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
One of these is a letter (June 2, 1637) from the celebrated martyr
in the Japanese missions, Marcelo Francisco Mastrilli, who went to
Mindanao with Corcuera. He relates with much detail the events of the
expedition, which the devil strives from the start to hinder. The
Spaniards capture the Moro forts at the mouth of the Rio Grande,
killing several of Corralat's best officers, and seizing many vessels
and military supplies; then they destroy many villages belonging
to him. On March 18, the Spaniards storm a fortified height back of
the port where they first entered. Corralat is driven from it, and
flees to a little village in his territory; and in the conflict his
wife and many of his followers are slain. Some Recollect fathers,
held captive by the Moros, also perish--one of them slain by them,
in anger at their defeat. Corralat's treasure is seized, and divided
among the soldiers; and much booty obtained by the Moros in plundering
the churches in their raids is recovered. After destroying all that
can be found, Corcuera returns to Zamboanga, leaving troops behind to
subdue another Moro ruler, named Moncay. The wounded Spaniards--many
of whom were injured by poisoned arrows--are cared for at Zamboanga,
so successfully that only two men out of eighty die, and these
"because they would not let themselves be cured." Mastrilli ascribes
this success not so much to the antidotes that had been furnished from
Manila as to the virtues of a relic that he had, of St. Francis Xavier,
and to the patients' faith therein. In due time, the detachment sent
against Moncay return, bringing that chief's brother as envoy to offer
his submission, and a promise to aid the Spaniards against Corralat,
and to receive among his people Jesuit missionaries. Corcuera returns
to Manila, after sending an expedition to reduce the villages on
the western coast of the island, and arranging for opening a mission
on the island of Basilan and securing for its people (who desire to
maintain friendship with the Spaniards) the protection of the Spanish
fort at Zamboanga. Other Moros along the southern coast offer to
become the vassals of Spain, and the Joloans hasten to secure peace
with the conqueror. All this opens a broad field for gospel work,
and Mastrilli urges that Jesuit missionaries hasten to till it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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