CHAPTER XVIII.
ANNO DOM. 1644.
The Administration of Don Diego Faxardo.
Don Diego Faxardo, Knight of the order of Santiago, took possession of his government on the 11th of August, 1644, and immediately gave proof of his unrelenting disposition by his conduct towards Señor Corcuera, by confining him in the fort of Santiago, in which he remained five years.
The new Governor found these islands infested by Dutch squadrons, and to enable himself to meet them with effect, he deemed it necessary to unite the whole of the Spanish force, dispersed through the different garrisons. He directed the officer in command at Zamboanga, to enter into an amicable arrangement with Corralat, King of Mindanao, which was effected very satisfactorily, through the mediation of a friar. He likewise directed the officer commanding at Jolo to adopt similar measures with the King of that island, and evacuating all the forts, to bring all the Spaniards to Manila; but this was not to be effected so easily, Salicala, hereditary Prince of the kingdom, having gone to Batavia, soliciting assistance from the Dutch, to drive the Spaniards from the island. They, however, spared him only two ships, with which trifling aid, having made many attempts against our principal position, which was defended vigorously by Don Estevan Ugalde, a valiant Biscayan, the Dutch retired to Batavia, promising the Moors to return next year, with a more effective force. The Jesuit friar was, in the mean time, commissioned to make peace with them; which he effected on very advantageous terms. Jolo being thus evacuated, the Dutch arrived at the appointed time with the promised assistance; and finding that the Spaniards had retired to Zamboanga, they determined on attempting the capture of the fort of Caldera, in Mindanao, but they were repulsed with such loss, that they made a rapid retreat to Batavia.
The following year, the Dutch again appeared in these seas, with a squadron of twelve ships, when eleven of them remaining on the coast of Batan, the commodore came forward alone, to reconnoitre Cavite. Señor Corcuera, who was in confinement in the fort, as already mentioned, immediately saw the error the Dutch commander had committed, in not making the attack with his whole force, while the place was in an unguarded and defenceless state. Every advantage was taken of the error, and Cavite was furnished, without delay, with the necessary reinforcements, and supplies of ammunition and provisions. On the third day the Dutch squadron made their attack, but the Governor, Andras Azaldegui, a very active man, defended the place so effectually, that great slaughter ensued, and the Dutch General received a wound, of which he died. On this they retired, and disembarked in Pampanga, where the Alcalde Mayor of the province having collected six hundred Pampangos, and fortified himself as well as possible in the convent of Abucay, the Dutch assaulted him, when the Indians fled in such disorder, and with such precipitation, that four hundred of them were killed in the pursuit. The Dutch not deeming it prudent to remove far from their ships, returned on board, and disembarked a second time in the town of Samal, where the Spaniards having gone to Manila, the Indians alone remained, who repulsed them, and compelled them to take refuge in their ships.
They then took their station close to Mareveles, to intercept our commerce, and while here they had information that a galleon, built at Leyte, was on her way to Manila. They despatched six ships to take her, but the commander understanding that the Dutch were in these seas, put into a harbour, and fortifying the entrance with batteries, remained perfectly secure from all insult, and the Dutch deeming the attempt unjustifiable, returned to Batavia, without reaping any advantage from their expedition.
Salicala, son of the King of Jolo, a turbulent character, notwithstanding the peace he had concluded with the Spaniards, begun to infest our seas with a squadron, which committed great depredations in every quarter; and Cachile, Lord of Tup Tup, in Borneo, having followed his example, it was found necessary to send against them an adequate force. The Spaniards encountered the squadron of Cachile between Masbate and Burias, and an engagement took place, in which he was killed, and his fleet dispersed. Immediately on this Salicala retired to Jolo, where his attention became sufficiently occupied, in disputes respecting the succession to the throne. The Moors of Borneo, imitating the conduct of the Indians of Jolo in their piracies, the Governor sent Major Monforte with orders to chastise them severely, as a warning to the rest. Monforte landed in Borneo, burning and destroying all the towns within his reach, together with great quantities of provisions, and a number of vessels, and making about two hundred prisoners, thus retaliating on them for their piratical attacks on us. Exclusive of these continual depredations of the Moors and Dutch, the provinces in Luzon were by no means in a tranquil state.
A commotion, likewise, was begun in Palapag, by murdering the Jesuit friar, who was the curate of the place; and, to enhance the criminality of the action, and comprehend every one in the rebellion, Sumoroy, who was the assassin, was for two days parading the town, avowing publicly that he killed the friar; and, setting at liberty two insurgents, whom the Jesuits had confined, he ordered the people to plunder the church and convent: from this source, the insurrection spread through the whole island. The Camarines imitated the conduct of the people of Palapag, in every thing but the murder of the friars. The island of Zebu, likewise, notwithstanding its garrison, wavered in its loyalty; and, indeed, all the islands were ripe for rebellion: the people of Caraga, however, were the most violent, having murdered many Spaniards and Friars. There is no question that the Bisayas would have been lost on this occasion, had not a stop been put to these atrocities in due time.
The Governor sent a force to Palapag, and ordered that four hundred Indians of Lutao, who had been lately converted from Mahometanism, should be incorporated with this force sent from Manila, and jointly attack the rebels. The Jesuit friar, Vincente Damian, took compassion on the misguided Indians, and attempted to persuade them to return to their obedience; but, thinking themselves strong enough to overcome the Spaniards, they would not listen to reason, and fortified themselves on a hill, which Sumoroy had made his head quarters. Captain Roxas commanded the Spaniards, Don Andres Azaldeguy, who was the proper commanding officer, having had orders from the government, to go and secure the property, in a ship which had been lost on the coast of Camarines. Roxas was a man of ability and bravery, and came to the resolution of assaulting the hill in the night, when the rebels would be less on their guard. The Spaniards arrived at the outposts, when they were discovered, and notice given to Sumoroy. The precipitation with which the Indians fled is incredible: it resembled that of a flock of goats, our people following them, and making great slaughter. Sumoroy attempted to escape; but his people killed him, with the view of ingratiating themselves with the Spaniards, and delivered up his head to Roxas, who placed it on a pole as a warning to the rest. The friars being now able to return to their duty, in the respective towns, soon reduced the discontented to obedience.
The ringleader of the rebellion in Caraga was an Indian, named Dabao, who was not in the least suspected of disaffection. He entered one day into the fort, bringing with him eight men with their hands bound, apparently with the view of surrendering them; but yet, at the same time, so loosely bound, as to escape when they chose. When the Spanish officer came out to receive them, Dabao struck him on the head with his sword, and the eight men, immediately releasing themselves, unexpectedly attacked the people in the fort. They made such carnage, that only one friar and five soldiers escaped, by throwing themselves from the wall, and retiring to the convent, where they fortified themselves. The Indians immediately forsook the town and fled to the mountains, when the friar, and the Spaniards who were in the convent, built a boat, and retired along the coast to another town, to which the insurrection had not spread.
The Governor sent them relief from Manila, and offered a pardon to those who should return to their towns, and their allegiance as before. The Spaniards, however, broke their word, and hanged many of the ringleaders.
On the day of Saint Andrew, which was the anniversary of the victory the Spaniards obtained over Limahon, about eight o'clock at night, an earthquake happened, which destroyed almost all Manila, with the exception of the church and convent of St. Augustine. The public edifices, in particular, were nearly all thrown down and destroyed, and more than six hundred people buried in the ruins: some were found alive between the stones and the wood, who had remained there even three days. The calamity reached the towns of the islands; in Cagayan, a hill was rased from its foundation, and fell on a town, burying in its fall all the inhabitants. In some parts the earth sunk; and, in others, torrents of sand burst out, overwhelming man and beast. Many other extraordinary changes occurred in the course of sixty days, during which a succession of earthquakes prevailed. The people of Manila left the city to live in huts in the fields, until it was ascertained that they might return in safety to their houses. It was said that the image of St. Francis, placed in the house of an Indian of Dilao, sweated most copiously during this calamity, and shed abundance of tears; in consequence, he was elected patron of earthquakes, and is designated St. Francis of Tears.
As a proof of that harshness which characterized Señor Faxardo, it will be sufficient to mention his conduct to Christoval Romero, whom the Viceroy of Mexico had sent, to bring him intelligence of the state of these islands, two years having elapsed without the usual ship having appeared at Acapulco. He arrived at the port of Lampon, and, understanding that the Dutch were infesting these seas, he landed the silver, and despatched it to Manila, in order that he might with less risk get round. Soon after he had sent away the silver, the Dutch arrived, and entered the port with their launches. Romero being far inferior in force to the enemy, burnt his vessel, as he saw no chance of saving it, and came to Manila by land. Everybody considered this man as entitled to great praise for his conduct on the occasion, and expected that he would be well received and rewarded; but the rigorous Governor, on the plea that the burning of the launch was an act of cowardice, imprisoned him, and condemned him to lose his head. All Manila clamoured against this sentence; and the object of it appealed to the Royal Audience, who revoked it. This rigour of the Governor was imputed to his not having been duly bribed by Romero; but nothing of that nature could be absolutely proved against him.
About this time, the hospital or college of St. Juan de Letran was founded by Juan Geronimo Romero, who compassionating the situation of unfortunate orphans, took them into his house, and carefully brought them up. His Majesty being informed of this praise-worthy conduct, by a royal order protected the establishment; but granted so little in aid of it, that recourse was necessarily had to the contributions of the well disposed, in order to render it of more general use. It was, at length, removed to a spot behind the city: the boys were allowed a blue coat, cap, &c., and were supported, as in others, with the additional aid of a college pension, to enable them to pursue their studies at the university; the college having no establishment of this nature.