That a relation of the expedition to Camboxa, and the state of that kingdom, was sent last year (1598), and it is now sent again.
XI. In a letter dated November 15 of last year (1598), which I sent your Majesty by way of Malaca, I gave your Majesty a detailed account of the condition of the kingdom of Camboxa with these islands, and the expedition which Captain Joan Joares Gallinato made to the country, by order of Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas. I also told you that the same Don Luis went to finish it in person at his own cost, with my concurrence and agreement, and at the advice of the royal Audiencia. The relation of the condition of that kingdom I sent to your Majesty with a copy of the agreements. Don Luis having left prematurely, and the winds being quite contrary, he made a harbor, and is now on the coast of China in the harbor of Pinal, near Canton—crippled, and without ships, arms, or munitions to continue his expedition. Page 202The admiral's ship of his fleet was lost on some shoals on the coast of Chincheo, and a fine crew of forty-five Spaniards were drowned. A galliot, which he also had with him, arrived at Cagaian, where the crew received all good provision. Repairs were made and the men supplied with what they needed. The vessel set out on its voyage to Camboxa, before hearing of the loss of Don Luis, and nothing else is known of it. Don Luis is continually sending from there for assistance in ships, men, arms, and munitions, of which there is a great scarcity. Although he has endured so many hardships, and hunger, and nakedness, when I consider on my side the straits in which I find myself, and the little assistance that I have had from Nueva España this year for the great dangers which confront us, and the number of affairs which it is necessary to attend to and provide, not only do I not think of sending him any help, but with the consent of the royal Audiencia, I advised him to return here so that I could avail myself of the men that he had there, for occasions which are expected in the future. He was not strictly ordered, considering the expense to his own estate, and the hardships which he has endured upon this expedition. When he arrives at Camboxa he will see whether the king there is in great need of his person and troops to defend him. After considering the state of affairs there, Don Luis will do whatever is most necessary for the service of God and your Majesty.[5]
[In the margin: “That everything necessary regarding Camboxa is already attended to.”] Page 203
That, considering that there are poor citizens who have served well, they should be given some support from the royal treasury, setting aside for it, a fund of two thousand pesos, besides one thousand pesos from saleable offices.
XII. Considering the distress of the troops here, and how little there is here for their support—and I assure your Majesty that this is an expensive land, although in the midst of plenty—and as it was seen that there are not enough encomiendas or offices for everyone, and that some of your deserving citizens, not being rewarded, do not fill them, it was the custom to give them false musters [plazas muertas], so that these people secured a living. Your Majesty has ordered this to be stopped, and this has been done. Also further, in regard to your Majesty's order to divide one thousand pesos of additional pay among the soldiers, there is no one who will accept anything, on account of its being so small a sum, as ten pesos a year, and I do not dare to exceed your Majesty's orders. I should be of the opinion that these thousand pesos and as many more, amounting in all to two thousand a year, should be distributed as a deferred allowance to old and deserving men, who can serve no longer. One thousand pesos is good, and may serve until another greater reward is given them. This may be under the title of pay, up to one hundred pesos, or whatever your Majesty may order. May God preserve your Majesty's Catholic person, as is needful to these kingdoms, and as we your vassals desire. Manila, July 12, 1599.
Don Francisco Tello
[In the margin: “Have the new governor give Page 204information of all this, and meanwhile let everything provided be observed.”]
Relation of Mindanao
After Gomez Perez Dasmariñas saw that the sect of Mahoma was effecting an entrance into the island of Mindanao by way of Maluco, and that through the proximity and association of the said island with the province of the Pintados, this sect was sure to insinuate itself into the said province and others of the Philipinas Islands, he tried to remedy matters by giving the pacification of the island to Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa, of which your Majesty has been informed. He approved the said agreements, declaring what should be given to Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa as a reward for this pacification. The said Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa left these islands in the month of April, in the year five hundred and ninety-five, with thirty-six ships, large and small, well supplied with artillery, and with two hundred and twelve Spanish soldiers, and one thousand five hundred Indians. On the twentieth of the said month, he arrived at the river of Mindanao, where are the largest settlements on the island, and where the king of the island resides. On the twenty-fifth he went ashore, leaving the master-of-camp aboard the vessels with a guard for the security of the fleet. Marching in the direction of one of the enemy's forts, they came upon an ambuscade in their path. Coming to a hand-to-hand conflict, Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa was wounded in the head by a knife-thrust, and died in two days without regaining consciousness. At this turn of affairs the soldiers, who had disembarked, retired to their ships Page 205without avenging his death. The captains and soldiers held a council and appointed as their captain-general, Joan de Lajara, master-of-camp of the said fleet, who disembarked with his men, and built another fort four leagues below the enemy's fort, where they remained several days without accomplishing anything. Finally, in the month of October, the said Joan de Laxara came to this city, saying that he had left the camp to come to ask for help for the men whom he had left there, for they were in great distress. Don Francisco Tello, governor and captain-general of these islands, thought that the said Joan de Laxara had done wrong in deserting his camp, when he was able to ask for help by means of letters, or by means of some other person. He imprisoned him for several days, and tried to find some one to take charge of it. Finding that the children of Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa were infants, the eldest being four years old, and that the guardians could not take care of affairs of such importance and trust with the punctuality and readiness necessary, and aware of the danger encountered by the men who remained in Mindanao, he called a council of war of the most practiced and experienced captains in the land, to consider their resources. They were of the opinion that the said pacification thus commenced should not be abandoned, that those Indians who were acting so shamelessly should be punished, and that the said pacification be prosecuted at the cost of the estate of the said Estevan Rodriguez, which was pledged for it. With the requisite promptness, the said governor appointed Don Joan Ronquillo, general of the galleys, to finish the said pacification, giving him a sufficient force of men and war-material for the purpose. Page 206While he was preparing to make this expedition, Captain Toribio de Miranda was despatched before him, with news of the coming of Don Joan Ronquillo with assistance and a sufficient force to bring the undertaking to an end; and to encourage them by showing them how little hardship they still had to undergo, and that they should by no means stir from their position. Although this message was despatched with the greatest celerity, when he arrived at the port of La Caldera in the said island, which is forty leagues from the river of Mindanao, he met there the whole camp and fleet of Mindanao, which was coming to this city, after having burnt their fort. The said Captain Toribio de Miranda, with the orders which he bore, detained them and made them return to the river of Mindanao, where Don Joan Ronquillo arrived with his fleet and army after a few days; upon disembarking, he began to bring about some good results. At this time a fleet arrived from the neighboring Terrenate to help the Mindanaos, who had sent there for assistance. These were eight hundred men under the leadership of an uncle of the king of Terrenate, who entered the river of Mindanao where the Spanish camp was pitched. At a distance of two leagues from it he disembarked and built a fort and cavalier, without being disturbed. When this was discovered by the Spaniards, he was attacked by them by land and water at once, on November 15. They besieged the enemy's fort and fleet, and not only the whole fort but the fleet was won, with some artillery and the loss of many men on the enemy's side, without the loss of any Spaniards. In this encounter the general of the fleet from Terrenate was killed. This victory was a very important one, Page 207and with it the whole island of Mindanao lost courage and were awed. The island was surrendered peacefully, and is peaceful today. They acknowledged obedience to our sovereign, the king, whereupon the robberies and injuries which the Terrenatans were accustomed to commit in the provinces of the Pintados, who are your Majesty's vassals, have ceased.