An Historical View of the Philippine Islands Volume I Part 3

CHAPTER VIII.

ANNO DOM. 1575.

Of the Administration of Don Francisco La Sande, second Governor of Manila.

Doctor Don Francisco La Sande, born at Caceres in Estremadura, and Oidor of Mexico, took possession of this government on the 24th of August 1575. He inst.i.tuted an inquiry into the conduct of his predecessor, and acquitted him of any misapplication of his authority. At the commencement of La Sande's government, the emba.s.sy returned from China, and proved to have had a favourable issue, as the Viceroy of Fouquien received them with great respect; and although he could not permit the friars to remain in the province, as he had no orders to that effect, he forwarded the letter, which the Governor of Manila had written to the Emperor of China, contributing all in his power to second his views: and this fully appeared by the answer, which the Chinese brought in the month of February, the year following, by which the Emperor appointed one port in his dominions, for commercial intercourse with the Spaniards. The Chinese brought considerable presents, which they would not deliver to the actual Governor, but to Guido de Labexares, who, as Governor ad interim, had despatched the emba.s.sy. This affront Don Francisco La Sande felt so severely, that he behaved to them with great coolness, and made them no presents when they returned. The unhandsome conduct of the Governor, frustrated those expectations, which had been raised by the defeat of Limahon, and the subsequent mission; by making a most unfavourable impression on the minds of the Chinese, who discharged their whole vengeance, on the heads of the two Augustine friars. They landed them in the province of Zambales, scourged them most cruelly, murdered, before their eyes, their interpreter and slaves, and left them bound fast to trees; in which situation they must have perished, had not, providentially, Morones been pa.s.sing that way, who released them, and cured their wounds.

This year, 1576, was unpropitious to the Spaniards in the Philippines; for, independent of this disgrace, they had the misfortune to lose Juan de Salcedo, who died on the 11th of March, and who had been a second Pizarro, or Cortes, in this conquest. He was seized with a fever while in Ylocos, and when in that state, visiting a mine in his domains, he drank some cold water, which operated so powerfully on the intestines, that he died in three hours. On the island of Catanduanes, likewise, a party of Augustine missionaries was s.h.i.+pwrecked: this was a public loss, and most severely felt, as, without the labours of the religious, the military exploits of the Spaniards, would have been of little avail, in securing the subjection of these islands.

This loss was repaired the following year, by the arrival of some more friars, and seventeen Franciscans, whom the Augustines received in their convents, and a.s.signing to them the ecclesiastical authority over a number of towns, the Franciscans began their labours with indefatigable zeal.

About this time, Queen Elizabeth of England, sent the famous Drake with a considerable squadron, for the purpose of subduing the Moluccas. In pa.s.sing the Straits of Magellan, he lost several of his s.h.i.+ps; but he pursued his course in his own s.h.i.+p, committing many acts of hostility on the voyage, and giving a name to several islands which he discovered, such as St. Bartholomew, St. James, and New Albion, a large island, where he was detained six weeks. Arriving at Tidore, he began to gather cloves, without permission from the King of the island, at which the latter took great offence; but Drake having made him presents, he stipulated for the a.s.sistance of their arms, in case he should require it, permitting the English to establish factories for collecting cloves and nutmegs, and, in token of his amity, sent a most superb ring to the Queen of England. Richly laden with spices and Chinese merchandize, which he had captured in several of our vessels, on their voyage to New Spain, Drake proceeded on his return to England, where, after a variety of disasters, he arrived, filling all Europe with admiration of the valuable nature of his cargo. That strangers might not, by such means, acquire a footing in the Moluccas and neighbouring islands, the Governor sent an expedition against the island of Borneo, which, by the following circ.u.mstances, became a matter of easy conquest. Sirela, King of Borneo, had come to Manila, to solicit the a.s.sistance of the Spaniards, in the recovery of his kingdom, of which he had been unjustly deprived by his brother; and he promised, in the event of his success, that the whole of this large island, should become tributary to Spain. Don Francisco La Sande, conceiving this a most desirable object, and that it would necessarily lead to the conquest of all the Archipelago of Maluco, determined to go in person, that he might not lose the favourable opportunity, which now presented itself, by replacing Sirela in the possession of his kingdom.

He sailed from Manila in thirty vessels, with a large body of Spaniards and friendly Indians, and arrived safely at Borneo. Having entered the river, he proceeded along it, until he arrived at the residence of the usurper, upon which he immediately directed his artillery. The King, however, with his troops, gallantly attacked the Spaniards, but in a short time, fled in great disorder, and took refuge in the mountains. The Governor placed his deposed brother on the throne, and returned to Manila, where he planned several other expeditions. He sent a squadron to Jolo and Mindanao, which reduced these two islands, and compelled them to pay the customary tribute to the King of Spain; but from the great distance they were at from Manila, and the very limited number of clergy then in the seat of government, a sufficiency could not be spared, for the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity, during the short time these islands were held. He completed the conquest of the province of Camarines by means of Captain Chaves, who founded the city of Nueva Caceres, close to the town of Naga. The Augustine friars began their spiritual conquest, but finding their number unequal to the task, of duly attending the undertaking, they called in to their a.s.sistance the Franciscans, to whom eventually they ceded this district.

Towards the close of La Lande's government, an unpleasant disagreement arose between the clergy and laity. The factors had introduced into their respective districts, several abuses, which the clergy would not countenance. Certain services were required of the Indians, beyond the stipulated rents, which were extremely vexatious, and which little accorded with the Christian character. The friars began by preaching against these abuses, but this had little effect, and in the end, so many complaints were made, that it reached the ears of the King (Philip the Second), who issued an order, in which he reproved the conduct of the factors, and enjoined them, to pay strict obedience to the instructions they had received, to confine their imposts to the stipulated rents alone. The Governor gave every aid to the order of his Majesty, making regulations, by which the Indians might be secured against such encroachments in future. This, in some respect, abated the gathering storm, but tranquillity was never completely restored, as the avarice of the factors set at defiance all laws, human and divine.

CHAPTER IX.

ANNO DOM. 1580.

The Administration of Don Ronquillo de Penalosa, third Governor of Manila.

In April 1580, Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa arrived at the port of Cavite, as Governor of Manila. He was a nephew of the famous Judge Ronquillo, who hanged the Bishop of Zamora. He brought to his predecessor, the appointment of Oidor of Mexico, with orders for him to sail by the first s.h.i.+p, destined for Acapulco. On his taking possession of his government, his first step was, to mark out the Chinese quarter of the town, under the guns of the fort of Santiago, on the other side of the river. He sent Captain Rivera to Borneo, again to re-establish on his throne the legitimate King Sirela, who had a second time been deprived of it by his brother, with the a.s.sistance of a Portuguese Captain, of the name of Brito. Rivera executed his commission without delay, and returned to Manila, after having placed Sirela in peaceable possession of his kingdom. This was judged to be the fittest opportunity, for bringing the Moluccas under the Spanish dominion, and the Governor began to make preparations for the enterprize, for, in addition to the customary enmity between the courts of Portugal and Castile, he had received positive instructions from Philip the Second, to effect this object. Circ.u.mstances, however, compelled him to postpone it till the year following, as several matters of consequence, in these islands, required his presence, particularly in the province of Cagayan, where a j.a.panese pirate had established himself, with a great many followers and vessels. Pablo Carrion dislodged the j.a.panese, but not without great loss on the side of the Spaniards, as the former, rather than be taken prisoners, preferred dying bravely, with arms in their hands. The pirate thus dislodged, the Governor founded the city of Nueva Segovia, close to the Indian town of Lalo, and the city of Arivalo, in the island of Panay, in memory of his native province.

The year following, 1582, an expedition sailed to the Moluccas, commanded by Don Sebastian Ronquillo, a nephew of the Governor, who took with him Pablo de Lima, married to a niece of the King of Tidore, and who, in her right, laid claim to several towns, of which she had been unjustly deprived by the King of Ternate. De Lima was likewise appointed Governor of Ternate, when it should be subdued by the Spaniards, and all these considerations contributed, to induce him to give every aid to this expedition. The squadron arrived at the island of Motiel, and making an easy conquest of it, the natives recognized Pablo de Lima as their chief. From this island, the Spaniards proceeded on their voyage to Ternate, where the Indians seemed determined, to throw every impediment in the way of their disembarkation; but the resistance was of short duration, as the Spaniards contrived to draw them into the interior, and to plant their artillery against the town, without which expedient nothing could have been done. They laid regular siege to the town, and were on the point of taking it, when a disorder in the intestines began to rage among them, which occasioned such mortality, that they were compelled to break up their enterprize, and return to the Philippines. During these transactions in Ternate, the Christians in Manila, found out new objects for mutual hostility. Besides the provinces which I have mentioned, which the Augustine friars had been the means of reducing to obedience, they had distributed priests in Pangasinan, in Cagayan, and in the two provinces of Misames and Caraga, in the island of Mindanao, which are the only two in this large island, acknowledging subjection to the Spaniards. The factor of Mindanao, whose name was Blas de la Serna, treated the Indians with great severity, and lived a scandalous life, highly prejudicial to the cause of Christianity.

The friar whom the Augustines had placed there, admonished him repeatedly to alter his course of life; but as his conduct became more reprehensible every day, the friar, unable to bear it longer, was under the necessity of excommunicating him. The factor, in revenge for (as he termed it) his impudence, publicly beat him. At this time the Bishop of Manila was Don Fr. Domingo de Salazar, who had arrived at Manila in March, 1581, with two Jesuits, who were the first of the order in these islands. On the 21st of December, he erected the church into a cathedral, appointing proper prebends and dignitaries, and forming munic.i.p.al authorities for its due government. This n.o.bleman was highly attentive to the rights of the clergy. He took up the affair with the factor very warmly, and did not relax in his exertions, until he saw him at Manila undergo the punishment, imposed on him by the sentence of the church, and which he had so well merited.

The whole body of factors being alarmed, and fearing this would be much to their prejudice, persuaded the Governor, to withdraw from the clergy, the Indians who had been given to them for their own service, and that of the church. The Spaniards well inclined to the factors, seconded this advice, and they, in conjunction, commenced a cruel persecution against the Augustine and Franciscan friars. But Pedro de Chaves, Amador de Arriaran, Juan de Morenos, Antonio Savedra, Miguel de Lorca, Francisco de la Cueba, Esteban Rodrigueze de Figueroa, and other factors, who had seen, of how much importance the friars were, in the conquest and retention of these islands, came over to their party, and defended them against the attack thus made on them, proving satisfactorily, that without the a.s.sistance of the clergy, the factors would never have received even their rents.

The Governor, Don Gonzalo Ronquillo, was deeply afflicted at those disputes, so much at variance with his character, and with the anxiety of his views, for the happiness and prosperity of these islands. His whole mind, indeed, was occupied in the consideration, of what might contribute to these ends, and to the aggrandizement of the Spanish name; but unhappily persuading himself, that his honour was committed by these dissensions, he became affected by a deep melancholy, to which he was a prey during six months, and to which he fell a sacrifice in the month of March, 1583, before he completed his third year as Governor. He was interred in the church of St. Augustine, and to do him honour, more tapers than usual being burnt, the roof of the church was set on fire, which in a few hours communicated so generally, that the greater part of the city was destroyed, with immense loss of lives and property.

By the death of Don Gonzalo, his kinsman, Don Diego Ronquillo, succeeded as Governor ad interim, being nominated as such in the royal order. The new Governor directed all his attention, to the rebuilding of the city, a.s.sisting personally in the public works, and paying particular attention, to the restoration of the houses, belonging to the inhabitants. Such diligence was used, that in a short time, the city was completely re-established. Many of the inhabitants, lost almost all their property in this fire; and the disaster, though of sufficient magnitude, was swelled into a most dreadful picture, by the s.h.i.+p going to Acapulco, but which had been forced by stress of weather into China. It is inconceivable, in what consternation, the inhabitants of the islands in the neighbourhood of Manila, arrived to their a.s.sistance. Don Diego Ronquillo immediately sent to China the factor of the royal works, Juan Bautista Roman, with orders to chastise those, who had been the cause of spreading this report, and to despatch, at any expense, a s.h.i.+p to New Spain, with a true statement of the extent of the mischief. The factor performed his commission with such efficacy, that the s.h.i.+p he despatched, returned the year following from Acapulco, in company with another; and in these s.h.i.+ps came the new Governor and the Royal Audience. The government of Don Diego had lasted only one year, but, though short, it was of great importance to the settlement.

He reduced to obedience in the island of Layte, and the province of Pangasinan, some towns which refused to pay the usual tribute, and he effectually suppressed symptoms of sedition in the other provinces, and which took their rise in the ill treatment of the factors. The factors entertained the idea, that the Indians whom they had found on their lands, ought to be considered in the light of slaves in every respect, and compelled them to work, appropriating all the wages of their labour to their own use, by which means they enjoyed all the luxuries of life, and even acc.u.mulated fortunes. To such a height had these abuses been raised, that a reform was absolutely necessary. The Governor bestowed particular attention on this subject, punis.h.i.+ng those who were culpable, and watching over the general good. The result of this was, that many Indians who before had fled to the mountains, returned to the towns, and paid the tribute settled by the government, either in silver, or in the produce of the land they cultivated. By these desirable arrangements, the royal revenue was improved, and the interest of the factors so much injured by their own avarice, that from hence arose the proverb, "Avarice bursts the sack."

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 embarra.s.sing, 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 t.i.tle 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, punis.h.i.+ng 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 punis.h.i.+ng 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 quant.i.ty. This compelled him to fly for safety to the mountains, and he pa.s.sed 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+ps, with the a.s.sistance 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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. .h.i.therto in Santa Anna; and cast some artillery, with the a.s.sistance of an Indian of Pampango. He founded an hospital for the Spaniards: but the princ.i.p.al 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 pa.s.sing his trial of approbation.

CHAPTER XI.

ANNO DOM. 1590.

The Administration of Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, 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 pet.i.tioned that the Royal Audience should be removed, and that Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, a n.o.ble Galician knight of the order of Santiago, Corregidor of Logrono, should be sent as Governor. This n.o.bleman arrived at Manila in May 1590, in one of the two s.h.i.+ps 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 s.h.i.+p 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 furnis.h.i.+ng 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, a.s.signing 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 j.a.pan, 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 j.a.pan, to send an emba.s.sy 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 va.s.salage of the Philippines. The Governor received this emba.s.sy, and replied to it immediately, without bringing into question the point of va.s.salage, 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 amba.s.sadors from the King of Camboa arrived, with two elephants, as a present to the Governor; and endeavoured to engage him, to grant them a.s.sistance 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 a.s.sistance, 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 Dasmarinas 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 s.h.i.+p 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, a.s.sisted 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 ma.s.sacre they sailed for China, and pa.s.sing 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 superst.i.tious 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 G.o.ds 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 sh.o.r.e Friar Montilla, Secretary Cuellar, and those Philippine Indians who had been their s.h.i.+pmates. 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 s.h.i.+ps 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.