The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55: 1593-1597; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55: 1593-1597; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
After making this treaty and securing this result (which, of a truth,
your Lordship may regard as most felicitous and of great importance,
and as the beginning of much good), I retired to my fleet. Next day the
chiefs came to the river-bank, and I made them friends with Danganlibor
and Lumaquan, and they embraced each other. Some of them boarded the
galleys, and began thus to lose their fear gradually. Already some of
the chiefs have started to go to their villages, and have collected
their people in order to settle them. I hope, God willing, that
everything will assume a settled and quiet condition. And albeit that
my toil and my service rendered to your Lordship in this affair do not
equal my desire, still your Lordship can represent it to his Majesty
as one of the greatest that have been rendered in these islands. I
am not going to leave them; so, when any greater opportunity arises,
your Lordship may entrust it to me. I assert that if this occasion
had not had the almost unexpected favorable ending, and if our Lord
had not evidently been pleased to lend His aid, your Lordship would
suffer great anxiety and all the islands would be in great straits;
for, with the alliance that they had formed with Terrenate, there
would be no safety in the entire district.
[The victorious troops were in the greatest need. There were many
messes of four or five with only one shirt among them, which they wore
by turns. There was only ammunition enough for two hours. There was
only rice enough to allow fifteen gantas a month to Spaniards and
ten to Indians; and even this ration would only last till the end
of August. They had no meat or fish. Ronquillo had "set a dragnet,"
and taken the rice of all the people within reach, beginning with
himself. Then he sent out officers in fragatas to search for rice,
giving them four hundred pesos for the purpose, and directing them to
pay as long as the money lasted, and then to take provisions in any
way in which they could get them. They were, if necessary, to use force
to obtain supplies from encomenderos or Indians, for their pay giving
them orders on the charges of the land (_situado_), or the tribute,
or to be paid when possible. As for the other parts of the island,
the very chiefs were perishing of hunger, because of the war, and came
daily to beg for rice. This they received, in order that they might be
bound to the Spaniards. Accordingly Ronquillo asks for assistance and
supplies from Manila until the stress should be over in Mindanao. He
gives honorable mention to his officers and troops, many of whom were
wounded. He looks forward to great difficulties as soon as any attempt
shall be made to collect tributes. The leading chiefs collect tribute
from their vassals; and the only demand hitherto has been for open
friendship and the recognition of the sovereignty of Spain. If these
men--Raxa Mura, Sala, Silonga, and Lumaquan--are now told that they
must not collect tribute, but that all the tribute must be paid to
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