The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 by - (read any book TXT) 📕

the village of Mindanao, on the fourth day of the said month of April, of the said year, Taganchina, a chief, who claimed to be from Catituan, a town of this river, came, and appeared before the said captain and me, the present notary, and witnesses. Through Miguel Godines, the interpreter, he said that he wished to become the ally of the Castilians and to enroll himself under the protection of his Majesty—himself and his Indians, both timaguas and slaves. Many Indians from his village came with him. The said captain received him very kindly and informed him of the great gain that would accrue to him in becoming his Majesty's vassal, telling him among other things of the [Catholic] faith, of which he had told the others. He listened with attention and said that he would assemble his people and give what he could in recognition and tribute. The said captain told him to give what he pleased. He tried to induce him to confer with Limasancay to persuade the latter to make peace, discussing in detail all that he had told the other chiefs. These Indians went away, promising to return tomorrow. Witnesses, Juan Lopez de Queto, Tome de la Ysla, and others.

Gabriel de Ribera Miguel Godinez

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the village of Mindanao, on the sixth day of the month of April of the said year, Sibahandil, chief of the village of Silangay; Simangao, of this village of Mindanao; Simaganchina, of Catiman; and Sibandao, chief of this village, appeared before the captain and me, the notary, and witnesses, The said Bahandil gave an account of the tribute he had promised—two hundred yrcuvitillos of landan, each of them about one ganta; [41] and ten swine, large and small. The said Sibandao brought two hogs, and twenty tributes in rice, and medriñaque cloth, and two dishes from China, as tribute; for he gave nothing else. The said Sibangao gave four tributes in rice, each tribute of one chicuvite. The said Mahanchina gave twelve tributes in dishes as above mentioned. They said, through the said interpreter, that their reason for not coming before and not bringing tribute more fully was because of the great poverty that they were undergoing—since all the natives were in revolt and were suffering severely from famine, as they were all unwilling to come for peace. They asked pardon for their inability to do more. If they were at their own homes, they would pay more. The captain ordered it put down thus in the records. Witnesses, Francisco Velazquez, Ensign Melchor de Torres, Juan Lopez de Queto.

Grabiel de Ribera

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the village of Mindanao, on the sixth day of the month of April, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, the illustrious Gabriel de Ribera, captain of infantry and of the fleet and men sent to pacify this island and that of Jolo by the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general of these islands for his Majesty, made the following declaration. Inasmuch as his Grace has remained twenty-four days in this river and has done all that is declared in the records above, during all of which time he has striven to make peace and alliance with the petty king Limasancay and his chiefs, exercising for this purpose the utmost possible care, committing no injury—although indeed he has had much excuse therefor; and has contrived to have messengers sent to the said Limasancay, in order to confer with him, but the latter refused to talk, nor does anyone care to take a message to him, for they assert that they would be beheaded; and, besides, since Limasancay prevents his chiefs from coming to make peace; and although some chiefs have come to make peace and enroll themselves under his Majesty's protection (as, for instance, the chiefs of Silangay of this village of Mindanao and of Catituan), they do not pay us the tribute promised; and some of those who come bring two or three tributes of articles of little value, or of no importance, which is an ill way of amusing us, and of no advantage; and having seen the great need and lack of food suffered by the entire fleet, because of the long voyage and severe storms that they have experienced; and because of the many sick—each day both Spaniards and Indian rowers falling ill, because of the unhealthful climate of the land, and the lack of all food, except rice—and very little of that, on many days having only one ration a day, to all the people, both Bisayans and Moros; and considering the long voyage ahead of them, and the amount of work that must still be done in order to obey his Lordship's commands; and having no certain assurance of provisions—as this island is so short of them; and although his Grace sent Pedro de Oseguera with gold and articles of barter six days ago to search for food, still he is not sure that he has found it: therefore he said that he ordered, and he did order, all the vessels of this fleet to prepare to cross the bar, in order to make the voyage. His Grace ordered that a copy of a letter written in the Moro tongue, to the said Limasancay be placed in these records, so that it might be manifest. He signed the above. Witnesses, Francisco Velazquez, Tome de la Ysla, and Lope de Catalinaga

Gabriel de Ribera

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In fulfilment of the above order of the said captain, I, the present notary, caused to be made and did make, a copy of the letter written by order of the said captain to Limasancay, which was first written in a rough draft, so that the essentials of the said letter might therein be set down. It was written in the Moro language by the interpreter Laquian, an Indian Moro, who can write in the said tongue. In order that the said Laquian might write the said letter, it was explained to him by Miguel Godines, Spanish interpreter. Its tenor is as follows:

To Limasancay, the panguilan who is lord over this river and the environs of Mindanao: I came to this river by order of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general of the islands of Luçon, the Pintados, and the other islands, which he governs and rules for King Don Ffelipe, our sovereign, king of Castilla (whom may God preserve during many years). He ordered me to come to treat with you for the alliance that your father Sulatan so earnestly desired with the Castilians; to enroll you under the protection of the said king, our sovereign; and to warn you of the great error under which you and all the natives of this island are living because you do not know your Creator—who is three persons yet the one and only true God who created all men, the heavens, and the earth—so that, believing on Him, you might merit the enjoyment of the heaven that He created for those who believe and serve Him. At the entrance of this river I met Umapas, a slave of yours, who told me that he was going with a letter and message from you to the said governor, wherein you say that you wish to be his ally. In acknowledgment, you were sending two daggers and two cakes of wax. I ordered him to return to you, in order to tell you that I was coming for the purposes above; and that you should not flee or have any fear, for I was not coming, nor had I commission, to molest you in any way. But the said Umapas answered that he did not dare go upon this embassy for you would behead him. Likewise I sent to you one day prior to this two of your slaves (whom I seized on the sea in a ship), that they might advise you of my coming and that you should have no fear. You refused however to observe this; and not only have you fled and revolted, but you have caused the entire district and its chiefs to revolt. They desire to have peace with the Castilians and to be under the protection of the said king, our sovereign. But you have counseled them evilly; for, like a stripling, you do not know the blessings and advantages which you are losing, and which would be yours if you became the ally of the Castilians and placed yourself under the control of the said governor, both for your own and your land's tranquillity, and for your soul's salvation. Now this is the twenty-fourth day of this my stay in this river, without having injured you in any way, although I had good warrant therefor, and during which time I ascended the river of Balete in search of you, and then returned to this your village. Thence I sent messengers to tell you the above, none of whom have returned with a reply from you or have dared to talk with you. Now I am going to the island of Jolo to confer with its chief. I request you urgently to consider well what I have said for it concerns you much. I shall await your reply at Cavite and shall be able to receive it within twelve days. May God give you grace to come to His knowledge.

Your friend, Gabriel de Ribera

By order of the captain:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

This said letter in the above form written in the Moro speech and signed by the said captain before me, the said notary and before witnesses, was given and delivered on this day, the sixth of April of this year, to Sibandao, an Indian chief of this town, so that he might give it to the said Limasancay. Sibandao, through the said interpreter, offered to take it and deliver it to Limasancay. In order that it might appear in the records, this copy was inserted. The said captain and the said interpreter signed it. Witnesses were Francisco Velazquez, Lope de Catalina, and Juan Lopez de Queto.

Gabriel de Ribera Miguel Godines

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

This is a well and faithfully executed copy of a commission given to Lope de Catalinaga by the illustrious captain, Gabriel de Ribera, who comes to pacify these islands of Mindanao and Jolo, by order of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, of his Majesty's council and governor and captain-general of these islands. Its tenor is as follows:

I, Grabiel de Ribera, captain of infantry and of the fleet and people who come to pacify the islands of Jolo and Bindanao, at the order of the very illustrious governor and captain-general for his Majesty of these islands: Inasmuch as the instructions of the said governor ordered me to send some one from the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus to pacify the river and tingues [mountains] of Butuan; and considering how much we may shorten the long voyage by going from this district of Cavite instead of from the said town, and that we have here ships and rowers suitable for this undertaking—therefore in the name of his Majesty I entrust the said expedition to Sergeant Lope de Catalinaga. I order him to go as leader for the said pacification with fifteen soldiers besides himself. I order him to go with the said soldiers to the said river and tingues of Butuan to pacify the said people in the tingues. He shall try to render them obedient to his Majesty, making the best possible terms of peace by means of interpreters whom he is taking. From the natives of the said tingues, when they are pacified, he shall have power to collect such tribute as in all fairness can be collected from them. As he has the matter in hand, he shall do what is most convenient in this. Having collected the tribute, he shall keep one-half of it very carefully, as it belongs to his Majesty. The other half, according to his Lordship's orders, shall be divided among his soldiers, according to custom. Everything that shall be done upon this expedition shall be attested by notary; and I authorize him to appoint one, before whom shall be transacted all the proceedings necessary, so that an account may be rendered of everything. I order all his soldiers to regard, consider, and obey him as their leader, and observe his orders, under such penalties as he may inflict. Given in Cavite on the fourteenth of April, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine.

Gabriel de Ribera

By order of the captain:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

Collated with the original:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the port of Cavite, on the fourteenth