The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 326 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 326 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55.

[A description of Camboxa follows, with observations on its religion, wealth, products, industries, and fauna.  The account of the first expedition to that country is as follows:]

Don Luis, with zeal to reduce those nations to the bosom of the Church, and their wealth and kings to the vassalage of the Spanish crown, equipped three vessels.  In them he sent Captain Juan Xuarez Gallinato—­a native of Tenerife, one of the Canarias Islands—­with one hundred and twenty Spaniards, besides some Filipinos.  They left Cebu, but a terrible storm immediately overtook them, and separated the boats.  Gallinato, borne by the fury of the winds, put in at Malaca, and the other two vessels at Camboxa.  They ascended the river, where they learned that the king of Sian had routed him of Camboxa, his neighbor.  The latter, with the wretched remnants of his army, fled to the kingdom of the Laos, also a neighboring people, but inhuman.  While he was begging charity from those most hard-hearted people, the king of Sian had introduced as king of Camboxa one Prauncar, nicknamed “Boca tuerta el Traydor” [i.e., “Wry-mouth, the Traitor"], brother of the conquered king.  This event did not hinder the aid that the Spaniards were bringing, under the name of an embassy.  They reached the city of Chordumulo, eighty leguas’ distance from the bar.  Leaving forty Spaniards in the ships, forty others went to visit the place where the king was residing.  They immediately made efforts to visit him, but he refused to be seen that day.  However, he ordered a good lodging to be given them and had them told that he would grant them audience in three days.  But Diego Veloso and Blas Ruyz—­either by their former knowledge of the country, or actuated by later craftiness, proceeding from their interpretation of that suspicious delay—­visiting a beautiful Indian woman of the king’s house, were secretly told by her that, since she was admitted to and even desired in the affairs of that usurper, she knew that he was intending to have them all killed.  In the three days that he had assigned them, as a rest from their journey, he was preparing men, and the manner of executing his purpose.  The Spaniards thanked her for the warning, not without promises of reward.  They were not dismayed at the news of their peril.  On the contrary, thanking the Indian woman anew for it, they took an heroic although rash decision.  They agreed to invest the king’s palace that night, and if necessary, to resist a whole army.  They set about the accomplishment of that enterprise, disproportionate to human strength.  They set fire to the powder magazine.  The townspeople ran up to its aid, or to see the damage.  Amid the confusion, the Spaniards entered the palace, and since they knew the royal apartments, they penetrated them, until they encountered the king in person.  Having cut to pieces the soldiers of his guard, they killed him also with their daggers.  He defended himself and cried out, but when his men arrived with

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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.