History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
given to them, they returned without the Spaniards, weeping and showing
great sorrow. The ship "Espiritu Santo," with the same difficulty,
put into Japon, as it could do nothing else, with its mainmast gone,
and entered a port of Firando, twenty leguas from a station of the
religious of St. Augustine, who had gone there the same year from
Manila, and where also the ship bound for Quanto had entered. The
harbor could be sounded [i.e., it formed a good anchorage], but
to enter and leave it were very difficult, because its channel had
many turns, with rocks and high mountains on both sides. However,
as the Japanese natives with their funeas towed and guided the ship
so that it might enter, it had less difficulty. When it was inside,
a Japanese guard was placed on the ship, and those who went ashore
were not allowed to return to the ship. The supplies furnished them
did not suffice for all their necessities, and the price was not
suitable. On this account, and because a large number of soldiers had
assembled quickly at the port from the whole district, and had asked
the general for the sails of the ship, which he had always declined
to give them, he feared that they wished to seize the ship and its
merchandise, as was done in Hurando, with the ship "San Felipe,"
in the year ninety-six. He acted with caution, and kept much closer
watch thenceforward, without leaving his ship or allowing his men
to leave it alone, or any of the merchandise to be unloaded. At the
same time he sent his brother, Don Alonso de Ulloa, and Don Antonio
Maldonado to Miaco with a reasonable present for Daifusama, that he
might have provision given them and permission to go out again from
that harbor. [155] These men made the journey by land. Meanwhile,
those on the ship were greatly troubled by the Japanese who were in the
port, and by their captains, who were not satisfied with the presents
which were given them to make them well disposed, but forcibly seized
whatever they saw, giving out that everything was theirs and that it
would soon be in their power. Fray Diego de Guebara, the Augustinian
superior in Firando, came to the ship and told the general that he had
put into a bad harbor of infidels and wicked people, who would take
his ship and rob it, and that he should endeavor with all his might
to get it out of there and take it to Firando where he [the father]
was living. Meanwhile he told him to be on the watch and guard to the
best of his ability. As the father was returning to his house with
some pieces of silk, given him on the ship for his new church and
monastery at Firando, the Japanese took it away from him and did not
leave him a thing, saying that it was all theirs, and he went away
without it. About a dozen and a half of the Spaniards of the ship
were ashore, where they were kept in confinement and not allowed to
go on board again, and although the general warned them that he had
determined to leave the port as soon as possible, and that they should
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