Don Diego de Salcedo, having heard of the remote nations who were living free from the yoke of political subjection in the larger and better part of the island of Manila, and who possessed the best lands of the fertile forests of Ilocos—the worst thing being that they were living in the Cimmerian darkness of paganism, and that so many souls were being lost because of our neglect and carelessness; and seeing that the islands, harassed for so many years by the insurrections of those natives and the threats of foreigners, seemed to be quiet (for the gates of the temple of Janus were shut in his time, which had been open during all the terms of his three predecessors): planned to undertake some conquest that would result to the honor of God and extend the Spanish government. He assembled the most experienced and skilful captains of those islands and the provincials of the orders, as they were the ones who would have the greatest part in the preservation and continual increase of what would be conquered. All thought that the best field of conquest in which to employ their arms with some profit was the mountains of Ilocos, where the Igolotes lived in broad and fertile lands, abounding not only in food but in minerals rich in gold—which the natives themselves bring in great plenty to Pangasinán and Ilocos to barter for clothes, salt, and other things which they need.
The Igolotes[79] are a barbaric race of scanty intelligence. They are of lighter complexion than the other natives, both because they are born in a cooler climate and because they are descended, according to their own traditions, from Chinese who were shipwrecked on those coasts long before the Spaniards arrived in those islands, as say their barbaric and confused accounts. That assertion is proved by the closeness with which their customs approach those of the Chinese although they are not provided with a regular government, or civilized, as are the latter. For they are deceitful, cunning, and cruel, a sign of their cowardice. Accordingly, they never undertake any warlike deed unless it promises them perfect security; and to such an extent is that true that it is sufficient for one to fall to make them all seek safety in flight. Therefore they do considerable harm in the villages of Pangasinán and Ilocos alone, by setting fire to them, or by means of very safe ambushes. They have but little adherence to their false religions, but are very superstitious and practice divination. In that respect they greatly resemble the Payaos and Calanasas[80] above mentioned. They are opposed in all their customs to the Abacaes[81] and Italones[82] of the mountains of Santor in Pampanga. They practice bigamy [sic] for they marry many women; and they regard theft as great cleverness. Their usual weapons are arrows, and some chiefs carry lances and balaraos [i.e., daggers] which they buy in other villages with their gold. Father Fray Esteban Marin,[83] a religious of Ours, suffered martyrdom among that race in the year 1601, as is mentioned in the first part, book 3, chapter 22, folio 502.[84]
Having made the preparations for that conquest, the governor appointed Admiral Pedro Durán de Monforte, a brave and experienced soldier (of whom repeated mention has been made in this history) the chief commander of it. He gave him the title of lieutenant captain-general, and a sufficient number of soldiers, both Spanish and Pampango. The sargentos-mayor Blas Rodríguez and Don José de Robles Cortés accompanied him, as did also Captains Gabriel de la Jara, Francisco de Espinosa, Don Pablo de la Piedra, and Lorenzo Rubio, and Adjutants Pedro Bravo, Juan de Mercado, and Francisco de la Jara—all leaders and veteran soldiers. He asked our father provincial, Fray Alonso Quijano, to appoint evangelical ministers to go to the preaching and teaching of the villages which would be conquered. The provincial appointed father Fray Lorenzo de Herrera[85] (former prior of Narbacán in Ilocos), father Fray Luís de la Fuente,[86] and Fray Gabriel Alvarez,[87] for that mission. The governor also appointed the commander Don Felipe de Ugalde as purveyor and paymaster for those troops, giving him four thousand pesos for that purpose. Don Felipe, however, did not accompany the army, but went later; and his self-confidence was the cause of his death. For at the point of the uninhabited district the Zambals went out against him; and, although he defended himself with great valor, a valiant Zambal named Tumalang killed him. That man became a Christian after the event of Pignauén, and was named Don Alonso. He cut off the purveyor’s head, as we have mentioned in another chapter, [treating] of the year 1656.
Pedro Durán marched with his men by short stages, because of the inconvenience to the infantry and baggage, and for fear of the ambushes which could be set against him in the many defiles that offered along the road. He always had spies who knew the roads, and Pampanga scouts, and friendly Zambals together with Sargento-mayor Blas Rodríguez and the adjutant Francisco de la Jara, and some Spaniards. Without the occurrence of anything worthy of consideration, they arrived at the first two villages of the Igolotes—called Cayang,[88] of one hundred and fifty houses; and Lobing, of a few less. They found these deserted, but they remained there to await the rest of the convoy. The site of Cayang was very pleasant, and suitable for a military post, as it was the nearest to the villages that had been subdued. Consequently, Pedro Durán determined to build a fort for his defense until, by means of the Zambals and Ilocans, the Igolotes should become quieted and reduced to their houses. He treated the natives well, and the soldiers who might transgress by offering them the least injury he punished. Gradually many of the chief Igolotes came, and showed themselves to be obedient, and friends of the Spaniards, and well inclined to profess the evangelical law and be baptized. A church was built of such materials as could be found in those mountains, because of the difficulty of finding bamboo near there. The same and greater difficulty was experienced in building a fort of palisades and a terreplein; for all that land was bare, and had no forests of timber. Therefore it cost the soldiers considerable labor to find timber and bring it from afar, as they did, without any disaster having happened to them.
That exploration was made near the end of 1668, the time when the Spaniards were in those parts. Of their doings in detail, only very short and confused accounts have remained. It is only reported that they explored one hundred and fifty villages, from the heights of Cayang to the mountains of Cagayán. Most or them are located on the shores of large rivers, all of which flow into the great river of Cagayán, which empties [into the sea] at Lalo. It is the largest river that is known in all the Filipinas Islands; and is said to be larger than the Danubio [i.e., the Danube.]
The Spaniards did not neglect to look for gold-mines, for the working of which they took along miners and plenty of tools. But although they found mines in the latitude of 17 degrees, from which the Igolotes extract very fine gold, our miners could not obtain any in all the assays that they made; for all went up in smoke. That was one of the reasons that made that conquest drag on, as it was very costly and very remote. The names of the villages which rendered obedience were the following: Cayang, Lobing, Masla, Sumader, Anquiling, Balugan, Maguimey, Tadián, Balococ, Caagitan, Otocan, Bila, Cagubatan, Guindajan, Banaao, Pingar, Pandayan, Naligua, Singa, Banao, Payao, Agava, Lobo, Madaguem, Balicoey, Bilogan, Balicnon, Biacan, Pangpanavil, Gambang, Mogo, Leodan, Dugungan, Sayot, Calilimban, Sanap, Sabangan, Alap, and a valley called Loo, with nine villages. But those which paid something as recognition were Peglisan, Tanon, Maynit, Guinaan, Amtadao, Malibuen, Bucog, Balignono, Balián, Malibcon, Dingle, Datalan, Agava, Malibuen, Talabao, and others—whose names I omit, as they are of little importance, and which exceed one hundred in number.
The governor, in order that that conquest might be made more easily, ordered that the fort of Pignauén be established in Zambales, with a sufficient garrison of soldiers and some small pieces of artillery. As its commandant he appointed Sargento-mayor Blas Rodríguez. Afterward, in the term of Governor Don Juan de Bargas jurisdiction was given to the commandant who then was Captain Alonso Martín Franco; he is still living to govern the villages of Zambales, Nuevo Toledo, and others, in which he places justices and governors. That fort is the check that restrains the raids of the Zambals of Playa Honda, a cruel and barbarous race, who consider their highest good the cutting off of heads, which is their great badge of nobility.
The fruit obtained by fathers Fray Lorenzo de Herrera, Fray Luís de la Fuente, and Fray Gabriel Alvarez in that conquest was considerable, for they reduced entire villages to the knowledge of our holy faith; in the beginning, they succeeded in inducing many children and old people who were about to die to have the good fortune to die as Christians. But they bore themselves with great caution and prudence, for they feared that it would be very difficult to preserve that field of Christendom unless those people were reduced, and removed to a more suitable site, secure from the continual wars which some villages waged against others. Thus many were led to settle in the villages of Ilocos, and others in those of Zambales. But what most hindered that so important reduction was the frustration of the hopes for the rich gold mines which so incited greed; for all those who went on that expedition were boasting that they were already Crœsuses and Midases. It is certain that there are very wealthy mines and placers in the rivers, whence the Igolotes get the great quantities of gold which they have brought down to sell to the provinces of Ilocos and Pangasinán; but it appears that divine wisdom does not choose that they shall fall into our hands, for it was very certain that we would make an ill use of that benefit....
[Great sorrow is caused to the province by the death of Fray Diego de Ordáx, August 12, 1666. He was a native of the city of León, and had come to the islands in 1635. He became a missionary in the Bisayas, and was twice prior of Manila, and twice provincial. Most of his life in the islands was passed in the convent at Manila. In 1666 are celebrated the funeral ceremonies for Felipe IV, who died September 17, 1665.]
Governor Don Diego de Salcedo, considering the many oppressions that were experienced by the provinces near Manila from the continual cutting of timber and building of galleons—a necessary evil, and one in which the wrongs that are committed in it can be obviated only with great difficulty—very prudently determined to build the galleon “Nuestra Señora del Buen Socorro” in the province of Albay. He entrusted its execution to the commander Diego de Arévalo who was most experienced in maritime matters. He appointed him alcalde-mayor of the adjoining province of Camarines, for the better expedition of the timber-cutting, putting him under greater obligations [to do well] by the future reward of commander of the galleon which he was about to build. In order that that galleon might be built more quickly and finished sooner, he sent as chief overseer his lieutenant master-of-camp, Don Agustín de Cepada Carnacedo, who was then master-of-camp of the army of these islands for his Majesty, in order that he might live in the port of Albay. He did that with so great care that in little more than one year the largest and best galleon that had yet been seen in the islands was built—and very few so large have been seen in European seas, and extremely few that are larger. For that purpose the woods of Filipinas are the best that can be found in all the universe; because for the inside work, the ribs and knees, the keel and rudder molave is used—which is the hardest wood known; and at its disintegration it is converted into stone by being kept in the water. Lavang[89] is used for the sheathing outside the ribs; it is so strong and of such a nature that no artillery ball will pass through it; and the greatest harm that the ball can do is to stick in the wood without entering inside the ship. On account of that advantage the galleons of these islands are so formidable to the Dutch; for each one is a strong castle in the sea. When the galleon “Nuestra Señora del Buen Socorro” was finished, it sailed from Albay, August 28, 1667, under command of Diego de Arévalo, with Juan Rodriguez, a Portuguese, as its chief pilot. The patache “San Diego” left Cavite to accompany it, under charge of Admiral Bartolomé Muñoz. They had a fortunate voyage, and arrived in due time at the port of Acapulco.