The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 293 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 293 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55.
for it is located at the entrance of a lagoon, thus having only water at the back, and swampy and marshy ground at the sides.  It has a frontage of more than one thousand paces, is furnished with very good transversals, and is well supplied with artillery and arquebuses.  Moreover, it has a ditch of water more than four brazas wide and two deep, and thus there was a space of dry ground of only fifteen paces where it was possible to attack; and this space was bravely defended, and with the greatest force of the enemy.  The inner parts were water, where they sailed in vessels, while we had no footing at all.  Again, I reflected that those who had awaited us so long, had waited with the determination to die in defense of the fort; and if they should see the contest ending unfavorably for them, no one would prevent their flight.  Further, if they awaited the assault it would cost me the greater part of my remaining ammunition, and my best men; while, if the enemy fled, nothing would be accomplished, but on the contrary a long, tedious, and costly war would be entered upon.  Hence, with the opinion and advice of the captains I negotiated for peace; and told them that I would admit them to friendship under the following conditions: 

Treaty of peace and conditional covenants

First, that first and foremost, they must offer homage to his Majesty, and pay something as recognition.

Obligation to return their prisoners to his Majesty.  That all the natives who had been taken from the Pintados Islands last year, must be restored.

To break friendship with Terrenate. That they must break the peace and confederation made with the people of Terrenate, and must not admit the latter into their country.

Friendship with those who were friends formerly. That they must be friends with Danganlibor and Lumaquan, chiefs of this island, who have rendered homage to his Majesty; and must not make war on any of their vassals.

That all the chiefs must go to live in their old villages.

They accepted all the conditions, and Raxa Mura, Sala, Silonga, and the other chiefs swore to keep the peace on these conditions, and paid homage to his Majesty, paying a certain sum in gold as recognition.  Inasmuch as they had taken the Vizcayans whom they had enslaved to a great distance, so that they should not escape, they paid another like sum of gold as pledges that they would deliver them to the Spaniards.  As the friendly Indians said that the end for which I was making peace was, under pretext of it, to seize the chief men and hang them and separate them from the others, the chiefs did not venture to come immediately.  However, they said that when they should ascertain our treaty, and if our purpose was not as aforesaid, they would come.  Although such a thing had not even entered my mind, as I shall not make any promises in his Majesty’s name that cannot be fulfilled, it was true that the friendly Indians said it; for they wished to break trie peace, in order to see if they could not rob these people at our cost.

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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.