History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
The expedition in charge of Etienne van der Hagen (or Haagen), that
set out from Holland late in 1603 and early in 1604, had also decisive
results that more completely established the Dutch power in the East
Indies. This expedition was destined to come more intimately in contact
with the Portuguese and Spaniards than any former expedition. From
this time and even before, the Dutch expeditions overlapped, and
Dutch vessels in the Eastern seas were by no means rare. This fleet
(the second voyage of van der Hagen) comprised twelve vessels and
twelve hundred men. Its course was by way of Goa, Calicut, Cochin,
and Ceylon, to Sumatra and Java, reaching the post at Bantam December
31, 1604. There, shortly after, some English vessels were met. On
January 17, 1605, the principal vessels of the fleet left for the
Moluccas. February 21, they anchored at Amboina, where they were about
to storm the Portuguese fort, when the commander capitulated. "After
several conferences between the Portuguese commander's deputies
and the admiral, it was resolved that all the unmarried Portuguese
should retire, and that those married could be free to remain, if
they took the oath of allegiance to the States-general and to Prince
Maurice. Each one was allowed to take his gun or musket, but all
the cannon, ammunition, and arms of the king were to remain in the
fort." The admiral and fifty men went to the captured fort, where
they ran up the Dutch colors. The fort and island had contained six
hundred Portuguese. Forty-six Portuguese families remained and took
the oath. "This victory was considerable, not only because of its
slight cost, no blood having been shed, but because this place and
this island were of great importance." Thence five Dutch vessels went
to Tidore, where the Portuguese lost two vessels in a sea fight. Then
the Portuguese fort was attacked, which was taken May 19, 1605, with
a loss of two Dutchmen and seventy-three Portuguese. The Portuguese,
five hundred in number, took the boats offered them and set out for
the Philippines. "By this last victory, the Portuguese were driven
from all the Moluccas, and had nothing more there, except a small
fort in the island of Soler, near Timer." The conquered fort was
destroyed. Meanwhile other vessels of the fleet cruised about Sumatra,
Java, Malacca, and neighboring places, trading and seeking to check
the Portuguese. Shortly after June of 1607, the Spaniards, two hundred
and fifty in number, attacked one of the Dutch and Ternatan forts,
but were repulsed. On the desertion of the Tidore fort by the Dutch,
seven hundred Spaniards returned to it. Thus the Dutch continued to
strengthen their hold throughout the Indies.
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