The peace which Rajah Soliman and Lacandola had made, was, on their part, by no means sincere, for the Indians of Macabebe and Hagonoy, appearing at the mouth of the harbour of Bancusay, with forty caracoas (an Indian vessel), proceeded to the house of Lacandola. These men jeered at and reproached the Indians, for submitting with such readiness, to such an insignificant number of Spaniards, promising, if they were disposed to shake off the yoke, that they should be assisted from Tondo and the neighbouring country, and not leave one Spaniard alive. The President, supposing those Indians who had arrived, had come to solicit peace, sent two Spaniards to assure them that they might present themselves to him without fear. The chief of the Indians, after listening to these ambassadors, leaped on his feet, and drawing and flourishing his cimeter, he said, “The sun gave me life, and I must not be disgraced in the eyes of my women, who would detest me, if they thought I was capable, of being on friendly terms with the Spaniards.” With this speech he quitted the house, without waiting to go down by the ladder, for, with great boldness, he leaped out of the window into his caracoa, calling out to the Spaniards, “I expect you in the bay of Bancusay.” Legaspi determined upon punishing such conduct, and sent against him the Colonel Martin de Goite with eighty Spaniards, in some newly constructed small vessels. The Indian chief was true to his word, and waited for them where he had said, with his squadron. The battle began, and he fought with great valour; but, in a short time, being killed by a musket shot, the rest dismayed, fled with great precipitation; our people pursued, and made many prisoners, among whom were the son of Lacandola, and his nephew, by which his deceit and dissimulation were sufficiently manifest; the President, however, sent them home, without the punishment they merited for their treason. After this engagement, the natives became so much afraid of the Spaniards, that many chiefs came to Manila begging peace, and offering to become vassals of the king of Spain. By this time, the works which had been ordered in Manila were considerably advanced, and, on the day of St. John the Baptist, the President, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, founded the city as the metropolis of the Philippine Islands, appointing two ordinary alcaldes, twelve regidores, an alguazil mayor, and a notary, who all took the customary oaths, to discharge the duties of their respective offices with justice. This ceremony took place while Philip II. was King of Spain, and Pius V. was in the fifth year of his pontificate, the first governor being the President, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. The public square was now marked out, with the situation of the convent of San Augustine, and the subordinate arrangements were left to the magistracy. Legaspi ordered the city to be called Manila, of which his Majesty approved, giving it a coat of arms. This city is placed in fourteen degrees and a half of north latitude, and is thought to be the antipodes of the river Saint Ann, in Brazil, which is in the same latitude in the opposite tropic of Capricorn.
CHAPTER VII.
ANNO DOMINI, 1571.
Of the Government of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.
Manila being founded, and most of the towns of the surrounding district, in amity with the Spaniards, the Governor sent the Colonel to Pampanga, to reduce that province to the Spanish yoke, but he had no sooner arrived at the river Betis, on his way thither, than he was compelled to return, without being able to reduce either the town of Betis or that of Lubao; for it appeared that Rajah Soliman and Lacandola, who had gone with him to serve as interpreters between the Indians and him, had conducted themselves treacherously. This fully appeared by Lacandola leaving the Colonel, and returning to Manila without leave, for which the Governor ordered him to be put in irons, and, to increase his punishment, told his relations that he would not let him at liberty but at the Colonel's request; even then he did not accede to it without confiscating all his artillery, consisting of fifteen pieces of cannon, large and small. About this time Rajah Matanda fell sick, and requesting to be baptized, a clergyman of the name of Juan de Vivero administered this sacrament to him by the name of Philip: he died of his disorder, and was buried with great solemnity. On the 17th of July, Don Diego Legaspi, a nephew of the Governor, arrived; he was sent by Captain Juan de Aguirre to the aid of his uncle, having a short time before come to Panay with two ships, which the Viceroy of Mexico had sent to these islands as a reinforcement. The Governor ordered the Colonel to proceed to Panay, and despatch these ships to Manila, and afterwards go to Zebu, and bring his family to the capital. Whilst the Colonel was executing this commission, Juan de Salcedo was sent to reduce the people of Cainta and Taytay, two small towns high up the river Pasig, which had refused to acknowledge the Spanish authority, and had strengthened their position by some fortifications covering their towns. He carried Cainta by assault, with the loss of only two killed and five wounded, but with great slaughter on the part of the Indians, upon hearing which, the inhabitants of Taytay immediately surrendered. He afterwards marched to a town on the borders of the lake Bay, and of the same name, and summoned the inhabitants, but they answered him with their arms in their hands. He had with him Padre Friar Alonso de Albarado, who had accompanied Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in his expedition; had returned a second time to Mexico; and again had accompanied the other five religious, of the order of San Augustine, to Manila. This venerable person the Colonel sent, to assure the Indians, that he did not wish to employ his arms against them, and that he had commissioned the Padre Friar Alonso, to accommodate matters, requesting them immediately to deliver up their town of Bay. This in the end was acceded to, and was followed, by the submission of many small towns, on the borders of the lake. Juan de Salcedo went further up the country behind them, and found the people of Mahayhay, fortified by nature so securely on a hill, that they could defend themselves against a great force, with no difficulty, by rolling down immense stones. Having, however, reconnoitred it, he perceived a path less rugged than the rest, and where they seemed more negligent. By this path he surmounted the difficulty, and appeared above them, when they were seized with such a panic, that they fled precipitately, without making any resistance. For two days more, Juan de Salcedo was detained in this part of the country, passing through the villages, which, however, he found deserted, the inhabitants having taken refuge in the mountains. He in consequence returned to Bay, where he had left most of his people. It was understood, that in the country of the Camarines, there was a town called Paracale, where there were mines of gold. He sent back to Manila Padre Albarado, and some of the Spaniards; and having a few soldiers only, he encountered a great many difficulties, in undertaking the conquest of this town. Many days having elapsed, without hearing from them at Manila, the Governor despatched Major Antonio Hurtado in search of them, and he found Juan de Salcedo in Paracale, with all his people, very much weakened, in consequence of the hardships they had been exposed to, and the sickness with which they had been attacked. Salcedo returned with Hurtado to Manila, on which occasion there were great rejoicings, as he had been supposed dead, and the loss of a man so much loved and respected would have been severely felt.
About this time the Colonel returned from Zebu, having first subdued the province of Pampanga. The Governor now apportioned the conquered districts and towns, among the respective officers, who had so well earned that reward, reserving to his Majesty the usual tribute only. He directed, that the Indians should pay a moderate rent, to those new proprietors of land, and the Spaniards were enjoined, not to exact any thing above the rent so settled. In a little time it was discovered, that the Indians would not pay the tribute; and that the Spanish proprietors, had been guilty of many vexatious acts against them, which had produced revolts in various places. In Bohol, Panay, and in Marinduque, the Indians had killed several Spanish factors and soldiers. To prevent these disturbances from spreading, the Governor sent Captain Luis de la Haya, to examine into the matter, and to punish the aggressors. He executed his commission with such prudence, that, without exasperating the Indians, he chastised the murderers, and left the towns in complete subordination.
At the beginning of the year 1572, there arrived, with a great deal of rich merchandize, those Chinese whom the Spaniards had saved from shipwreck, in the island of Mindoro, together with many others of that nation, who brought damasks, satins, taffeties, silks, porcelain, and other things, with which the foundation of a lucrative commerce with Acapulco was laid. These Chinese, whom we call Sangleyes, from two Chinese words, hiang, lay, which signifies travelling merchants, continue to this day the commerce with Manila, and many have settled in these islands, where, however, they have frequently been troublesome, as will be seen in the sequel. About the time these merchants arrived, the Augustine friars intended to hold their second provincial chapter, and the first which had been celebrated at Manila; and at this it was determined, to send some of their order to China, to establish a religious intercourse between the two nations. The Governor agreed to this, and was desirous, at the same time, to send an embassy to the Emperor; but the Chinese would not agree to take it to China. The Friar Alvarado, however, who was the most desirous of the undertaking, began to study the language, that he might be able to convert and baptize the Chinese merchants, who seemed disposed to settle in Manila; this plan he had adopted in Tondo, where he had administered the sacrament to numbers. In this provincial chapter it was agreed, that Padre Herrera should be sent a second time to Mexico, in order to bring more clerical aid to this province; they likewise chose as provincial, the Padre Friar Martin de Rada, and elected a capitular of the convent of Manila; they established clergy in Zebu, Masbate, Otong, Mindoro, Tondo, Calumpit, and Lubao. Soon after this, convents were founded in the districts of Taal, Bay, and Pasig, and many visitations were made, by which it was ascertained, that the number of the clergy increased so much, that it became necessary, to separate the parish priests from the friars.
The greater part of this quarter of the island, being reduced to complete obedience, to the King of Spain, and nothing being known of the northern part of it, Juan de Salcedo offered to make the discovery, at his own risk. He collected men and ships, the Governor allowing him forty-five soldiers, with necessary ammunition. He sailed from Manila on the 20th of May, 1572; on the third day, he arrived at Cape Bolinao, in the province of Zambales, where he found a Chinese junk or sampan, and a party of Chinese, who had got possession of a chief and some Indians, with an intent to carry them to China. Juan de Salcedo re-took them from the Chinese, and gave them their liberty, which action so gratified the feelings of the natives, that they became immediately vassals of the King of Spain, and solicited to be placed on the same footing, as the people of the other districts. Passing from thence to Pangasinan, he coasted the whole of that province, and that of Ylocos, until he arrived at Cape Boxeador, examining all the ports, bays, and landing places, near which his squadron was able to approach, and it consisted of many, but very small vessels. He was desirous, of preserving a good understanding with the Indians, and most of the towns on the coast, received him in a very friendly manner, and supplied him with provisions, which he stood in need of; but on his entering the rivers and creeks, he found great resistance from the inhabitants of the districts bordering on them. He attacked them on several occasions, putting them to flight with great ease, and sent to them, desiring them to leave the mountains, with a promise of his friendship. Some, however, not relying on the promises of the Spaniards, could not divest themselves of their apprehensions, while others readily came down, submitted, and agreed to pay the tribute. In this manner he was proceeding, and had almost subdued these two large provinces[19], intending to pass on to Cagayan; but he was opposed by his own people, who became weary of the expedition. His second in command, Antonio Hurtado, proposed that he should go on, and prosecute his original plan, but Juan de Salcedo, although he desired it much, thought it better to accede to the representations of his soldiers, and they returned by the same route, confirming in their obedience the towns which had submitted. On his arrival at Bigan, the natives received him with so much cordiality, that he prudently determined on the step of founding there a Spanish city, for the purpose of controlling the neighbouring country.
Having, with this view, ordered the natives to cut sufficient timber to build a fort, and accommodations for those who chose to remain, he became desirous of executing the original project, which he had abandoned, of passing on to Cagayan. He left in Bigan his second in command, with twenty-five soldiers, and, with the seventeen that remained, he commenced this arduous undertaking, departing in three vessels on the 24th of July. Having passed Cape Boxeador, he entered a river where he found a mud village of salt-makers; he desired them to call their chiefs, as he wished to be on good terms with them, and after many messages they appeared with their Rajah, who was a very handsome man, and whiter than the rest of the Indians. Juan de Salcedo came up to him with open arms, intending to embrace him; but the barbarian, unaccustomed to such a mode of salutation, believing that he wanted to catch him, took to his heels and fled, and on no entreaty would he be prevailed on, to leave the mountains. Our people, therefore, hoisted their sails, and arrived at the river of Cagayan. They sailed up this river a considerable way, and found a populous district; but they dared not attempt any hostility against the inhabitants, as they were so few in number in comparison to the natives, and they resolved to return to Manila by that side of the island, in order completely to ascertain the whole extent of Luzon. They proceeded about one hundred leagues, without discovering any population, or any thing but a rocky shore. They coasted it until they arrived at a bay, which Juan de Salcedo thought had been named Amanto, having been there when he went to Paracale. In this, however, he was mistaken, but as that bay was very near, he arrived in a few days at it. Here he went on shore; and travelled on till he came to the towns on the lake, where he embarked on board a small boat with only four rowers. The boat was on the point of foundering during the passage, and the Indians deserting her by swimming away, he would inevitably have been lost, had not a proa, with some friendly Indians, passing by, immediately relieved him. Arriving at Manila, he received the melancholy intelligence of the death of his grandfather, on the 20th of August, 1572, accelerated much by the vexatious and multifarious duties of his office. He was interred in the church of the Augustines, with the magnificence due to his character and station.