Loading your reading…

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 29 of 55, 1638–40: 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 — John Shaqi

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 29 of 55, 1638–40: 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

fear, of the house-servants and other Chinese in Manila; another is the
burning of the Parián, with all the rich merchandise stored therein;
while in Cavite several hundred Chinese are deliberately taken out
by tens and beheaded. In both cases, however, opportunity is kindly
provided for the wretched victims to receive baptisms, if they were
infidels, or to make their confessions, if Christians. Peace is finally
made with the small remnant of the insurgent force, who are taken to
Manila and carefully guarded within a stockade. The writer describes
their method of warfare; and enumerates the villages burned by them,
and other damages committed, during the revolt.

The history of the Augustinian order in the Philippines, presented in
VOLS. XXIII and XXIV of this series from Medina's Historia, is here
continued for the decade 1630-40 by an extract from Diaz's Conquistas
(written about 1718), partly in synopsis and partly in translation. He
relates the contest over the vacant see of Manila, finally settled
(1630) in favor of Fray Pedro de Arce; the election of Gerónimo de
Medrano as provincial in 1632; the persecutions in Japan, the lives
of martyrs there, the controversy between Corcuera and the bishop,
biographies of noted Augustinians, and various secular matters (all
of which we omit). There is an interesting relation of the life and
labors of a useful missionary, Alonso de Mentrida, among the Indians
in Panay Island; he wages unceasing war against the devil and his
agents, the native priests of idols--the former often appearing in
visible and hideous form. A similar account is given of the life
of Juan de Medina (above cited). In 1638 Fray Martin Errasti is
elected provincial. The Visayas Islands have been, of late years,
harassed by the Moro pirates; but a notable expedition is undertaken
(1639) against those of the Lake Lanao region, in which the Recollect
missionary known as "Padre Capitan" is a prominent figure. For the
time, those Moros are awed and warned. Diaz recounts the main events
of that time--Corcuera's expedition to Jolo and the insurrection of
the Chinese. Errasti dies in 1639, and his vacant office is assumed
by Fray Juan Ramírez, the past provincial.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

No reviews yet