Joseph A. Seiss - "Luther and the Reformation:"

William Fitzgerald Jenkins - "Operation Terror"

Cory Doctorow - "Craphound"

William G. Allen - "The American Prejudice Against Color"

Various - The Philippine Islands, 1493 to 1898: Volume XXII, 1625 to 29

V >> Various >> The Philippine Islands, 1493 to 1898: Volume XXII, 1625 to 29




When news was received of the damage inflicted by the enemy, two
Spanish fleets went in pursuit of them--one from the island of Cebu,
and the other from that of Panay. But such was our misfortune that
they were unable to encounter the enemy by any means. Thus did the
latter go away, laughing at the robberies that they had committed
and greedy to make others.

Don Fernando de Silva, who was then governing, because Don Juan Nino
had not yet arrived, despatched a small fleet this year to the lands
of those enemies, to punish them. Their country lies near Borney,
to whose king they are subject. But inasmuch as they have no fixed
house or dwelling, as they generally live in their boats, today here
and tomorrow there, nothing was done. Consequently, Don Juan Nino,
upon his arrival, ordered our fleet prepared in the island of Oton,
so that when that enemy came it might attack them. The enemy came,
and our fleet sailed out; but half of the caracoas were wrecked in
a storm. However, our fleet reforming pursued the enemy, but were
unable to overtake them; for as their boats are light and have two
prows, in order to escape they do not have to turn their boats about,
but only to change the rowers and so return. At least, the result
obtained was that the enemy did no damage this year in these islands,
and did not capture anything.

The island of Mindanao, which is one of these Filipinas Islands,
has rebelled against us; and its chief places have easily accepted
the law of Mahoma, which was brought there from the Malucas by the
Ternatans. They have done us no damage this year. On the contrary,
we have done them considerable. Captain Benitez has made some very
successful raids in their country, and has killed many and captured
others--who are made slaves, in accordance with the old-time usage of
this country, on account of the damages which we have received from
those enemies. Now the governor has offered to conquer that island,
which is not a very difficult thing to do; but there is always so much
attention to be paid to the Dutch, that he has as yet been unable to
attend to this.

The Dutch enemy, together with the English, went to attack Macan during
former years with seventeen ships. They landed many men on the shore,
but the affair turned out so badly for them that they were forced,
after many men had been killed, to retire and to raise the siege. But
the Portuguese, fearing that the enemy would attempt another year
what they had not been able to accomplish then, set about enclosing
the city with an excellent wall (for it had none before), and sent
Father Geronimo Rodriguez [28] to Manila for some good artillery,
which Don Alonso Fajardo gave him. A master founder also went there
to make many other pieces, which have been founded; and the city
is placed in a very good state of defense. The Portuguese also
asked for a good captain and some infantry for whatever occasion
might arise. Don Alonso Fajardo gave them as many as one hundred
infantrymen, with Don Fernando de Silva, sargento-mayor of the camp
of Manila, and an excellent soldier. They stayed in Macan for some
time, but the Portuguese, seeing that the Dutch enemy did not come,
and that, even if they did come, the city was more than defended;
and inasmuch as they did not get along very well with the Castilians,
since there was considerable quarreling and strife between those of the
two nations, tried to despatch them to Manila. They did so, in a vessel
that carried more than five hundred thousand ducados in merchandise.

The Spanish encountered so grievous a storm on their voyage that they
were forced to put in at Siam, where they unladed their ship; and,
trying to get over the bar of a river in order to relade, they were
wrecked. They bought in place of that ship two others, in order to
go to Manila; but as the season was advanced, and they could not get
away so quickly, they despatched a champan with some eight Spanish
sailors. The latter took some of the merchandise, and came to Manila
to give news of what had happened. At that time there was a Dutch
patache established in the river of Siam, a very beautiful and large
river. That vessel had also entered and traded in that kingdom. It was
rumored among our men that that Dutch patache had captured the champan
that our men were sending to Manila--although such a rumor was untrue,
for the said champan arrived safely at Manila. But induced by that
false report, Don Fernando de Silva, who was stationed some leguas
up the river, having one day observed the Dutch patache attacked
it at night with certain very small craft (I think they were two
small boats or lanchas, for they had not bought larger vessels); and
after fighting with the enemy, with the loss of only one Spaniard,
captured the Dutch patache. It had more than twenty thousand pesos in
silver and merchandise, and the Dutch aboard it were captured. Had
the matter ended there, it would have been a fortunate result. The
king of Siam was informed of it, and sent a message to Don Fernando
de Silva saying that he should set the Dutch at liberty and give
them back their ship and the property which he had taken or captured
from them, since it was captured while the Dutch were in his kingdom,
under his royal favor and protection. Don Fernando de Silva answered
that he would not do so, and broke out in words that might well have
been avoided toward the king. The latter quickly collected a numerous
fleet of boats, and one day attacked our ships with Japanese (who form
the guard of that kingdom) and many Siamese. Our men, fearing what
would happen, were hurriedly embarking their merchandise, in order
to come to Manila. Our men began to serve the artillery, but there
were so many hostile boats that they covered the water. The Spanish
craft ran aground in the confusion and danger, whereupon the Siamese
(and chiefly the Japanese) entered the ships. Don Fernando de Silva,
with sword and buckler in hand, sold his life dearly, and others did
the same. But the enemy killed them except those who fled at the first
stroke of the victory, who remained alive. I think some thirty were
captured. The goods were pillaged, notwithstanding the fact that the
king had ordered that good care be taken of them.

The captured Spaniards were taken to the court of the king, which
is a city more than twice as large as Sevilla. [29] They were led
manacled through the streets, receiving many blows, and regarded as
traitors. That happened in the year 1624. This disastrous event was
learned in Manila by way of Macan, but no attention was given to the
matter on account of the death of Governor Don Alonso Fajardo. In the
year 1625, another Don Fernando de Silva, of the habit of Santiago,
came to act as governor. At that time Father Pedro Morejon [30] arrived
at Manila. He came from Roma by way of Yndia and Camboja (which lies
next Siam), and was informed of that disaster there. Governor Don
Fernando de Silva, seeing that Father Pedro Morejon, as he had been
so long a minister in Japon, had great knowledge of, and access to,
the Japanese, and that those Japanese who live in Siam have a great
part in the government of that kingdom, suggested to the father to
go there as ambassador, to see whether he could get what they had
captured from our Spaniards, which belonged for the most part to the
inhabitants of Manila. The father replied that he could not neglect,
before all else, to go to Macan in order to advise his provincial of
his procuratorship to Roma; but that his Lordship should write to him,
and that he would return at the beginning of the year 1626, which
was the season when one could go to Siam. The governor wrote, and the
father provincial of Macan sent Father Pedro de Morejon for the said
time, besides another Portuguese father, called Antonio Cardin. [31]
They reached here in good time. The governor prepared a vessel with
some Spaniards of good standing, and despatched them all by the month
of January. They reached the kingdom and court of Siam and negotiated
what they were able--namely, that the captives be delivered to them,
as well as the artillery, and a quantity of iron belonging to our
king which the ships were carrying, and which they seized from us,
and some other merchandise. For although the king ordered everything
to be given up, thinking that the goods were safe, as he had ordered,
it was impossible to get them, the soldiers having pillaged them and
divided them among themselves.

Father Pedro de Morejon was given a cordial reception by the king,
who showed him many favors. At his departure the father told the
king that he was leaving Father Cardin in his kingdom, and asked
his Highness to protect him. The king offered to do so, and gave
permission for all who wished to become Christians. Father Cardin
erected his church and commenced his ministry. Father Morejon and the
Spaniards returned to Manila, where they arrived in August of 1626;
and they delivered to Governor Don Juan Nino, who had now arrived,
a present given to them by the king of Siam. Father Morejon, being
summoned by his provincial, went to Macao for the second time, where
he is now. It is now reported that the governor is not satisfied with
what they sent him. Perhaps he will attack Siam with the galleys,
in order to punish that kingdom for its actions toward the Spaniards.

In order to destroy the trade between this city of Manila and Great
China, and between Macan and Japon--the former for us, and the latter
for the Portuguese--the Dutch formed a scheme to build a fort on the
island of Hermosa. That is an island between Japon, China, and Manila,
which extends north and south for more than fifty leguas, while it
is about thirty broad. The Dutch built the said fort some years ago,
and they have been fortifying it ever since; so that they have already
erected four cavaliers, in which they have mounted twenty-four pieces
of artillery--besides others that they have mounted on a platform
which defends the entrance of the port, as those of the fort do not
command it. The Dutch also have a stock-farm, which they began with
cattle and horses brought from Japon. For its defense they built
another large cavalier in which they mounted a half-dozen pieces,
and stationed a few Dutchmen to guard it. They are now at peace with
the natives, with whom they were formerly at war and who killed some
of their men. In this way they have been established for some five
or six years at that point, which they call Pachan. The Chinese have
gone there with a great abundance of silks and other merchandise to
trade. Consequently, they have made on that account a large alcaiceria,
where there are generally more than six thousand Chinese. The Japanese
have also gone there from Japon with their ships, although it is
said that they are ill satisfied because of I know not what duties
that the Dutch asked them to pay. From that, notable damage can
ensue to Castilians, Portuguese, and Chinese, since the Dutch are in
the passage by which one goes from here to China, and from Macan to
Japon. If we have not yet seen the damage so plainly with the eyes,
it has been because the enemy are in great lack of ships and men.

In order to counterbalance that scheme and the designs of the Dutch,
Don Fernando formed another scheme. He went to seize another port on
the same island of Hermosa, some twenty leguas distant from China
and thirty from the enemy. For that purpose he sent, in this year
of 1626, two galleys with many small boats, infantry, and all that
was necessary for the settlement, under an experienced captain called
Carreno. They occupied the said port, and it is very good and suitable
for our purpose. As our men entered the port, the whole population,
numbering fully a thousand houses of the natives who were settled
there, fled. Entering the houses, they were enabled to see, by the
articles that they found there, that those people were intelligent and
civilized. Our soldiers took some food, of which they kept account
in order to pay for it--as they ought to do; since I know not what
pretext they could have for showing hostility to the natives, since
they had received no injury from them.

Our soldiers have fortified themselves there excellently. However, at
the beginning, the land tried them, for many died, and they suffered
great wretchedness and hardships--eating even dogs and rats, also
grubs, and unknown herbs, because they soon finished the provisions
which they had brought with them, and others had not arrived from
Manila, as I shall relate later. But afterwards they got along very
well, for many ships came from Great China with many presents and
food. The climate is very fine, and like that of Nueva Espana. It has
its winter and summer quite temperate, and has many fruits such as
we have in our Espana--as for instance, pears and peaches, which are
indications that it is as fine a country as is reported. We have also
heard that wheat is harvested. The soldiers found skins of lions and
tigers; and although there were none of those animals, as there are
none in Filipinas, they had no lack of the skins. They sent to summon
the Indians, some of whom came. They won them by means of caresses
and presents, so that they continue to come. They are not driven
from our fort; and they even delivered two infants to us for baptism,
and others are petitioning it. There is great need of learning their
language. They bring some food, which they exchange for jars, gems,
agate, and silver, which they know thoroughly, and whose value they
esteem. They have no headman or chief who governs them, but each
village governs itself, and some villages have war with others.

The joy received in Manila at the news of the island of Hermosa was
exuberant. At that time Don Juan Nino came to govern. He was unable
to send them help at the right season [for sailing]; consequently,
after it had sailed, the ship put back and was detained for more than
four months in a port of this island. It sailed again, and again
took refuge at Macan, whence they tried to make the voyage for the
third time. They had so severe a storm that they lost their rudder,
and reached the coast of China. After great danger and opposition
from the Chinese of that region, they refitted, and finally made our
port in the island of Hermosa, where they arrived April 29, 1627,
and were received with the joy that can be imagined. They left there
the supplies they had brought, and returned to Manila.

The governor sent to Macan to ask for a mestizo, Salvator Diaz,
who was in the fort of the Dutch and who escaped from them. He has
also prohibited vessels from sailing to China which pass near the
establishment of the Dutch on the island of Hermosa. It is inferred
from that that he is thinking of attacking the fort of the Dutch.

The persecution of the missionaries in Japon has daily been assuming
greater fury, and the doors are daily being shut more closely on the
religious. It has been ordered under penalty of death, and of being
burned with their merchandise and ships, that no ship sail from Manila
to Japon. Accordingly, one ship which sailed last year and which they
had not notified of the edict, they notified and ordered to return
immediately to Manila, without allowing anyone to disembark, or to buy
or sell anything--keeping them, on the contrary, shut up on the ship
and guarded. The Japanese made a law that no Japanese could leave or
enter the kingdom unless he first forswore our holy faith, etc.





LETTER FROM FELIPE IV TO TAVORA


The King. To Don Juan Nino de Tavora, my governor and captain-general
of the Filipinas Islands, and president of my royal Audiencia there:
Six letters which you wrote me--five on the twentieth of the month of
July, and the other on the twenty-second of the same month last year
(1626)--dealing with the wars, have been received and considered in my
Council of War for the Indias, and you will be satisfied on all points.

You say that Pedro de Heredia wrote to you that he had not fortified
the island of Manados [32] and the straits of Santa Margarita, because
it seemed to him of little use. Afterward, however, seeing that many
tributarios might be acquired; that, being pagans, missionaries were
needed; and that the expenses of these strongholds might be lightened
by the rice which they furnished--he sent to you asking for fifty
men to occupy the fort which he was to build there. Seeing that he
had orders for it and that it was so advantageous for the service of
God and myself, you sent them to him. It is well, and I order you, as
having the affair under your present direction, to provide everything
which is necessary thereto.

In your advices, the said Pedro de Heredia wrote also that it would
be to our great advantage to send him the lord of Terrenate, who is
in this city, in order to bring about some agreement between him and
the king of Tidore, which will be of considerable value. Your orders
in this matter have already been sent you.

I am advised by you that three of the enemy's ships were in the port
of Malayo, and that it was understood that a fleet would arrive in
May, 1625; I am also advised of the ten ships which the said Pedro
de Heredia had.

I have considered the number of galleons and pataches with which you
are provided, and the galleys which were in process of construction. I
confide in your zeal and care to provide for the defense of those
islands, as I expect from you, doing on your part all that you
shall find possible. You will have assistance from here, and I have
written to my viceroy in Nueva Espana regarding the measures to be
taken therefor. He and my royal officials have now been ordered to
send at the first opportunity to these kingdoms six thousand ducados,
on account of the usual situado that goes to those islands. The money
will be sent on a separate account to the House of Trade in Sevilla,
to buy the arms that you ask for; when it arrives there, these will
be forwarded to you.

You informed me that at the death of Don Geronimo de Silva his property
was distrained, on account of the suit that was proceeding against
him for beating a retreat two years ago with the fleet. You petition
that in such a case property should be distrained from no one, except
the proceedings be always taken in conformity with justice. The same
[33] in the other matter which you mention, that in prosecuting the
commanders of the ships of the said fleet, process should be conducted
by written charges.

You say also that because the Order of Saint John was the heir to the
estate of the said Don Geronimo, you ordered that whatever property
might be found should be deposited in the probate treasury, and that
the landed property should be administered by the courts. You also
notified the said order, that it might decide what course to take,
and that any debts of the said Don Geronimo must first be paid. The
matter has been considered, and you and that Audiencia will take such
measures as are just, in case the estate is any further indebted.

You say also that the office of sargento-mayor was held at first by
alferezes, and afterward by captains--who drew, however, only the pay
of captains; and that sixty-five escudos of ten reals were assigned
to Don Fernando de Silva by the treasury council that was held in
that city--which sum you understood was paid everywhere to captains
ranking as sargentos-mayor--on condition of obtaining my approval,
which has not yet been presented, and you ask me to approve it because
it seems just that if captains and the master-of-camp receive what
is elsewhere received by the sargento-mayor, who has more arduous
duties, the latter should receive a salary accordingly. It has seemed
unwise to me to make any change. You will give orders, then, that the
payment of this salary shall proceed no further; and that no person
filling the said position of sargento-mayor shall receive any more
than the salary formerly paid; and you will cause the increase to
be collected from those who have obtained it, or ordered it, or from
their bondsmen, so that the amount shall be immediately deposited in
my royal exchequer. In order that this be more exactly fulfilled,
I have had decrees to this effect sent to the inspector of that
Audiencia and the officers of my royal exchequer in that city. This
must also be understood in the case of Don Juan de Quinones, whom
you appointed to this place.

In conformity with what you wrote regarding the sentence which Doctor
Don Alvaro de Mesa y Lugo issued against Captain Miguel de Villegas
(who had been a captain in the infantry, and was a substitute in
your personal service), of three hundred lashes and ten years in the
galleys, I have sent a decree that the said sentence shall not be
executed. The said sentence is overruled; and the said Don Alvaro
is to send to my said Council an official copy of the proceedings,
and the reasons which he had for giving that sentence. In the future
military customs must be observed, and no such punishments imposed, as
you will see by the said decree, which is sent to you with this letter.

In regard to your request that it be proclaimed that the shipmen
who serve in those islands--such as pilots, masters, and other
officers--need not pay the tax on their salaries in virtue of the
decree which I commanded to be sent, ordering the collection of dues on
all the grants for offices, incomes and gratuities that are conferred,
I think it well that the said shipmen--mariners, pilots, masters, or
other persons who draw pay on the rolls--shall be excused from paying
the said salary tax; but it must be collected from all other officers
holding commissions or decrees in which our favor is declared. You
will cause the said decree to be executed in conformity with this.

In the letter in which you spoke of the offices to which you had
made appointments after you took possession of your duties, you
say that on account of the resignation of Pedro Sotelo de Morales,
[34] who served as the warden of the Santiago fort in that city, you
appointed Don Antonio de Leoz to that office with a yearly salary
of eight hundred pesos, the same salary which his predecessors
have received, with the condition of receiving my approval within
five years. But because persons who hold the offices _ad interim_
are not to take more than half the salary which is attached to the
office, in conformity with the provisions of various royal decrees,
you will take measures and give orders that the said Don Antonio de
Leoz or his bondsmen shall return to my royal exchequer any sum that
he has received exceeding half the said salary; and I shall write to
my royal officials in that city to collect it. You are advised that
in the future such appointees are not to receive more than half the
salary. [Madrid, September 3, 1627.]


_I The King_
Countersigned by Don Fernando Ruiz de Contreras.






LAWS REGARDING THE SANGLEYS


[The following laws are translated from _Recopilacion de leyes de las
Indias_ (Madrid, 1841), lib. vi, tit. xviii. For method of treatment,
sec _Vol_. XVII of this series, p. 27.]



Law III

The bishops do not permit the Christian Chinese who are converted to
our holy Catholic faith in the Filipinas Islands to return to their
own country, so that intercourse and living among heathen may not
cause them to fall into the peril of apostasy; and the governor,
knowing that they have no other manner of livelihood except their
trading in the neighborhood, buying provisions in order to supply the
community, does not allow them to leave Manila without permission,
which is a very great obstacle and stumbling-block to the conversion
of others. We order that no fee be charged for those permits; and the
governor shall have great consideration and care, that no trouble
results from them, in respect to the Chinese having free passage
through those islands. [Felipe II--Madrid, June 11, 1594.]



Law IX

The goods of the Sangleys who come to trade in Filipinas with Chinese
merchandise, and who sell them at wholesale at a price [named] by
persons deputed for it (which is what is there called _pancada_), are
left in their possession under guarantee that they will not dispose
of them without an order from the governor; and that a price will not
be set on the small things, but only on certain fine products. And
inasmuch as this is advisable, we order that the Sangleys be notified
who shall have to return to those islands, that they must and shall
pass according to the laws and orders that shall be made for them. And,
in respect to the pancada, it shall be continued with, all gentleness,
so that the Sangleys shall not receive any injury; and so that no
occasion be given them so that they shall discontinue their coming
to attend to their trading. [Felipe II--Madrid, June 11, 1594.]



Law X

We have been informed that the Sangley Indians who go from China
to Filipinas to trade, receive injuries and harsh treatment from
the Spaniards; and especially that the guards posted in their ships
by our royal officials ask and take bribes from them, in order that
they might permit and allow the Sangleys to take out certain things
that they bring from their country to give to private persons; that
the employees who go to register the ships take and scatter all the
best merchandise, and leave that which is not of so good quality,
from which there results a considerable loss on the balance, and
often the Sangleys cannot sell what is left, as they could have done
with the good merchandise which was taken away from them; that even
when the Chinese who go to register take the best, the officials
say that they will pay for it at the price for which the balance
is sold, so that they only pay the price of the worst and common
merchandise. Thus the Chinese lose what would be the most valuable
things that they have if they sold them freely; for, fearing lest the
employees who go to register take from them the merchandise at the time
of evaluation, they place on their merchandise a greater value than it
is really worth, so that they pay the duties at the rate at which the
merchandise is valued, although the truth is that they sell it later
for much less. [We are also informed] that the masts of their vessels
are taken from them, in order to step these in the vessels built in
those islands, for their masts are light; and that they are given in
exchange others so heavy that their ships cannot support them and are
wrecked, from which the Chinese suffer grievously. And since it is
right that when those people go to trade they be welcomed and given
good treatment, in order that upon their return to their country,
they may take good accounts of the treatment and welcome received
from our vassals, that others may thereby be induced to go, and by
means of that communication receive the Christian instruction and
profess our holy Catholic faith, to which our chief desire and intent
is directed: we order the governors that, after having examined the
character of these injuries, they issue the necessary orders for
the cessation of such troubles. They shall not allow the Sangley
Chinese, or any other traders, to receive any injury, molestation,
or oppression such as is mentioned herein, or others of any sort;
and they shall be very careful to treat the Sangleys well and to give
them good despatch. They shall punish those who offend and aggrieve
them. We charge this upon them very earnestly, as it is a matter of
great moment to our royal service. [Felipe II--Madrid, June 11, 1594.]

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