The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 23 of 55 / 1629-30 / 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

Chapters XX–XXII

[These chapters deal almost entirely with Chinese affairs, and the part played by the Augustinians in the first Spanish embassy sent to China; their return; and the ill-success of the second embassy to that country.]

[At length the attempts of the Augustinians to go to China bear fruit, and on June 21, 1575, Martin de Rada and Jerónimo Marín set sail for the great empire. The opportunity comes through the defeat and siege of the pirate Limahon. The Chinese captain Dumón braves the laws forbidding the entrance of foreigners into China, and conveys the missionaries to that country—whither they go rather in the light of emissaries of the government than as religious workers; for the governor, Guido de Lavezares, gave them three letters, one for the Chinese emperor, another for the viceroy of the province of Fo-Kien, and the third for the governor of Chin-Cheu. They are well received and borne through a portion of the land in state. They receive audience, and later a banquet, from the governor of the city of Chin-Cheu, to whom they deliver the letter from the Spanish governor.][79]

[At Oc-Kin, the viceroy grants the fathers cordial and dignified audience. At the request of the former the fathers present him with a paper in which they state their object and desire, namely, the preaching of the gospel. The viceroy requests a book of the Christian law, whereupon he is presented with a breviary, as the fathers have no other book with them. After hearing an exposition of the Christian doctrine, the viceroy dismisses the Augustinians, loading them with rich presents. Three captains are ordered to see them safely to Manila. To the letter of the Spanish governor, the viceroy replied as follows:]

Letter from the kingdom of Tangbin in the province of Oc-Kin, from the royal house

I received a letter, to which this is the reply, from the governor in the fort of Manila. To thee, who art born of heaven. Although we differ among ourselves, we are children of one father and of one mother. Therefore we love and regard you as friends and brothers. And likewise have we friendship with the Lóquios, a foreign people, who come as friends to this province of Oc-Kin every three years. They, in token of friendship, bring us some products of their country, which this country does not produce. Here we present to them other things unknown to their own country. Therefore shalt thou know that we protect and esteem greatly the foreigners who come hither.

We have ordered the fathers and Castilians to be supplied with all necessaries, so that they might lack nothing. For if they should lack anything, we would be grieved and ashamed. And besides this, we have offered and given them some things, all of which is placed in a memorandum. The ten vessels that are going to your shores are furnished with all necessaries, so that you shall not have any trouble in giving them what they shall peradventure ask of you. The captains and sailors, and the rest of the crew, are paid for ten months.

We have written to the king the extent of our information, so that he may know what is passing. We would like the fathers to remain here, and more, until we shall hear and see the king’s reply. But as the voyages are long, namely, three months to go and three to return, we thought that you would grieve over their absence. Therefore, we return them to you and send with them a small present. All the present is in charge and keeping of my captain. If any of it be lacking, he will be punished. Given in the year of the king the lion Huicbanlic [i.e., Wanleh].

[After a stay of thirty-five days in Oc-Kin, the fathers, still accompanied by the two soldiers, Loarca and Sarmiento, set out on their return, being banqueted and feasted at all the cities on their way. They set sail for Manila September 14, and arrived there, “part of them October 28, and the others November 1. When they arrived they found a new governor, for Doctor Francisco de Sande had reached the islands in the month of August of the year 1575, with his Majesty’s appointment as governor of those islands.” The present to the governor is delivered to Lavezares. “Among the rich things brought, the greatest was that brought by father Fray Martín de Rada, and a thing of great importance and value in those times—namely, a description of the great kingdom of China, its provinces, its boundaries, its religion, its wealth, its civilization, its amusements, and everything that human curiosity is desirous of knowing, of which until then there was no account. This was the account caused to be printed by father Fray Jerónimo Román, of our order, in the second edition of his Repúblicas del mundo, which was published by Bishop Fray Pedro de Mendoza,[80] in his book on that kingdom.”]

[On the return trip of the Chinese captains, a second embassy of priests, Agustín de Alburquerque and Martín de Rada, accompany them. But the captains are dissatisfied with the presents received; and this, together with the news of the escape of Limahon, determines them to abandon the fathers. Accordingly the latter are left destitute in the country of the hostile Zambales, but fortunately make their way back to Manila, where they are welcomed with rejoicing. Somewhat later (1580) an embassy of three priests is appointed by the king of Spain, consisting of the Augustinians Juan Gonzáles de Mendoza—then bishop of Popayán, Perú, and later bishop of Lípari, in the kingdom of Naples—Francisco de Ortega, and Jerónimo Marín, to go to China. The avowed object of the embassy is to open the door to commerce, and carry the faith to China. The first remains in Spain. The advice of Marín is followed and the embassy is not sent.]