The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55: 1521-1569; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55: 1521-1569; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
I, Miguel Lopez de Leguaspi, governor and captain-general for his
majesty King Don Felipe, our lord, of his people and royal fleet
for the discovery of the islands of the West: in response to the
summons of the very illustrious Gonzalo Pereira, captain-in-chief of
the Portuguese fleet, served on me the twenty-seventh day of this
present month of October I declare that it is true, as contained
in his summons, that "actions speak louder than words," as also do
offers without actions--which in his case we have seen to be very
different. For it is manifest and known to all that his actions
have been, and are, very different from good words; since on the
twentieth day of this month, without any cause or legitimate reason,
or without the removal of the assurances given by one to the other,
or without making or giving any warning or information, his grace
ordered his galleys and small vessels to make an attack on certain
fortifications and defenses of ours. And they attacked and fired
many cannon and arquebuse-shots at the people on the shore and bank
near the fort aforesaid, without any artillery being fired at them
in return from this camp, which could do them harm, until the outcome
of the affair was seen. On the contrary, astonished at the treatment
afforded us when we had not given any occasion whatsoever for the same,
I wrote to his grace that very day. He, without any reply to what I had
written, sent, the next morning, two galleots and a pinnace to take up
a position in the other entrance of this harbor (where they now are),
in order to prevent us from receiving any supplies or provisions. He
has blockaded us upon all sides; and, what is most intolerable of all,
the galleys and pinnaces aforesaid have sacked, fired, and burned all
the neighboring villages, and killed the natives and inhabitants,
without exempting even women and children, in the towns of Gavi,
Cotcot, Diluan, Denao, and Mandavi--for the sole reason, and no other,
as I understand, that they had been at peace with us, and had supplied
and sold us provisions for our money. All this cannot be denied,
inasmuch as we have seen it all with our own eyes. This may well
be called deeds, and not words: and he has answered with a war of
incredible cruelty. And in view of this, it is not surprising that
we should have taken or that we do take some precautions, since he
has made war so openly, and now tries to do us so open violence and
injury. As far as the pleasing of God and of our rulers is concerned,
it is of very little service, or none at all, to say that we should
go to his fleet; for this cannot be done without violating his
majesty's orders, to which I shall not expose myself. Moreover,
all possible justifications have been offered on my side for not
departing from this land and leaving it free; and, if necessary,
I now offer them again. And it has no bearing on the subject to say
that I have been here four years and desire to remain four years
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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