LETTER FROM GOMEZ PEREZ DASMARIÑAS
Although I am awaiting the ships and in them a letter from your Grace with good news of the health and prosperity that I desire for your Grace, yet I have wished because of the shortness of the time and because these ships are about to sail, to write this present letter to your Grace, in order to inform you of the condition of affairs here. I wrote your Grace last year, although briefly, for I had only been in this country for twenty days. Now that I have lived here one year, and know more about conditions here, I say that in regard to the camp and soldiers that I found here, the condition was very imperfect, and they had no organization or [knowledge of] military art. For there was no greater force or difference between our men and the natives of the country than the advantage of weapons and arquebuses. Even those the Indians were accustomed to carry, as was the case in a review that was held here at my order of all the soldiers here before my arrival. Since then I have managed to give this matter the best system and organization possible. Accordingly, the soldiers who came with me appoint their guards daily, and attend to their posts, sentries, and patrols with concert and punctuality—a matter that has been introduced and maintained since my arrival. The soldiers are cheerful and well paid, for they received one aid in Mexico and another one here a few days ago. I trust that this matter will be thoroughly perfected, notwithstanding the not slight obstructions and opposition to the new soldiers in the slight aid and vile persuasions of those who were here before. The latter asked them why they tired themselves out in this work, and said that it was unnecessary, and worth nothing except to make them fall sick and die. It is because they have so honorable thoughts, that although they see that the pay is drawn now from the king and so punctually, yet with the new system that has been ordered, not a single one of them has ever wished to concur in it, although they are perishing of hunger, and besides have nothing to do except to suffer themselves to come to submit in order to receive pay. For they are good for nothing else than to do bad turns to the others, and notwithstanding that, they publish more services than those of the duke of Alva;[1] and together with that they act in so unbridled a manner to the others in the guardhouse that it became advisable to punish them slightly for some offenses that could not be passed by especially in these beginnings. Those punishments consisted of tying the hands behind the back and suspending the soldier, imprisonment, exile, and other things. The matter even went so far that one day a certain soldier gave the lie to his corporal of the guard and raised his hand against his alferez and resisted him. Any of those actions merited death, and he was accordingly executed, in order that the soldiers might understand that I was in earnest and that the matter had gone farther than was desirable. That had a very salutary effect, and acted as a check to all, for from that time, there has been no disturbance but all has been quiet and good discipline prevails.
There are very few soldiers here, for I only brought 270, and about 40 of those have died already. Before they reach here, those who are sent die and desert on the way. In fact the soldiers of Nueva España are not suitable, and consequently, it will be advisable for those who come here to be sent from España.
The pay also that is given here to captains, officers, and soldiers is very little toward their maintenance. Therefore I petition your Grace to favor this, so that they may increase in service to his Majesty, and so that I may have more leeway in rewarding them and encouraging them to [exert themselves] in his service.
There was no ammunition here nor a house for it, or any magazines or money to get ammunition or other very important things. There were no barracks for the soldiers, who were quartered on the houses of the citizens, to the great discomfort of the latter. That also gave opportunity to the soldiers themselves to live loosely and sensually. Consequently, I have built a barracks that will accommodate 400, and they will be readily accessible for guard duty and for anything that arises.
I have surrounded the city with a suitable stone wall, that stretches from the point of a fort which is being built to another which was built in a very improper manner, and will only serve now for show. This wall is about one thousand brazas long and has a foundation below ground of about one and one-half estados. It is about 16 feet broad, [at ground level] while above ground level it tapers in another one and one-half estados from the 16 feet, to twelve feet. From the 12 feet thickness it tapers to about one vara of slope if one measures from the level of the ground. Then begins the right curtain, and it has a width of 8 feet—a space sufficient to drag a piece of artillery along it. At the very least it will serve for a good entrenchment on any occasion. At present all the seacoast side is in some state of security and suitability. I trust, God helping, that in one year’s time, it will have so much security that it will be seen that it will not be as heretofore; for one would believe that we have been here only as guests, and have been awaiting no more than the arrival of the hour of departure, and to leave it as it was.[2]
In regard to the soldiers here before my arrival, such as they were, I have done what his Majesty orders me, namely, rewarded them and given them whatever there was of importance and interest, all in accordance with the memoranda of my instructions;[3] although in that regard I am sure that there was some manipulation and that an evil report was given to his Majesty. Although hitherto everything has been given to the soldiers here, I must tell your Grace that I brought very honorable captains and soldiers with me who have served his Majesty considerably in Ytalia and Flandes. I also brought excellent gentlemen, to whom, since no posts or encomiendas of the country have as yet been given to them (at least of posts of war on sea and land), I would like his Majesty to permit me to assign such posts according to the rank of each and to support them, for as yet they have had no other support than that of being near my person, and that I may in this manner assign them suitable pay. I petition your Grace to protect and favor me before his Majesty, for this is a post that needs men, and it costs so much to conduct them here, and there is no other kind of support for them, except the power and faculty that his Majesty gives in this, so that it might be had here; for since his Majesty entrusts other things to me, he might well entrust this, being assured that I shall not spend one real improperly for his Majesty, nor more than what I may deem advisable.
When I arrived here I found a province called Zambales which was in strong revolt, and many thefts and murders had been committed there. I endeavored to attract the people to make peace by good means; hut having found that none of them availed, I determined to send two captains there, one by sea and the other by land. I ordered them to build two presidios in the districts most suitable for aiding the people from, and for making them obedient to his Majesty. One of the presidios is called Tarla, and the other Las Arenas. The Zambals seeing that the presidios were so located that they restrained their steps and thoughts, and that active measures were being taken, by those means more than two thousand five hundred men have been reduced and have settled near the presidios.[4] By means of that reduction, another province called Pampanga has been assured.[5] All this city is supplied with food from the latter province, which was greatly harassed and troubled by the Zambals. Besides the abovesaid the Zambals are slowly being reduced fifty by fifty, and that work will continue until they all come in.
I also found another province called Cagayan which had been in revolt from his Majesty’s service after they had rendered homage for some years. I sent a captain and 80 soldiers there, and after the same methods employed toward the Zambals had been used, and after having seen that the latter refused to render obedience, it was necessary to open war. By that means all the inhabitants of that province were reduced in the space of six months, and came to pay the tribute to his Majesty—they and others who had never been discovered until then. It is said that there are many people still to discover. Good methods will be used toward them so that they may come into the service of his Majesty. The last-named province has a port located near the cape of Bojador and that of El Engaño. One may enter that harbor without passing amid these islands, and the exit from it is so good that one has only to take to the open sea on leaving it. It is so near China that one can reach that country in three days and return in another three. I believe that we could annually despatch a ship hence with merchandise for España, and it would be very advisable to have a good Spanish settlement in that port. I propose that matter to your Grace, petitioning you to please order such a settlement to be made if it seem suitable, since it is good for the future to have a settlement so near to China.
The above is all that occurs to me at present of which to inform your Grace. In the one year and ten days now since I came to these islands, I can say that in most of that time, I have been busy settling oppositions and innovations of the bishop and the doubts and inventions of him and his friars who do nothing except to obstruct and embarrass everything that is done here. Although whenever the bishop came to me with new causes, for anger he left me well satisfied and content, that condition did not last longer, on account of his age and inconstancy, than the arrival of any other person who influenced him to whatever side he would. Consequently, he has proved only a constant opposition to my office, and I have been unable to do my duty with any sort of liberty as the royal jurisdiction has no weight here. For besides that this is so little and new, it was all seized by the many justices appointed by the bishop, who had an infinite number of fiscals and alguacils all over, and a vicar and protector at every step. They were appointing alguacils, building prisons, and setting up stocks, arresting and lashing Indians, and were very domineering and meddlesome in all things. The bishop, although I have opposed his journey as much as possible, is going there.[6] However, he says obstinately that it cannot be avoided; and his heart is full of venom and he is desirous of doing harm. But since he cannot in truth say anything that can touch me one jot and prove disservice to my king, his imaginings give me no concern for I know how he usually succeeds in them. The ships have now arrived, and with them Diego Ronquillo, who gave me your letter. I am well satisfied with it, and will reply to it in another letter. May our Lord, etc. Manila, June 21, 1591.
I enclose herewith a copy of the letter which I am writing to his Majesty in regard to the affairs of the bishop and his friars, so that your Grace may be forewarned about it, and able to show me favor in everything.
[Endorsed: Letter from Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, treating of the condition of the soldiers in that country. Manila, June 21, 1591.”]
[1] Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva, the “hangman of the Netherlands” (1508–82 or 83) was specially trained by his grandfather for war and politics. He served under both Charles V and Felipe II; and will always be remembered by his cruelty and atrocities in the Netherlands. Motley’s estimate of him is interesting: “Such an amount of stealth and ferocity, of patient vindictiveness, and universal blood thirstiness has never been found in a savage beast of the forest, and but rarely in a human being.” See New International Encyclopedia. [↑]
[2] The following royal decree taken from a MS. book of decrees entitled “Cedulas reales dirigidas à estas Yslas Filipinas, Copiadas fielmente de las originales ò authenticas que se guardan en el archivo de la real Audiencia de Manila” (a copy of the seventeenth or eighteenth century) and kindly loaned by Mr. E. E. Ayer of Chicago, is interesting. “The King. Leonardo Furriano, my engineer. Inasmuch as it is desirable for my service that you go to the Philipinas Islands with Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, knight of the Order of Santiago, whom I have appointed as my governor and captain-general of them, so that forts may be built according to your advice and design, which, in accordance with the contents of the instructions of the said Gomez Perez are to be built in the said islands: I order you to go with him, and that you embark very speedily in order not to tarry an instant for the sake of our cause. For that purpose, Don Luis de la Cueva, my governor and captain-general of those islands of Canaria shall aid you. Thus have I ordered him; and the officials of my royal treasury of the said Philipinas Islands shall give and pay you at the rate of one thousand ducados per year from the date when you shall show by signed notarial testimony that you have set sail from any port of the said islands of Canaria, and for so long as you are busied and engaged in the construction of the said forts. When the forts are completed, you shall return to these kingdoms with the design and plan of said forts. Given at San Lorenzo, September twelve, one thousand five hundred and eighty-nine.
I the King
“By order of the king our sovereign:
Juan de Ybarra” [↑]
[3] See the royal instructions given to Dasmariñas, in VOL. VII, pp. 141–172; and especially pp. 149–151. [↑]
[4] The opinions of the religious given January 19 and 20, 1592 upon the question of waging war on the Zambals (see VOL. III, pp. 199–233), prove this assertion of Dasmariñas to have been made too soon. [↑]
[5] The province of Pampanga is still an abundant source of supplies. Of its total area of 224,812 hectares, 105,677 or 47 per cent is agricultural, and of that 63,840 hectares (or 60.4 per cent) are cultivated. It is the second sugar producing province in the archipelago, producing 14,317,776 kilograms in 1902. [↑]
[6] Morga makes a statement somewhat at variance with this (see VOL. XV, p. 75). [↑]