Method used in getting these Indians to persevere in said prayers
The Zambals are the most cowardly people in these islands, although they have hitherto been considered by the neighboring provinces as a people of great courage and warlike. Their cowardice could be proved by many examples, but that does not concern the present matter. Their whole strength consists in fleeing, and their courage in hiding. From that cowardice it proceeds that all the murders that they commit are by treachery. It never happens that if, fighting face to face, the enemy escapes and is on his guard and watchful, they commit any murder, because of their great timidity and cowardice. Accordingly, in order that those whom we have assembled in the three villages above mentioned, may persevere in their settlements, the most efficacious fear and the one most suited to their nature is that the Spaniards of the fort and presidio of Paynauen of whom they have a very great fear, may come very often to the said villages and overrun the land, and penetrate even into their old recesses where they formerly lived; and if perchance they should find anything planted in the said recesses that they would destroy it and cut it down without leaving them anything. And so that they may see that the father protects them, when the said Spaniards come to the village, the father opposes them and takes the part of the Indians.[11] But it is always necessary in this matter for the soldiers to conquer, and the father is always very careful to always inform the Spaniards by whom and where anything is planted which it may be necessary to destroy, and that the edicts which his Lordship, the governor, sent them be carried out. These are to the effect that no one should plant anything in the old rancherías and that in the village each one should plant one thousand feet of gabes, and five hundred of sugar-cane; that said soldiers are to continue to make raids through the whole plain as I say, very often; yet, whenever the soldiers come to the village, they are to ask the gobernadorcillo and cabezas (for whom already they have some obedience) for permission to go to look for those who have become fugitives, and the father is to go along in order to assure such fugitive. As said absence has proceeded a trifle from fear of the Spaniard, the Indians of the village themselves are to go to seek those who should have become fugitives, in order that they may not go in company with the Spaniard to the mountain, for the fear which they have of the said soldiers is inexplicable. They are to oblige said Indians to make their gardens and fields in the village, where they have fine lands, very fertile for fields and gardens. If any are found to be neglectful in this, such persons are to be bound in order to keep them and take them to the fort so that they may pound rice for the soldiers. By those measures, there is no man who dares to return to the mountain. After they have lost their fear of the Spaniards, the latter are to try to excite trouble between the Indians and the blacks of the mountain,[12] but at all events said Spaniards are to make no trouble for the Indians whom they find in the villages, but rather must treat them well.
In order that this may have effect, it is necessary for the governor to send twenty or thirty horses to the said district, so that the Spaniards may get over the country, for the roads are intolerable, especially from the fort to Santa Rossa de Banguen. That is a distance of six leguas of very troublesome sandy ground without a drop of fresh water in the dry season. There is a distance of six leguas also from Santa Rossa de Banguen to Nuevo Toledo, where one cannot find a tree under which to rest. Accordingly, without the said horses, nothing can be done, for all those who should go to the said places run great risk from the sun, as happened when Adjutant Alvaro Martin Franco went to the said villages to hold the elections, when almost all the Spaniards who accompanied him fell sick. Said horses will be of great use to the soldiers in hunting, for this country has abundance of game. With the horses also they can overrun the land of Buquil, and terrorize intractable persons. Since said Spaniards often go to and fro between these villages and to Buquil, no Indian will go to the mountain, since no harm is done to them in the village; and those of the mountain considering their restlessness and that they are not safe and that the Spaniards destroy their fields will descend to sow and to live in the settlement. For today, if those of the mountain do not descend, it is because they fear that the Spaniards will punish them for not having descended before.
In order to suppress all their bad customs, after having preached against them, proving them with natural arguments which are very easy and clear, with some examples which cause them horror, the most efficacious means which I find is for the father to investigate all their customs, and to understand them thoroughly, so that he may know them all; and then to make fun of the Indians because they do not know that that is bad. If this is not sufficient, it is efficacious for the father to make them afraid that he is going to retire because they refuse to learn good customs, and abandon their abuses and atrocities, so that in such an event the Spaniards may come upon them and kill them all; and by means of the fear which they have the father can do whatever he wishes with them.
I assert that I have investigated thoroughly whatever I have written in this paper by the aid of some Christian Zambals who are very good Catholics whom I have had under my care for four years, and whom I have been teaching to read and have instructed in our holy Catholic faith by means of the Tagálog books which have been written for that purpose by the zealous ministers whom that Tagálog nation has had. One of these Zambals is the son of a priest of the idols, who was reared in a ranchería where sacrifices were often made to the idols. An uncle of this lad whom I also have under my charge was formerly bayoc of the Zambals, so that he knows all the ceremonies, superstitions, and sacrifices, and is also thoroughly conversant with their customs, for he lived among the said Zambals for about twenty years. Besides this, for three years I have had with me another child about ten years old who also knows the customs of these Indians, because he was born and raised among them, for he is the son of Zambal parents. All of those persons tell me what passes among the said Zambals. Besides this, I have also managed to prove it from the children of the village who, since they do not realize my purpose in questioning them in regard to these things, tell me it all. But if I ask any of the old men, or anyone who is very maliciously minded, he will not tell me anything unless I ask him secretly.
Consequently, I consider as true whatever I have written here, and I have refused to write anything of which I am doubtful.
Fray Domingo Perez
[Below is added by another person:]
Until the year 1682, said Zambals were reduced and softened by the vigilance and attendance of the father missionaries of the order of our father St. Dominic. May our Lord prosper everything as He is able.
Afterward in November, of the year 83, a bold Indian with another who accompanied him, waited in a concealed thicket for the father-vicar, Fray Domingo Perez, who was journeying from one village to another, and shot him with an arrow, so that he reached his village badly wounded and died in a short time, after confessing to father Fray Juan Rois. Since that time the Zambals have been in revolt. May it be the Lord’s will that they grow quiet. Now since the assembly of 84 the fathers have been living cautiously and near the fortress. The vicar is father Fray Gregorio[13] and his associate Fray Juan Navas,[14] errant. In Masinloc the vicar is Fray Juan Fernandez[15] and his associate Fray Juan,[16] errant.