CHAPTER XVII.

ANNO DOM. 1635.

The Administration of Don Sebastian Corcuera.

On the 25th of June, 1635, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, who had been Governor of Panama, took possession of this government, and the same day Señor Guerrero took possession of the archbishopric, although the bulls had not yet arrived. Dissensions immediately begun between these two, originating between the Dominicans and bearded friars, respecting the division of their provinces, and on which account his Excellency was determined to be revenged of the Archbishop, the very first opportunity. An occasion very soon presented itself: the Archbishop having taken a female slave from an artilleryman, because he had an illicit intercourse with her, the artilleryman met her one day in the street, and, for some unknown cause, murdered her, taking refuge in the church of St. Augustine.

The Governor ordered the troops to seize him in the church, without first applying to the friars; they obeyed their orders, seized the criminal, and delivered him up to their commanding officer, who sentenced him to death. The sentence was executed in front of the church of St. Augustine, a place which had never been used for public punishment: the Archbishop attempted to prevent the violation of the church privileges, but his attempt proved ineffectual.

During the disputes between the Governor and the Archbishop, the Moors were ravaging our towns, and for the space of eight months committed horrible atrocities. His Excellency determined to go in person to chastise them. He sailed from Manila with a squadron on the 2d of February, 1637, and having arrived at Lamitan, the residence of Corralat, petty sovereign of Mindanao, he possessed himself of it with ease. Corralat retired to a hill well defended by batteries, and the best troops he had. The Governor attacked him, but after losing many Spaniards, he sounded a retreat. The day following he renewed the attack by a road more accessible, when he possessed himself of the fort, and made great slaughter of the Moors, who threw themselves headlong over the precipice in their confusion. The Governor now retired to Zamboanga, where he received the chief of Buhayen, and those of the island of Basilan, upon both of whom their fears had operated to beg for peace, promising to consider Corralat as a common enemy, and receive Friars into their dominions.

From Zamboanga he passed to Jolo, and sat down before the famous hill fort of the island, and which the Spaniards had never been able to possess themselves of. He found it, however, so well fortified, that after attempting to batter it, he was obliged to have recourse to some other mode of attack. He prepared five mines, and springing them at the time of assault, he blew up part of the works, with fifty men; but the Spaniards advanced so slow, that the Moors had time to recover themselves, and returning to the charge, repulsed them effectually. The next day two more mines were sprung, which did great damage. The Spaniards then advanced rapidly to the remaining fortification, but behind the rampart which had been blown up, contrary to their expectation, they found another work erected, and by which means they were repulsed. The Governor observing the little effect produced by these assaults, determined to surround the hill, though a league in circumference, with a wall and forts, converting the siege into a strict blockade. This measure, however, proved by no means adequate to the end in view, the besieged defending themselves with great resolution, and destroying numbers of the assailants. It was, therefore, resolved to construct a battery on a position completely commanding the hill. The Moors on this were desirous of capitulating, but the Governor commanded them to surrender at discretion. Thinking these terms harsh, they became desperate, and assaulted the Spanish camp; but not being able to force it, they took the opportunity of quitting the hill by the back part of it, which had been left for the time lightly guarded.

His Excellency found himself in possession of the enemies position, and all their riches, with the Queen and her nephew, Tancun. The Queen requested permission to bring the King and his chiefs into the presence of the Governor; he consented, and she took that opportunity of escaping. The Governor then sent Tancun for the same purpose, and he returned with the keys of the royal coffers; but by the carelessness of the guard, being left too much at liberty, he contrived to get possession of all the treasure, with which he secured his retreat. His Excellency leaving a garrison of two hundred Spaniards, and two hundred Pampangos in Jolo, returned to Manila, where he was received with great honours, as conqueror of Jolo and Mindanao. It is undeniable that Señor Corcuera reduced the inhabitants of Jolo and Mindanao, and would have retained his conquest, had greater harmony subsisted between the Jesuits, and the commanders of the different garrisons. He was successful as a soldier, but unfortunate in his choice of the means to secure his acquisition. The dissensions between the Jesuits and the military rose to such a pitch, that at last all the positions were abandoned, and all our exertions, and sacrifices of men and resources, rendered of no avail.

By the year 1639, the number of Chinese in these islands had increased to thirty thousand, most of them cultivators in Calamba and in Biñan. Among these began a disaffection, which spreading to those of Santa Cruz, Parian, and Manila, they at last converted the church of St. Peter Macati into a kind of strong hold, in which they established their head-quarters. The Governor sent against them two hundred Spaniards, and a large body of Indians, who easily dislodged them from this position. Dispersed into separate bands, they plundered the houses of the Spaniards, and some Indian towns, committing great atrocities. The Spaniards followed them, making dreadful havock among them, from November 1639, to March following, when being reduced in number to seven thousand, they surrendered. Very few of our people were killed, but Manila was reduced to great distress, by the loss of so many of its useful class of citizens, as unquestionably the Chinese were. The Indians fortunately had remained perfectly tranquil, which was rather to be attributed to their fixed hatred of the Chinese, than their attachment to the Spaniards.

In the year 1642, the Archbishop Guerreo visited his diocese, and in the harbour of Naryan, in Mindoro, a pirate seized his vessel, with all his equipage, he himself, with great difficulty, saving himself by flight. This disaster had such an effect upon him, that he died on the 2d of July at Manila, and was buried in the church of St. Augustine.

The kingdom of Portugal, which had been united to the crown of Castile in 1640, shook off the Spanish yoke, and electing the Duke of Braganza King, the possessions of that nation in India immediately followed the example of the mother country, and declared for that family. This year the Dutch reduced Malacca, and by this conquest, and the separation of the Spanish and Portuguese interest, it was apprehended they would renew their attempts on the Philippines, which had now, for many years, remained unmolested by them. This conjecture proved true; they commenced their operations by stationing, for two successive years, a squadron in the route of the ships from Acapulco, but the Jesuits, in the island of Samar, frustrated their design. They then planned the capture of the island of Formosa, with a view to interrupt the commerce to China, and as a ladder for the conquest of the Philippines. They proceeded on the enterprize in the year 1642, with four ships, a patache, and several smaller vessels, and in a few days succeeded in their object, the island having surrendered. Great consternation prevailed at Manila on information of this conquest, as it was expected that the Dutch would follow up their success by an attack on that capital; but the glory of repelling these intruders was reserved for the successor of Señor Corcuera.