The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 38, 1674-1683: 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 38, 1674-1683: 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
The governor, Don Juan de Vargas, in view of the many ravages,
murders, and thefts which the revolted Zambals of Playa Honda
had committed--infesting the road from Pangasinán to Ilocos,
and harassing the adjoining villages that were subject to the
Spanish dominion--determined to curb their audacity by some exploit
which would inspire them with fear, and to restrain for the future
their insolence and daring. For this purpose he sent Captain Alonso
Martín Franco and Captain Simón de Torres, with a suitable number of
Spaniards, Pampangos, and Merdicas (who are Ternatans and Malays),
and gave them the orders that were desirable for the success of so
useful an expedition--that Simón de Torres and Alonso Martín Franco,
each with half of the soldiers, should go in opposite directions,
beating the woods, and fighting with any Zambals whom they might
encounter. They did so, compelling the rebels to retreat as far as
the place where their companions were; and on St. James's day the
two captains joined their forces, the signal being the discharge of
three exploding rockets, and fought with the Zambal insurgents. They
carried out their orders and fought against these enemies, who are
indeed a warlike people, and killed many of them, not without some
loss of our men. Their leader was a valiant Zambal named Tumalang, to
whom the inhabitants of those mountains rendered obedience; this man,
seeing the death of an associate of his in whom he greatly trusted,
whom Alonso Martín Franco had slain, and influenced by some higher
feeling, declared that he wished to be a friend of the Spaniards,
and with his people to establish villages where he would be under
Spanish rule. A very convenient location was set apart, and therein
was founded a handsome village called Nueva Toledo, and some others
near a fort that is called Pignamén, [109] which Don Manuel de León
ordered to be founded--in which, by order of the governor, Captain
Alonso Martín Franco remained as commandant, with a larger garrison;
and this fort has been most efficacious for averting such losses as
they then experienced. Chief Tumalang received holy baptism, and was
named Don Alonso; and he declared that it was he who had cut off the
head of Don Felipe Ugalde, [110] whose skull he had in his possession
as a trophy. This he surrendered to Martín Franco, that he might bury
it in consecrated ground. The command of this fort is today an office
that is conferred on a very meritorious officer; he has jurisdiction
in all those villages of Playa Honda, and appoints in them governors
who administer justice, as do the alcaldes-mayor of these islands in
their [respective] provinces.
In Zambal villages; 1683
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account