History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
The expedition under command of Admiral Corneille Matelief (1605-1608)
was remarkable chiefly for its siege of Malacca, and later its
manipulations in the Moluccas and in China. The fleet was composed of
eleven vessels and one thousand three hundred and fifty-seven men,
and cost 1,952,282 livres. Great trouble was experienced by the
admiral in the intoxication and excesses of his men, which led to
insubordination, during the entire course of the expedition. Also in
all parts he met a great unwillingness among the natives for work and
the coming to definite conclusions, the latter exercising duplicity
and at times treachery in their dealings with the Dutch. On March
22, 1606, the fleet sighted Sumatra, after hearing of the successes
in Amboina and Tidore. Going to the mainland they made agreements
or treaties with the king of Johore, clause ten of which reads:
"Neither of the two parties shall make peace with the king of Spain,
without the consent of the other." The succeeding siege of Malacca
resulted in failure, and on August 24, 1606, the Dutch retired after
losing two of their ships. The Portuguese were in charge of Andrea
Furtado de Mendoza. On the return of the Dutch to Sumatra and Java,
they met the great Portuguese fleet consisting of eighteen galleons,
four galleys, one caravel, and twenty-three fustas, with over three
thousand men--the largest fleet ever seen in the Indias--and in
the combat captured and destroyed four galleons, although with
some considerable loss to themselves. The Portuguese prisoners
taken formed lengthy material for debates between the Portuguese
and Dutch. On December 6, 1606, the admiral determined to go to the
Moluccas with six vessels, and to send the others to Achem to load
cargo for Holland. Reaching those islands after anchoring at Bantam,
the Dutch negotiated with the natives for their aid against the
Spaniards garrisoned in Ternate and Tidore. At Amboina, the admiral
"learned that the soldiers of the garrison were living there in great
debauchery, and that they became intoxicated, and nearly every man had
his concubine. On that account the inhabitants were greatly shocked
and were losing all their affection for the Dutch. They said that the
Portuguese married women among them, by which the two nations were
united. But since there were no marriages with the Dutch, the two races
could not be bound by affection." Besides the natives wished settlers
and not new men continually, whom they did not know. In consequence
the Dutch were permitted to marry the native women. Skirmishes with
the Spaniards resulted in little gain for the Dutch, and finally the
fleet sailed for China, after passing among a few of the Philippines,
where they entered into various relations and had various adventures,
trying ever to establish a fixed trade. Thence the vessels went in
different directions and on different missions toward the Dutch base
at Bantam. At Bantam Admiral Paul van Caerden anchored on January 5,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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