STORY OF FILIPINAS
The Nueva España
AFTER MAGELLAN PART II
DON PEDRO DE ACUNA
In the month of May of six hundred and two, four ships came to Manila from Nueva España, with a new governor and president of the Audiencia, named Don Pedro de Acuña, knight of the Order of St. John, comendador of Salamanca,
and lately governor of Cartagena in Tierra Firme. He was received into the government to the great satisfaction of the whole country
Don Francisco Tello, his predecessor, awaiting his residencia which was to be taken, had to remain in Manila until the following year, six hundred and three, and in the month of April he died of an acute illness
The new governor, upon seeing things in so great need of stability, to serve King Philip II of Spain and so limited resources in the royal treasury for the purpose
He found that his lot was not so good as he had imagined when he had been appointed;
he began with what was to be done in Manila and its environs. He began to construct galleys and other vessels in the shipyard, for there was great page 251need of these, in order to defend the sea, which was full of enemies and pirates from other islands especially from Mindanao
pintados
He discussed going immediately in person to visit the provinces of Pintados (presently the islands of Panay) he had to postpone that several months to arrange for the despatch of Japon and Jolo
ANCIENT JAPON
Chiquiro, the Japanese, having arrived in Manila, delivered his message and present to Governor Don Pedro de Acuña, who had been in the government but a few days. It required the greatest amount of thought to decide how this was to be made, in the most fitting manner possible. For, although friendship with Daifusama
the sailing to Quanto and its commerce were not of much account to the Spaniards; nevertheless those things would be fulfilled by sending a ship there with some goods for exchange. But the rest, namely, the trade and friendship with Nueva España
The greatest security from Japon had ever been the Japanese lack of ships and their ignorance of navigation.knowing that Japon had long intended to attack Manila
King Philip II sent the Order of St. Dominic sent to the kingdom of Zazuma some of them under Fray Francisco de Morales sailed to Nangasaqui, Japon
Daifusama, sovereign of Japon, who was awaiting Chiquiro, his servant, whom he had sent to Manila with the letters from Fray Geronymo de Jesus, pressed the latter so closely concerning the things which he desired
During the first days of the governor's administration he found in the shipyard of Cabit two large ships
The ship “Jesus Maria” put back into Manila with difficulty after having been more than forty days in the island of the LaTRONI NOW RENAMED
Nueva España
During this time the surviving Spaniards from among those left by the ship “Santa Margarita,” among them, Fray Joan Pobre, who had jumped into one of the boats of the natives from the galleon “Santo Tomas,
Don Pedro de Acuña entered upon his administration, the captain and sargento-mayor, Pedro Cotelo de Morales, arrived from Jolo
The governor, without delaying any longer in Manila, hastily started for the island of Panay and the town of Arevalo, in a galliot and other small vessels, to see their needs with his own eyes, in order to provide for them. He left war matters in Manila, during his absence, in charge of Licentiate Don Antonio de Ribera, auditor of the Audiencia
But the auditor had plenty to look after, because a squadron of twenty caracoas and other vessels from Mindanao entered the islands as far as the island of Luzon and its coasts, making captures. Having taken some ships bound from Sebu to Manila, they captured ten Spaniards in them, among them a woman and a priest and Captain Martin de Mandia, and they took them off with them. They entered Calilaya, burned the church and all the town, and captured many persons of all classes among the natives. Thence they passed to the town of Valayan [Balayán] to do the same, but the auditor, having received news of the enemy in Manila
The defense of Manila with Spaniards and a captain and some vessels. Consequently, the raiders did not dare to enter the town or its bay, but crossed over to Mindoro, where, in the principal town, they captured many men, women,among the natives from Mindanao , seizing their gold and possessions, and burning their houses and church
They filled their own ships, and others which they seized there, with captives, gold, and property, staying in the port of Mindoro
twenty-four leguas from Manila. Captain Martin de Mendia, prisoner of these pirates, offered for himself and the other Spanish captives that, if they would let him go to Manila, he would get the ransom for all, and would take it, or would send it within six months, to the river of Mindanao,
the auditor sent munitions, ships, and more men to Valayan than there were there already, with orders to go in pursuit of the enemy without delay, saying that they would find him in Mindoro. Captain Gaspar Perez, who had charge of this in Valayan
Furtado de Mendoça, was chosen general of this expedition. He was a soldier skilled in the affairs of India, who had won many victories of great importance and fame on sea and land in those parts, and had lately had a very notable one at Jabanapatan. He sailed from Goa with six galleons of the kingdom
Furtado de Mendoça stopped in Amboino, which is eighty leguas from Maluco, in order to pacify the island and some towns of the neighborhood
He was more than six months in this, having encounters with the enemy and with the rebels, in which he always came out victorious, and from which he obtained the desired result
He sent word to the governor of the Filipinas of his coming with that fleet, of what he had done in Amboino,
Don Pedro de Acuña lived in Manila for many years, and also in Maluco in the time of Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas
In the month of March of year six hundred and three, there entered Manila Bay a ship from Great China, in which the sentinels reported that three great mandarins were coming, with their insignia as such, on business in the service of their king. The governor gave them permission to leave their ship and enter the city with their suites. In very curious chairs of ivory and fine gilded woods, borne on the shoulders of men, they went straight to the royal houses of the Audiencia
The coming of these mandarins seemed suspicious, page and their purpose
Among the Chinese themselves who came to Manila at the same time in eight merchant ships, and among those who lived in the city, it was said that these mandarins were coming to see the land and study its nature, because the king of China wished to break relations with the Spaniards and send a large fleet, before the end of the year, with one hundred thousand men to take the country.
The governor and the Audiencia thought that they ought to be very careful in guarding the city, and that these mandarins should be well treated, but that they should not go out of the city nor be allowed to administer justice, as they were beginning to do among the Sangleys, at which the mandarins were somewhat angry. He asked them to treat of their business, and then to return to China quickly
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento