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

of April, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, after his arrival at this port, the illustrious Gabriel de Ribera, captain of infantry and of the fleet and people who came to pacify the islands of Mindanao and Jolo, by order of the very illustrious governor of these islands, saw in this port three vessels manned with Joloans. These vessels contained about fifty persons from the said island of Jolo. The said captain summoned them to his presence, and through the said interpreters, Laquian and Miguel Godines, asked them who they were. They replied that, when the captain was going to the river of Mindanao, he had sent a Boholan Indian to notify them to collect the tribute, as the said captain would come for it on his return. Therefore they, as soon as they heard this, went thither to confer with the said captain. The said captain asked them why they had left their village, and [had not] collected their tribute, since he had sent to tell them that they should have it ready; whereupon they all answered with one voice that the chief named Rasea had gone to Borney, four months ago, with a galliot and four vireys full of people, to the number of about three hundred. These had gone with the said chief to settle in Borney. Those left were about two hundred men, who were all reduced to despair through the great famine which they are suffering and have suffered since Esteban Rodriguez was in their village, and because of the damage inflicted upon them by the said Esteban Rodriguez. The said Esteban Rodriguez had told them that they would not be assessed tribute for two years. For this reason the people had gone to look for food in other islands. They had collected fifty-seven tributes, which they brought, with the request that his Grace would not go to the said village of Jolo because of the severe famine there; if he did, they must all abandon it. The said captain asked them if they had caught the elephants as the said captain Esteban Rodriguez had ordered and which they had promised to his Lordship. They said they knew nothing of this and that if elephants had been promised, it was by Raja Yloi; but he had gone to Borney and it was impossible for them to catch any alive. The said captain went outside secretly, and informed himself, through the said interpreters, from the Boholan who had been sent, and from the people of this port of Cavite, regarding the famine from which the said Indians asserted they were suffering. These declared that it was very well known and true, and was current talk on this coast, that the said Raja Ylo had gone to Borney with the people above mentioned; and that, in the opinion of the people who came from the island of Jolo, there will be much famine in the future. They are a poor people and in need of food. All of them begged among the ships of the fleet, and in the Spanish tongue, that, for the love of God, humay be given them for they are hungry. It was seen that they gave their weapons and clothes in exchange for rice. Thereupon the captain ordered the tributes brought by them, as they said, to be placed before him. They brought some robes, daggers, dishes, and articles of slight value and price, and cloth of their land, but no gold or silver. When the said captain saw how slight was the tribute and that it was in almost worthless articles, and as he had heard that there was a large field-piece in the village of Jolo, taken from the lost galley, he said that, since they did not have the tribute collected and were so pressed by dire need, he would have pity and not take the tribute, on condition that they would give the said piece. They said they would all assemble and discuss this, and they asked the said captain to await them there until they returned to Jolo. His Grace told them that this would trouble him considerably because of his great lack of food; but that he would send Pedro de Oseguera in a fragata to bring back the said piece, and to ascertain whether they had told him the truth. Thereupon that very night he ordered the said Pedro de Oseguera to get ready and embark with ten soldiers in the said fragata. He was to go to the said island of Jolo and examine the people and their settlement and ascertain their need of food. He was to take note of everything, charging his men to act cautiously, and was not to land or molest the natives. The said Pedro de Oseguera left that night to execute this commission, in order to take back the tributes that the said natives had brought, and took them.

Witnesses, Francisco Velazquez, Juan Davila, Melchor de Torres, and many other soldiers.

Before me:

Gabriel de Ribera Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the port of Cavite, on the nineteenth day of the month of April of the said year, Pagalugan and other chiefs and timaguas of the island of Taguima [Basilan] appeared before the said captain in the presence of me, the notary, and of witnesses. They said that they brought to his Grace, in recognition of tribute (for they knew the fleet needed food), twenty fowls, twenty pieces of colored medriñaque, three hogs, and one chivanta of wax in four pieces. They said that they had paid their tribute to Juan Lopez de Aguirre in civet-cats, fowls, swine, goats, and cloth. They came also to find out to whom they must pay the tribute hereafter, and how much they must pay. The captain asked how many people they were and how they could pay their tribute. Through the said interpreters they replied that they could pay their tribute in wax, civet-cats, tortoise-shell, and colored cloth. With the tinguianes [mountaineers] they number about one thousand men more or less. Upon this day the captain, seeing the fleet's need of food and the slight prospects for getting any, ordered all the said vessels of this fleet to return to the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus.

Witnesses, Melchor de Torres, Francisco Gomes, and others.

Before me:

Gabriel de Ribera Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the port called Dapitan, on the twenty-third day of the month of April of the said year, Pedro de Osegura, whom his Grace had sent to the island of Jolo, as above recorded, and who arrived at this port today with the men and fragata that he had taken, appeared before the said captain, and in the presence of me, the notary, and of witnesses. He said that, in fulfilment of his Grace's orders, he had gone to the said island of Jolo. He anchored at the mouth of the river there, for four days. As soon as he arrived he summoned the chiefs. They came, and through the said interpreter Laquian he learned from them that Raja Ylo, with the Indians of the island—three hundred men, and their women-with his wives, children, slaves, and all his possessions, had gone to settle in Borney. He [Oseguera] tried also to learn who had remained, whether they had a famine, as reported. He was told that not more than one hundred and forty Indians remained and that, they were suffering a most severe famine. He ordered them to bring the piece that was said to be inland. In three hours they brought one to him, and he brought it hither in his fragata. It seems to be of about twelve or thirteen quintals' weight. Thinking that they were lying in regard to the people and their poverty, he insisted upon asking them for the tribute, telling them that everyone who becomes his Majesty's vassal, pays that recognition, as a return for his Majesty's expenses in his fleets. They showed so great poverty, and were so little able to give anything, that, although he had the chiefs on his vessel and sent them to notify all the Indians of the land that they must bring tribute in three days, not forty Indians came with tribute—and that was in dishes, cloth, and articles of but little worth. The chiefs told him to go ashore and see for himself that there were no more people. Consequently he bargained with an Indian, a timagua of the said island (the one who had owned the said cannon), as he learned that the Indian had traded for it with others; and gave back to them the fifty-seven tributes given them by the captain. Then he returned to the fleet. This was his declaration, and he affixed his signature thereto. Witnesses, Juan Davila and Francisco Gomez.

Gabriel de Ribera Pedro Brizeno de Oseguera

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

Thereupon, upon this said day, Pedro de Oseguera declared before the said captain that the said Indians of Jolo had given, in token of tribute, forty-three tributes, consisting of two tacs of gold, nineteen pieces of colored medriñaque, and eight tributes in dishes, a total of forty-three—besides the fifty-seven that were taken on account for the piece. The full total is one hundred, and he delivered them to the the captain. Witnesses, the above-named persons.

Gabriel de Ribera Pedro Brizeno de Oseguera

Before me:

Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus, on the eighth day of the month of May, of the said year, the said captain said that, inasmuch as his Lordship, the governor of these islands, ordered in the instructions given him for the said expedition that one-half of the tributes be given to his Grace's soldiers and the other half to his Majesty; and having seen the small amount collected and its little value, and the great lack in this town of food for this fleet: therefore he ordered that all the tributes of cloth and gold be delivered over and divided among the four ships commanded by Francisco Velazquez, Tome de la Ysla, Juan Rodriguez de Norvega, and Alonso Pimentel, respectively. He ordered that it be inspected in order to make a note thereof. There were forty-four pieces of colored medriñaque and forty maes of gold. Therefore each ship received eleven pieces of cloth and ten maes of gold, which was delivered to the above officers, and they gave receipts for it. Witnesses were [Juan Lopez de] Queto, Francisco del Castillo [MS. illegible]. The captain affixed his signature.

Gabriel de Ribera Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet

In the city of Manila on the tenth day of the month of June, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general for his Majesty in these islands of the West, after examining these records, ordered that I, the said notary, make two copies of them all, signed and attested, so that they may have authority. I was ordered to give and deliver them to him, to be sent wherever was most fitting for his Majesty's service. In each one of them he said that he would sanction them, and he did thus sanction by his authority and judicial decree, so that they may be valid and have credibility in court or out of court. He affixed thereto his signature.

Doctor Francisco de Sande

And I, Alonso Beltran, notary of his royal Majesty and of the government of the Filipinas islands of the West, was present at the above proceeding. I had him affix his signature and affixed my own in testimony of truth.

Alonso Beltran, his Majesty's notary

[Endorsed at beginning: "Testimony and proceedings in regard to the expeditions to Burney, Jolo, and Mindanao which were made during the past year (seventy-eight) and this one (seventy-nine) by command of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands of the West. These papers are forwarded for his Majesty and his royal Council of the Indies."]

Appointments to Vacancies in Manila Cathedral

The king. [42] To our governor of the Filipinas islands. When we heard that there were not sufficient tithes for the support of four prebendaries in the cathedral church which is to be erected in those islands, we ordered you in our decree of the thirteenth day of July of the past year 1579, to give them from our treasury a competent stipend, which was to be in proportion to the amount yielded by the said tithes. Now the said bishop has reported that, in case the said prebends or other benefices which were to be established in the said church become vacant, it would be necessary to defer the appointment of other persons thereto until orders could be despatched from here; and thus the said church would remain without the divine service. In view of this inconvenience, he petitions us to give