Note 7 — The Sangley Insurrection of 1603

On the seventeenth of February of 604, the said ambassador, Marcos de la Cueva, put back to port on account of a storm that struck him, which caused his vessel to spring a leak. He was again sent out in another and very good vessel with one hundred and fifty picked soldiers, under the leadership of Captain Cueva, a very honorable and brave soldier. He left [137] on Thursday, the twenty-fifth of the said month, in the ship “Santiaguillo,” which was quite well equipped for whatever should happen—a very necessary thing. He arrived at the trading-post where there are Portuguese who trade with the Chinese, and delivered his letters to them, in order that they might be given to the eunuch. For the period while he stayed there, no reply was received to the letters, but he was put off with words; whereupon, growing impatient, he returned to Manila, leaving affairs in that condition. With the vessels that came from China this year of 605 to this city, the eunuch sent three letters—one to the governor, another to the Audiencia, and the third to the archbishop. All were similar. The eunuch stated that he had received the letters taken by the ambassador. The people who had been killed were very properly killed, as they were an abandoned people. By the information that he had received from some Sangleys he learned that many Sangleys had been condemned to the galleys. He asked for them in his letters since they were still living, asking that they be sent with the property that had been taken from them. If not, then he would go there with a war-fleet of one hundred armed ships and conquer their land, and give the same to others who better merited it.7 The governor, with the advice of the others, answered this letter to the effect that he refused to send the Sangleys; and that before the one hundred armed ships reached here, he would go to meet them with five hundred, for he would rejoice to put an end to such canaille, and had enough men to do it. This [138] letter was given to a Sangley, one Juan de San, a prominent man among them, and very wealthy, who had lived many years among us, that he might give it to the eunuch. This man and others who came in this year of 605 brought news that in [the province of] Canton, three hundred leguas in the interior, a river overflowed so that it drowned two hundred thousand Sangley Indians, and much property was lost. It was also said that earthquakes had occurred, two hundred leguas in the interior, and as far as Canton, which lasted for two months. They were so terrific that they shook the very strong palaces, while other houses and mosques were overthrown. This misfortune and plague has been by the permission of heaven. At another part, the Japanese of Great Corria have revolted, and are warring with these Chinese, so that four hundred thousand of them have banded against the latter, by which the Chinese are receiving great injury.8 Thus, by these and other things, the Chinese are being consumed and finished, although much time is needed for it. May God be mindful of us, as He is able, and ever give us His protection.