By the year 1639, the number of Chinese in these islands had increased to thirty thousand, most of them cultivators in Calamba and in Binan. 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 Senor Corcuera. CHAPTER XVIII. ANNO DOM. 1644. The Administration of Don Diego Faxardo.