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

Relation of 1629–30

Relation of events in the Filipinas Islands and other surrounding regions, from the month of July, 1629, until that of 1630.

I shall commence the affairs of these islands with the expedition to Jolo. It is an island of this archipelago, rebellious for years past; and its natives, who are Mahometans, have made a thousand incursions against us in these islands, pillaging whenever opportunity arises, burning villages and churches, and capturing numerous people.

In order to remedy all these evils, Governor Don Juan Niño de Tabora determined to equip a powerful fleet in order to destroy that enemy and conquer a stronghold which nature has made in their island—so lofty and so difficult of approach, that there is no better stone castle; for the approach to it is by one path, and it has some artillery which defends it. The people are courageous and warlike. For our fleet were collected one galley, three brigantines, twelve freight champaos (which are like small pataches), and about fifty caracoas. The last named are the usual craft of these islands, and generally have thirty or forty oars on a side. All these vessels together carried about four hundred Spaniards and two thousand five hundred Indians, and they had considerable apparatus and war supplies. It was quite sufficient for another conquest of greater importance than the one on which they were going.

All that fleet departed, then, from the port of Dapitan on March 17. Dapitan is the port nearest to the enemy, and the island of Jolo was reached in [blank space in the Ventura del Arco MS.] days. At dawn our men were landed, and began the ascent to the stronghold. The master-of-camp, Don Lorenzo de Olaso, who was commander-in-chief of the fleet, preceded the men. The Joloans defended their stronghold with valor. They killed some of our men and wounded eight, among them the master-of-camp himself. He was overthrown, as if dead, and went rolling down the hill. However, he was not dead, but only wounded, nothing more. Our men retired on the run, and to speak plainly, such terror entered into them that they did not dare to attack again. They skirted the island in their craft, entered the villages, burned, wrecked, destroyed them, and killed a few people. They brought back some captives with them whom the Joloans had taken from us. A violent storm overtook them, which compelled them to weigh anchor, and they retired stealthily. Thus so powerful a fleet as that was lost. It was such a fleet that never has one like it been made for the Yndias in these islands. The Joloan enemy were left triumphant, and so insolent that we fear that they will make an end of the islands of the Pintados—which are the nearest ones to them, and which they infest and pillage with great facility.

“A greater force than ever attacked Malaca from Achen—two hundred and twenty craft; and among them thirty-three were of stupendous size and resembled galleys with topsails, while others were medium-sized and smaller; and they carried a force of nineteen thousand men of the best picked soldiers, who were all ordered not to return alive without taking Malaca. They disembarked at a river one-half legua from here. Then they began to march with great trenches, ramparts, and other devices until they neared the walls. After taking the mount of San Francisco, they fortified themselves on it, and for the space of four months they continued to batter the walls of the city. Our artillery harassed them from the ramparts also although the trenches and terrepleins did not allow us to do them much harm. They destroyed all the side of Yben, Bocachina, and San Lorenzo, and did not leave a house, palm-tree, or church. Then they attempted to pass to the Malaca side in order to destroy its suburbs, and to attack the walls on all sides. In order to make use of all their men, they beached all their ships in the mire of the river. That was their total destruction, for the reënforcements arrived on October 21, from Yndia, with Nuño Alvarez Botello—who succeeded in the government to the bishop who was governing and died; he had thirty-three oared vessels and one thousand Portuguese soldiers, the flower of the nobility and soldiery of Yndia. Thereupon the enemy retired to the river where their fleet was stationed. The governor, without disembarking, took his station in the entrance, where he cannonaded them for forty-six days with all of his artillery. He had some very heavy artillery which he had brought from Yndia, which he fired from some barges that he had built. He harassed them so greatly with these guns that, although the enemy attacked him in order to get out, they were unable; and finally surrendered, or fled to the mountains and forests, one night. A great number of them remained in our hands, and the others in the hands of the king of Pan and those of Malay friends who aided us. They abandoned a quantity of spoils, all their ships, artillery, etc., so that of the nineteen thousand men there did not remain any who could rightfully carry back the news. The Portuguese collected three hundred pieces of artillery, counting large and small, with which the fortress was well supplied, and artillery was sent to other parts. The versos, falcons, and arquebuses which they captured were without number. It was a glorious victory which our Lord gave to this city of Malaca. The neighboring kings who were subject to Achen immediately resolved to render homage, by sending their ambassadors.” Thus far Father Azevedo.[1]

After having gained the victory against the people of Achen, Nuño Alvarez Botello determined to remain to winter in the region of the south. He sent some ships to Java; and with them a large galleon belonging to the enemy, and the commander and captains who were captured. He kept twenty-three of his galliots, with seven hundred picked men, in order to go in pursuit of the Dutch.

He commenced at Humbe, thirty leguas from Malaca, where, the Dutch have a factory for pepper. There were two Dutch ships at the bar [of the river] which went out to meet him. The Portuguese attacked the Dutch ship, which was a very handsome one, and had come from Holanda the year before. They gave it a volley which fell into a quantity of cartridges and powder, whereupon the ship blew up, although some of the Dutch who fell into the water were picked up. Then the Portuguese assailed the other ship, captured it, and sent it to Malaca. They saw that there was another large ship in thus mouth of the river, and attacked that one. The Dutch who were aboard deserted it. The Portuguese captured the artillery, ammunition, and other things in the ship, and set it afire.

Learning that there was another ship [up the] river, and that it was lading pepper, the Portuguese determined to go to capture it. They entered the river, attacked the ship, and, without their knowing how, it blew up. As the ship sank, a powerful suction was formed, and drew after it the Dutch [i.e., one of the captured ones] skiff in which the commander, Nuño Alvarez Botello, was giving his orders. The brave gentleman was drowned there, without any one being able to help him; and with him were also drowned his good intentions, and all that that fleet expected to do.

In consequence of the persecution of the king of Conchinchina against the missionaries[2]—because the commerce of Macao had been lacking for some time, and on account of the great drought that lasted for the space of fourteen months—Governor Don Juan Niño de Tabora ordered an embassy to be sent to the Said king, and for that purpose sent Father Antonio Cardin with some presents. The father reached Turon, and thence went to Sinao, the court of the king. The king took the presents from him, but notwithstanding that received him with very ill grace; and, without conceding him what he asked, made him retire to Macao.

[To the above relation for the years 1629–1630 (which seems to be merely a synopsis or abstract, and not a copy of the original document) is appended the following from another and later relation:]

In the years from July, 1630, until that time in 1632, says a relation, there was great peace, and the Filipinas Islands prospered; for aid from Holanda failed the Dutch, and their forces were too few to trouble the Spanish possessions of the archipelago and the Malucas. However the quiet was disturbed in the province of Caraga, where the Indians revolted, and assassinated the Spaniards and the Recollect religious who were instructing them. The leaders of the revolt were punished, and the Indians gradually subdued.

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[1] The above matter in quotation marks, as appears from a footnote in the Ventura del Arco MS., is taken from a letter written by Father Manuel Azevedo, rector of Manila, May 3,1630. Evidently “Manila” is an error for “Malaca,” and the letter was probably written to Manila, and the above section embodied in the relation written from that place.

[2] See account of the establishment of this mission, in Vol. XVIII, p. 213.