The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 47, 1728-1759: 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 47, 1728-1759: 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
DESCRIPTION OF FORT SAN PEDRO IN THE CITY OF SANTISSIMO NOMBRE DE
JESUS, IN ZEBÛ
In the island of Zebû, which is regarded as the center of all the
islands of Pintados--it is thirty leguas long, twelve wide, and
eighty in circuit--is the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. It is
the capital of this province, wherein, amid the evident ruins of
its former opulence, is preserved, close to the city, the fort of
San Pedro. It is built of stone and mortar, with a terreplein, and is
situated on a point on the shore of the sea, in 10° of north latitude,
and 161° 47' of east longitude; [12] it is distant from the capital,
Manila, ninety-six leguas to the southeast, and is five degrees south
of that city.
The shape of this fort is triangular, with three bastions having
straight flanks; it is 1,248 feet in circuit. Its curtains are of
unequal length, and in that one which fronts the city, toward the
northwest, is the gate of the fort. This is masked by an outer work
of stakes, of square shape, with its gate to the city; and a palisade
extends the whole length of the curtain, in the form of a fausse-braye.
This fort contains the necessary buildings, as they are indicated on
its plan; it has also arms and soldiers, as herewith stated.
Arms and supplies
13 pieces of bronze artillery, caliber 2 and 4.
18 iron cannons, caliber 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 14.
2 bronze mortars, with iron pivots.
6 bronze stone-mortars.
12 chambers.
50 pinzotes.
250 arquebuses and muskets.
1,826 iron balls for the artillery.
14,055 lead balls for the muskets, arquebuses, and pinzotes.
294 grenades.
500 arrobas of gunpowder, with small-arms and hand weapons, are
kept in reserve, as is certified by the royal officials.
All the above, with the clothing [for the soldiers], and the
replenishment of arms and gunpowder, is provided from the capital,
Manila, in accordance with the orders of this government.
The military force
A captain of Spanish infantry, who is the alcalde-mayor, with
monthly pay of 25 pesos; an alférez of the said company, with 3 p.;
a sergeant, 2 p.; an orderly, 4 p.; a lieutenant of the fort, 4 p.;
57 regular soldiers, each 1 p.; 4 minor posts--page, fifer, drummer,
and standard-bearer, each 1 p.; 6 artillerymen, each 1 p.; a captain
of the Pampango company, 4 p.; his alférez, 1 p., 4 t.; the sergeant,
1 p.; twenty [Pampango] soldiers, and three minor posts--page,
drummer, and standard-bearer--each 4 t.; one position as overseer
of the iron-forge, 3 p.; two others, as shoremaster and overseer of
buildings, 2 p.; another as pilot, 1 p. Each one of the said persons
receives a monthly allowance of half a fanega (which is one cavan)
of rice.
The maintenance of this military post amounts to 1,584 pesos and 624
fanegas of rice every year; this expense is paid out of the proceeds
of the tributes and other revenues which are collected on his Majesty's
account in the said province of Zebû.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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