Part 16

The said Doctor Morga, continuing his bold acts, was not content with having been responsible for the losses to property. Two Dutch ships having arrived in the past year of six hundred, in these islands, and having come in the month of November to the mouth of the bay of this city, while they were beating about in the bay, ships were put in readiness to go out against them. The said Don Joan Ronquillo, commander of the naval forces of your Majesty, having gone to the port of Cavite for this purpose, the said Doctor Morga commenced his machinations, and claimed that he should go as commander of the said expedition. To give this some foundation and color, when the said Don Joan Ronquillo had come to this city to seek various supplies for the said expedition, he was arrested; and on the next day following the said Doctor Morga went to the port of Cavite, saying that he had best be present in person to encourage the despatching of the fleet. In fact, through scheming and plotting, and by the authority of his office, he succeeded in taking the said expedition away from the said Don Joan Rronquillo, and having it given to himself. He wrote letters, the originals of which are extant, to the governor of these islands, asking him that, even if Don Joan Rronquillo should petition for judgment against him, he in no wise respond or have to do with him until the despatch of the vessels should be completed, so that the latter might not appeal to the Audiencia and obtain a decree which would hinder the said Doctor Morga in the expedition. When three ships were armed and fitted with artillery to go out against the enemy's fleet, he went with the two vessels, which were the flagship and almiranta, to the island of Mariveles, eight leagues from the point of Cavite and five leagues from where the enemy were--without awaiting the other third ship which lay at Cavite, and belonged to several Portuguese, which arrived at the said island of Marbeles the same night when Doctor Morga sailed away. Having sighted the enemy on Thursday morning, without waiting for Captain Joan de Alcega, who was in the other ship, as admiral, or taking advice as to what should be done, he was confident of the victory on account of the report which had been made concerning the few troops which the enemy carried, and the large number that he himself had on board with him. Consequently the flukes of the anchors were put upon the side of the ship; and having come up with and grappled the enemy at the sixth hour, the latter, seeing the force which the flagship had, gave up, and put himself with all his men under cover, without firing a single arquebus for more than an hour by the clock. Some of the soldiers and sailors from our ship, having entered theirs without orders (for the said Doctor was not able to give the order), and having found the deck of the enemy's ship without men and all the troops withdrawn--the banners being captured, and cast over to our ships--when the enemy saw how little care was given to the taking possession, since the troops were coming aboard without orders or any plan, they began to recover their courage somewhat, and commenced to defend themselves. When they had killed one or two of ours, as the latter had no one to command or direct them--because the said Doctor, as soon as they came in to close quarters with the enemy, had thrown himself down behind the capstan of the ship with a number of mattresses--the troops became so demoralized that no one was able to accomplish anything. Although some of them went up to the said Doctor and told him to board the ship, or to send troops on board of it with an order, he would not do so, as he was so overcome by fright and lacking in courage. Likewise, when they came to tell him that the ship was taking in much water through the gun-ports, because, when the fleeing troops left the side where they were grappled, and passed to the other side without fighting, the said ship careened and the water entered--although he was told of this several times, that he might remedy it, it was the same in this matter as the rest. Accordingly so much water was entering the ship that it was in danger. A father of the Society of Jesus, bearing a crucifix in his hand, told him that since the ship was in danger he should go over with the men to that of the enemy; since as they were so near together, and there was no resistance, it would be like passing from one dwelling to another. He would not do it, but on the contrary threw the mattresses with which he had fortified the capstan into the water, in order to go to a small islet which lay near and escape, as he did. The enemy rushed upon all the troops, who threw themselves into the water, and the killed and drowned amounted to more than one hundred and twenty Spaniards of the most distinguished and important people of these islands, without counting more than a hundred negroes and natives beside.

Such was the manner of the surrender of the said ship of the enemy as soon as it was grappled. When the said captain, Joan de Alcega, arrived with his almiranta on the other beam of the enemy, giving him a volley of artillery and musketry, and when he finally undertook to board the enemy's ship, the Spaniards who were on the inside under its deck (among them being the adjutant of the sargento-mayor), told them not to fire, or they would kill the Spaniards; and to go ahead and follow the enemy's almiranta, which had taken to flight, as the flagship was already in your Majesty's hands, and there was nothing to do there. Accordingly the said admiral went after the other ship, and, coming up with it three or four leagues away, caused its surrender and brought the enemies who remained alive to this city, where justice was meted to them. The ship, with very good artillery, lies in this port.

Besides the said loss, there was much artillery which the said Doctor Morga was taking in the said ship, and supplies of war, as he had taken what lay in the forts of this city, leaving them destitute of supplies, and the royal storehouses almost without powder; for he took six hundred barrels of it on the said flagship. Owing to the lack of men--so great that hardly anyone appeared on the streets--and that of the said artillery and arms of various kinds, this city was in such danger of ruin as never before, if some of the many enemies who surround it had attacked it with even a small force. Likewise the opportunity for the capture of the said flagship of the enemy was lost, in which was stored all which they had captured since leaving Olanda, and twenty pieces of artillery which they brought, many stores, and eight hundred muskets--all of which they were carrying, according to the declaration of the enemies who were in our power. For this country, where there is such a want of that kind of articles, and so many occasions continually arising in which they are necessary, it would have been of great importance and value; but the enemy is taking them away to buy with them cloves and pepper, and other drugs from these regions, as they are at present doing. For we have certain news that they went to the Maluco Islands, where they are anchored, and will leave the enemy there--who are most warlike, and who are most continually making war upon us--strengthened with arms like ours, whereby they will become skilful in their use; and from that will follow many difficulties, as may be imagined.

Likewise there results another very great injury to these regions, because, the said ship of the enemy having escaped, they carry with them an excellent knowledge of these regions and of the sailing-routes; for day by day they record in writing their bearings, and the courses by which they have navigated. There is a society which has been formed in Olanda and other states, for the destruction of these regions, according to the account which all the enemies who were captured alive agreed in. Five great galleons for this purpose were being built here, so that if any of those ships should come from there the Spaniards might sally out with more force.

We are sending your Majesty a copy of an information in this matter which was secured by your Majesty's fiscal with great secrecy, before the licentiate Almacan, auditor of this royal Audiencia. There is likewise a testimonial concerning the arms, military stores, artillery, and troops taken by the said Doctor Morga, in his flagship against that of the enemy; of the troops, not more than fifty-six people in all came back. There is another to the effect that on the morning of the day when the enemy were discovered the commander sent to the admiral fourteen of the twenty-seven that he had. There are some documents, drawn up at the petition of the said Doctor Morga, concerning the artillery and other articles which he caused to be given to the third ship that he was to take with him. On account of his not waiting for this two hours, and not being willing to assign it men, the misfortune came about by which, as he confesses in his petition, two hundred persons escaped; whereas it is known that the dead of the Spaniards alone amounted to more than a hundred and twenty, so that, according to this, he took five or six men with him for every enemy.

He has drawn up a number of informations which, considering the dignity and power of his office, may obscure this truth and give some color to his case, as he is confident that it has done--and as he has likewise done in other matters, as he has used such bold and excessive measures ever since his arrival in this country. In this manner he has reached such a point that he petitioned for justice because he, as commander, had to divide the prize which he took in the enemy's captured ship, and maintained that a great part of it belonged to him. Afterward, by another petition he says that, as a vassal and servant of your Majesty, he relinquishes the part which falls to him and gives it to your Majesty, so that a share of what was taken may be given to him. A copy of these petitions is being sent, which makes this evident.

There is also sent a copy of the commission as commander which the said Doctor Morga bore, and an edict which he drew up and enacted, by which the governor ordered him to go as commander. We do not undertake to explain to your Majesty any of the matter therein contained, since in these papers may be plainly seen what audacity he shows in trying to make it understood that he is a warrior, and that at other times, by your Majesty's order, he has had similar matters in charge; and from those very papers may be learned his conduct in many other matters in this country, against many people, without his taking into consideration in the least what was owing to them.

The majority of the people through all this city have been hurt and injured, from the time when he came to this country, by the procedures of the said Doctor Morga, both in his actions and words against them, and in letters which he has written treacherously regarding the circumstances of various people, signing false names to them, and disguising his handwriting. Afterward he showed copies of these to other persons, in order to give the impression that he was not the author of them. At present, since this affair, the ill-feeling has grown with all these people, and become much greater, because most of the soldiers whom he took (serving at their own expense) went under threat and against their will; and as the relatives of our citizens died on this occasion, and their death was notoriously due to the fault and mismanagement of the said Doctor, it could not fail to arouse resentment against him. In the same way the said Doctor has been opposed to them, so that all the men who went in the almiranta are desirous of maintaining that they conquered, and not he; consequently what with the ill-feeling of the said Doctor against some of them, and of others against him, there are very few people in these islands who are not concerned. Accordingly he is odious and suspected in his office by all men; and no lawsuit is brought up in which he is not accused, as is now happening in several cases. The general ill-feeling here is no less owing to the fact that, whereas there are so many soldiers here who have come to these regions with no declared object except to serve your Majesty, and have done so since their arrival here, with good success, the said Doctor Morga should bring this about under the claim and pretext that there were no persons in these islands to whom such a matter could be entrusted; and that by this means the Spaniards had lost a victory so obviously theirs that it would without doubt have been gained if it had been entrusted to the least famous soldier here. We humbly beseech your Majesty in consideration of all these matters pertaining to the said Doctor, that a remedy may be applied to them, as is usually done by your Majesty, owing to your holy zeal and righteous justice. May our Lord protect your Majesty as we, your Majesty's vassals, desire. Manila, July 20, 1601.

_Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Vallesteros_ _Francisco de las Missas_ _Francisco Mercado Dandrade_ _Hernando da_ [_illegible in MS._] _Bernardino de Avila_ _Diego Melendez Florez_

By command of the city of Manila:

_Luys de Contreras_, clerk of the cabildo.

Letter from Morga to Felipe III

Sire:

During the month of March of the past year, 1600, there passed through the Strait of Magallanes into the South Sea a squadron of armed ships from Holland, belonging to Count Mauricio, having as commander Oliver de el Nort, and as admiral Lamberto Biezman, with a patent and instructions in Flemish and Castilian to make war with fire and sword upon the Castilians and Portuguese whom they might meet in these parts. After they had made a few captures of little importance on the coast of Piru, the commander's ship and admiral's ship, together with their long-boats, came to these islands, where they came out of the channel on the sixteenth of November of the said year.

Governor Don Francisco Tello found himself unprovided with any kind of fleet to resist them by sea; for he had no galleys and no other kind of ship with which to carry on offensive warfare, because a galizabra which had been commenced the year before in the shipyard of Cavite had been abandoned, and its build changed to that of a merchant ship. As he feared that the enemy would come down to the said port, and burn the few ships which were on the voyage from Nueva España, in order to secure himself from the seaside at all points he commanded Don Juan Ronquillo de Castillo (who was drawing his salary as commander of galleys when there were none) immediately to go to the said port, and put it in a state of defense, and build a fleet with which to go out against the pirate. He went to the port, which is two leagues from this city, and on the third day returned to the city without having undertaken to do anything, or shown any disposition to do so. He interposed difficulties, and asked for so many things which he said were necessary, and which were not at hand, that he made the thing out impossible; and not only was the governor disgusted with him for it, but Don Juan allowed himself to say things which obliged the governor to arrest him, as he did. The pirate continued his voyage in the direction of the bay of this city, and the president and governor, seeing himself hard pressed, communicated with the Audiencia and sought its aid. The latter, desiring to make the greatest effort possible, decided that I should go to Cavite and put the port in a state of defense and likewise secure a fleet. I opposed no difficulties or excuses to this, nor did I seek any rewards or aids for the expense, nor any impossible things. On the contrary, that same day I went to the port and fortified it so adequately that it was in a good state of defense--so that, although the enemy came into the mouth of the bay, they dared not enter or carry out their designs, on account of the knowledge that they had of my preparation. At the same time I finished the galizabra and launched it; and I fitted out another vessel, belonging to private persons, which lay there. I armed both of them and set sail in thirty days with a number of volunteer troops, men of quality, who were resolved to accompany me on the service of your Majesty on such an occasion (all at their own cost), as the enemy was well established at the mouth of the bay, waiting for the ships of the Chinese and the vessels from Nueva España with the silver, in order to capture them. When the governor saw the state in which I had put things, and at so little cost to your Majesty's exchequer, and that the troops with which the expedition must be made would not do so, or even go in the fleet if I did not go as its leader, and realized the great importance of promptness, he ordered me in the name of your Majesty to make the expedition immediately. He told me that in no other wise on this occasion could I serve your Majesty. I obeyed, and made ready to go where I was ordered, without seeking any pay of profit. I spent more than four thousand pesos of my scanty property to procure the necessaries for the expedition, some reenforcements, an outfit of arms, and other things. I risked my person, honor, property, and the support of ten children whom God has given me, and a good wife, solely for the service of God and your Majesty; for it is certain that no other interest or profit could take me from my house, where I was in quiet and safety, since I never sought or asked for this thing.

This resolution was distasteful to the said Don Juan Ronquillo de el Castillo and his retainers--chief of whom are the factor, Francisco de las Missas [49] and the licentiate Tellez Almaçan, auditor of this Audiencia. These men quite openly proposed to the governor to give Don Juan the expedition, as he was the commander of the galleys; and other things to this purpose, which satisfied the governor but little. It seemed best to him not to change the design if I should desire it, or at least should not be burdened by it.

I sailed with the two armed ships in quest of the pirate, from the port of Cabite, on the twelfth of December. On Thursday, the fourteenth of the same month, I came to close quarters with him, and the battle resulted as your Majesty will learn more at length by the relation which accompanies this.

I took as admiral, by the appointment of the governor, a certain captain Juan de Alcega, a citizen of this city, and a partisan of the said Don Juan Ronquillo; he is for this reason a great friend of the said licentiate Tellez Almaçan, the auditor, and likewise because at the time when he came to this city the latter was hospitable and kind to him, and has always continued so. He is a man skilful in war with the Indians, as it is practiced here; but is of an irritable temperament, and desirous of having his own way on occasion, without obeying his superiors, of which there has been proof enough. When I had fully recognized the enemy and knew that he was carrying all his force on the flagship, I ordered the admiral in writing on the day before the battle, what particularly must be done--namely, that with both our ships we must engage the said flagship of the pirates. Accordingly as soon as I discovered the enemy the next day, I kept the almiranta near me, and grappled with the enemy and moored to him. When the admiral arrived and should have done the same, he shoved the tiller aside and, without my order, contrary to the command which I had given him, went after the almiranta of the pirate, which was sailing away; thus he left me unprotected and alone, for which reason my commander's ship fared as recounted in the relation.

For this disobedience, and others of which he was guilty and of great importance, immediately upon our entrance into the city the governor arrested the said captain Juan de Alcega, and is proceeding against him. Through the favor of the said auditor and his party, and various measures which they have taken--especially with the licentiate Salazar, fiscal of this Audiencia, who is openly of the said party--they have shielded him in this case in such manner as might be expected of a person who is so near losing his office, and to whom it is so important not to make more enemies for his residencia. Accordingly thus far there has been nothing done in the case, and I have no hope that anything will be accomplished by the present proceedings.

This Captain Joan de Alcega was freighter of the ship "Santo Thomas" [50] in the year 99, which left here for Nueva España in company with two other vessels from this city. In the loading of this ship, so great was the dishonesty and deceit on his part that it is understood that your Majesty's exchequer was defrauded of more than a hundred thousand pesos. The governor, in order to wash his hands of this wrongdoing, began suit against them and condemned them to heavy fines and penalties, as he must have informed your Majesty. The case came on appeal to this Audiencia. On account of the said friendship and partiality, the fiscal hushed up this case, as he has others, without discussion upon it, and with no reparation to your Majesty or to this commonwealth.

In this manner Juan de Alcega not only remained unpunished but, aided by the said persons with several letters, informations and documents, which they had secretly made and composed, they are attempting to underrate my good service and seek for him the reward. I have not wished to set down in a boastful way anything more than the naked truth, which your Majesty now has before your eyes. I most humbly beseech your Majesty to be pleased to look upon my good intentions and labors with the clemency and benevolence which they deserve, extending to me the favor which is due, in such wise that they shall not remain without the recompense which the servants of your Majesty receive on similar occasions. And the chief of these should be to order me withdrawn from this exile, to a place where I can spend the rest of my life in greater peace in the service of your Majesty, and start my children upon the same path. God protect the royal Catholic person of your Majesty for many long years. Manila, June 30, 1601.

_Don Antonio de Morga_

Grant to Jesuit School in Cebu

Sire: