History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
the shore in sight of the galley, and awaited it there.
The governor and those who accompanied him passed the night playing
on the poop, until the end of the first watch. After the governor had
gone into his cabin to rest, the other Spaniards went also to their
quarters [45] for the same purpose, leaving the usual guards in the
midship gangway, and at the bow and stern. The Chinese rowers, who
had three days before that conspired to seize the galley whenever a
favorable opportunity presented itself--in order to avoid the labor
of rowing on this expedition, and their covetousness of the money,
jewels, and other articles of value aboard the vessel--thought that
they should not lose their opportunity. Having provided candles, and
white shirts with which to clothe themselves, and appointed chiefs
for its execution, they carried out their plan that same night, in
the last watch before dawn, when they perceived that the Spaniards
were asleep. At a signal which one of them gave they all at the same
time put on their shirts, lit their candles, and catan [46] in hand,
attacked the guards and the men who slept in the quarters [ballesteras]
and in the wales, and wounding and killing them, they seized the
galley. A few of the Spaniards escaped, some by swimming ashore,
others by means of the galley's tender, which was at the stern. When
the governor heard the noise from his cabin, thinking that the galley
was dragging and that the crew were lowering the awning and taking to
the oars, he hurried carelessly out bareheaded through the hatchway of
the cabin. Several Chinese were awaiting him there and split his head
with a catan. Thus wounded he fell down the stairs into his cabin, and
the two servants whom he kept there, carried him to his bed, where he
immediately died. The servants met the same fate from the stabs given
them through the hatch. The only surviving Spaniards in the galley
were Juan de Cuellar, the governor's secretary, and Father Montilla of
the Franciscan order, who were sleeping in the cabin amidships, and
who remained there without coming out; nor did the Chinese, thinking
that there were more Spaniards, dare to go in until next day, when
they took the two men out and later put them ashore on the coast of
Ylocos, in the same island of Luzon, in order that the natives might
allow them to take water on shore, which they badly needed.
Although the Spaniards who were in the other vessels, close to the
land, perceived the lights and heard the noise made in the galley
from their ships, they thought that some work was being done; and when
shortly afterward, they learned what was happening from those who had
escaped by swimming, they could render no assistance and kept still,
as everything was lost, and they were few and not in sufficient force
therefor. They waited for the morning, and when it began to dawn,
they saw that the galley had already set its bastard, and was sailing,
wind astern toward China, and they were unable to pursue it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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