The Philippine Islands, 1493 to 1898 by Various

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The enemy's flagship, seeing that our almiranta had departed, began
to serve their artillery more rapidly, and their musketry from the
bow, so that they inflicted considerable loss upon those of our men
who boarded their ship with only shields on their arms, and their
swords. In this way they would have defeated the enemy if they
had attacked with fifty men in a body. Instead of taking such good
counsel, they boarded in parties of threes, while the enemy continued
to wound and kill them. Even this lack of system and concord did not
stop here, but it is understood that the enemy pierced our flagship
with a ball at the water-line. Our men, flushed with the exultation
of the victory they had won at first, and confused by much shouting,
did not hasten to repair the damage; for they were people who did
not like to be ordered, and their general could do nothing with them,
as they were all captains and men of distinction. On account of this,
and as the ship was so occupied by the sailors' berths, they could not,
or did not, notice the shot which our ship received. When they did
perceive it by the rising of the water to the second deck, they all
became frightened; and, instead of boarding the enemy's ship, with
the thought that if they were losing a ship, they were gaining one,
they began to devise means of escape. Accordingly some leaped into
the enemy's small boat without orders from the general, whereby a few
escaped, while others had recourse to our own small boat. Thus eight or
ten of them contrived to escape, without waiting for anything else. A
little before this, they addressed the general, Antonio de Morga,
saying: "Escape, your Grace, for the ship is sinking." He answered
that it was not suitable to his reputation to leave his ship and not
die with all the others, from which answer it was understood that,
in case the ship went down, he was confident of his own strength and
dexterity. The rest of our men--it may be seen what sort of men they
were--seeing that the vessel was settling little by little, and that
the enemy did not cease to serve their guns, huddled together in fright
as they saw their ship filling with water--a state of affairs which
would make others undertake not only the exploit of boarding the ship
and mastering it, but even more difficult enterprises. In short, by the
just judgments of God, which our sinful countrymen so well deserved,
He disturbed their minds and deserted them, so that they would make no
effort, excepting a few--of whom I shall make particular mention below,
because they deserve it. There was one who, in order that he might
take them with him, ordered a gold chain and other jewels brought
to him. Seeing things in this condition and the danger so evident,
a father of the Society, by name Father Santiago, took a crucifix
in his hands, and commenced to call out to the Christian Spaniards:
"Where is that courage of yours? See, this is the cause of God! Die,
die like good soldiers of Jesus Christ! If you do not care to be food
for fishes, consider that the lesser of the two evils which threaten
us is to board that ship of the enemy, for if we are losing one ship,
we are gaining another." After this exhortation, several men hastened
to board their enemy's ship. Those who did not do it were prevented
by two reasons: first, because they saw a fire breaking out on the
enemy's ship, caused by some charges of powder which they set off
purposely to terrify our men, and make them believe that they were
about to blow up the ship; the second, because our pilot told them
that, although the ship was so full of water up to the second deck,
all hands could be saved even if the ship were lost, as the distance
from there to the island of Fortuna was little more than one-half
legua, and, if they would cast loose from the enemy and crowd on sail,
their purpose would be just as well effected. The idea of escaping with
their lives seemed very attractive to all, and accordingly this plan
was immediately put into execution. They began to cut the cables and
to cast loose from the enemy. In a few moments our ship started off
in such a way that they saw the dead bodies of drowned men floating
about between decks. The general, upon seeing this, began to strip
off his clothing, at the persuasion of a private servant of his named
Josepe Denaveda, who gave him a mattress of [_MS. worn_] on which the
two naked men threw themselves into the sea. Many others did likewise,
though only a few reached shore. Our ship gave a lurch and foundered,
carrying down with it all those whom fear of their inability to swim
prevented from taking to the water--some of whom were armed--so that
the majority of the men were carried down with the ship. Many who were
very good swimmers were dragged to the bottom by the force of the
suction. All our men who were still on the surface tried by all the
means in their power to save their lives. It was the unhappy fate of
some of them to reach the enemy's ship itself where those heretics
hastened to receive them with pikes, and speared them with great
cruelty. Among those they wounded Captain Gomez de Molina with a lance;
however he continued to swim thus wounded, until he reached the shore,
where he died from loss of blood, at the water's edge. In this way
many died, and those who escaped took shelter on the island of Fortuna,
eighteen leguas from the city, until some vessels might pass by.

At this moment the small Portuguese ship, seeing the outcome, laid
its course to Malaca, because it had arrived only at that moment. Our
ship had grappled with the enemy for six hours, from eight in the
morning until two in the afternoon, when the former foundered.

Admiral Joan de Alcaga, who was chasing the enemy's almiranta, overtook
it, and after he had fired two or three volleys of his artillery,
musketry, and arquebuses, he grappled it on its stern-quarter on the
starboard side. Our men immediately boarded the enemy, the said admiral
being among the first. The enemy defended themselves well, serving
their artillery and thrice setting a fire purposely with some powder
cartridges, but our men hastened to put out the fire with buckets
of water. The enemy seeing the strength of their assailants and how
unfortunately the action was turning out, because the best of them
were killed, honorably surrendered. Admiral Joan de Alcaga agreed,
and so they were captured with nineteen men alive. On our side only
one man was killed by a gun-shot, one Joan Baptista de Mondragon,
a nephew of the precentor in the cathedral at Manila. Another from
the Canarias was drowned while trying to jump from one ship to the
other. Some were seriously wounded; the captain and master of our
almiranta, Joan Lopez de Serra, was shot through the thigh, and a
certain Calderon was shot through one side of his shoulder and part
of his arm. There were others wounded, but none seriously. Some booty
was found on the vessel, two pipes of oil and two of wine, a number
of basins, candlesticks, and brass mortars, iron in plates and bars,
and some other small wares of little value. They captured twelve pieces
of artillery--eight heavy and excellent pieces of cast iron, and four
small ones. Among other things captured, was found a small iron coffer
which was kept in the after-cabin, and in which the admiral carried the
papers and commissions which the prince of Orange had given him when
he appointed him captain of that ship. One was in his own tongue and
the other in ours, which is the one copied at the end of this relation.

One or two charts were found, which they brought for Piru; these the
holy Inquisition has in its possession. Then Admiral Joan de Alcega
ordered a few sailors to be transferred to the ship surrendered by
the enemy, and set them to making repairs in order to take it into
Manila; for its main mast and rigging were lost, and our men in
boarding left nothing standing by which they could navigate. They
took it to an island near by, called Luban, While there, our men
sighted a dismantled ship which seemed to be coming toward them,
which they took to be the enemy's flagship, which was already ours,
and that it was being sent, like their own, to be repaired. Their
expectation was not unfounded, for they had seen our men in it and
heard them shouting, "Victory!" so that it seemed to them that nothing
else could be possible. But in actual truth it was the enemy, who was
coming, upon seeing his almiranta, to see if he could assist it. But
when the enemy saw the two ships close together, and heard no noise
of guns, he tacked about, and hitherto nothing has been known of his
whereabouts. It is believed that his flagship was badly injured and
battered, since it did not wait, although victorious by having sent
our flagship to the bottom. However, we may give credit to some who
said that when they were in the water, they saw the crew of the enemy
casting lances at our men who were swimming, whom they could overtake.

Our almiranta, after its recent success, set sail to return to Manila,
where they thought that our flagship was calmly lying at anchor. They
arrived at Mariveles and there they heard of the misfortune our
people had suffered. The admiral sent a messenger to the governor of
this city to procure his orders, and to tell him that he was waiting
there. He was ordered to follow instantly and pursue the enemy as far
as Malaca, or wherever else he might hear that he was. Immediately
he received another order to cruise among those islands--when, if he
should not find the enemy, he was to return. This he did after sending
the survivors of the enemy to this city. The admiral himself came
later to the city, and the governor ordered him to be arrested, but
afterward set him at liberty. I do not know what justification there
was for either act. After all this, the governor, with perfect justice,
notwithstanding the word that Admiral Joan de Alcega had pledged to
them, ordered all the prisoners to be garroted. [28] This sentence
was fulfilled and executed upon thirteen of them because the rest
were boys. The latter, who are not young children, are divided among
the monasteries, with I know not what end in view. Twelve [of those
executed] died good Catholics and converts, and with many tears, so
that the religious were obliged to administer the most holy sacrament
of the eucharist to them. The Confraternity of La Sancta Misericordia
buried them with great charity. The only one who refused conversion
was the English admiral [Lambert Biezman], the most stubborn fellow
[29] and the most obstinate heretic I have ever seen in my life.

According to the reports received, a total of one hundred and
thirty-seven men were killed or drowned.

_Copy of the commission which was found in the iron box_

(This is a faithful and exact copy of a letter and patent, written
lengthwise on white parchment in large letters, and illuminated with
letters of gold. The first line is covered with a pendent seal of
red wax, the size of a consecrated wafer. This document appears to
have been issued by Mauricio de Nashau, who styles himself "Prince
of Orange," as commission for the captain or second in command of a
certain armed fleet, and is countersigned by J. Melander; its tenor
is as follows. [30])

Mauricio, Prince of Orange; Count of Nasau, Catzenelleboghen, and
Bietz; Marquis of Veer and Flissinge; governor, captain-general,
and admiral of the United Provinces of Flandes, etc.: To all who see
or hear these presents, our affectionate greeting, etc. Whereas, in
order to contract friendship with certain foreign nations and kingdoms,
and for many other considerations, we have seen fit to send a goodly
number of vessels, in good order and well equipped, to the coasts
of Asia, Africa, and America, and the islands of Eastern Yndia, to
make treaties and carry on trade with the subjects and inhabitants
thereof; and because we have been informed that the Spanish and
the Portuguese are hostile to the subjects of these provinces, and
obstruct their navigation and commerce in those parts, contrary
to all natural right of all cities and nations; we have found it
necessary to entrust, to certain valiant and experienced captains,
the task of executing this our intention. Being well-informed of the
fidelity and experience of Esaias de Lende, we have appointed him
captain of the ship named "La Concordia," of about fifty toneladas
register, with very detailed and explicit orders to go to the said
islands, to resist and make war on, and to harm and injure as far
as possible, all the said Spanish and Portuguese, and any others
who attempt to obstruct them in their duties, and in the performance
of everything which shall be further commanded by their admiral and
captain-general, Olivier van Noordt. That he may execute this, his
commission and charge, with greater facility and readiness, we have
ordered that he shall raise as many men as he shall deem necessary,
and as shall be entrusted to him by the said admiral. We strictly
order these men to obey and respect the said captain, and to obey all
his orders to them in the name of the said admiral. In everything
else he shall do all that a good and faithful captain is bound and
obliged to do--always excepting that neither he nor any of his men
shall dare to do any harm or injury to the subjects of his imperial
Majesty, or those of the kings of Francia, Anglatierra, Escocia,
Denemarqua, Suedia, and Polonia, or of the princes of the Empire,
[31] or of any other rulers who are friends of these provinces, or
inclined to the true Christian religion. Therefore we request and
require all the said kings and princes, and all other states, and
all persons whom the said Esaias de Lende shall encounter; and we
also give express orders to all admirals, vice-admirals, colonels,
captains, and other military men on sea or land, and others who are
under the government of these provinces and owe them obedience--to
recognize him as captain of the said ship, and to allow him, with
the said ship and crew, not only to go and trade wherever he shall
please, but also to assist him, and extend him all favor, aid,
and succor, from which we shall receive great and especial favor
and satisfaction. We will render favors to them on like occasions,
and our people will perform for them the services for which they are
under obligation. Given at La Haya [The Hague], on the twelfth of
May in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight.

_Maurici de Nashau_

By order of his Excellency:

_J. Melander_

[This is followed by a certificate (dated February 6, 1601) of the
accuracy of the copy, with the statement that the original had been
delivered to the royal notary for copying by Doctor Antonio de Morga.]

Documents of 1601

Report to the governor, on the battle with the Dutch. Antonio
de Morga, January 5.
Annual letters from the Philippine Islands. Francisco Vaez,
S.J.; June 10.
Letter to Felipe III. Diego Garcia, S.J.; July 8.
Letter from the fiscal to Felipe III. Hieronimo de Salazar
y Salcedo; July 16.
Complaint of the cabildo of Manila against Morga. Gonzalo
Ronquillo de Vallesteros, and others; July 20.
Letter to Felipe III. Antonio de Morga; July 30.
Grant to Jesuit school in Cebu. Council of Indias; December 11.

_Sources_: All these documents save one are obtained from MSS. in the
Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla; the second is taken from John Hay's
compilation _De rebus Iaponicis, Indicis, et Pervanis_ (Antverpiae,
M. DC. v.), pp. 950-968, from the copy in the Library of Congress.

_Translations_: The first and fourth of these documents are translated
by Norman F. Hall, of Harvard University; the second, by Henry
B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin; the third, fifth, and
sixth, by Robert W. Haight; the seventh, by James A. Robertson.

Morga's Report to the Governor on the Battle with the Dutch

_Copy of a petition of Dr. Antonio de Morga to the governor, in which
he gives an account of all that happened in the expedition against
the Dutch corsair, presented as soon as he returned from it._

This is a copy well and faithfully made from a petition which it
seems was presented by Dr. Antonio de Morga, auditor of the royal
Audiencia of these islands, to Don Francisco Tello, knight of the
Order of Santiago, who is governor and captain-general of these
islands. This is in connection with a suit brought by order of the
said governor against Joan de Alcega, admiral of the royal fleet
which went against the Dutch enemy which was sailing among these
islands. The said auditor was commander-in-chief of this fleet,
and the admiral was the said Joan de Alcega, who deserted the royal
flagship in time of battle. It runs as follows:

I, Dr. Antonio de Morga, auditor of the royal Audiencia and
Chancilleria of these Philipinas Islands, say that in the month of
October just passed, in the year one thousand six hundred, there
came to these Islands for the purpose of robbery one Oliver de Nor,
corsair and a heretic, and a native of the states of Flandes, with
two men-of-war well provided with men, artillery, and munitions. One
of the two ships was large and strong, and was the flagship; the
other, smaller and of less importance and strength, was the admiral's
ship. With these he had entered the South Sea through the Strait of
Magallanes, and skirted the coast of Chile; and then came and anchored
outside the entrance to these islands, in the bay of Alvay. After
making inquiries about affairs in these islands, and finding that
there was no fleet, and no arrangement by which one that could molest
him could be created, he passed by Capul and proceeded on his way
until he reached the mouth of the bay of this city of Manila. There
he made some captures and committed some robberies on vessels which
entered, and he was hoping to commit greater ones on the ships which
are expected this year, both from China and from Nueva Espana, with
the money belonging to these islands. On this account your Lordship,
together with the royal Audiencia, by a decree in due form dated the
last day of the aforesaid month of October, commanded me to go to
the port of Cavite and to place it and keep it in a state of defense;
and likewise to finish some vessels which had been begun there in the
dockyard, and to prepare and put in order those which could be used
quickly for a fleet to go out and resist and punish the enemy. By
working personally day and night, without having anything given to
me for it, I put all this into operation with the greatest diligence
and care, in thirty-two days. When I came to this city to give your
Lordship an account of the good condition of the fleet--in order that
it might be immediately arranged who was to go out in it, and the
soldiers and seamen who were to embark--considering the fact that
the corsair still remained near this bay, your Lordship, influenced
by urgent causes and reasons, ordered and commanded me in writing,
in the name of our lord the king, to set out with the volunteers of
this city, who were placed at my disposal for this expedition. It was
understood that I was to conduct this expedition, and, with another
body composed of hired soldiers from this district, was to go out as
quickly as possible in search of the enemy, and was to fight with him
until I overcame him or sent him to the bottom. There were many other
conditions which are contained more fully in the letter of instructions
which your Lordship gave me, signed and sealed, to which I refer. In
fulfilment of this, and only for the service of God and of our lord
the king (which service your Lordship commended to me so strongly),
leaving my house and quiet life, leaving my wife and nine children,
I obeyed your Lordship's command. At my own cost, without having
anything supplied from the royal treasury either to myself or to the
volunteers who were with me, and who formed the larger part of all
the body, I embarked on the fleet on the twelfth day of the month of
December of the aforesaid year, taking as flagship the vessel "San
Diego," which is of about two hundred tons burden; and in its convoy
the ship "San Bartolome" as admiral's ship, of the same burden,
in command of the captain Joan de Alcega, admiral of the fleet,
and other small vessels for the service of the fleet.

That same day I set sail from the port of Cavite in search of the
enemy; and on the following Thursday, the fourteenth of December,
I came in sight of him. Both ships of his fleet were anchored near
the mouth of the bay at the point of Balagtigui, with his boats at
the stern. The flagship of the enemy, from behind, was very easily
seen to be a strong vessel, but the admiral's ship was not. When
he discovered the two ships of the royal fleet and saw that we were
keeping together, in order jointly to board and attack his flagship,
he weighed anchor; and, after sending the said admiral's ship out
to sea under all sail, in order to divide us, thinking that one of
our ships would go after it, he with his flagship luffed toward our
vessels, in order to get to windward of us, which he was not able
to accomplish. On the contrary, when I discovered the number and
excellence of his artillery, with which he began to cannonade me, I
saw that success must consist in coming hand to hand with him as soon
as possible, with both of our vessels, according to the arrangement
which I had made on the day before, the thirteenth of December, when
I had given orders and instructions to that effect in writing to the
said admiral. So with my flagship I boarded the corsair's flagship,
and grappled with it side to side, on the port quarter of the enemy,
in the expectation that my admiral would do the same on the other
side, as he was perfectly able to do. At the first volley from the
artillery and arquebuses I swept the deck of the enemy, unrigged
his main and mizzen masts, sent his yards and shrouds into the sea,
burned his sails, and won and took into my power the flag at the
topmast, the standard and flag at the stern, and the others which the
ship bore. Then I sent on board of him a band of men with arms and a
banner of infantry, who captured the poop and the cabin and took the
shallop or long-boat which it had at the stern. All the enemy retired
below the harpings and coverings at the bow. Seeing from there that my
admiral was already coming upon them, and that they could not defend
themselves, they sent to ask protection for their lives, and to say
that they would surrender; and I granted their request, in order to end
the battle with the least possible loss and with the greatest safety.

At this time the admiral's ship of my fleet ought to have boarded the
enemy as I had done, according to his duty, and to the order which he
had from me; and, without orders from me, ought not to have passed by,
and still less to have gone in pursuit of, the opposing admiral's
ship which was going out to sea. These orders, for many reasons,
I could not be expected to give him, especially at that time, until
the flagship had completely surrendered and a guard had been placed
over it and over the people on it, which would be impossible with my
ship alone. Nevertheless our admiral aforesaid, for some reasons of
his own which he had, passed by, and with all sail started to pursue
and overtake the admiral's ship of the corsair. When the enemy on the
flagship saw this, and that they were alone, and that, on account of
the superiority of his ship and artillery, he might hope to defend
himself, he turned a deaf ear to the terms which I sent him; and he
not only did not surrender, but he put himself on the defensive, and
fought with me with all the fury of his artillery and of his musketry,
from both sides of the ship, and with fire contrivances, with which
he was well supplied. The battle lasted six hours, with both ships
lashed side to side, but in all this time my admiral aforesaid did not
leave his course, or return to succor or help me. On the contrary he
began, in our sight, to fight with the admiral's ship of the enemy,
which he had overtaken, and he easily captured it because it was
a very small ship, with about twenty-two men, including boys and
the sick; and after it had surrendered he remained there, instead
of returning to help me in time of battle. The enemy killed ten or
twelve Spaniards of my men, and some Indians of the service, and on
his side most of his men died; so that, being still so hard pressed,
he himself set fire to his ship of his own accord, at the stern,
where our men were on the poop with the banner. The fire so increased
there that we feared that both ships were going to be consumed.

Furthermore, my flagship, which was not a strong one, having been made
especially for the merchant trade, sprang a leak at the bow with the
force of the artillery which had been fired in this long combat; and it
made water so fast that nothing could be done, because we had no pumps,
as they had been knocked to pieces by one of the enemy's shot. On this
account, by the advice and counsel of the chief pilot and of the seamen
who understood the situation, I was asked to loosen myself from the
enemy and to go to save my ship (or at least the artillery and men
on it) at the island of Fortun, which was to leeward of us a legua
and a half away, and which they said we could reach quickly. When
I saw the opinion of the aforesaid men and the danger which my ship
was in, both from the fire on the enemy and from the risk of sinking,
I followed the advice; and, having withdrawn the men and the banner
that I had on the poop-castle of the corsair's ship, which was left,
as I have said, so broken and disabled, I started for the aforesaid
island of Fortun to make repairs; but the water which the ship was
taking in increased so that all at once the ship sank.

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