Note 85 — Chapter XLIII

Governor Don Juan Niño de Tabora sent Captain Juan Bautista, who had married one of his servants, to the fort and presidio of Caragán. He was a very energetic and courageous youth, as he had proved on all opportunities that arose—both in that presidio, where he made many successful expeditions, and in other places where he had been sent. He had been badly wounded in Joló. When he beheld himself head of that fort, he resolved to make an entrance among the Tagabaloes.85 He assembled many men from the friendly villages; as is the custom—although I know not with what justice they have taken to make forays on them, capturing them, carrying them away, and selling them, for those Indians where they go are not Moros, nor even have they done any harm to the Spaniards, but remaining quiet in their own lands, they eke out a miserable existence. But this [custom] is inherited from one [generation] to another. While about to make a foray in this manner, Captain Bautista quarreled with a chief of Caragán, the chief of all that district; and, not satisfied with treating him badly with words, the captain attacked him, threw him to the ground, and gave him many blows and kicks. Captain Bautista was unarmed, as were also the Spaniards with him, who are very self-reliant in all things. Then the chief returned to his own people and asked them if they were not ashamed of what had happened. “Then,” said he, “how do you consent that the Castilians and captain treat me thus in your presence, when you could easily kill them?” As they were few and unarmed, the natives killed the captain and twelve soldiers, and Father Jacinto Cor, a Recollect father, who was going with them. After this first misfortune, resulting from the anger of an imprudent captain, the natives went about warning and killing all the Spaniards whom they found on their coasts, and tried to take the fort by strategy. But already the matter was known, and on that account they did not take the fort, which was the only means of recovering that post. They killed four more religious, among whom was father Fray Juan de Santo Tomás, prior in Tangda, who was near the same fort. He was a holy man, as he showed at his death; for, seeing them resolved to kill him, he asked permission to commend himself to God. He knelt down, and while he was commending his soul to God, they thrust him through with a lance. This religious was very learned and devout, and took especial care of his soul. Therefore it is believed that by that title of martyr our Lord chose to take him to His glory and crown him there. They wounded brother Fray Francisco, a layman, severely, as well as the father reader, Fray Lorenzo; but they did not die, and were afterward ransomed. The other religious were very devoted to God. How fortunate they, since they died so happily and in so heroic a quest; for those idolators killed them for hatred of their teachings. As much help was taken there as possible from Sugbú. The chief commander in this was Captain Chaves, encomendero of Caragán, who was living in Sugbú. He performed good services, repairing as much as possible the evil and harm that had been begun. Afterward, the commander-in-chief, Martin Larios, went with more soldiers to punish those Indians.