The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.
and the raising of the great siege of Sevilha, and many other battles in which the Portuguese added luster to their name in the service of the said kings, demand—­and, in our own times, those fleets of ours which participated in the capture of Tunes, in the island of Dargel, or again in the taking of Pinhao, [118] and in many other public and private undertakings in which, with both money and arms, we greatly aided the kings of Castella.  In spite of all this, his grace will not grant me a thing so reasonable and pleasing, both to God and to the kings our lords, and to the advantage of their army; but, on the contrary, so obstinately refuses to accept the offer of this fleet, and will not depart from our land, but steadily continues building fortifications and throwing up new breastworks, from which he attacked the fleet of the king our lord in this his port, and fired several shots at us from the fortress, as if we were Moors and pagans.  And yet I did not allow him to be bombarded, in reply, from this galley “San Francisco,” although I had cannon with which I could have caused him much anxiety; but rather retired, in accordance with my constant desire, past and present, for peace—­as is seen in my reluctance to make war upon him or to be the cause of shedding Christian blood.  Thus I have acted very differently from his grace, who had ambuscades laid at the fords, whither I sent my boat, peaceably, without any soldiers aboard, in order to show in all respects my great desire to avoid war.  As for his grace’s saying that I opened fire on his fort, it was only after I had sent him word beforehand not to make this necessary; so that the desire which has since been made evident by him was shown therein also.  And a few bombardments from the boats, moreover, were not sufficient either to deter his people on land from continuing their work upon our land and sea or his grace from breaking out in open war against me with great ardor and desire; while I, on the contrary, had very little desire to injure him, but allowed many vessels, people, and provisions to go into the fortress, wherewith he could fortify himself against this peaceful fleet of the king our lord.  And with regard to the clauses of his instructions which his grace had shown to me in his defense, I would say that this was of service to me; for although, it is true, one of them says that he shall go among the Filipinas islands, yet, immediately thereafter follows a contrary clause to the effect that he shall in no way transgress the treaty and agreement between Castella and Purtugual, which has the more force to prevent him from going to the Filipinas, in virtue of the more effectual words contained in the solemn covenant of the treaty aforesaid.  Moreover, in regard to his grace’s saying that the desire entertained by his majesty was not to enter our demarcation, and that he thought the Filipinas were in his, I would say that in all kingdoms, when it happens that doubt arises in the instructions, letters, provisions, or
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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.