CHAPTER XI.
ANNO DOM. 1590.
The Administration of Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, the fifth Governor of Manila.
The clergy of Manila about this period, sent to the court of Madrid and Rome the Friar Sanches, a Jesuit, under the pretence of soliciting some objects, for the spiritual as well as temporal welfare of these islands. Arriving at Madrid, he petitioned that the Royal Audience should be removed, and that Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, a noble Galician knight of the order of Santiago, Corregidor of Logrono, should be sent as Governor. This nobleman arrived at Manila in May 1590, in one of the two ships which the Viceroy of Mexico had despatched, and in which he had sent four hundred troops, a supply, by this time highly requisite in the islands. The other ship which accompanied her struck on a shoal, close in with the land of Maranduque, and was lost, but all the people were saved. The King gave the new Governor, as a salary, ten thousand Castile ducats out of the royal revenue of New Spain, and which was remitted annually to the Philippines.
He brought an order that the proceedings of the Royal Audience should be suspended; and in performance of this, the year following, the Oidores composing it embarked for Mexico; the Oidor Roxas alone remaining, as the ad interim successor of the Governor. The Bishop, who had some disagreement with the Governor, feeling the importance of the Royal Audience, as the only tribunal capable of curbing the power of the Governor, and persuading himself it was not safe, to trust in the hands of one man, the uncontrolled exercise of authority, in a country so remote from the seat of government, it was his intention to proceed to New Spain, with a view to procure the re-establishment of the Royal Audience in Manila, and on various, affairs of his bishopric. The Governor, that he might not effect his purpose, would not allow him to embark with the Oidores; and the Bishop in the mean time contented himself, with giving full powers and instructions to the Augustine Friar Ortiga, who was going to Madrid, to appear to any allegations which might be preferred against him. In the short time this government lasted, great undertakings were performed; such as building a wall of stone round Manila, erecting the fort of Santiago, and furnishing it with good artillery. The royal magazines in Manila and Cavite were built; and the asylum of Santa Potenciana was erected for the maintenance, at the cost of the state, of a certain number of young persons, daughters of deceased military officers, until they should be married. The Governor established among the different religious orders, a salutary ecclesiastical control over the Indians, assigning to each order their different towns and provinces, and converting the colony into a complete republic; supplying every defect in the government; and putting the whole in a respectable state of defence, by means of his four hundred regular soldiers, divided into detachments.
Among the natives of many adjacent islands which traded with Manila, those of Japan, in particular, brought the richest merchandize for the consumption of the colony, and for the commerce with Acapulco. A keen and able man of this nation, named Faranda Kicmon, who had renegaded from the faith, persuaded Taycosama, Emperor of Japan, to send an embassy to Manila; and promised him, that if he would give him the commission, he would procure him to be acknowledged King of Manila, and that a regular and lucrative commerce, might be established between the two nations. The Emperor gave credit to his representations, and despatched him with letters to the Governor, claiming the vassalage of the Philippines. The Governor received this embassy, and replied to it immediately, without bringing into question the point of vassalage, by proposing to establish a commercial intercourse; sending for this purpose, the Franciscan Friars Pedro Bautista, Francisco de San Miguel, Bartholome, and Gerardo de San Miguel, who likewise had determined to avail themselves of this opportunity, to establish themselves in that kingdom to preach the gospel: he likewise sent with them a Portuguese of the name of Carvallo, and they bore a handsome present to the Emperor. Notwithstanding many malicious falsehoods which Faranda had circulated, Taycosama received the friars with much courtesy, and granted them permission to remain in his kingdom, treating them with much respect in the first instance, although, at a subsequent period, he murdered them. About this time ambassadors from the King of Camboa arrived, with two elephants, as a present to the Governor; and endeavoured to engage him, to grant them assistance against the King of Siam, who had commenced hostilities against them. The Governor answered the King of Camboa with another present, giving them great hopes, but evading immediate assistance, on the plea that his projected expedition to the Moluccas, required all his resources, however desirous he was of giving the aid they demanded.
That this expedition might not turn out as the former had done, Gomez Perez Dasmariñas determined to accompany it in person. He sailed from Cavite on the 19th of October 1593, and arriving off Santiago, encountered a strong gale from the eastward, and the whole of the fleet was separated, his own ship alone remaining: this compelled him to anchor at Brimstone Cape, to effect which he was obliged to have recourse to his boats, on account of the great variety of currents. The Chinese, to the number of one hundred and fifty, though able to pull at the oar, assisted but very little; and the Governor abused them for the little exertion they made. These people resented this ill-treatment; and considering themselves as superior in force to the few Spaniards in the ship, conceived the design of murdering them the same evening. Whilst the Spaniards took their siesta (or afternoon nap), little dreaming of the designs of the Chinese, the latter commenced their carnage by killing the Governor, and all those who were not able to effect their escape in the launch, or by swimming, sparing only Friar Montilla, a Franciscan, and Juan de Cuellar, secretary to the Governor, whom they took with them. After this massacre they sailed for China, and passing by Ylocos, they entered the port of Sinay to water, where the Indians fell on them, and killed twenty of their number. The following day they disembarked in another port; and actuated by superstitious motives, sacrificed one of the native converts, in revenge for the slaughter the Indians had made the day before, and by which sacrifice, they expected to propitiate their gods in favour of their voyage. They tied him to a cross, and opening his chest, took out his heart, which they offered to their idols. They then made sail, and coasted for several days: they resolved to set on shore Friar Montilla, Secretary Cuellar, and those Philippine Indians who had been their shipmates. They then proceeded to Cochin China, where, in the end, they received the punishment due to their crimes.
On the death of the Governor, the Licentiate Rosas succeeded to the Command, and immediately despatched two ships in search of the Chinese, under the command of Don Juan Ronquillo. They made enquiry in several ports; but not being able to gain information respecting their route, they returned without effecting their object. That they might not, however, remain without punishment for such atrocious crimes, and supposing that the Chinese might have taken shelter in the province of Chancheo in China, of which they were natives, he sent Don Fernando de Castro, to solicit of the Viceroy of that province, due satisfaction against the aggressors. Unable, however, to reach that destination, he was, by the interposition of divine Providence, compelled to bear away for Cochin China, where, on his arrival, he found the murderers had retired. He communicated his business to the King, and the whole of them were imprisoned and executed. Some of those, likewise, whom the Portuguese Governor of Molucca, had sent on the expedition with the Chinese, were hanged in Manila. The whole, however, affording small consolation for the melancholy catastrophe which had taken place.
Forty days after the death of the Governor, Friar Montilla and Secretary Cuellar arrived at Manila, after having suffered many severe hardships, and being brought out for death repeatedly, whilst they were with the Chinese. The deceased Governor had given in charge to these gentlemen a trunk, to be delivered to his son Luis Perez Dasmariñas; and on opening it, papers of great importance were found: among the rest, a royal order, by which he had the power to nominate his successor, in virtue of which he named his own son Luis. At first Luis found some difficulty in being acknowledged as such, the Licentiate Roxas being firmly seated; and unwilling to deliver up his authority, for which he had begun to entertain a great attachment; he, however, on the 3d of December, in the same year, left Luis in quiet possession.
The new Governor was desirous of sending another expedition to Molucca, but desisted from it at that time from prudential motives. It was fortunate that he formed this resolution, as in this case, Manila would have been left with only a few troops, and exposed to another attack from the Chinese, on whom little reliance could be placed. Indeed, there was reason to suspect they had something of that nature in contemplation, as many junks about this time arrived with Mandarins in them, and the cause of their appearance was never ascertained. They landed very frequently, and visited the Governor, but did not attempt any thing, nor could he comprehend their object; most fortunately, however, at this moment, arrived the two ships which sailed this year from Acapulco, bringing a sufficient force with them, to resist enemies more powerful than the Chinese.
Our historians have, with great minuteness, stated the losses and arrivals of the ships which are sent to New Spain, on account of their being so interesting to these islands, which depend upon them for their subsistence, and, of course, their loss or arrival occasions a very general sensation. There is no reason to think, that these misfortunes are to be attributed to the difficulty of the passage, nor to stormy weather, so much as to the ignorance of the pilots, who are chosen without examination as to their nautical skill, the bad construction of the ships, their sailing out of season, and too heavily laden. These are, unquestionably, the principal causes of their failure; and it is a pity it is not remedied, for it is with justice affirmed, that the avarice and knavery of some rich people, have buried in the ocean many millions of dollars.
In the year following, the same two vessels again made this voyage, and Señor Morga came in one, as successor to the late Governor, but this nobleman was afterwards promoted to be Oidor of Mexico, where he wrote the history of the Philippines. There came likewise in these ships, a sufficient number of troops, sent by the Viceroy of Mexico. Don Luis Dasmariñas was now, therefore, enabled to give the King of Camboxa that relief which his father had promised. He likewise despatched an expedition to the island of Mindanao; and he quelled an insurrection in some of the provincial towns which had revolted, and refused to pay the tribute, particularly those in Cagayan and Zambales. He did many praiseworthy actions, and governed with more approbation than his father, possessing greater abilities, at the same time that he was more affable to all.
In the month of February 1596, the flag ship of the squadron of Alvaro Mendana de Neyra arrived at Cavite. He had sailed from Callao, the port of Lima, with four ships, to colonize the islands of Salmon; and having begun his new settlement in the island of Negros, near New Guinea, he died there, and his wife, Doña Isabela Barreto, at the instigation of the people, left the colony, and came in his ship to Manila. The Governor received her with great attention, and gave her every assistance, to enable her to return to New Spain.
An important establishment was now founded here, called the Pious Work of Mercy, which originated with a clergyman of the name of Losa, and who, together with Captain Esquerra, an inhabitant of Manila, employed themselves in collecting donations for this purpose; and their exertions were so successful, that they were soon enabled to build the college of Santa Isabel, where many female orphans are maintained, and on whom marriage portions are bestowed. In emulation of this pious work, many others were endowed in the convents, and in the cathedral. The projectors traded with their funds to China, Batavia, the coast of Coromandel, and Acapulco, the produce of which was destined to be employed in like manner as above, in hospitals, dowers to orphan females, in ransoming children in China [20], and for masses for souls in purgatory, reserving part of it for the annual increase of the funds of these pious establishments, and to alleviate the distresses occasioned by the losses of the annual ships, of which they thus became the assurers to a certain extent. Such establishments may be useful to new settlers, since the parties desirous of commercial pursuits, may, if they possess any credit, be certain of meeting in these resources a capital with which they may trade. I am not of opinion, however, that they are very useful to these islands, generally speaking, because the rich merchants, who have sufficient capital, employ it in objects attended with no risk, and in their store-houses, and trade with that which they draw from this charity, by which they escape the chance of loss. If there had not, unfortunately we may say, been this resource, no doubt some mode would have been resorted to, of insuring the Acapulco adventures, at less than the pious foundations have been in the habit of contributing, and which often exceeds fifty per cent., and never falls below twenty per cent. Like all other adventures managed by a public body, there is never such strict oeconomy as when under the control of individuals, whose interests are involved in the result.