The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 11 of 55: 1599-1602; 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 11 of 55: 1599-1602; 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
The enemy's flagship, seeing that our almiranta had departed, began
to serve their artillery more rapidly, and their musketry from the
bow, so that they inflicted considerable loss upon those of our men
who boarded their ship with only shields on their arms, and their
swords. In this way they would have defeated the enemy if they
had attacked with fifty men in a body. Instead of taking such good
counsel, they boarded in parties of threes, while the enemy continued
to wound and kill them. Even this lack of system and concord did not
stop here, but it is understood that the enemy pierced our flagship
with a ball at the water-line. Our men, flushed with the exultation
of the victory they had won at first, and confused by much shouting,
did not hasten to repair the damage; for they were people who did
not like to be ordered, and their general could do nothing with them,
as they were all captains and men of distinction. On account of this,
and as the ship was so occupied by the sailors' berths, they could not,
or did not, notice the shot which our ship received. When they did
perceive it by the rising of the water to the second deck, they all
became frightened; and, instead of boarding the enemy's ship, with
the thought that if they were losing a ship, they were gaining one,
they began to devise means of escape. Accordingly some leaped into
the enemy's small boat without orders from the general, whereby a few
escaped, while others had recourse to our own small boat. Thus eight or
ten of them contrived to escape, without waiting for anything else. A
little before this, they addressed the general, Antonio de Morga,
saying: "Escape, your Grace, for the ship is sinking." He answered
that it was not suitable to his reputation to leave his ship and not
die with all the others, from which answer it was understood that,
in case the ship went down, he was confident of his own strength and
dexterity. The rest of our men--it may be seen what sort of men they
were--seeing that the vessel was settling little by little, and that
the enemy did not cease to serve their guns, huddled together in fright
as they saw their ship filling with water--a state of affairs which
would make others undertake not only the exploit of boarding the ship
and mastering it, but even more difficult enterprises. In short, by the
just judgments of God, which our sinful countrymen so well deserved,
He disturbed their minds and deserted them, so that they would make no
effort, excepting a few--of whom I shall make particular mention below,
because they deserve it. There was one who, in order that he might
take them with him, ordered a gold chain and other jewels brought
to him. Seeing things in this condition and the danger so evident,
a father of the Society, by name Father Santiago, took a crucifix
in his hands, and commenced to call out to the Christian Spaniards:
"Where is that courage of yours? See, this is the cause of God! Die,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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