The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish RuleForeman, John, F.R.G.S.
History
The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule
Foreman, John, F.R.G.S.
Philippines
All but the Chinese were asleep, and they fell upon the Spaniards in
a body. Eighteen of the troops and four slaves escaped by jumping
into the sea. The Governor was sleeping in his cabin, but awoke on
hearing the noise. He supposed the ship had grounded, and was coming
up the companion _en deshabille_, when a Chinaman clove his head with
a cutlass. The Governor reached his state-room, and taking his Missal
and the Image of the Virgin in his hand, he died in six hours. The
Chinese did not venture below, where the priests and armed soldiers
were hidden. They cleared the decks of all their opponents, made fast
the hatches and gangways, and waited three days, when, after putting
ashore those who were still alive, they escaped to Cochin China, where
the King and Mandarins seized the vessel and all she carried. On board
were found 12,000 pesos in coin, some silver, and jewels belonging
to the Governor and his suite. Thus the expedition was brought to an
untimely end. The King of Siao, and the missionaries accompanying him,
had started in advance for Otong (Panay Is.) to wait for the Governor,
and there they received the news of the disaster.
Amongst the most notable of the successful expeditions of the
Spaniards, was that of Pedro Bravo de Acuna, in 1606, which consisted
of 19 frigates, 9 galleys, and 8 small craft, carrying a total
of about 2,000 men, and provisions for a prolonged struggle. The
result was that they subdued a petty sultan, friendly to the Dutch,
and established a fortress on his island.
About the year 1607 the Supreme Court (the Governorship being vacant
from 1606 to 1608), hearing that a Dutch vessel was hovering off
Ternate, sent a ship against it, commanded by Pedro de Heredia. A
combat ensued. The Dutch commander was taken prisoner with several of
his men, and lodged in the fort at Ternate, but was ransomed on payment
of P50,000 to the Spanish commander. Heredia returned joyfully to
Manila, where, much to his surprise, he was prosecuted by the Supreme
Court for exceeding his instructions, and expired of melancholy. The
ransomed Dutch leader was making his way back to his headquarters
in a small ship, peacefully, and without threatening the Spaniards
in any way, when the Supreme Court treacherously sent a galley and
a frigate after him to make him prisoner a second time. Overwhelmed
by numbers and arms, and little expecting such perfidious conduct
of the Spaniards, he was at once arrested and brought to Manila. The
Dutch returned 22 Spanish prisoners of war to Manila to ransom him,
but whilst these were retained, the Dutch commander was nevertheless
imprisoned for life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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