History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
This daring attack of the Mindanaos worked great injury to the islands
of Pintados, both on account of their deeds there and also on account
of the fear and terror with which they inspired the natives; because
of the latter being in the power of the Spaniards, who kept them
subject, tributary, and disarmed, and neither protected them from
their enemies, nor left them the means to defend themselves, as they
used to do when there were no Spaniards in the country. Therefore
many towns of peaceful and subjected Indians revolted and withdrew
to the tingues, [122] and refused to descend to their houses,
magistrates, and encomenderos. As was reported daily, they all
had a great desire to revolt and rebel, but they were appeased and
reduced again to subjection by a few promises and presents from their
encomenderos and religious who showed great pity and sadness over
their injuries. Although in Manila people regretted these injuries,
and still more those which were expected in the future from the enemy,
they did nothing but regret them--since the governor was ill provided
with ship and other necessities for the defense--and reckon them with
the loss which they had suffered for having raised the camp on the
river of Mindanao and dismantled the presidio of La Caldera.
As soon as the weather permitted, the Mindanaos and Joloans returned
with a large fleet of more than seventy well-equipped ships and more
than four thousand fighting men, led by the same Silonga and Sali,
and other Mindanao and Jolo chiefs, to the same islands of Pintados,
with the determination of taking and sacking the Spanish town of
Arevalo, which is situated in Oton. Captain Joan Garcia de Sierra,
alcalde-mayor of that province, having heard of this expedition and
of the designs entertained by the enemy, took the most necessary
precautions, and, gathering into the town all the Spaniards who
lived there and in its neighborhood, shut himself up in it with all
of them. Then, having repaired, as well as possible, a wooden fort
there, he gathered there the women and their possessions. He and
the Spaniards--about seventy men--armed with arquebuses, awaited the
enemy. The latter, who intended to attack the river of Panay again,
passed Negros Island and made for the town of Arevalo, where they
anchored close to the native settlement. Then they landed one thousand
five hundred men armed with arquebuses, campilans, and carasas, and,
without stopping on the way marched against the Spanish town which
was the object of their attack. The Spaniards, divided into troops,
sallied forth and opened fire with their arquebuses upon the enemy
with such vehemence that they forced them to retreat and take refuge
on board their caracoas. So great was the enemy's confusion that many
Mindanaos were killed before they could embark. Captain Joan Garcia
de Sierra, who was on horseback, pursued the enemy so closely to the
water's edge that the latter cut off the legs of his mount with their
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