In the autumn of 1593, a native king of Fernate (fer nä´tē), one of the Molucca Islands, came to Manila to ask for help against the Dutch sailors who made trouble on his island. Desmarinas gathered a large fleet, and on October 6th started with the native king for Fernate. While on the way, the Chinese oarsmen on the governor-general’s galley rose in revolt one night, took the galley, and killed the governor-general. Some of the Spanish troops on board escaped by jumping overboard. After the death of Desmarinas, the Chinese put the rest of the Spanish ashore and went off with the galley.
This sad event broke up the expedition. The fleet returned to Manila and Don Luis (lö´is) Perez Desmarinas, a son of the dead official, took up the government. He ruled quietly until 1596, when his successor, Don Francisco Tello de Guzman (frän sēs´kō tėl´lō dā gäth´män), came to Manila.
In the year 1598, King Philip II. of Spain being dead, his son, King Philip III., again set up the Supreme Court in Manila. This was done with great pomp and show. There was a long procession in the streets of Manila, and high civic and religious ceremonies. The court was given the same powers as the court of Mexico and of Lima, in Peru, and during Spanish rule was never again done away with.
Summary.—The code of laws by which Mexico was ruled was made the code of the Philippines as well. This arrangement was not a good one. The ruler who came after Legaspi did away with the native chiefs and kings. Only the office of head of a hundred was left, and that had so little honor that no self-respecting Filipino cared to take it. Early in the history of the colony began the strife between authorities which, during the rule of Spain, caused most of the trouble in the colony. At last Bishop Salazar of Manila sent a messenger to Spain. The result was a royal decree defining the official field of the State and of the Church. Gomez Perez Desmarinas was made governor-general, and came to Manila. He did not get along well with the Bishop of Manila, and later the bishop went, himself, to Spain. He succeeded in getting Manila made an archbishopric, and was himself appointed archbishop, but died before the official notice reached him. In 1593 the emperor of Japan sent an ambassador to Manila to demand tribute from the Spanish colony. This the governor-general declined to give, but a treaty was made with Japan. In that same year the king of Fernate came to Manila seeking help against the Dutch. Governor-General Desmarinas raised a fleet to go to Fernate, but while on the way was killed by the Chinese oarsmen on board his galley. His son Luis Perez Desmarinas succeeded him in office until 1596, when a new governor-general came out. In 1598 the Supreme Court was again set up by order of King Philip III. of Spain.
Questions.—What code of laws was put in use in the Philippines? What changes in government did Legaspi’s successors make? Why did Bishop Salazar send a messenger to Spain? What was the result of the messenger’s visit? When was Manila made an archbishopric? Who came to Manila to get help from the Spanish? What did the governor-general do? How did he die? Who reinstated the Supreme Court? When was it done?
Chapter VI.
COLONIAL WARS AND DIFFICULTIES.
From now on trouble came thick and fast upon the Spanish colony in the Philippines. Some of it was due to the wild and troubled times through which all the civilized world was passing, but most of it was caused by the short-sighted folly of the home government.
In 1599, when Antonio Morga (än tō´nē ō mor´gä) was governor-general, the first real attempt was made to occupy Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. For this purpose an expedition started from Manila under the leadership of Estevan Roderigues (es´tā vän rō dārēg´ēs), a Portuguese nobleman, who had received permission from Spain to set up a colony in Mindanao. He was to be governor of that island, and, from his headquarters there, was to try to conquer the Moros of Sulu, who had never submitted to Spain’s rule.