Volume 22 — Relations of 1628–29

I

Relation of affairs in the Filipinas and in other regions, for the year of 1628 and 629, sent by the fathers [of the Society]; and of a victory gained by our men.

A fleet of two galleons with high freeboard has also left, and in them four companies of soldiers, in pursuit of the Dutch enemy who were in Macan and along the coast of Great China. Advices were received of a Dutch ship which was carrying one million [279] pesos’ worth of wealth. The result has not been ascertained as yet.

The fleet which went from the province of Oton to punish Jolo has arrived at this very moment. I shall relate here a very fortunate result that our Lord gave them. It is as follows. The island of Jolo is next to that of Mindanao. The fleet left here, as I said, on the first of April. At dawn of Holy Saturday it reached the mouth of the river of Jolo, and entering it and attacking the village, the enemy fled as a single man to the mountain, so that the energy of all our men was directed to pillaging. The sack amounted to thirty thousand pesos. What was pillaged from the house of the king amounted to six thousand pesos in silk, cloth, wax, huge quantities of wax, innumerable weapons, and other things of great value. It was all divided among the villagers. That news was one of the best which this country has heard, as that enemy was the one who does us most harm. Father Fabricio Sersali, who was with the fleet, preceded them all with an image of St. Francis Xavier raised on a spear. In this manner did the aged saint enter the mosque, and leap for joy. Now [280] boats are being prepared in this town of Arebalo to complete the uprooting from these islands of those nations who disturb them. They burned the town, and the house of the king, the mosque, and the rice which they could not carry away. They felled the palm trees, so that they might deprive those people of support. They did all that in one day. They burned one hundred and forty ships—forty large ones and the others of less burden. Such and such people were captured; and then they set out on their return in high spirits, in order to go out another time, for which they are preparing. Oton, May 30, 628.

Will your Reverence aid me with your holy sacrifices and prayers, so that I may imitate many apostolic laborers whom we have had here, and of whom we have at present many, who have come from all those provinces of España; they have made and are making gardens pleasant to the sight of God, from the obscure forests which the devil has possessed so many thousands of years and still possesses in these islands. For, as we have been told, there are eleven thousand islands, of which that of Manila is the largest and most important. It has more Christians [than the others], and yet even in it there are many infidels, who make war on us. Among the other islands there are very few [with Christians] because of the many which are so full of infidel people who profess the devilish worship of Mahoma. I cannot [281] depict to your Reverence how surrounded we are by that canaille on all sides, and the wars that they so frequently make upon us—so that, in the summer especially, no one can be safe in his house. Daily do they enter our villages, burn them and their churches, break into bits the saints and images, and capture the poor Indians.

Soon thirty or more boatloads of Camuzones Indians arrived here. They were naked, having only a bit of cloth with which they cover, etc. Their weapons are certain pointed bamboos, but those bamboos are very strong. They entered a village which was under my charge, and burned it, together with its house and church. They broke the saints into pieces, [282] although the ornaments were saved. Nine persons were captured here.

All those coasts of this sea have been crowded with sentinels this year, for it was rumored that many Dutch ships were to come, and they always come to sight land at the cape of Espiritu Santo.

When we go from some villages to others, we cross many deep rivers, which are all generally full of caymans or crocodiles. These [reptiles] swallow a bull, a cow, or a deer even to their horns, thus causing great loss. They also catch and eat the Indians daily.

There is a most abundant quantity of snakes, almost all of which cause death when they sting. There is but one remedy for the wounds, namely, if they happen to have a little of the earth from San Pablo. By having it blessed, they are infallibly cured; and he who is treated with this remedy does not die. There are other snakes which are not poisonous. They are so large that they can swallow a large wild boar, or a large deer, horns and all. A father and some Indians killed one which was eating a hog; they ran up on hearing the grunts of the hog, and speared and killed the snake.

There is great abundance of material products, and the country is very fertile. The grain of these regions is rice, and as a rule each fanega of grain sowed yields one hundred fanegas, and many yield two hundred fanegas, especially if it is irrigated and transplanted. [284] There are oranges of many varieties, some of them resembling large melons. Honey and wax is found in the trees, where the bees make it. The wax is worth sixteen or twenty reals an arroba, and a jar of honey one real. I saw a tree which had many honeycombs hanging on the branches. The mountains are fuller of wild boars than are the commons of España of swine and cattle in acorn time. One of those swine, if it is fat, is worth two reals, but only one if not fat; and a deer is worth the same sum. There are almost no fruits of España. There are melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and radishes of the country, and quantities of cabbages and lettuce. There are many native fruits, some of which are excellent, but they are not so many or so good as those of España, while the food does not have the same nourishment as in España. The swine here are excellent, and better and more healthful than those of España; for they are eaten like mutton, and are given to the sick as mutton is in España.

God is ever our physician and apothecary in sickness, and but few times does one fall grievously sick when our Lord does not supply the lack of medicines, without which [MS. holed: we?] get along very well, and God helps [us]. Panbohen, July 6, 1629.

Pedro de Prado

We received a letter from Eastern India which gives very good news of its condition; for the Dutch are now in small numbers and are very much disaccredited, with both the Moros and the heathen, and these have revolted against the Dutch and driven them from their lands and from the houses of trade [285] that they owned, because they have found them false in their commerce and deceitful in their trading. Our men went to help drive out the Dutch.

Good news comes from Zeilan and Tebet of the great conversion to Christianity that is being effected there and in other regions, and that the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ continues to increase.

Ruy Freire went to besiege Ormuz with some ships, and the viceroy told him that he was going in person with [MS. holed] ships to capture it.

Father Muxica writes from Macan that Father Trigautio had come from China to Macan, and said that there were many highborn and influential people [286] in China who were being converted, and that they were living very exemplary lives. Manila, July 5, 1628 [sic].

II

A relation of events in the Philipinas Islands, and other neighboring kingdoms, from the month of July, 1628, to July,1629.

Continuing my project begun last year, I will proceed in this account to relate the events which have happened this year, without observing any other order than that in which they occur to me.

On the twentieth of June an eclipse of the sun began at eleven o’clock, and at thirteen minutes after twelve it was so far eclipsed that it could not be seen at all. It seemed as if it were night, and the stars were seen in the sky, so that we were forced to light candles in order to eat; for there was a dinner that afternoon, on the occasion of a certain feast. As far as I know, this eclipse was not seen in Nueva España; it is the most complete one that I have ever seen, though I have seen many.

On the eighteenth of July last, in the village of Guiguan, which is a mission of the Society, an image of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady with a gilded face, began to weep piteously—in the sight of all, and of the father who was expounding Christian doctrine in that village—with a saddened countenance, to the great terror of all who were present. It seemed as if this was the announcement of the disasters and calamities which have been suffered by those poor islands of the Pintados (which are in our missionary charge) from their enemies the Camucones and the Joloans, who have become very insolent—plundering many ships on the sea, some of them valuable; robbing and burning towns, capturing [289] the people, and destroying the images, which the fathers have kept well until their flight and refuge in the mountains. It has been considered a singular providence that no one of our fathers has been captured (although there are fears about one, but nothing certain is known about it). The enemy suddenly landing, one father was surprised in bed, but made his escape almost in his shirt; they surprised another while saying mass, and he was obliged to make his escape in his chasuble, fleeing through the marshes; another they found sprinkling with holy water the whole population of the town in the church; another they met on the sea, and having given chase to his vessel, the father leaped overboard and finally escaped. The father provincial was in great danger several times, but in the end God preserved him and all the other fathers. The greatest hardship is, that it seems as if those who conduct the government do not endeavor to check these raids; may the Lord do so by restraining the enemies.

Relief was sent this year to the Malucas Islands, as has usually been done in past years, in several pataches and a galley. The Dutch enemy had at their Malayo fort (which is almost within sight of our fort at Terrenate), a very powerful ship which passed in front of our fort several times discharging their artillery as if defying us to come out and fight. After this bravado our men and Pedro de Heredia, governor of those fortifications, armed two pataches and the galley (a force much inferior to that of so powerful a ship) and went out to meet the enemy. He boarded it and began to attack the soldiers in it; the enemy, seeing that the fight was going against them, cut loose from our ship, and retreated or fled to their [290] fort. There their people arrested the captain, because, although he had had the advantage on his side, he had not sunk our little pataches, but instead had taken to flight. Some of the Dutch and some of our men were killed in this fight.

With the aim of relieving these islands and their natives from the suffering that they endured in building galleys and ships, the governor decided to send [291] some Spaniards to the kingdom of Camboja, which abounds in fine woods, to establish dock-yards; this purpose was carried out. With the Spaniards it was decided to send some of the Society, but for certain reasons this was not done, nor would we permit it. The fathers of St. Dominic, however, permitted it; and so some of them went there with the Spaniards, and were very well received by the king of Camboja. They immediately commenced to carry out their plans for the ships, while the religious built a church. The king gave them permission to baptize and convert to Christianity any persons in his kingdom who wished it.

I wrote last year, that, annoyed by the injuries which these islands had received from the king of Sian, who had seized in one of his ports a ship of ours richly laden with silks, our galleons had gone there and made reprisals on some of his ships. The latest news is that a ship was sent there with some of the Sianese who were captured, and some Spaniards, to give an account of the affair; and to tell the king that our people desired to continue in peace and friendship, but that he must satisfy us for what he had seized from us, and in return we would satisfy him for what we had seized from his people. As yet we have had no answer from there, nor have we heard how the matter was concluded—much less if our fathers who reside there lost their lives when our galleons did so much damage to the Sianese ships.

The outlook for Christianity in Cochinchina was very promising, and in the year 1627 eight hundred adults were baptized; but this year we have had news that the fathers had encountered adverse fortune, and were fearing expulsion from that kingdom—but now [292] they write that the tempest has already abated, and the skies are clearing.

In late years, there have been many wars in the kingdom of Tongin, which adjoins that of Cochinchina; but the Christians have been left in peace, and thus many have been converted to Christianity. It is even reported that this same king and a brother of his had been or were to be baptized. Would to Heaven that it were so! although hitherto there has been no certainty of anything, because we have had no letters from our fathers, on account of the said wars.

The Tartars have again revolted against the Chinese, who are so hard pressed that they have sent to Macan for artillerymen and artillery for the war. The Portuguese lent them two heavy guns, and thirty men to go with them, among whom was Father Palmerin, the visitor of that province [in the margin: in the secular habit], to visit, on this occasion, the houses and the residences in China.

As to the condition of Christianity in Japon, I cannot better give account than by inserting here letters and relations sent from there. The first, dated 1627, reads as follows:

“On the twenty-ninth of July of this year (1627) they burned alive at Omura, together with another who wished to accompany them, a Dominican father and three domestics, who had been kept in close captivity since the year 1626. This persecution was begun because, having confiscated the property belonging to the Franciscan fathers in Nangasaqui, they found a list in which those fathers enumerated the servants and houses which each one possessed in the land of Omura; and because they had sent a ship with a cargo of flour to Manila, in order to bring religious to Japon on its return—although those of Omura were more than twice advised by the religious of Nangasaqui to consider that it was against the Japanese law, and that by so doing they were exposing themselves and others to the risk of destruction, by furnishing pagans and renegade Christians [298] with a pretext to persecute them, especially the religious at the port from which the ship sailed. Twenty-five of the constant ones were murdered—of all ages, men and women—some for having displayed their constancy, and others for admitting religious into their houses. Among others who died by burning alive, one, a good laboring woman, was especially distinguished, whom, because she was discovered to have admitted religious to her house, they exposed to public shame, taking her in this manner for more than twenty leguas round about. Finally, she was burned alive, ever displaying the most remarkable constancy. The same fortitude was shown by three men, whom they buried up to their shoulders. Another who saw some one being burned alive, displayed no less courage; for, filled with fervor, he voluntarily plunged into the flames, where he was entirely consumed. All these were martyred at Omura for their faith, or for receiving religious into their houses. More than forty were executed for sending the said ship, and even now the punishment is not concluded. Thus that Christian community, one of the earliest in Xapon, is greatly afflicted [apparently some words missing in MS.] in order that it may be preserved and aided.

“From the kingdom of Figen, they passed to that of Fingo. At Amacusa, in Fingo, there was no general persecution, leaving the chiefs and laborers, so that if it were conducted rigorously with all, some would be found to be weak-spirited. However, they martyred one man, who showed unusual constancy. At the end of this year 1627, this Christian church had devoted one hundred and eight martyrs to the Lord. In other parts of Japon the Christians and [299] their ministers were left in comparative quiet, so that in the year 1626 their ranks were increased by more than two thousand converts who were baptized by members of our Society, to say nothing of those who were baptized by religious of other orders. We believe that in the year 27 there will be a still greater number of converts in the kingdom of Oxu, because in this kingdom (which is the farthest in Japan) many of the people are well disposed. There are at present there four of Ours, five Franciscans, and one Augustinian. May the Lord assist them there in all Xapon, opening doors so long locked, through which many others can enter.”

This is the first relation. The second is a letter from the father provincial of Xapon, Matheo de Couros, dated February 25, 1626. It reads as follows: “The Xongu [i.e., shogun] lives with his queen, obeyed and feared by all. There is no human hope of any change here. All these kingdoms enjoy considerable peace during the tempest, and Christianity only is persecuted with fire and sword. From others you may have learned that the Franciscan fathers sent a ship to the city of Manila. This has more than twice resulted in the total destruction of Christian work in Omura; and its lord, although he is a child, runs the risk that they will behead him (or at least his governors), because the said ship was fitted out in one of his ports. We do not know how this will end. On January 21, they arrested Father Antonio of the Franciscan order at Nangasaqui. The embassy of the Dutch had an unfortunate ending at the court of Xapon, because it was known to be only a pretext. It is also said that one of the great governors of Xapon remarked at court that it [300] would be a great injury to that kingdom, were it said that they welcomed in their ports a people who came only to rob upon the high seas, and that it was taken ill in foreign kingdoms.”

In another letter, of November 28, 1627, it is said by Father Xacome Antonio, after the departure of the galeotas, that “there is no news from these countries; the persecution at Nangasaqui has ended, because the presidents had all gone to the court, and so at present there is comparative quiet. At first those who were banished to the mountains were not allowed, under the penalty of burning, imposed by the ministers of justice, to build any shelter from the inclemencies of the weather; but afterward they were allowed to build huts of straw. It was also granted that no minister of justice dwell among them, which is a great blessing. The Christians who were sent to court arrived there in safety; and although at the beginning they found no one to welcome them the governors afterward ordered that houses be given them. They are well accommodated in a monastery of bonzes, who, beyond the kind treatment they accord them, are urging the governors to accord to them, and to the other Christians at Nangasaqui, liberty of conscience. The chief bonze of this monastery, a man of great authority on account of his dignity, is pushing this negotiation. Besides this, these same Christians presented a petition or memorial, asking the governors at this court to intercede for them, and procure for them such liberty at Nangasaqui as they had had in the days of the Daifu, so that their inhabitants might live there as Christians. It was well received, and they were given hopes of a favorable decision. The same encouragement [301] is given to all those who come to the court. Even the heathen talk of it, and say that the permission will doubtless be accorded. May the Lord grant it; for if it succeeds the whole country in the neighborhood of Nangasaqui will remain in some peace.”

We have had no news from the island of Hermosa, which keeps us in great anxiety, because more than two hundred thousand pesos were sent there from this city of Manila to be invested in Chinese silks. We do not know what has been done with it, or whether the money has been lost, an uncertainty which occasions anxiety to the merchants. In short, these Philipinas Islands are at present in a ruinous condition, with many powerful and triumphant enemies, our forces weakened, and our people in dread of other large fleets. May the Lord remedy all this, and assist with His divine favor, in the preservation of the faith in these lands. Manila, July 18, 1629.

[A document of this same collection (“Papeles de los Jesuítas”), with pressmark “Tomo 169 numero 2,” is identical with the above relation, except for slight verbal differences which do not change the sense in any way. But at the end occurs the following additional letter:]

Letter of Father Sebastian de Morais

Since the letters carried by the little ship from India are lost, the following was learned from another [304] letter. On the octave of Espíritu Santo, a sudden attack was made from Fayal Island to Tercera Island, as a little ship from India, called “San Felipe,” was making port there. That ship left Cochin December 22, 1629, and reached Fayal seven days after Pentecost. There it was met by an English ship which mounted twenty-four pieces, many carrying balls of sixteen libras. It had sixty musketeers, while our ship had only thirty white men and twenty Indians, and mounted fourteen small pieces of artillery. However we cut down the yard of the pirate’s foremast with the first volley. They fought one day and night. They killed our master and two sailors, and our men killed the enemy’s captain and many of their men, while the ship was so hardly used that it would have sunk but for the calking. Our ship bore down upon it; but another pirate, of heavier burden, appeared within range. Consequently, our ship retired to Fayal, where some ships from the island of Terceras went to get it. They cast anchor at that point with great rejoicing, our ship being quite like a sieve because of the balls that remained sticking in its sides and upper works. Even that image of our patron saint, St. Philip, had in it eighteen balls. The ship carries three thousand five hundred quintals of pepper for the king, and a quantity of merchandise. The ships of General Roque Senteno were going for it [as convoy].

A fleet of forty sail had gone to Socotra against the enemy, with volunteer forces, who were encouraged by the sight of a crucifix which the enemy had insulted on a certain occasion. We had a glorious victory over many galleys of the [king] of Achen, although our craft were very inferior.

“Sire:

The fathers of the Society of Jesus of this city have been suffering signal discomfort and need, because of the falling of their church, and because the house in which they live is threatened with the same ruin, as it is dilapidated in many places; and, as it is propped up in many places, the religious are living in great danger. This city has grieved much over this loss, as the Society is so frequented by all its inhabitants and is of so great benefit as it is in all the world. Although they have commenced to build their new church, and a dwelling-house, they will not be able to finish these very soon, because of lack of funds; and their present need demands a more speedy relief. Consequently, this Audiencia is obliged to represent the case to your Majesty, so that, with your accustomed liberality, you may be pleased to give an alms to the fathers for these works. Since they were commenced with what your Majesty was pleased to give them five years ago, it will be right that they be finished with another equivalent sum. The fathers deserve this aid, as they were the first to engage in the matters of the royal service in the building of galleons with the Indians of their districts; while, in the fleets which are offered to them, they embark personally. And, in this respect, they are very attentive in all other things that concern year Majesty’s service and the public welfare. With the protection which they promise themselves from the piety of your Majesty, they will continue successfully in this care. May our Lord preserve your Majesty many years, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, July twenty-nine, one thousand six hundred and thirty.

Don Juan Nino de Tavora Licentiate Geronimo de Legaspi Licentiate Don Mathias Flores Licentiate Marcos Zapata de Galvez”

In a letter of August 4, 1630, the governor says, regarding the question that arose on account of the capture of the Japanese junk: “For the preservation of the commerce of the Japanese with Macan, which is interrupted by the capture of one of their junks by our galleons in the port of Sian in May of 628, the investigations which I have written during the last two years have been made by my efforts. The Japanese have become somewhat more softened, because they have understood that it was not the intention of this government to damage them. What I wrote last year to the king of Japon was of considerable aid in that understanding, and that king made it known in Japon. The city of Macan lately begged [303n] me to write new letters to Japon, and I have done it very willingly, with the advice of the Audiencia and other experienced persons. Our Lord grant that it will have a good result.” See Pastells’s Colin, i, p. 242. The original of this letter rests in the Sevilla archives; its pressmark, “est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 8.”

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