The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 27 of 55: 1636-37; 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 27 of 55: 1636-37; 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
Among the first wounded was Captain Ugalde, who had two bullet-wounds
in his arms, and Sargento-mayor Don Pedro Hurtado de Corcuera, with
a musket ball which went through his right leg; so that this valiant
cavalier, being no longer able to be upon his feet, remained for a long
time upon his knees, encouraging the soldiers, although he was in great
danger of being killed. He was in the very spot where they had wounded
Don Rodrigo de Guillestigui, who was a most distinguished soldier;
for he fought continually, and remained all the time in the ditch
of the stockade without coming out, even when he had a considerable
wound. Alférez Amesquita succeeded in hoisting our flag over the fort,
but with the utmost danger; for they nearly hurled him down, with a
spear-wound in his head and several sompites in his throat. Our men
were fasting, and, besides that, laden with provisions and arms, and
wearied by the march (which had been more difficult than long); but,
like lions, they caused the Moros much more fear in their death than if
the port had been taken without bloodshed. The Moros were terrified,
too, by seeing our soldiers thus obstinately keep up the battle in
a slaughter-house--for this place deserves no other name. And your
Reverence may be well assured that a million of Spaniards could never
have gained the height; for I believe that no one can possibly picture
or imagine the strength of that place unless he were present at the
attack. The truth is, that they passed from courage to rashness;
for, by not ceasing to fight, they changed his Lordship's orders
(or else they heard them backwards) [as if he were] commanding the
leaders to rally instead of ordering a retreat. Then they counted on
gaining the victory through the soldiers who were coming up behind
(though most of them paid for this over-confidence with their lives),
and were for a long time deceived with this hope. However, the real
reason why the governor did not sooner order the retreat was that
he was waiting for the instant when Nicolas Gonçalez should attack
from above on the other side, for the latter had no more than three
leguas to go; but, having found the road very bad, and being himself
far from well, he could not get there till night. With these hopes,
and with very many false tidings of victory, which were very often
given, his Lordship waited, and urged on the soldiers for full two
hours in a very dangerous place, exposed to all the weapons of the
enemy; but, seeing many dead and wounded, he pushed his way forward,
and, with great danger to himself (and to all of us, if any mishap
had befallen him), reached the little open space in full sight
of the stockade. There he stood, in a furious storm of bullets,
stones, bacacayes, and sompites, which killed and wounded many at his
side--especially his armor-bearer, through whose helmet and skull they
sent a bullet. Now, having reconnoitered the place for more than half
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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