The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 35, 1640-1649: 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 35, 1640-1649: 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
About this time the galleon "San Diego," recently built, sailed from
this port for Nueva España. Regarding it as certain that the coasts
were clear of enemies, the authorities did not carry out their
first intention of sending our armada to escort the "San Diego"
as far as the Embocadero. But, as the enemy had so many squadrons
(as I mentioned at the outset), it happened, a few days later, that
our galleon, having left the port, found itself, while still in sight
of Mariveles near an islet called Fortun, at nightfall near a Dutch
ship, one of three that were in that quarter; these were part of the
third squadron, which had come to join the twelve ships of the two
squadrons before mentioned. As the commanders of these ships did not
know what had happened to the others, they dared to await the fleet
thus near Manila. Our galleon carried her guns on the ballast and the
various decks were littered with boxes and utensils, as is usually
the case when one of those ships sails on so long a voyage. The enemy
recognized, at once, that our vessel was not a warship and attacked
it furiously. They approached so close that the conversation of
various persons could be heard, but they did not venture to board the
galleon; for General Christoval Marquez de Valençuela, commander of
the galleon, a brave and experienced soldier, hurriedly disencumbered
five iron cannon, and, bringing them to bear on the enemy, stood
on the defensive. That action was sufficient to secure his retreat
toward Mariveles; entering the bay, with the loss of a few killed,
he arrived at the port of Cavite and made a report of the occurrence.
This new accident did not depress the brave heart of his Lordship
[the governor]; he ordered that the two strong galleons should be
immediately prepared to go out again, in convoy of this third one. As
promptness was so important in this matter, his Lordship, recognizing
the energy and ability of his sargento-mayor and commander of infantry,
Manuel Estacio Venegas, ordered him to proceed in person to the port
of Cavite to despatch the galleons. This task he performed admirably,
for by his efforts there was accomplished in one week what by other
methods would have seemed much to do in a month.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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