History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
As soon as the governor left Manila, the auditor had plenty to look
after, because a squadron of twenty caracoas and other vessels from
Mindanao entered the islands as far as the island of Luzon and its
coasts, making captures. Having taken some ships bound from Sebu to
Manila, they captured ten Spaniards in them, among them a woman and
a priest and Captain Martin de Mandia, and they took them off with
them. They entered Calilaya, burned the church and all the town,
and captured many persons of all classes among the natives. Thence
they passed to the town of Valayan [Balayán] to do the same, but the
auditor, having received news of the enemy in Manila, had it already
in a state of defense with fifty Spaniards and a captain and some
vessels. Consequently, they did not dare to enter the town or its
bay, but crossed over to Mindoro, where, in the principal town, they
captured many men, women, and children among the natives, seizing their
gold and possessions, and burning their houses and church, where they
captured theprebendary Corral, curate of that doctrina. They filled
their own ships, and others which they seized there, with captives,
gold, and property, staying in the port of Mindoro as leisurely as
though in their own land, notwithstanding that it is but twenty-four
leguas from Manila. Captain Martin de Mendia, prisoner of these
pirates, offered for himself and the other Spanish captives that,
if they would let him go to Manila, he would get the ransom for all,
and would take it, or would send it within six months, to the river
of Mindanao, or otherwise he would return to their power. The chief
in command of the fleet agreed thereto, with certain provisions and
conditions, and caused the other captives to write, to the effect
that what had been agreed upon might be fulfilled, and then he
allowed the captain to leave the fleet. The latter came to the city,
and upon receiving his report, the auditor sent munitions, ships,
and more men to Valayan than there were there already, with orders
to go in pursuit of the enemy without delay, saying that they would
find him in Mindoro. Captain Gaspar Perez, who had charge of this in
Valayan, did not start so quickly as he should have done in order
to find the enemy in Mindoro, for when he arrived he found that he
had left that port six days before, laden with ships and booty, to
return to Mindanao. Then he went in pursuit of him, although somewhat
slowly. The enemy put into the river of a little uninhabited island
to get water and wood. Just at that time Governor Don Pedro de Acuña,
who was hastily returning to Manila, from the town of Arvalo, where
he had learned of the incursion of those pirates, passed. He passed
so near the mouth of this river, in two small champans and a virrey,
with very few men, that it was a wonder that he was not seen and
captured by the enemy. He learned that the enemy was there, from a
boat of natives which was escaping therefrom, and then he met Gaspar
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