The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 325 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 325 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55.
and they were encouraging all with holy words and valorous deeds, and now with musket, now with arquebus, pike, or spear, and sword and buckler, were standing as sentries and helping on the walls day and night.  The enemy began to make grimaces and gestures within musket-range, making obeisances, and doing other things worthy of their shamelessness.  In reply, they remained there as if born there, so that of the many Sangleys who came, it was found that only one escaped, and that all were killed with the balls fired at them from the walls; for both day and night, no one took his eyes from the enemy, who went retreating to the river in the midst of his camp, for the other side of it was defended by a wall, and that precaution was not a bad one, if it had availed anything.  Thursday morning, on the seventh or the said month, the governor and council of war determined to attack the enemy.  Between eight and nine o’clock, one hundred and fifty Spanish arquebusiers and five hundred Japanese left the city, under command of Sargento-mayor Gallinato, who was accompanied by other captains.  Attacking with greater spirit than concert, the Japanese entered in the vanguard, and the Spaniards in the rear, and assaulted the Sangleys.  They gained the gate of the river, and the chapel, where the camp was situated.  They killed five hundred men, besides wounding many others.  They gained possession of the enemy’s flags.  Then the Sangleys, perceiving that the Spaniards were becoming greedy, attacked them on both sides with more than fourteen hundred men—­and so vigorously, that the Spaniards were compelled to retire, in spite of their disinclination, when they saw the Japanese retreating as rapidly as possible.  Consequently they were forced to turn and retreat to the city, and to lose what had been gained.  The enemy with loud cries went to attack in their course the gates of the city and the lowest and weakest part of its wall.  All the army hastened to that side, to the assistance of those on the walls.  They kept their matches ready, and, with each pikeman between two arquebusiers, Sargento-mayor Gallinato retreated to the city.  As soon as he was in safety, the artillery began to play, and gave the enemy a shower that softened their fury, and compelled them to halt upon recognizing their danger.  Sargento-mayor Gallinato, encouraging his men, attacked anew, issuing with his men by the lower gate, and the city was very joyful on that account.  As soon as they had cleared the country, they halted, in order that the same thing might not again happen as before.  Had they not been near the city walls, and had not Sargento-mayor Gallinato with only ten soldiers defended the bridge with great spirit, they would all have been killed.  After this Gallinato sent to the governor asking for orders, for the men were fatigued and the sun extremely hot, while he was badly used by two wounds with stakes that he had received.  Such are the weapons used by the Sangleys; and they
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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.