Chapter VII
Of the arrival and landing of the fleet at the island of Sugbú
Having resolved to follow the advice given, our men set sail, and directed their course toward the island of Sugbú [i.e., Cebú]. They anchored there on the twenty-seventh day of the month of April, day of the glorious martyr St. Vidal, in the year 1565. This day happened to be also the feast of the resurrection. They honored the saint as their patron and advocate. His feast is kept every year, and his day observed. The flag is unfurled with the greatest pomp possible, but that is little now, because the city of Santísimo Nombre de Dios, founded there, has greatly declined. A regidor unfurls the flag. He is assigned therefor by the city, that is, the cabildo, to whom the city grants his gratuity. On this day, the [image of the] most sacred child Jesus, which rests in our convent of San Agustín, is taken out, and carried in procession to the cathedral, after a paper has been signed, by decree of the justice, that it will be given back to the same religious. The ecclesiastical and secular cabildos come to our house to take part in the procession, the prebendaries say mass, and a religious of our house preaches. After the fulfilment of these duties, those who carried the most sacred child carry it back, and the spiritual feast is ended.[13] In the afternoon there is a bull-fight, as extensive as their means allow—but that, as I have said, is slight. The island is long and narrow, and extends north and south. It has but little rice, as the dry seasons there are generally long. Once it was excellent for cattle, and the herds multiplied to such an extent that there was no room for them on the land. The milk was of fine quality, and the cheeses which were made, and are still made, are the best in the islands, and are esteemed as such. But the cattle have decreased so much, that the ranches that had a thousand cows now have but the name of having been there. The best ranch always was the one that belonged to us, located something like three-quarters of a legua from the city, for it had about two thousand cows; but scarcely does it preserve five hundred today. The cause of this might have been from the Indians not eating beef in the beginning, and their dogs not disturbing the calves. But now the Indians eat beef, and the fields are full of unruly dogs, so that between them both, the cattle are a thing of the past. Only the fathers of the Society, as in all districts, have the good fortune to preserve their estates, and maintain their cows in the said city; so that it may be said that they sustain the city, which nets them not a little gain. The fields are full also of a weed called amores secos,[14] which is not good for the cattle. Furthermore, the island is barren, for which reason the Spaniards abandoned it, and established the seat of their government in the island of Luzón, where at present is located the city of Manila. The city [of Nombre de Dios] lies in that part where the vendaval blows, so that the waves and surf are blown against their houses. Lying in front of and very near to Sugbú is an island called Magtang, where Captain Magallanes was killed years ago. It is a low-lying land, and now with so few inhabitants that they do not reach fifty; but when the Spaniards arrived there was a greater number.[15] There are two channel-entrances, with one strait between the two islands. It is not of even width but is narrow in some places, and wide at others, in accordance with the points and bays between the islands. One mouth lies toward the brisa, and is deeper and narrower; the other to the vendaval, shallower, but wider. Hence by this latter mouth no ship with high freeboard can enter, but they enter by the other mouth. The port has so deep water right next the shore, that the ships anchor on the sand. The fort is now located quite near, and is mounted with excellent artillery. The ships of our Spaniards passed by, and anchored here. They found many people; for truly the island was thickly populated, and with the most warlike people of the country, as has been seen when they have joined with the Spaniards. They have performed excellent exploits in the service of the Spaniards, and have aided them in conquering the country. The old inhabitants assert that when the Spaniards arrived, the town of Sugbú was so populous that its houses extended from Mandave to San Nicolás, which is, I think, more than one and one-half leguas by land. Now there are so few inhabitants, that there are not three hundred tributes in the town of San Nicolás, which is the town proper of Sugbú. They are separated about one-quarter legua from the city of the Spaniards.[16] It is the best port of the island today, and might have been very good, if affairs there had continued to improve. But as cities are maintained and grow through trade, and the trade there is in wax, which is of little value, its citizens are abandoning the city and going to Manila. While the climate of the latter place is not so good, nor the country so healthy, they are drawn by the wealth there, and the trade with China, Japón, Macan, and India—and above all, with Nueva España.
I believe, if a small ship were to leave this city of Santísimo Nombre de Jesús—which is the second in these islands, because that of Cáceres in Camarines, and that of Segovia in Cagayán[17] have already declined—for Nueva España, that, beyond any doubt, the city would return to its former prosperity. But it does not appear possible, for the city has no citizens with capital who care to engage in the building of any vessel. The city has a garrison of one company of seven hundred soldiers, more or less at times, and other extravagances. It has an alcalde-mayor, who acts as governor. He is also captain of the company of the presidio, and usually is supreme chief of all the Pintados. The latter are so called because all the male Pintados tattooed their entire bodies with so excellent and well-designed symmetry, that the best artist in España could learn from them. The women tattooed the hands. But the proper name of these islands is the Bisayas. Many tongues are spoken in them, for there are many islands and many villages, and there is hardly a village that has not its own dialect. But the chief tongues are the Boholan, which is spoken in Sugbú, and the Hiligain, and they are very similar. These islands have a bishop, whose see is located in the city of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus. That city has a cabildo with its dignitaries, but in name only, for it has no income. The bishops have been to blame, because they have not been very active; for our sovereigns, through their piety, would have assigned stipends, had these been proposed to them. This bishopric has a large territory, and, in my opinion, is larger and more extensive than the archbishopric of Manila. For it includes the islands of Leyte, Samar, and Ibabao,[18] where the fathers of the Society are carrying on their missions. This island was formerly densely inhabited with Indians, but now the population is much less, as is that of all the other islands. This bishopric includes the island of Bohol, which is in charge of the same fathers. It can be seen from the plaza of Sugbú, from which it is slightly more than three leguas distant. I shall have to speak of it later. This bishopric includes also the island of Panay, more than fifty leguas distant, which is in our charge. We have thirteen convents there, besides two more in the island of Sugbú, and besides the other three belonging to seculars in the same island of Panay.[19] This island is the granary of all the islands of this archipelago, and I shall need to speak of it many times. This bishopric includes the island of Negros, so called from its many Negrillos. It is bounded on one side by Sugbú. In short, the islands subject to this bishopric are almost innumerable. It extends to the great island of Mindanao, which is said to be larger than that of Manila,[20] and to be inhabited by an infinite number of people. By our neglect the worship of Mahoma has gained an entrance there. One would believe that those demons attended to, and still attend to, those fables of theirs, more than we to our truths. Many of the islands about Mindanao have the same worship. On one side are the islands of Cuyo and great Paragua, where abundance of wax is gathered. War generally prevails in the Pintados. This offers great danger to those who go there, and more to the religious who go there most often. And although our fleets have made sallies, I have never seen them have any luck—either because they did not wish it, or because the Indians’ boats are so light that our caracoas can never overtake them, the worst people of these islands thus succeeding with their great depredations. This matter will be referred to later; for some time past we have lost sight of our men, whom we left disembarking at Sugbú, armed and ready for whatever might happen.
An Indian named Tupas was the chief of that island. Although all manner of efforts were made with him, he refused to come to good terms with the commander. He continued to occasion innumerable delays, while, on the other hand, he negotiated with his men to arm and oppose the Spaniards, according to their custom—so that not only would they defend their country from them, but even finish them all, doing to them the same thing that their ancestors had done to Magallanes’s men. For, he said, those foreign nations could bring them no advantage, but would deprive them of their liberty, which they enjoyed as rulers of the land. Furthermore their babaylans, who were their priestesses, made every effort so that the Spaniards might not set foot on land; for the devil, with whom they were in accord, seeing that his reign was about to end, acted with more than usual vigor through his infernal ministers. But when the Lord is pleased with anything, there is no effort that can disturb Him. Hence when our commander beheld the Indians preparing for the defense, and filling the shore with their lances, darts, campilans, and long shields (which they call carasag), and the sea with their boats—to which they give many names, which we pass over—although the commander saw all this, still he did not neglect to announce peace, by means of the father prior, Fray Andrés de Urdaneta, and by public act of the notary. But it had no better effect than the preceding efforts. Hence he ordered his artillery to be discharged, somewhat high, so that he might frighten and startle them, without doing them any harm. This succeeded as he expected, for those people, little accustomed to similar reports, immediately abandoned the shore and sea, fleeing more quickly than they had gathered. Thus our men landed without any opposition. The Indians are much more nimble than the Spaniards, and it is very easy for them to run through their land, while it is difficult for us. Our men were unable to enter and obviate the danger, for, when the firearms were discharged, they set fire to some houses. These were burnt, inasmuch as their material is very inflammable, and with them much food, which, in short, was the greatest loss, for there was great need of it. Without doubt all the village would have been burned had not the wind been contrary, and for the time being favored the other houses, so that they were not burned.
[The eighth chapter of Medina’s narrative relates the finding of the image of the child Jesus, which had been left in the island by a member of the Magallanes expedition. Our author exults over this find, which he extols as miraculous, and asserts to be the “greatest relic ... of the islands.”]
Chapter IX
Of the subjection of the Indians of Sugbú to the king of España
After the above acts, it appears that affairs began to brighten; for those Indians, after witnessing the kind treatment extended to them, and seeing that the Spaniards were more affable than they appeared on the outside, promised very fair reciprocity. The commander endeavored to ascertain their reason for refusing to the Spaniards provisions and entrance into their land, so decidedly contrary to the laws of hospitality. They answered that they were afraid that the Spaniards’ object was to call them to strict account for the death of Magallanes and his men, and that they had come for no other purpose. They thought that his mildness toward them was only for the purpose of quieting them so that he could later take sharp revenge more easily. The commander believed that they spoke the truth in their reply, and promised to do them no injury whatever for that crime; for on the one hand that affair was already forgotten, and, on the other, the Spaniards’ intention was to establish and maintain among them friendly intercourse. Hence, the first step and measure was not to be vengeance, whereby, necessarily, the natives would be exasperated. Moreover the commander told them to bring their chief to him at all hazards, for he wanted to conclude matters at once, and sign the peace. Thereupon, the Indians went, but did not heed the request at all; for, as I have remarked before, this race is generally faithless and obstinate. On the contrary, the Indians endeavored to do all the harm possible to the Spaniards, killing them when they found them alone, and attacking them in their usual rushes, and with outcry and uproar—their peculiar action in war or attack. When the commander saw that his hopes were in vain, and that those barbarians had no intention of acting well, he began, as a good captain, to prepare his camp. He cleared away the palms from his camp, and intrenched himself carefully, in order that when the Indians, according to their custom, should attack him, the result would not be so harmless to themselves that they would not regret it. The Spaniards then began to make their raids into the land, collected what food they could find, and captured what Indians they met. Once they were so fortunate that, besides bringing back to the flagship quantities of rice, and many swine and fowls, which food was being despatched with all rapidity, they captured six Indian women. Among these was one who occupied so commanding a position that she promised to have Tupas come to the flagship, by means of her husband, who was one of the foremost chiefs of the island.