An Historical View of the Philippine Islands Volume II Part 1

An Historical View of the Philippine Islands.

Vol II.

by Martinez de Zuniga.

CHAPTER I.

ANNO DOM. 1669.

The Administration of Don Manuel de Leon.

Don Manuel de Leon, the new Governor of these islands, took possession on the 24th of September, 1669. The first act of his government was to declare that Senor Bonifaz, who had been Governor ad interim, had not been duly authorized, and though he confiscated his goods, he did not succeed in his attempt to imprison him, as the moment he gave up his government, he retired to the convent of the Franciscans. The Governor found the commerce of Manila at a very low ebb, as there were only two ships which sailed from the island, one from Cavite, and another from Lampon, and there was very little doing in the commerce with China. To remedy this, he sent to Macao Captain Losada and the Jesuit Mesina to revive it, and by the prudence of these two, and the disinterestedness of the Governor, such an extended commercial intercourse took place not only with China, but with the adjacent coasts, that these islands were filled with goods, which was of course highly beneficial to the royal coffers. On the 11th of April, 1677, the Governor, while at the nuptial ceremony of the Oidor Coloma, was taken suddenly ill in the church, and being removed to a house on the river side close by, he expired the same day.

CHAPTER II.

ANNO DOM. 1678.

The Administration of Don Juan de Vargas.

Don Juan de Vargas took possession of his government the 21st of September, 1678, and began his administration with universal applause; but in a little time the pa.s.sion of avarice effected a thorough transformation of his character: disputes between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities alone engaged the public attention during the whole period of his government.

CHAPTER III.

ANNO DOM. 1684.

The Administration of Don Gabriel de Curuzalegui.

Don Gabriel de Curuzalegui took possession of his government the 24th of August, 1684, and by his judgment and prudence, put an end to these disgraceful dissensions.

On the 27th of April, 1689, the Governor died, and was interred in the church of St. Augustine. He was a quiet and inoffensive man, and although he leaned too much to the side of the Archbishop in the ecclesiastical disputes which had occurred for some years previous, yet the court approved his conduct. On the 22d of December, the same year, the Archbishop died. Senor Abella succeeded to the Government ad interim, and during his Administration the Marquis of Villasierra, Don Fernando Valenzuela, terminated a political life as remarkable as any on record for the versatility of fortune which distinguished it. This n.o.bleman was known by the name of Sylph, because he took the opportunity of one night entering the palace at Madrid, in a private manner, and relating to the Queen mother what was pa.s.sing at court, by which means he gained her confidence, and became prime minister and grandee of Spain. Don Juan of Austria having persuaded his natural brother, Charles the Second, to send the Queen mother from Court, he ordered her to retire to Toledo; and by this fall of the Queen, Villasierra lost his popularity, was imprisoned, stripped of all his honours, and banished to the Philippines, 1679, where he was imprisoned in the fort of Cavite, and remained there till 1688, in which Don Juan of Austria died, and the Queen was restored to the favour of her son. On this occasion Villasierra was liberated; and after living some little time on charity near Manila, he embarked for New Spain, where (in Mexico) he died by the kick of a horse. Strange reverse of fortune this man had suffered! From the highest station in the court of Madrid, he was sunk to that of nearly absolute want. At Madrid he had filled the highest dignities, and most important political situations: he was banished to the Philippines, confined many years in a dungeon, restored again to his rank, and died as above related.

CHAPTER IV.

ANNO DOM. 1690.

The Administration of Don Fausto Cruzat y Gongora.

Don Fausto Cruzat y Gongora, of a distinguished family in Pampeluna, took possession of his government in 1690, with the accustomed pomp on these occasions. On his arrival, he found that the royal establishments were very badly administered, the superintending officers paying more attention to their own individual interests than to those of his Majesty, whose control was too remote to produce any salutary check on their proceedings. He set immediately about collecting the arrears of the annual tribute remaining due to the King, with which he re-built the Governor's palace, enlarged the hall of the Royal Audience, and the offices of the auditors. Under these he established the respective prisons, and begun the royal store-houses.

In the year 1692, the ship Santo Christo de Burgos arrived, sailed the following year, and was never more heard of. In 1694, the galleon San Joseph, richly laden, was wrecked on the island of Luban in a severe storm, in which the ship, cargo, and four hundred people were lost.

In the Marianas, the Indians, with the soldiers of the fort, and the galley-slaves which came in the admiral's ship which was wrecked there, all rose in rebellion. They had determined to murder all the Spaniards that were in the islands, and take possession of them; and which they would have executed, had not one of their party discovered the conspiracy, when a stop was effectually put to it by the valour and conduct of the Spaniards and friars. The Indians were compelled to confine themselves to the islands of Guajan, Rota, and Saypan, all of which have been since deserted.

From 1690 to 1701, ecclesiastical disputes solely occupied the public attention.

CHAPTER V.

ANNO DOM. 1701.

The Administration of Don Domingo Zabalburu.

Don Domingo Zabalburu took possession of his government on the 8th of September, 1701. He finished the royal magazines which had been begun by his predecessor, re-built the redoubt of San Antonio Abad, and repaired the fortification of Cavite, the inhabitants of Manila contributing with their accustomed generosity by presents for the purpose. At this time the Kings of Jolo and Mindanao had a serious misunderstanding, each requesting a.s.sistance from the Governor, which, however, he declined, knowing that by taking part with one, he exposed these islands to the enmity of the other. He sent the Jesuit Antonio de Borga to reestablish harmony between these two nations upon any justifiable ground, as war had been declared by Spain against the English and Dutch, and it was deemed necessary to maintain a respectable maritime force to defend these islands, and in particular to protect our galleons, exposed as they were in their voyage from New Spain, to be captured by the ships of these nations, as happened with the Rosario, which was attacked by two English ships among the islands of Nativity and Salagur, in December, 1704; but she compelled them to fly, and she pursued her voyage to Acapulco. The following year the galleon San Xaviar was wrecked, which was severely felt in Manila.

CHAPTER VI.

ANNO DOM. 1709.

The Administration of the Conde de Lizarraga.

Don Martin de Ursua y Arismendi Conde de Lizarraga took possession of his government on the 25th of August, 1709. His first care was to send out of the islands all those Chinese who had been hitherto in the habit of remaining annually after the departure of the junks, to the great prejudice of the Spaniards. The safety of the state required this step, and all were expelled except those who were mechanics, or in the service of the public. The indulgence granted to these, was ascribed to the advantage the Governor derived from the licences he issued for that purpose. This step taken by the Governor was of great service to the country, as the Chinese came into it on the pretext of cultivating the land, and on this ground were allowed to remain; but it was soon found that they were even less active than the Indians, and that for one who applied himself to agriculture, a thousand were dealers of different descriptions, and in this they were extremely expert. They adulterated the weights and measures, as well as the different articles of sugar, wax, and almost every other commodity, so as not to be easily discovered. They were all monopolizers, watching narrowly the wants of the inhabitants, and the demand for different articles of consumption, which they kept back until they rose to their price. All this they had long practised with impunity, as, by virtue of presents duly applied, they were able to secure powerful protectors; and although sometimes they were fined, they took care that, even on the very day the fine was exacted, they should be reimbursed by the advanced price they fixed on the very goods in question. By this means they became rich in a short time, and either remitting their money to China, or returning with it themselves, they thus defrauded the Philippines annually of immense wealth [1].

The Jesuits of Manila, in 1696, had made an attempt to reduce the islands of Palaos, or Pelew, which were understood to consist of thirty-two in number, and to be very populous; but it was not till 1710 that they were enabled to make good a landing on them, when a patache, sent by the Governor, at last effected this desirable end.