The Governor having received information of new depredations committed by the Moors in the Bisaya provinces, determined to fit out an efficient force, which might not only attain this object, but likewise re-establish the throne of Jolo in Don Fernando Alimudin, who had been unjustly deprived of it, and whom he had found, on his arrival at Manila, converted to Christianity.
On this last point, indeed, there was a diversity of opinion, for many thought that his fidelity could not be relied on, and that the very first opportunity which offered he would be guilty of treachery, as his ancestors had been. It was, however, determined in favour of the expatriated King, and he was conducted to Jolo in the Admiral’s ship of the squadron, which sailed from Cavite, under the command of Colonel Quian, who was charged with both commissions. The squadron arrived at Zamboanga, with the exception of the Admiral’s ship, which not appearing, and that the monsoon might not be lost, or time allowed to the Moors to fortify themselves, the armament sailed from that port on the 13th of June, 1751, and on the 20th came to anchor in the harbour of Jolo, one mile distant from the fortification of the enemy. The attack was immediately commenced, and so panic-struck were the Moorish commanders, that they directly entered into a treaty, and signed an instrument, binding themselves to obedience to the King, and to conduct themselves as faithful subjects, and also engaging to deliver up to the Spaniards all the captive Christians which might be then in the island. With this treaty the Colonel returned in nine days to Zamboanga, carrying with him two sampans with Chinese, whom he found there acting as merchants, and whom he made prisoners, under the pretext that they had sold a cannon to the Joloese, our enemies, with whom we had just made peace. The Admiral’s ship had been delayed by a storm, and was detained in Calapan repairing the rudder, which was the occasion of his not arriving at Zamboanga until the 25th of July, but the King of Jolo, impatient at such delay, embarked, accompanied by two carracoas, and had arrived twelve days before.
Notwithstanding his diligence, the Governor of Zamboanga entertained much doubt of his fidelity, and having taken charge of two letters, one of which he had written, by order of the Governor of Manila, to the King of Mindanao, and the one letter being in the vulgar tongue, and the other in Arabic, a language which he had acquired in Batavia, where he had been some time, it excited a curiosity to know what the King had said in that language so totally in disuse in our islands. Accordingly a person was procured to translate the letter, and the contents were found to be, that he (the King) had written the other letter in obedience to the commands of the Governor of Manila, and that he could not do otherwise than obey, as he was in the power of a stranger.
To the suspicion attached to this was added another circumstance: a brother of his, named Asin, together with the chiefs of Jolo, who had capitulated with the Colonel, and agreed to receive their King, and deliver up the Christian captives, paid a visit to Zamboanga, and in addition to their bringing with them no captives whatever, they were charged with having introduced arms to surprise the government. The Governor, upon the strength of this charge, immediately confined the King, together with Asin, and those who accompanied him: his house was searched, but only a few arms were found, quite insufficient to induce a belief that he intended any thing against the government; but many other effects were found concealed in his prison, and various informations and memoranda which he had sent to the Moors, justified the suspicions entertained of him. In corroboration of all this, the Admiral and two passengers declared, that the King was on very bad terms with the Manila people, of whom he had received so many attentions and services, and that on all occasions he manifested his ingratitude. That he had said the new Governor detained him prisoner; that he had given no proofs of being a Christian, for he slept every night with his concubines; that he never heard mass; and that he even stripped off the crosses from the rosaries of the family he resided with; and, lastly, that he had become an apostate, by making a Mahometan sacrifice at Calapan, where he had killed a goat, divided it into twelve portions, with many superstitious ceremonies, and distributed it to his companions to eat, by way of celebrating the passover.
The Governor of Zamboanga communicated these proceedings to the government at Manila, requesting instructions for the regulation of his conduct in respect to the seizure of the Sultan and his family; and the result was an order for his being sent to Manila with all his people. War was likewise immediately declared against the Joloese. Letters of marque and reprisal were granted to whomever might apply for them, and all prize-money was given up arising from captures, together with the liberty of detaining the persons of their prisoners as slaves. So firm, indeed, was the determination of our government to exterminate the Moors, that a general absolution was conceded to all those who should present themselves to serve against them. The armament at Zamboanga, under the command of the Colonel, was reinforced, and a second expedition was undertaken to Jolo, still more unfortunate in its results than the first: for having attempted to disembark in that island, they were received by the Moors with so much spirit, that they were obliged to retire with considerable loss, and with great disgrace and ignominy to the Spanish arms.
The haughty Bantilan, who governed the kingdom of Jolo in the absence of his brother, proud of the victory he had obtained against the Spaniards, began to treat with the inhabitants of Mindanao, to induce them to break with us, and molest us as much as in their power: and he persuaded all the pirates among those islands to exert themselves against the Spaniards, representing them as conquered, and in great dread of his arms. The consequence was, that the seas were covered with Moorish armaments, which spread desolation in every quarter.
Nothing was heard of but the robberies, burnings, captures of ships, imprisonments, and insults which our provinces experienced from the Moors. So that Señor Obando was resolved to proceed in person against them, and endeavour to remove the dreadful evils to which we were exposed.
His Majesty had given orders that an establishment should be formed in the island of Paragua, to shut out the pirates from that quarter, in the same manner as they were from Zamboanga. To proceed with due regularity in this respect, the governor despatched an ambassador to the King of Borneo, to induce him to cede to us the claim he held to part of that island, which, being granted, a squadron was sent there to erect the proposed station, and to cruize against the Moors, who infested the islands. He was desirous of taking the command of this expedition in person, and consulted the Royal Audience on the subject, who were of opinion that it would not be proper to expose himself, and that, by confiding it to some other person, and sending an engineer to make the necessary arrangements for forming the establishment in the island of Paragua, every thing might be done which the public good required. In conformity to this advice he named Don Antonio Fabea to the command of this expedition, who proceeded from Port Cavite with eleven sail of armed vessels, taking with him Don Manuel Aguirre, who went as governor of the proposed new establishment. He received orders in passing by Igolote, in the same island, to dislodge the Moors, who were the only possessors of that part of it; but here, sickness prevailing to a great extent in the armament, they merely took possession of the island, and returned to Manila, leaving behind them two hundred and seventy dead, and bringing many more invalids in the squadron. The King of Jolo had by this time arrived at Manila, and was imprisoned in the fort of Saint Jago, to the great satisfaction of all those who had opposed his baptism, and who always doubted his fidelity; but he obtained permission from the Governor for his daughter, Fatima, who was also a prisoner with him, to go to Jolo, and to carry letters to his brother, and other principal persons, in order to bring about a peace with the Spaniards; and for this indulgence he bound himself to deliver up fifty captive Christians. The princess fulfilled the engagement, brought over the fifty captives, and induced her uncle, Bantilan, to send an ambassador to Manila, to treat on all matters relative to her father. This envoy brought powers to negociate in concert with the King for peace with the Governor; and in confirmation of such powers, he bound himself to observe whatever terms were acceded to by them.
It was accordingly stipulated with the King and the Ambassador, that the Moors of Jolo should deliver up all the Christian captives who might be found in the island. That they should return all the arms they had taken from the Spaniards, and the ornaments of which they had pillaged the churches; and in order to have the treaty ratified, liberty was granted to one of the chief officers, who was confined with the King, to go to Jolo in company with the ambassador whom Bantilan had sent over. The Governor put very little confidence either in the promises or the treaty of the Moors, for they have never observed them, but have broken them with the same facility with which they made them. He therefore fitted out a strong squadron to compel them by force to a due observation of their engagements, as it was not otherwise to be expected.
His precautions were not in vain, for in the very same year of 1754, the greatest irruption took place which these islanders ever made into the Philippines. They entered with fire and sword in all directions, murdering the religious orders, Indians and Spaniards, burning and robbing towns, and making prisoners of thousands of Christians, not only in the islands near to Jolo, but in all our dominions, even the provinces in the immediate neighbourhood of Manila.