History of the Philippine IslandsMorga, Antonio de
History
History of the Philippine Islands
Morga, Antonio de
Philippines -- History
A storm overtook the fleet, and the flagship which carried Juan
Xuarez Gallinato and the majority of the Spaniards, took refuge
in the strait of Sincapura near Malaca, where it remained for many
days. The other two junks which carried Diego Belloso and Blas Ruyz
with some Spaniards, Japanese, and natives of Manila, reached Camboja
with great difficulty, and Blas Ruyz, preceding Belloso, went up the
river Mecon as far as the city of Chordemuco. There they learned
that the mandarins of Camboja had united against the Siamese whom
they had conquered and driven from the kingdom; and that one of these
mandarins, Anacaparan by name, had taken possession of the country,
and was governing under the title of king, although against the will of
the others. Diego Belloso, Blas Ruyz, and those with them thought that
they had arrived in good season for the furtherance of their designs,
since confusion reigned among the Cambodians, and the Siamese were
out of the country. Expecting Gallinato and the flagship to arrive
directly, they spent several days in Chordemuco with the permission
of Anacaparan, who resided nine leguas away in Sistor. Although the
latter knew of the entry of these ships and their men, and that many
more were coming, whose intentions he knew; and although he thought
that it would not be favorable to him: yet he dissembled with them,
waiting to see what time would bring. At the same time six Chinese
ships with their merchandise arrived in Chordemuco and, while they
were discharging it, the Chinese being many and hating the Spaniards,
behaved towards them with great arrogance and insolence. This obliged
the Spaniards, for the sake of their reputation, and in order to
avenge themselves for injuries received, to take up arms against
the Chinese. This they did, killing many Chinese and seizing their
ships and all their cargo. Anacaparan took offense at this, and was
desirous for the Chinese to avenge themselves by his aid. To remedy
this evil Fray Alonso Ximenez, [52] of the Dominican order, who
accompanied the Spaniards, thought that he, together with Blas Ruys
and Diego Belloso, and about fifty Spaniards, a few Japanese, and men
from Luzon, should leave the rest to guard the ships in Chordemuco,
and should go up in small boats to Sistor, in order to obtain an
interview with Anacaparan and offer him excuses and satisfaction
for the trouble that they had had with the Chinese. And in order to
negotiate with him more easily, they made a letter of embassy in the
name of the governor of Manila, because Gallinato carried with him
the one given them by the governor. This device was of little service
to them, because Anacaparan not only did not grant them audience,
but after having seized their boats, kept them so hard pressed in a
lodging outside the city, and so threatened that he would kill them,
if they did not return the ships and what they had taken from them
to the Chinese, that the Spaniards were quite anxious to return to
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