The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 306 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 306 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55.
Captain Gallinato, who, although a good soldier, did nothing else in the kingdom of Camboxa.  Of it Fray Diego Duarte, a Dominican, now residing at Alcala de Henares, procurator of his order in the Filipinas Islands, who was one of those who were present at the death of the king of Camboxa—­and not the least important one there—­and Captain Don Miguel de Xaque de los Rios, now at this court, are witnesses.”  The arrival at Manila of “Dona Isabel Varreto,” wife of “Alvaro de Amendana,” is chronicled.  The discovery that they attempted to make from Peru can be made better from the Philippines, and at less cost, because of its proximity to those regions.

Chapter V treats of events during the term of Francisco Tello, the main part of the chapter being devoted to Louis Perez Dasmarinas’s ill-fated expedition to Camboja.  Tello “began to govern with forbearance, although one thing that he did before reaching the city seems to have presaged the evils of the future.”  This was in his detention of the ship bound for Nueva Espana, until he could reach Manila and make a report to the king.  As a consequence the vessel, sailing late, experienced so great storms that it was compelled to put in at a Japanese port, “and King Taycosama took their goods away from them, and it was the cause of the martyrdom of twenty-six Franciscan religious, and of the ruin of Manila ...  Don Francisco began his government, in amusing himself with his authority and abundance, and in neglecting to despatch the ships on time; of which he should have taken warning by the loss of which he had been the cause, in the wreck of the galleon ‘San Felipe’ as above stated.  But he did not amend his ways, and for that same reason other vessels were wrecked later—­one called ‘Santa Margarita,’ which was wrecked among the Ladrones Islands; and another called ‘San Geronimo’ which was wrecked at the island of Catanduanes,... and another which sailed from Cibu, called ’Jesus Maria,’ which was seen no more.  And the worst of all was that such neglect became so firmly established, that it would not have been remedied later, and the same troubles would have occurred, unless we had made use of two royal decrees that his Majesty, King Don Felipe Third, conceded to me in the year of 68; [37] and on account of that neglect great need has come upon that kingdom.”  The expedition of Oliver van Noordt is very lightly touched.  Luis Perez Dasmarinas fits out an expedition of three ships for the relief of Camboja at his own cost, and Los Rios sails in the flagship.  Misfortune follows them, and the flagship is lost on the Chinese coast.  Such is the hatred of the Portuguese at Macao to the Spaniards “that as soon as they heard of our disaster, they issued an edict that no one should aid us under penalty of confiscation of his property, and three years in the galleys.”  Los Rios with eight men lands in order to seek a pilot, and after various adventures is granted audience by the Chinese, who offer asylum to the Spaniards and

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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.