The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 10 of 55 / 1597-1599 / Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

by Unknown

The State of the Kingdom of Camboxa in Relation to these Phelippinas Islands

The past year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-six, Don Luis de las Marinas, governor of these islands, sent Captain Joan Xuarez Gallinato with an armed fleet to the assistance of the king of Canboja, who had asked him to defend him from the king of Sian, who had threatened him; and the former offered to introduce Christianity into his kingdom and make friends with the Spaniards. When aid arrived at Canboxa, it appeared that the king had retired with his children to the kingdom of Laos, for fear of the king of Sian, who had occupied his kingdom; and that Anacaparan, military commander of Camboxa, had assembled the greater part of the people of Camboxa, who had remained. Having met the Sianese and recovered the kingdom, he was powerful enough to claim it and become tyrant. Some of the Spaniards who arrived at Canboja Page 212beforehand without their commander, on account of a storm which separated them on the way, although they were received with simulated friendship by Anacaparan, heard later that he was plotting to kill them. Provoked by this and other injuries which a number of Chinese, who had gone to the cities of Hordemuz and Sistor (the chief cities of that kingdom) in five trading-vessels, had inflicted upon them, and for which the tyrant refused to give them any satisfaction and justice, the Spaniards, who numbered about forty soldiers, attacked the Chinese and Anacaparan and his men, a numerous force, in his palace. They made so great havoc among them, that they killed the tyrant king and many of his men, completely crushing them. They took the Chinese ships, and without harm or injury retired to their own ships, defending themselves from a much greater number of warlike enemies and elephants who charged them. At this juncture the rest of the Spaniards arrived at Camboxa with their commander. Considering what had just taken place, and that the land was in rebellion and the legitimate king in the country of the Laos, he thought that it would be impossible to set foot there on account of the unfavorable condition of affairs. He started to return to these islands; but, as the weather was not suitable for the voyage, he coasted along Cochinchina, where he repaired his ships, and sent overland, to the kingdom of the Laos, Bias Ruiz and Diego Bellosso, well-known to the king of Canboxa, to acquaint him with what had taken place in his kingdom, so that he should descend upon it. Thereupon he left Cochinchina, where he had had some unpleasant encounters with the king and natives, in which, however, he Page 213sustained no loss. He reached these islands in September of ninety-six, with the flagship and part of his men. The other ship was crippled by a storm and made port at Malaca, and the rest of the men came in the following year from Malaca. When Blas Ruiz and Diego Bellosso reached the kingdom of the Laos, they found that the king of Canboxa and his elder son were dead, and that the younger, called Prauncar, alone remained, together with his mother and grandmother. This son, in company with Blas Ruiz and Diego Bellosso, descended upon Canboxa, with an auxiliary force of six thousand Laos. They found the country divided by factions, and that a son of the tyrant whom the Spaniards had killed had returned to reign over the greater part of it. There were many battles with these enemies of theirs, all of which—by the help of Blas Ruiz and Diego Bellosso, and about ten Spaniards, from those who had made port at Malaca, who joined them—were gained by Prauncar. These few Spaniards did marvels in the sight of all these heathens, so that Prauncar, the legitimate king, has recovered his whole kingdom, except one small province which still remained for him to subject. On account of this, and of the friendship which his father had had with the Spaniards, and the assistance which he had just received from them, he wrote to me by an ambassador of his, who came to this city, of the outcome of all these matters, asking me to send religious and Spaniards to settle his kingdom, make Christians, and build churches, offering every facility for it. At this time Don Luis Dasmariñas, having some knowledge of affairs in Camboxa, urged me to give him permission to go with some men at his own cost to begin the conversion of Page 214that kingdom, and its settlement by Spaniards. This expedition being proper, in my opinion and that of the Audiencia, because of its many consequences for the service of God and his Majesty—whence the so desired entry to the mainland could be begun, in order that the many heathens there may come to the knowledge of the holy Catholic faith, and submission to his Majesty—I made an agreement, regarding the expedition, with the said Don Luis, with the conditions and in the form which is contained in the copy which accompanies this, together with the letters which I am writing to King Prauncar. Therefore Don Luis Dasmariñas collected an armed fleet, well provided with men, arms, and supplies and other necessaries, and also some religious. He sailed with them from the harbor of this city, in the middle of September of this year. The ambassador, well-satisfied with so strong an expedition, left after him. I hope, our Lord willing, that he has already arrived at Camboxa, because the voyage is a short one, and that he is about to begin what we so much desire. I made a list of the men in these islands, particularly of the supernumeraries who had come from Nueva España. I found many, who on account of being lazy, and the land being too poor to support them, seemed to me suitable for this expedition, especially as this occupation of theirs from which so much good is expected, was to be made without any cost to his Majesty. I shall continue my account.

After Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas sailed from this city from the port of Cavite, with two moderate-sized ships and one fusta, with the said force, well provided with supplies, arms, and munitions, taking with him as admiral, Pedro de Beistigui, he went by Page 215way of Bolinao,[6] to catch the tide from there, in order to cross with it to the mainland, above the shoals of Aynao [i.e., Hainan], near Camboxa. A few days later, news came to the governor from the alcalde-mayor of Nueva Segovia in Cagayan, that the fusta of Don Luis's fleet, in charge of Captain Luis Ortiz, had made port there, badly crippled by a heavy storm, which had separated them from the fleet, shortly after the departure from Manila. They followed the coast until they came to the bar of the said city of Segovia. It was preparing to sail again in search of the said fleet; this they did, after such repairs as were possible within ten days. After that, other news was received from the alcalde-mayor that the admiral's ship of the fleet was also lost in the same storm on one of the Babuyanes Islands, where the men, artillery, and clothing were saved; that the ship was lost; and that vessels were sent in which the admiral, his crew, and their clothing should be brought to the said city, which was effected. They brought the news that the storm had been very heavy and had lasted five days; and that the flagship, being a more seaworthy vessel, had put to sea and had been seen no more. An order was sent immediately to the alcalde-mayor of Cagayan to provide supplies from another ship, and other necessities for the admiral, so that he could pursue his voyage. It was done as soon as possible, with new instructions and orders from the governor to follow the course which Don Luis gave him in his instructions at the time of his Page 216departure; and that if he should arrive at Camboxa before his general, he was to execute the orders in his instructions for the undertaking, whereupon he left. Some months before Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas sailed from the Ffilipinas, Captain Don Joan Çamudio had sailed in a small but well-fitted vessel for China, to purchase iron, saltpeter, lead, tin, and other very necessary articles for the provision of the camp at Manila; because, for three or four years, the Chinese have not brought anything of this kind in their vessels. He encountered considerable resistance to his entry into China on the part of the Portuguese from Macao—who, hearing the news of his arrival, set out to find him, and tried many times to sink or burn his ship, and to show him other evil treatment. It was their intention to prevent the Spanish from coming to China or knowing anything about it or its trade; and this they tried to do with the greatest obstinacy and enmity. But affairs were managed so well with the viceroy of Canton, called the tuton, and especially with the laytao, or chief judge of that province, that not only were the Portuguese prevented from uttering their previous calumnies against the Spaniards—namely, that they were robbers and highwaymen, coming to make war on China, and other things of that sort—but the Chinese even assigned and gave to the Spaniards a port eight leagues from Canton, called Pinal; so that, from that time on, the Castilians of Manila and the Philipinas Islands, if they wished, could come there freely and securely to trade, and for any other purpose that should arise. They were allowed ingress into the city of Canton, and a house was given them there, in which to assemble by night or day. This very Page 217much astonished the Portuguese, because it was a thing that the Chinese had never done for them. Don Joan Çamudio and his men lay in this harbor of Pinar with their ship, busy supplying their needs, when they were informed that Don Luis de las Marinas, with the flagship of his fleet, had run before the storm spoken of above, had made the coast of China, and had landed near Macao; that the ship was so weakened that it sprang a leak there, and foundered, the crew, artillery, and munitions being saved, with a small part of the clothing that they carried. They also learned that the Chinese mandarins there gave the Spaniards a kind reception, from whom the latter procured a few vessels with which to get to Pinal, where they were informed that Don Joan and his men were; and that the Portuguese of Macao not only refused to help them in this matter, but also contrived to subject them to considerable inconvenience and ill-treatment, in order to complete their destruction. After this, Don Luis himself arrived at Pinal with his men and the remains of the shipwreck, by the vessels given them by the Chinese, avoiding the Portuguese of Macao who were the enemies of the Castilians. Don Luis, upon finding himself and his men in the harbor of Pinal, in company with Don Joan de Çamudio and his men, made known the particulars of his past loss, but did not lose his courage for continuing his Camboxa expedition, thinking that the other two ships of his fleet had gone on. Therefore he immediately sent to Canton to ask permission of the laytao to buy a ship in which to continue his journey. The Portuguese again opposed them, showing greater assiduity and uttering greater fabrications than they had done before with Don Joan Page 218de Çamudio—saying that they were corsairs, and that they had followed Don Joan to join him and make raids on China. But it profited them little, because the laytao of Canton ordered Don Luis and his men to enter the harbor of Pinal, where the other Castilians were, where they would be given whatever they needed. Don Luis de las Marinas was very much pleased and comforted at this, and continued in his determination, especially in securing a ship which he needed. He could not buy, nor anyone sell him one without the permission of the laytao, on account of strict laws against it. There was an abundance of cloth in this country, with which they immediately provided themselves, besides supplies and munitions. Don Joan de Çamudio accommodated him with some artillery, and other things that he had, of which Don Luis had need, so that now the only thing lacking was a ship. They brought every influence to bear on the laytao, but the Portuguese in Canton continually opposed them by every means.

At this time, the end of December, ninety-eight, Don Joan de Çamudio, having made haste from China, set sail from Pinal, leaving Don Luis de las Marinas and his men settled there, waiting for permission to leave China with their ship, regarding which they still had no definite assurance. In a few days Don Joan reached the coast of Luzon in safety, and entered the harbor of Cavite. He brought letters from Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas. From them and what Don Joan said, they were informed of what had happened to Don Luis and his flagship, and that he was waiting in Pinal, until he should secure a ship, so that he could continue the undertaking which he had begun. He requested assistance of arms, munitions, Page 219and other things which were lacking at Canvoja, to be sent him. The governor was much pleased with this news, which was better than he had hoped, because it was feared lest the fleet of Don Luis with all his men had been wrecked and drowned in the great storm they had encountered, because nothing had been heard of the flagship for so long a time. He immediately sent the things that Don Luis requested on a vessel, which was about to sail to the kingdom of Sian, in charge of Captain Joan de Mendoza y Ganvoa. A little later, in the month of May, some trading-ships came from China to this city of Manila, from one of which they received letters from Don Luis de las Marinas and his men, advising them that he had finished his preparations for his voyage and expedition; and that, after the departure of Don Joan de Çamudio from Pinar, he had again suffered greater vexations and persecutions from the Portuguese of Macao, but that the mandarins had silenced the latter, and had even inflicted the lash, regarding the matter as one which concerned the Chinese. He said that he would sail some time in March for Camboxa. He also mentioned other things they saw in China at that time.

In the middle of the month of June last, four soldiers, sent by Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas to Don Francisco Tello, governor of the Philipinas, came here in a small vessel, bearing advices that Don Luis was still at Pinal in some distress. He had bought a Chinese ship at Canton which seemed in good condition, in order to continue his voyage to Camboxa. Having embarked, he was already two days on his way after leaving port, when the ship began to leak in the stern, so that at considerable danger he was Page 220obliged to make port again, where he was scarcely able with great risk to arrive, The ship being of no use, he asked the governor to send him assistance in men, arms, and munitions, and also a ship from the islands, in order to prosecute his voyage. The governor, being suspicious of Japon, and having few men and arms, wrote to Don Luis, with the approbation of the royal Audiencia, that he was himself in great need of the things requested from him, and at present more than ever. Therefore he requested and counseled Don Luis, that since he found himself so exhausted, and with a so inadequate supply of all things to continue his expedition, and with no prospect of help now or afterward from the Philipinas, he would advise him to return to Manila and abandon the enterprise, since the voyage had turned out so unfortunately; and that besides that, there was great need of his men in the islands. Don Luis was not ordered strictly to do this, as he had spent so much money on this expedition. This message is being sent him by Captain Joan Tello, who will leave in about a week for Pinar, to continue the good beginning made by Don Joan de Çamudio in the province of Canton. I believe that for that very reason of having spent so much, Don Luis may wish to investigate the state of the kingdom of Camboxa. This may be done in such a way that we may attain what we so much desire, namely, the establishment of the holy gospel in that kingdom, which will be of so much importance. May our Lord direct this matter.

Don Francisco Tello

[Endorsed: “Relation of the condition of the kingdom of Camboxa, as regards the Phelippinas Page 221Islands, cited in section 11 of the letter on the war, July 12, 1599”]