The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 / 1606-1609 / 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

Artillery at Manila in 1607

Memorandum of All the Artillery in the Fortifications of Manila, June 20, 1607

Fort of Santiago

One half-culverin, old casting of Manila, choke-bored, caliber fourteen libras, twenty calibers in length.

One full-sized saker of the same casting, caliber ten libras, length thirteen calibers.

Another of the same casting, a paterero,[1] caliber eleven libras, length fourteen calibers.

Another paterero of the same casting, caliber ten libras, and thirteen calibers in length.

Two bastards, casting Mexican—one of twenty-seven calibers, and the other choke-bored—of twenty-four calibers, caliber ten libras.

One saker, old Manila casting, caliber six libras, length thirty calibers.

One culverin, caliber nineteen libras, old Manila casting, choke-bored, twenty-nine calibers in length.

One demi-saker, Mexican casting, caliber three and a half libras, length thirty-two calibers.

One bastard saker, Genoese casting, caliber six libras, length twenty-four calibers.

One paterero, Portuguese casting, caliber eleven libras, length fourteen calibers.

One demi-saker, cast in Piru, caliber three and a half libras, length twenty-nine calibers.

One saker, caliber six libras, cast in Flandes, thirty calibers in length.

Another saker, cast in Mexico, caliber six libras, thirty-four calibers in length.

One paterero, old Manila casting, caliber eight libras, length fourteen diameters.

Another similar paterero.

Two catapults, new Manila casting, caliber twenty libras.

One paterero of the same casting, caliber fifteen libras, length fourteen diameters.

One saker, cast in Mexico, caliber five and a half libras, length thirty calibers.

One cannon, old Manila casting, caliber thirty-seven libras, length twenty calibers.

One demi-saker, cast in Flandes, caliber four libras, length thirty calibers.

One demi-saker, cast in Flandes, caliber four libras, length thirty calibers.

One demi-saker, cast in Piru, caliber three libras and a half, length twenty-nine calibers.

One demi-saker, old Manila casting, caliber four libras, length thirty-one diameters.

One paterero, cast in Portugal, caliber thirty-one libras, fourteen calibers in length.

In all, there are in the said fort twenty-six pieces.

Breastwork of S. Gabriel in Parian of the Sangleys

One paterero of Portuguese casting, caliber fourteen libras, length thirteen calibers.

One demi-cannon cast in Manila, old style, caliber sixteen libras, length twenty-two calibers.

One passe-volante, cast in Flandes, caliber five libras, length four calibers.

One paterero, cast in Manila, caliber thirteen libras, length thirteen calibers.

One demi-saker, old Manila casting, caliber three and a half libras, length thirty-two calibers.

One saker cast in Mexico, caliber five libras, length thirty calibers.

In the said breastwork there are six pieces.

Breastwork of Dilao

One demi-saker of three libras caliber, old casting of Manila, length thirty-three calibers.

One saker, old casting of Manila, caliber seven libras, length twenty-nine calibers.

Another saker, cast in Mexico, caliber one libra, length thirty-two calibers.

One paterero, cast in Portugal, caliber thirteen libras, length thirteen calibers.

In the said breastwork there are four pieces.

Breastwork of S. Andres near the Foundry

Two patereroes, new casting of Manila, caliber eight libras, length thirteen calibers.

One demi-saker of the same casting, caliber three and a half libras, length thirty diameters.

Another demi-saker, old casting of Manila, caliber three and a half libras, length thirty calibers.

One passavolante [i.e., small culverin], cast in Flandes, caliber five libras, length forty calibers.

One saker, cast in Mexico, caliber seven libras, length twenty-eight calibers.

In the said fort there are six pieces.

Breastwork of S. Pedro near the New Port

One saker cast in Mexico, caliber five libras, length thirty-two calibers.

One demi-saker cast in Manila by Sangleys, caliber three libras, length thirty calibers.

Two patereroes, new casting of Manila, caliber eight libras, length thirteen calibers.

One demi-saker, new casting of Manila, caliber three and a half libras, length thirty-one calibers.

One demi-saker of the same casting, caliber two libras, length thirty diameters.

In the said fort are six pieces.

Fort of Nuestra Señora de Guia

One demi-cannon, old casting of Manila, caliber sixteen libras, length twenty-two calibers.

Two sakers, old casting of Manila, caliber six libras, length twenty-eight calibers.

One paterero of the same casting, caliber twelve libras, length eleven calibers.

Another paterero, new casting of Manila, caliber eight libras, length thirteen diameters.

One bell-mouthed piece, caliber six libras, length twelve calibers.

One demi-cannon, old casting of Manila, caliber sixteen libras, length twenty-two calibers.

In the said fort there are seven pieces.

Curtain on the Water-front

One paterero, new casting of Manila, caliber eight libras, length thirteen calibers, in front of the palace.

One saker, cast in Mexico, caliber six libras, length thirty-one calibers, in the middle of the curtain.

There are on the water-front two pieces.

Plaza de Armas

One demi-saker, cast in Acapulco, caliber three libras, length thirty calibers.

One saker, cast in Acapulco, caliber three libras, length thirty calibers.

One saker, cast in Yngalaterra, caliber eight libras, length twenty-eight calibers.

One demi-saker cast in Flandes, caliber four libras, length thirty calibers.

Another demi-saker, of the same casting and the same style.

Another demi-saker, old casting of Manila, caliber four libras, length twenty-eight calibers.

Another demi-saker of the same casting, caliber four libras, length thirty calibers.

There are in the said plaza six pieces.

In Cavite

There are two sakers which came from Terrenate—one cast in Manila, caliber six libras; and the other in Flandes, caliber seven libras.

There are also four falcons, large patereroes, which were brought in the said ship.

In the magazines there are two or three falcon patereroes.

Flag-Ship of the Galleys

One piece, one-third cannon caliber, cast in Acapulco, caliber eleven libras, length twenty-two calibers.

Two small culverins [moyanas]—cast one in Ynglaterra, caliber three libras; the other in Manila, caliber two libras.

Four catapults, two discharging stone balls of twenty-five libras, and the other two of thirteen libras, new casting of Manila.

On the said galley there are seven pieces.

Second Galley, “San Lorenço”

One piece, one-third cannon caliber, cast in Acapulco, caliber eleven libras, length twenty-two calibers.

Two catapults, new casting of Manila, caliber seventy-three libras.

Two small culverins [moyanas] of the said casting, caliber one libra.

On the said galley are five pieces. Recapitulation of the Artillery

Fort of Santhiago	26 pieces
Breastwork of S. Gabriel	6 pieces
Breastwork of Dilao	4 pieces
Breastwork of S. Andres	6 pieces
Breastwork of S. Pedro	6 pieces
Fort of Nuestra Señora de Guia	7 pieces
Curtain of the Water-front	2 pieces
Plaza des Armas	6 pieces
Cavite	2 pieces
In the said Cavite, falcon patereroes	4 pieces
Magazines, falcons	2 pieces
Flag-ship Galley	7 pieces
Second Galley	5 pieces
	83 pieces

I, Alonso de Bienbengud, commander of the artillery of our lord the king in this his royal military station of Manila in the Philipinas Islands, certify that the artillery declared in this list and memorandum is placed and distributed in the forts, breastworks, traverses, and other places named therein, and that it is of the character described; in witness whereof these presents are signed with my name. Manila, the sixth of July, one thousand six hundred and seven.

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[1] Also written “pederero”—from Old Spanish pedra, “a stone;” so named because of the use of stone for balls, before iron balls were invented; a swivel-gun. For descriptions and illustrations of various kinds of artillery, see Demmin’s Arms and Armor (London, 1877).