He had become an excellent Spaniard, and was courageous.
He himself, exercising duplicity and cunning, did
not leave the city, or the houses of the Spanish during
this time, in order to arouse less suspicion of himself.
From there he managed the affair through his confidants;
and in order to assure himself better of the result,
and to ascertain the number of men of his race, and
to make a census and list of them, he cunningly had
each of them ordered to bring him a needle, which he
pretended to be necessary for a certain work that
he had to do. These needles he placed, as he
received them, in a little box; and when he took them
out of it, he found that he had sufficient men for
his purpose. They began to construct the fort
or quarters immediately at a distance of slightly
more than one-half legua from the village of Tondo,
among some estuaries and swamps, and in a hidden location.
[9] They stored there some rice and other provisions,
and weapons of little importance. The Sangleys
began to gather there, especially the masses—the
common people and day-laborers; for those of the parian,
and the mechanics, although urged to do the same,
did not resolve to do it, and remained quiet, guarding
their houses and property. The restlessness of
the Sangleys daily continued to become more inflamed.
This, and the advices given to the governor and the
Spaniards, kept the latter more anxious and apprehensive,
and made them talk more openly of the matter.
The Sangleys, seeing that their intention was discovered,
and that delay might be of so great harm to them,
determined, although the insurrection was planned
for St. Andrew’s day, the last of November,
to anticipate that day, and to lose no more time.
On Friday, the third day of the month of October,
the eve of St. Francis, they collected very hurriedly
in the above-mentioned fort; consequently, by nightfall,
there were two thousand men in it. Joan Bautista
de Vera—a thief in the role of an honest
man, since he was the leader and organizer of the
treason—went immediately to the city and
told the governor that the Sangleys had risen, and
that they were collecting on the other side of the
river. The governor, suspecting the mischief,
had him immediately arrested and carefully guarded;
and he was afterward executed. Then, without tap
of drum, the governor ordered the companies, both
of the camp and the city, to be notified, and all
to hold their arms in readiness. Very shortly
after nightfall, Don Luys Dasmarinas, who was living
near the monastery and church of Minondoc, on the
other side of the river, came hurriedly to the city
to advise the governor that the Sangleys had revolted.
He asked for twenty soldiers to go to the other side
[of the river], where he would guard the said monastery.
Cristoval de Axqueta, sargento-mayor of the camp,
went with these men, together with Don Luys. As
the silence of night deepened, the noise made by the
Sangleys grew louder, for they were continuing to
assemble and were sounding horns and other instruments,