An Historical View of the Philippine Islands, Vol 2 (of 2): Exhibiting their discovery, population, language, government, manners, customs, productions and commerce.Martínez de Zúñiga, Joaquín
History
An Historical View of the Philippine Islands, Vol 2 (of 2): Exhibiting their discovery, population, language, government, manners, customs, productions and commerce.
Martínez de Zúñiga, Joaquín
Philippines -- History -- 1521-1812
Notwithstanding his diligence, the Governor of Zamboanga entertained
much doubt of his fidelity, and having taken charge of two letters,
one of which he had written, by order of the Governor of Manila,
to the King of Mindanao, and the one letter being in the vulgar
tongue, and the other in Arabic, a language which he had acquired in
Batavia, where he had been some time, it excited a curiosity to know
what the King had said in that language so totally in disuse in our
islands. Accordingly a person was procured to translate the letter,
and the contents were found to be, that he (the King) had written the
other letter in obedience to the commands of the Governor of Manila,
and that he could not do otherwise than obey, as he was in the power
of a stranger.
To the suspicion attached to this was added another circumstance:
a brother of his, named Asin, together with the chiefs of Jolo, who
had capitulated with the Colonel, and agreed to receive their King,
and deliver up the Christian captives, paid a visit to Zamboanga, and
in addition to their bringing with them no captives whatever, they were
charged with having introduced arms to surprise the government. The
Governor, upon the strength of this charge, immediately confined the
King, together with Asin, and those who accompanied him: his house
was searched, but only a few arms were found, quite insufficient to
induce a belief that he intended any thing against the government;
but many other effects were found concealed in his prison, and various
informations and memoranda which he had sent to the Moors, justified
the suspicions entertained of him. In corroboration of all this,
the Admiral and two passengers declared, that the King was on very
bad terms with the Manila people, of whom he had received so many
attentions and services, and that on all occasions he manifested
his ingratitude. That he had said the new Governor detained him
prisoner; that he had given no proofs of being a Christian, for he
slept every night with his concubines; that he never heard mass;
and that he even stripped off the crosses from the rosaries of the
family he resided with; and, lastly, that he had become an apostate,
by making a Mahometan sacrifice at Calapan, where he had killed a goat,
divided it into twelve portions, with many superstitious ceremonies,
and distributed it to his companions to eat, by way of celebrating
the passover.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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