CHAPTER X.

ANNO DOM. 1584.

The Administration of Don Santiago de Vera, fourth Governor of Manila.

The Governor, Don Gonzalo Ronquillo, had sent to Madrid Captain Gabriel Rivera, to solicit several objects, necessary to the general welfare of these islands, and in particular, that a Royal Audience should be established there, as it was extremely disadvantageous and embarrassing, to be obliged to have recourse to that of Mexico.

The King granted this request, and sent Don Santiago de Vera, of Alcala de Henares, as Governor and President of the Royal Audience; and Don Melchor de Avalos, and Don Pedro de Rosas, as oidores of it. The third oidor, Don Antonio Rivera, arrived two years afterwards. Don Gaspar de Ayala was nominated fiscal. Don Santiago took possession of his government May, 1584, and immediately formed the Royal Audience, bearing the royal signet with much ostentation, under a canopy, from the convent of St. Augustine, to the palace. The Chancellor was Gabriel de Rivera, who arrived this year, with the title of Mariscal of the lake of Bombon. Immediately that Don Santiago took possession of his government, he put in force the orders which he had received from the King, to chastise those factors, who had abused the authority, they derived from the possession of the lands granted them. He began, by dispossessing Bartoleme de Ledesma, factor of Abuyo, and others the most culpable, punishing the rest in proportion to their irregularities, after full conviction of their delinquency.

In the following year, 1585, he sent Juan de Morones and Pablo de Lima, with a powerful squadron, to reduce the Moluccas under the Spanish dominion, but it returned to Manila with similar disgrace to the preceding one, without being able to take possession of the fortifications of Ternate. The Governor was much chagrined at the ill success of this expedition, and was desirous of repeating the attempt, conformable to the positive instructions received from the King to that effect; but he was not able to execute it, as the troops from New Spain had not arrived, and, independent of this, the insurrections of the Indians were of too formidable a nature, for they lost no opportunity which presented itself of breaking the yoke of the Spaniards. Those of Pampangos and Manila entered into a conspiracy with the Moors of Borneo, who had ostensibly come there for the purpose of traffic. They formed the plan of traitorously entering the town in the night, setting fire to it, and killing in the confusion all the Spaniards. This conspiracy was discovered by a female Indian, married to a Spanish soldier. The Governor checked it in its commencement, imprisoning many, and severely punishing others by way of example. The islands of Samar, Ybabao, and Leyte, were likewise far from being in a state of tranquillity, and the factor of Dagami, a town of Leyte, had nearly lost his life by the Indians, in the collection of the tribute paid in wax, and which he had attempted to levy by a measure, containing double the usual quantity. This compelled him to fly for safety to the mountains, and he passed from thence in a boat to the island of Zebu. The Governor sent Captain Lorenzo de la Mota to quell these disturbances, which he soon did by promising to punish the delinquent.

Among the calamities which happened during this government, the loss of the ship Santa Anna was not the least; she was on her way, richly laden, to Acapulco, and was taken by the English. Cavendish, an English pirate, emulous of the fame of Drake, having equipped five ships, with the assistance of Queen Elizabeth, took his departure for this quarter of the world; and having committed many acts of hostility on the coasts of Brazil and Peru, he arrived at Molucca, where he procured every information respecting the produce of the Philippines, and the rich cargoes which every year were sent from these islands to Acapulco. Well instructed, likewise, in the tract observed by our galleons, he sailed for the coast of California, to lie in wait for the annual ship destined for New Spain. In due time the Santa Anna, as is customary, made her appearance on that coast, in prosecution of her voyage to Acapulco, and fell into the hands of the English without any resistance, being quite unprepared.

The English having made themselves masters of this valuable prize, directed their course to the Philippines, and arriving at the island of Panay, where we had a ship in the dock of Yloylo, an attempt was made to burn her, but it was rendered ineffectual by Captain Lorenzo de Limas, who made a vigorous resistance, with such soldiers and Indians, as he was able to collect in the province. Abandoning this object, the English commander sent a letter to the Governor, to apprize him of the capture he had made of the Santa Anna, and to inform him he should return frequently to those seas. He departed from Panay for the Cape of Good Hope, from whence he sailed for England, and arrived laden with such riches, that his name became more renowned than ever was that of Francis Drake.

In the year 1589 no ship was despatched to New Spain; for two which had been equipped for this voyage, were lost in the port of Cavite in a dreadful storm, which happened on St. Peter's Day. About the same time many insurrections of the Indians took place, and in particular, those of Cagayan, who were always very troublesome, murdered many Spaniards. Those likewise, in the valley of Dingras, in the province of Ylocos, resisted the collections of tribute, and murdered six people from the city of Fernandina, who were travelling through their towns. Don Santiago quelled these tumults, and restored tranquillity, by duly mingling punishment with clemency. He likewise constructed a strong fort of stone, where the royal gate now stands; he removed to Manila the foundery which was hitherto in Santa Anna; and cast some artillery, with the assistance of an Indian of Pampango. He founded an hospital for the Spaniards: but the principal mover of this pious act was Don Luis de Vivanco, who, jointly with his wife, endowed it, and appropriated it to the reception and cure of the sick. The Governor divided several portions of land among those soldiers and sailors who deserved it most, and conducted himself in the exercise of his authority, so much to the general satisfaction, that his character as an excellent Governor was established by the declaration of the licentiate Herber del Corral, who was chief judge on the occasion of passing his trial of approbation.