CHAPTER XIII.
ANNO DOM. 1602.
The Administration of Don Pedro de Acuña.
In May 1602, four ships from New Spain arrived at Cavite, in one of which came the new Governor, Don Pedro Brabo de Acuña, Knight of the order of San Juan, and who had been Governor of Carthagena. In passing by the Marianas, he had the good fortune to rescue twenty-five Spaniards, who had been shipwrecked in the St. Margarita. Immediately on taking possession of his government, he gave audience to the ambassadors of Dayfusama, Emperor of Japan, who had succeeded to the kingdom, on the death of Taycosama, and requested that the commerce with his kingdom might be continued; and that shipwrights might be sent from Manila to build vessels for him. Without touching on this last subject, the Governor dismissed the Japanese with a magnificent present, which was all lost, as they were shipwrecked on the island of Formosa. With these ambassadors, friars from all the orders in Manila entreated the Governor to be allowed to proceed to Japan, in order to make converts, even at the risk of martyrdom. These good dispositions and intentions the Governor encouraged, and by his assistance, they were able to establish themselves in that kingdom, where in a short time they founded several convents. In 1603, the Augustine friars already possessed one, and the Captain of the ship Espiritu Santo, who put in there in distress, applied to the friars, requesting them to interest themselves with the Emperor, as the Japanese, conformable to their regulations, would not permit the ship to remain. Dayfusama received the application with courtesy, and punished those who had been the cause of it, sending the Spaniards who had accompanied the friars back to Manila, with great honours, giving at the same time strict orders, that all Spanish vessels arriving in future, in his ports, should be treated as friends; the ship, however, in the meantime had made her escape, fearing the same ill success, as had attended a similar application to Taycosama.
A short time after the arrival of Acuña, he made a voyage through the Bisayas (or Islas de Pintados), to inspect the garrisons, and to make preparations for an expedition, which he intended against the Moluccas; and whilst he was employed in building the fort of Yloylo, the Moors took the opportunity offered by his absence, of seizing all the ships they met with, burning the towns, and endeavouring to take possession of Balayan; but the Alcalde Mayor of the province opposed them; and upon receiving assistance from Manila, pursued them to a desert island, off which he fell in with the Governor on his return to the capital. Orders were issued to attack them; but the Moors making all the sail they could, he was able only to take two, and sink five others, out of seventy vessels, of which their force consisted. On his arrival at Manila, the Governor received the melancholy intelligence of the death of Señor Tello, his deputy, who had discharged his trust with great zeal and probity. He was buried in the church of St. Augustine, to which he had left considerable donations. Soon after this a great fire happened in Manila, which burnt two hundred and fifty houses, the convent of St. Domingo, and the hospital for the reception of the Spaniards.
In May 1603, three Chinese Mandarins arrived, on the extraordinary mission of discovering, whether the port of Cavite was composed of gold, as a Chinese, called Tiongon, had reported to his Emperor, by whom he was imprisoned, until the truth of his assertion should be ascertained, this man having promised to conquer it or lose his life. It was believed that this was a mere stratagem, to reconnoitre the country, as it was understood, that the Emperor intended to land an hundred thousand men, in the following December, with the view of becoming master, of the whole of the Spanish possessions. The Governor treated these Mandarins, with the most flattering distinction, shewed them the island of Cavite, and undeceived them in regard to the opinion propagated by their countryman, assuring them that the island was termed the Golden Island, on account of its lucrative commerce only.
The expected armament of the Emperor did not make its appearance; but an insurrection of the Chinese inhabitants of Manila followed, which had been in a state of preparation during the embassy, and now broke out. There was a Chinese in Manila of the name of Engcan, who had remained there since the time of Limahon, who had been baptized, was very rich, and was in intimacy with many Spaniards. He offered to his countrymen, to build a wall round their quarter of the town: the work was commenced; but the fidelity of the Chinese beginning to be suspected, the Governor endeavoured to ascertain their intentions, through the medium of their enemies, the Japanese, from which circumstance the Chinese entertained a belief, that the Governor proposed to massacre them, with the assistance of these people; and they resolved, among themselves, to enter Manila on the eve of St. Francis, and murder every Spaniard in the place. Twenty-five thousand Chinese were concerned in this plot, which was discovered by an Indian having given notice of it to the curate of Quiapo, through whose means the information was instantly communicated to the Governor. There were two classes of Chinese at that time in Manila. Those who came annually for the purposes of commerce, and those who had long been residents, in a quarter of the town called Parian, outside of the walls of the city, and whom the Dominican friars had endeavoured to convert.
The first step the Governor took, was to attempt to reconcile the annual Chinese merchants, who were very numerous; but he failed in the attempt, as they had collected in a large body in open rebellion, in a town within half a league of Manila, the others remaining in Parian. The Governor made a confidant of Engcan, and sent him, in company with some Spaniards, to endeavour to bring them back to a sense of their duty, but without effect, as the works they had raised in their defence would, in their opinion, protect them. In the night, some of them sallied out, burned the towns of Quiapo and Tondo, and killed many Indians. They were opposed by one hundred and thirty Spaniards, almost all of whom perished: among them were Don Luis Dasmariñas, Don Thomas Brabo, and Don Juan de Alcega, whose heads the Chinese sent to Parian, as an incitement for their countrymen to follow their example. Upon examination, it being discovered that Engcan was the principal abettor of these men, he was imprisoned, which had such an effect upon many of his countrymen, that they hanged themselves in despair.
The Spaniards, finding that they could do nothing by means of mild measures, commenced their operations, and fought with such determined resolution, that the slaughter was immense. So general was the spirit of loyalty, that even the friars took up arms, and, in particular, Antonio Flores, who had been a soldier in Flanders and Italy, and had, in the battle of Lepanto, been ensign under Bernardino de Meneses, but afterwards took the habit of St. Augustine. The position he took was on the river, close to which the rebels were obliged to pass to join the Chinese of Parian; from this he sallied out, and made great slaughter among them. They made good their retreat, however, to Parian and Dilao, where they threw up works, but Captain Gallinato burned Parian, and laid waste Dilao; and Captain Luis de Velasco pursued them to Tabuco, which we now call Cabuyao. The Chinese not being able to maintain themselves here, passed on to the town of St. Pablo in the mountains, where Velasco, who had pursued them, fell, together with two Franciscan friars. Here the insurgents fortified themselves so strongly, that it was deemed necessary to send a greater force from Manila against them.