The Governor, who was determined to lose no opportunity that offered to build ships, finished one in the port of Cavite; but so badly constructed, that, at the commencement of her voyage for Acapulco, she foundered in the port: she was, however, hove up, and sufficiently repaired to proceed on her voyage the following year. By this means, and the arrival here of the other ships in 1631, no ship remained in Acapulco to send to the Philippines; and the Viceroy of Mexico despatched two pataches with the ordinary relief. In one of these came Don Francisco Roxas y Oñate, Oidor of Mexico, as inspector of the Royal Audience, and other tribunals; and his office to continue two years. He was well received, and the Governor supported his authority whilst he lived; by means of which, he made his visit pleasant, although he suspended two Oidors. His Excellency, on the 22d of July 1632, died of a dysentery, occasioned by being exposed to the rain and sun, during his visits to and from Cavite, in the performance of his office, in which he was extremely diligent, having made a bridge over the river of Manila, repaired the fortifications of the town, and constructed several works in Cavite.
Don Lorenzo Olaso had been named by the Viceroy of Mexico to succeed him pro tempore. Nothing particular occurred under his administration, which only lasted a year, when Don Juan Zerezo of Salamanca was appointed to succeed as Governor ad interim. Immediately on his arrival at Manila, with a view to repress the insults of the Moors, and on the representation of the Jesuits, he determined to form a garrison at Zamboanga. He appointed Don Juan de Chaves to the command, with an adequate force, and orders, after destroying the towns of the Moors, to erect a fort in the situation which Friar Vera had pitched upon, a little distant from the port of Caldera, where it was necessary to maintain a detachment to guard the shipping. This situation is most beautiful; but, having no water, the defect was supplied by digging a channel from the river, through which the water flows in great abundance, and, passing by the wall of the fort, falls into the sea. The first stone of the fort was laid on the 23d of June, 1635. Many of the Spaniards opposed this plan under different pretexts, and experience has shewn what little purpose this fort has answered, its only use being to enrich one military man, who is Governor for three years, and who draws twenty or thirty thousand dollars profit from the supplies furnished the soldiers. The Moors, not in the least checked by the fort of Zamboanga, have continued, to this hour, committing the same ravages as before; and the Indians, who are each taxed a measure of rice for its maintenance, have received neither security or benefit from it.
It has been too justly observed by Señor Solorzano, that whatever is established with a view to benefit the Indians, universally fails of attaining that end; nor is this to be wondered at, as every regulation brought forward with this avowed intention is always so contrived, as to contribute not to the advantage of the oppressed Indian, but solely to that of the person exercising the chief authority.
CHAPTER XVII.
ANNO DOM. 1635.
The Administration of Don Sebastian Corcuera.
On the 25th of June, 1635, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, who had been Governor of Panama, took possession of this government, and the same day Señor Guerrero took possession of the archbishopric, although the bulls had not yet arrived. Dissensions immediately begun between these two, originating between the Dominicans and bearded friars, respecting the division of their provinces, and on which account his Excellency was determined to be revenged of the Archbishop, the very first opportunity. An occasion very soon presented itself: the Archbishop having taken a female slave from an artilleryman, because he had an illicit intercourse with her, the artilleryman met her one day in the street, and, for some unknown cause, murdered her, taking refuge in the church of St. Augustine.
The Governor ordered the troops to seize him in the church, without first applying to the friars; they obeyed their orders, seized the criminal, and delivered him up to their commanding officer, who sentenced him to death. The sentence was executed in front of the church of St. Augustine, a place which had never been used for public punishment: the Archbishop attempted to prevent the violation of the church privileges, but his attempt proved ineffectual.
During the disputes between the Governor and the Archbishop, the Moors were ravaging our towns, and for the space of eight months committed horrible atrocities. His Excellency determined to go in person to chastise them. He sailed from Manila with a squadron on the 2d of February, 1637, and having arrived at Lamitan, the residence of Corralat, petty sovereign of Mindanao, he possessed himself of it with ease. Corralat retired to a hill well defended by batteries, and the best troops he had. The Governor attacked him, but after losing many Spaniards, he sounded a retreat. The day following he renewed the attack by a road more accessible, when he possessed himself of the fort, and made great slaughter of the Moors, who threw themselves headlong over the precipice in their confusion. The Governor now retired to Zamboanga, where he received the chief of Buhayen, and those of the island of Basilan, upon both of whom their fears had operated to beg for peace, promising to consider Corralat as a common enemy, and receive Friars into their dominions.