religious whom he had with him, and the chief
promoter of the expedition. When the latter went ashore, they seized
and kept him there. The Cochinchinese, imagining that the fleet was
off its guard, sent some fire ships against it, followed by some
galleys and warboats, in order to burn it, while many men armed with
arquebuses annoyed the Spaniards from the neighboring shore. The fleet
succeeded in getting away from the fire and put off from shore, and
resisted the enemy's ships with artillery, musketry, and arquebuses,
thus sinking some of them. After this the Spaniards waited no longer,
but leaving Fray Alonso Ximenez on shore, and two lay companions,
whom he took with him, put to sea and left the bay of Cochinchina,
and ran toward the Filipinas.

While these things were happening in Camboja and Cochinchina, orders
had arrived from España from his Majesty to conclude an agreement
that Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa had made with Gomez Perez
Dasmariñas, under which the former was to pacify and settle the island
of Mindanao at his own expense, and receive the governorship of the
island for two lives [58] and other rewards. The said agreement was
effected, after certain difficulties that arose were settled. Don
Estevan Rodriguez prepared men and ships, and what else was necessary
for the enterprise, and with some galleys, galleots, frigates, vireys,
barangays, and lapis, [59] set out with two hundred and fourteen
Spaniards for the island of Mindanao, in February of the same year,
of ninety-six. He took Captain Juan de la Xara as his master-of-camp,
and some religious of the Society of Jesus to give instruction,
as well as many natives for the service of the camp and fleet.

He reached Mindanao River, after a good voyage, where the first
settlements, named Tancapan and Lumaguan, both hostile to the people
of Buhahayen, received him peacefully and in a friendly manner, and
joined his fleet. They were altogether about six thousand men. Without
delay they advanced about eight leguas farther up the river against
Buhahayen, the principal settlement of the island, where its greatest
chief had fortified himself on many sides. Arrived at the settlement,
the fleet cast anchor, and immediately landed a large proportion of
the troops with their arms. But before reaching the houses and fort,
and while going through some thickets [çacatal] [60] near the shore,
they encountered some of the men of Buhahayen, who were coming to
meet them with their campilans, carazas [61] and other weapons, and
who attacked them on various sides. The latter [i.e., the Spaniards
and their allies], on account of the swampiness of the place and
the denseness of the thickets [çacatal], could not act unitedly as
the occasion demanded, although the master-of-camp and the captains
that led them exerted themselves to keep the troops together and
to encourage them to face the natives. Meanwhile Governor Estevan
Rodriguez de Figueroa was watching events from his flagship, but not
being able to endure the confusion of his men, seized his weapons
and hastened ashore with three or four companions, and a servant who
carried his helmet, in order that he might be less impeded in his
movements. But as he was crossing a part of the thickets [çacatal]
where the fight was waging, a hostile Indian stepped out unseen from
one side, and dealt the governor a blow on the head with his campilan,
that stretched him on the ground badly wounded. [62] The governor's
followers cut the Mindanao to pieces and carried the governor back to
the camp. Shortly after, the master-of-camp, Juan de la Xara, withdrew
his troops to the fleet, leaving behind several Spaniards who had
fallen in the encounter. The governor did not regain consciousness,
for the wound was very severe, and died next day. The fleet after that
loss and failure left that place, and descended the river to Tampacan,
where it anchored among the friendly inhabitants and their settlements.

The master-of-camp, Juan de la Xara, had himself chosen by the fleet
as successor in the government and enterprise. He built a fort with
arigues and palms near Tampacan, and founded a Spanish settlement to
which he gave the name of Murcia. He began to make what arrangements he
deemed best, in order to establish himself and run things independently
of, and without acknowledging the governor of Manila, without whose
intervention and assistance this enterprise could not be continued.



Of the administration of Don Francisco Tello, and of the second
establishment of the Audiencia of Manila; and of occurrences during
the period of this administration.

CHAPTER SIXTH

Governor Don Luis Dasmariñas was awaiting news from Captain Juan
Xuarez Gallinato, and from Governor Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa
concerning the voyage which each had made at the beginning of the year
ninety-six, to Camboja and to Mindanao, when news reached Manila,
in the month of June, that two ships had entered the islands by the
channel of Espiritu Santo, and that they brought a new governor sent
from España, namely, Don Francisco Tello de Guzman, knight of the Order
of Sanctiago, a native of Sevilla, and treasurer of the India House
of Trade. He arrived at Manila in the beginning of July and entered
upon his office. It was also learned that Fray Ygnacio Sanctivañez,
of the Order of St. Francis, a native of Sanctivañez, in the province
of Burgos, had been nominated in Nueva España as archbishop of Manila,
for Bishop Fray Domingo de Salazar had died in Madrid; and that Fray
Miguel de Venavides, a native of Carrion and a religious of the Order
of St. Dominic, who had gone to España with Bishop Fray Domingo de
Salazar, had been appointed bishop of the city of Segovia in the
province of Cagayan; also that Fray Pedro de Agurto, of the Order
of St. Augustine, a native of Mexico, had been appointed in Mexico,
bishop of the city of Sanctisimo Nombre de Jesus, and that these
two bishops with another for the city of Caceres, in the province
of Camarines, who was not yet named, had been lately added to the
Filipinas and appointed as suffragans to the archbishop of Manila,
at the instance of Bishop Fray Domingo. Also it was learned that the
Audiencia which had been suppressed in Manila was to be reëstablished
there, as well as other things which the bishop had presented at court.

Shortly after Don Francisco Tello had taken over the governorship, news
was brought of the death of Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa in Mindanao,
by Brother Gaspar Gomez of the Society of Jesus. The latter brought
the body for burial in the college of Manila, of which Don Estevan
was patron. Juan de la Xara wrote that he had charge of affairs,
that he had settled in Tampacan, that he intended to continue the
pacification and conquest of the island as should seem most advisable,
and that reënforcements of men and other things should be sent him. It
was learned that he intended to make an ill use of the government,
and would not remain dependent on, and subordinate to, the governor
of the Filipinas; and that he was depriving the heirs of Estevan
Rodriguez of what lawfully belonged to them. It was learned that,
in order to make himself safer in this respect, he was sending his
confidants to the town of Arevalo in Oton where Don Estevan had
left his wife, Doña Ana de Osseguera, and his two small daughters,
with his house and property, to persuade Doña Ana to marry him. This
resolution appeared injurious in many respects, and the attempt was
made to rectify matters. But in order not to disturb the affairs
of Mindanao, the matter was left alone for the present, until time
should show the course to be followed. And so it happened that when
Juan de la Xara left the camp and settlements of Mindanao, and came
hurriedly to Oton to negotiate his marriage in person--although the
widow of Don Estevan had never been favorable to it--Don Francisco
Tello sent men to arrest him. He was brought to Manila, where he died
while his trial was being conducted.

After the imprisonment of Juan de La Xara, Don Francisco Tello
immediately sent Captain Toribio de Miranda to Mindanao, with orders
to take command of the camp and to govern, until some one should
agree to continue the enterprise. When he arrived at Mindanao and the
soldiers saw that Juan de La Xara's schemes had been defeated, and
that the latter was a prisoner in Manila, with no hope of returning,
they obeyed Toribio de Miranda and the orders that he brought.

In Manila the governor was considering carefully the necessary
measures for continuing the war, since the island of Mindanao was so
near the other pacified islands, and the island itself contained some
provinces that professed peace and were apportioned as encomiendas,
and had Spanish magistrates, such as the rivers of Butuan, Dapitan,
and Caragan, so that it was desirable to pacify the whole island and
subject it to his Majesty. The royal treasury was spent and could
not bear the expense; and Estevan Rodriguez had bound himself by a
legal writ, to carry the war to entire completion at his own expense,
in accordance with the terms of his agreement. The guardian of his
children and heirs brought the matter before the court, and refused
to fulfil this obligation on account of Estevan Rodriguez's death. In
order not to lose time, for what had been commenced had to be continued
in one way or another, the governor decided to prosecute it, drawing
the necessary funds from the royal treasury, either on its own account
or on the account of Estevan Rodriguez's heirs, if such should be
according to law. The governor then searched for a person to go to
Mindanao, and selected Don Juan Ronquillo, general of the galleys. The
latter was given the necessary reënforcements of men and other things,
with which he reached Mindanao. He took command of the Spanish camp and
fleet which he found in Tampacan. He confirmed the peace and friendship
with the chiefs and people of Tampacan and Lumaguan, restored and set
in better order the Spanish settlement and fort, and began to make
preparation for the war against the people of Buhahayen. He spent
many days in making a few incursions into their land and attacks on
their forts, but without any notable result, for the enemy were many
and all good soldiers, with plenty of arquebuses [63] and artillery,
and had fortified themselves in a strong position. They had many other
fortifications inland and went from one to the other with impunity,
whenever they wished, and greatly harassed the Spaniards, who were
little used to so swampy a country. The latter found themselves short
of provisions without the possibility of getting them in the country
on account of the war, inasmuch as the camp contained many men,
both Spaniards and the native servants and boatmen, and it was not
easy at all times to come and go from one part to another in order
to provide necessities. [64]

Meanwhile Don Juan Ronquillo, seeing that the war was advancing very
slowly and with little result, and that the camp was suffering, drew up
a report of it, and sent letters in all haste to Governor Don Francisco
Tello, informing him of the condition of affairs. He wrote that it
would be better to withdraw the camp from Mindanao River, so that
it might not perish; and that a presidio could be established on the
same island in the port of La Caldera, which could be left fortified,
in order not to abandon this enterprise entirely, and so that their
friends of Tampacan and Lumaguan might be kept hostile to the people
of Buhahayen. Meanwhile he and the rest of the camp and fleet would
return to Manila, if permitted, for which he requested the governor
to send him an order quickly. Upon the receipt of this despatch,
Governor Don Francisco Tello resolved to order Don Juan Ronquillo,
since the above was so and the camp could not be maintained, nor the
war continued advantageously, to withdraw with his whole camp from
Mindanao River. He was first to make a great effort to chastise the
enemy in Buhahayen, and then to burn the Spanish settlement and fort
and to go to La Caldera, fortify it, and leave there a sufficient
garrison with artillery, boats, and provisions for its maintenance and
service. Then he was to return to Manila with the rest of his men,
after telling their friends in Tampacan that the Spaniards would
shortly return to the river better equipped and in greater numbers.

Silonga and other chiefs of Buhahayen were not neglecting their
defense, since, among other measures taken, they had sent a chief to
Terrenate to ask assistance against the Spaniards who had brought
war into their homes. Thereupon the king of Terrenate despatched a
numerous fleet of caracoas and other boats to Mindanao with cachils
[65] and valiant soldiers--more than one thousand fighting men in
all--and a quantity of small artillery, in order to force the Spaniards
to break camp and depart, even could they do nothing else. When the
news reached Buhahayen that this fleet was coming to their defense and
support, they made ready and prepared to attack the Spaniards, who
also having heard the same news were not careless. Consequently the
latter turned their attention more to the main fort, and reduced the
number of men in the smaller forts on Buquil River and other posts,
mouths, and arms of the same river. These served to strengthen the
garrison of the main fort and the armed galleys and other smaller
craft, in order to use the latter to resist the expected attack of
the enemy. The enemy having gallantly advanced to the very fort of
the Spaniards with all their vessels and men, attacked and stormed it
with great courage and resolution, in order to effect an entrance. The
Spaniards within resisted valiantly, and those outside in the galleys
on the river assisted them so effectively that together, with artillery
and arquebuses, and at times in close combat with swords and campilans,
they made a great slaughter and havoc among the men of Terrenate and
those of Buhahayen, who were aiding the former. They killed and wounded
a great number of them and captured almost all the caracoas and vessels
of the enemy, so that very few boats escaped and they were pursued and
burned by the Spaniards, who made many prisoners, and seized immense
booty and many weapons from the enemy. As soon as possible after this,
the Spaniards turned against the settlements and forts of Buhahayen
where some of their results were of so great moment that the enemy,
seeing themselves hard pressed and without anyone to help them, sent
messages and proposals of peace to Don Juan Ronquillo, which were
ended by their rendering recognition and homage, and the renewal
of friendship with the people of Tampacan, their ancient enemy. In
order to strengthen the friendship, they sealed it by the marriage
of the greatest chief and lord of Buhahayen with the daughter of
another chief of Tampacan, called Dongonlibor. Thereupon the war was
apparently completely ended, provisions were now to be had, and the
Spaniards with little precaution crossed and went about the country
wherever they wished. The people of Buhahayen promised to dismantle
all their forts immediately, for that was one of the conditions of
peace. Then the Spaniards returned to their fort and settlement at
Tampacan, whence Don Juan Ronquillo immediately sent despatches to
Governor Don Francisco Tello, informing him of the different turn
that the enterprise had taken. In view of the present condition he
requested the governor to issue new instructions as to his procedure,
saying that he would wait without making any change, notwithstanding
the arrival of the answer which he expected to his first report,
for conditions had now become so much better than before that the
governor's decision would be different.

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