The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 12 of 55: 1601-1604; 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 12 of 55: 1601-1604; 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
I likewise wrote to your Majesty in the said letter of the third of
July of this year, that as I had had word in the month of April past
that they were taking up arms in Mindanao to go and harry the Pintados
(as they are accustomed to do each year), I had the old galeota
armed. I ordered General Don Juan Ronquillo to go with a company
of infantry to Oton, which is opposite Mindanao; so that with these
troops, and others which are there and in Cebu, he might oppose the
enemy, and do them what damage he could. Having met several caracoas on
the way, they fled from him, and he could not overtake them. He went
on to Oton, where he remained with a few armed caracoas, in readiness
for what might occur. For the time being, the enemy did not make any
attempt to come to the islands, and as I was informed that they were
arming for the monsoons of September (as that time and May are the only
seasons of the year in which they make their raids), I notified the
said Don Juan Ronquillo to be waiting attentively, and ready to help
wherever the enemy might attack. That he might the better do this,
I sent him the new galeota of nineteen benches with more infantry
troops, and with them went the said captain Romanico. Having received
news that the enemy were on the point of setting out from Mindanao,
or had already gone, Don Joan left Oton in search of them; and while
on the way he was informed of the uprising of the Sangleys, and my
order that he should not embark, as the Mindanao enemy were already
in the Pintados. He did not stop to look for them or to oppose them,
but with all the troops on the expedition he came back here, leaving
in Cebu thirty paid men and as many more in Oton, so that with them
the citizens and residents of those places might defend themselves,
which was decided upon in a council of war. Considering that the troops
which Don Juan Ronquillo had in his fleet amounted to two hundred men
and more, and that those named in the relation died on the way, it
appeared that the former might be of great importance here, and that
it was very necessary that they should come to the defense of this
city, even though they should be putting the Pintados in danger; for,
if this city were out of danger, it might repair the other losses. It
was likewise taken into consideration that even if their recall were
not necessary on this occasion of the uprising, it would be so if the
Chinese came with their fleet between now and the month of March, at
which time they are expected, and during this whole season. When this
opportunity is passed, the galeotas cannot come nor can the troops,
seeing that the weather is contrary and navigation is very difficult
and dangerous. In short, the galeotas arrived here, both of them with
the troops, and remained in this fort. I was very glad to see them
here, as affairs turned out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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