by, where the archdean, Francisco Gomez de Arellano,
was living, as well as the father-commissary of the
Holy Office, and Father Fernando de los Reyes.
The Sangleys were very determined to kill those men,
but they, hearing the noise, fired two loaded arquebuses.
When the enemy perceived that they were firing arquebuses,
imagining that they had many of them, they passed
by, and at one-half legua reached a village called
Quiapo. There they set a large fire, and then
immediately extinguished it. Half an hour later
they built a larger fire, which lasted a longer time.
This was a signal for the Sangleys in the Parian to
assault the city, and take it. Although the Sangleys
of the Parian saw the fire, they did not then dare
to attack the city; for they were divided into factions,
as the wealthy merchants did not wish to risk their
property. But as those who had little to lose
were in the great majority, they forced them to attack,
and calling to the mob, they assailed the city. [19]
It is said that they saw over the gate opposite the
Parian (which they were about to attack) a crucified
Christ dripping blood, and at His feet the seraphic
father, St. Francis, with face uplifted toward Him.
On this account they became so faint-hearted that
they were forced to retire, without being observed
from the city, as it was night. Those in Quiapo
set fire to it and burned it. They killed some
natives, whose moans and cries were heard on the city
walls. At this juncture day dawned, and it was
seen that the enemy were marching to their camp, in
order to fortify themselves in a chapel called San
Francisco del Monte, two leguas from the city.
There they established themselves, and fortified a
stronghold built of stakes filled in well with earth,
to a man’s height, and furnished with two ditches
of fresh water. It seemed suitable for twenty
thousand men, and had very skilfully laid-out streets.
This means that more than two hundred Sangleys were
building it for more than a month, but with so great
quietness that it was never known; for it was a district
little frequented by Spaniards, as it was swampy.
The men began to gather there again, so that at noon
on Saturday, the fourth of October, the enemy had more
than ten thousand men in camp. On that day the
Christian Sangleys of Tondo and Minondo rose.
When Don Luys de las Marinas saw this, and the help
that he was awaiting having arrived, he attacked them
with great spirit and killed many of them. But
as he perceived that his men were about to be attacked
by a great number of people, he requested the governor
to send him a second reenforcement quickly. The
governor hesitating as to whom to send, Captain Don
Tomas Bravo de Acuna, his nephew, begged to be assigned
to this task, and to take his company, numbering seventy
good soldiers—musketeers and arquebusiers,
a picked body of men. Besides this almost all
the soldiers of the country offered to go with him,
as it was an expedition of so great justice and honor.
The governor was urgent in ordering that no others
than Don Tomas and his company should go. But
he could not help it, and accordingly the following
persons went on the expedition.