The Inhabitants of the Philippines Part 62

1829. Father Bernardo Lago, an indefatigable missionary of the Augustinian Order, with his a.s.sistants baptised in the provinces of Abra and Benguet more than 5300 heathen Tinguianes and Igorrotes, and settled them in towns.

1834. Foreign vessels allowed to enter Manila by paying double dues.

1836-7. Great disturbances amongst the natives in consequence of the ex-claustration of the friars in Spain. The natives divided into two parties. One wished to turn out the friars and all Spaniards, the others to turn out all Spaniards except the friars, who were to remain and take charge of the government.

The disturbances were ultimately smoothed over.

1841. Marcelino de Oraa being Governor-General, a sanguinary insurrection burst out in Tayabas, under the leadership of a native, Apolinario de la Cruz. He murdered the Alcalde of the province, and persuaded his fanatical adherents that he would make the earth open and swallow up the Spanish forces when they attacked.

His following was composed of 3000 men, women, and children. They were attacked by four hundred soldiers and as many cuadrilleros and coast-guards, and suffered a crushing defeat, and a third of them were slain.

Apolinario de la Cruz was apprehended, and immediately put to death.

Apolinario called himself the "King of the Tagals," and told his followers that a Tagal virgin would come down from Heaven to wed him, that with a handful of rice he could maintain all who followed him, and that the Spanish bullets could not hurt them, and many other absurd things. His followers declared that he had signified his intention, in case of being victorious, to tie all the friars and other Spaniards to trees, and to have them shot by the women with arrows.

There lay in garrison at Manila at this time a regiment composed of Tagals of Tayabas, and they also mutinied, and were shot down by the other troops.

1844. Royal order prohibiting the admission of foreigners to the interior of the country.

Narciso de Claveria became Governor-General, and organised a police force called the Public Safety for Manila, and similar corps for the provinces. Up to this time the Alcaldes Mayores of provinces had been allowed to trade, and, in fact, were almost the only traders in their provinces, buying up the whole crop. This forced trade is quite a Malay custom, and is practised in Borneo and the Malay States under the name of Serra-dagang.

The Alcaldes Mayores used to pay the crown one third, or half, or all their salary for this privilege, and took in return all they could squeeze out of their provinces without causing an insurrection, or without causing the friars to complain of them to the Government, for the parish priests were ever the protectors of the natives against the civil authority. This privilege of trading was now abolished as being unworthy of the position of governor of a province.

1851. Expedition by the Governor-General Antonio de Urbiztondo against Jolo. The force consisted of four regiments, with artillery, and a battalion of the inhabitants of Cebu, under the command of a Recollet friar, Father Ibanez. These latter behaved in the bravest manner, in fact they had to; for their wives, at the instance of the priest, had sworn never to receive them again if they turned their backs on the enemy.

The undaunted Father Ibanez led them to the a.s.sault, and lost his life in the moment of victory. Eight cottas (forts), with their artillery and ammunition, were captured by this expedition, and a great number of Moros were killed.

After this the Jolo pirates abated their insolent attacks. Claveria made an expedition against the piratical Moros and seized their island of Balanguingin, killing 400 Moros, and taking 300 prisoners, also rescuing 200 captives. He also captured 120 guns and lantacas, and 150 piratical vessels. This exemplary chastis.e.m.e.nt tranquillised the Moros for some time.

1853. 13th June. Loud subterranean noises in Albay and eruption of the Mayon volcano. Fall of ashes and red-hot stones which rolled down the mountain and killed thirty-three people.

1854. Insurrection in Nueva Ecija under Cuesta, a Spanish mestizo educated in Spain, where Queen Isabela had taken notice of him.

He arrived in Manila with the appointment of Commandant of Carabineros in Nueva Ecija, and immediately began to plot. The Augustine friars harangued his followers and persuaded them to disperse, and Cuesta was captured and executed, with several other conspirators; others were banished to distant islands.

In this year Manuel Cres...o...b..came Governor-General, and a military officer, named Zapatero, endeavoured to strangle him in his own office.

1855. Strong shocks of earthquake in all Luzon. Eruption of the Mayon volcano.

1856. In the latter part of this year a submarine volcanic explosion took place at the Didica shoal, eight miles north-east of the island of Camiguin in the Babuyanes, to the north of Luzon. It remains an active volcano, and has raised a cone nearly to the height of the volcano of Camiguin, which is 2414 feet high.

1857. The old decrees against foreigners renewed.

Fernando de Norzagaray became governor-general, and found the country over-run by bandits, against whom he employed severe measures. He greatly improved Manila.

The French in Cochin-China, finding more resistance than they expected, appealed to Norzagaray for help. He lent them money, ships, and about a thousand native troops, who behaved with great bravery during the campaign.

1860. Ramon Maria Solano succeeded to the Government.

In this year two steam sloops and nine steam gunboats were added to the naval forces, and now the Moros could only put to sea running great risks of destruction.

These nine gunboats were the greatest blessings the Philippines had received for many years.

1861. Jose de Lemery y Ibarrola, Governor-General. Mendez-Nunez, with the steam sloops and gunboats, inflicted terrible chastis.e.m.e.nt on the piratical Moros.

1862. Rafael de Echague y Bermingham became Governor-General.

Second visitation of cholera in the islands, but not so severe as in 1820.

1863. Terrible earthquake in Manila and the surrounding country, causing thousands of victims, destroying the cathedral, the palace of the governor-general, the custom houses, the princ.i.p.al churches (except St. Augustine), the public and private buildings, in fact, reducing the city to a ruin.

At this time the steam gunboats continually hostilised the Moros of Jolo, and caused them great losses.

1865. Juan de Lara y Irigoyen became Governor-General, and took measures to subdue the bandits, who were committing great depredations and murders. Hostilities continued in Jolo, as the Moros had recommenced their piratical cruises.

1866. Frequent earthquakes in Manila and Benguet.

At this time the Treasury was in the greatest difficulty, and could not meet the current payments. A large quant.i.ty of tobacco was sold to meet the difficulty.

1867. Jose de la Gandara y Navarro became Governor-General. To him is due the credit of creating that excellent inst.i.tution the Guardia Civil, which has extirpated the banditti who infested the islands for so many years.

An expedition was sent against the Igorrotes, but without effecting anything of consequence.

1868. June 4th. Intense earthquake in the island of Leyte.

1869. Carlos Maria de la Torre became Governor-General, and was not ashamed to publish a proclamation offering the bandits a free pardon if they presented themselves within three months. Hundreds and thousands of men now joined the bandits for three months murder and pillage, with a free pardon at the end of it. This idiotic and cowardly proclamation was most prejudicial to the interests of the country. Finally a special corps, called La Torre's Guides, was organised to pursue the bandits.

1871. Rafael Izquierdo y Guttierez became Governor-General, and raised the excellent corps called La Veterana to act as the police of the capital.

December 8th, eruption of the Mayon volcano, and discharge of ashes and lava. Two persons smothered, and one burnt.

16th February. Commencement of the series of earthquakes which preceded the frightful volcanic eruption in the island of Camiguin on 30th April. Full details of this terrible event are preserved. A volcanic outburst took place on the above date at 344 metres from the town of Cabarman, and near the sea. Great volumes of inflammable gases were ejected from deep cracks in the neighbouring hills, which presently took fire, and soared in flames of incredible height, setting fire to the forests. The wretched inhabitants who had remained in their houses found themselves surrounded by smoke, steam, water, ashes, and red hot stones, whilst their island seemed on fire, and they had sent away all their seaworthy craft with the women and children.

At first the volcanic vent was only two metres high, but it continually increased.

After the eruption, the earthquakes decreased, and on 7th May entirely ceased.

The volcano gradually raised itself by the material thrown out to a height of 418 metres.

1872. Military revolt in Cavite, in which the native clergy were mixed up. A secret society had been working at this plot for several years, and was very widely extended. It inundated the towns of the Archipelago with calumnious and libellous leaflets in the native languages. The conspiracy coincided with the return of the Jesuits in accordance with a Royal Order, and their subst.i.tution for the Recollets missionaries in many parishes in Mindanao. In turn, the Recollets, removed from Mindanao, were given benefices in Luzon which, for one hundred years, had been in the hands of the native clergy, who were, in consequence, very dissatisfied, and great hatred was aroused against the Recollets. The mutiny was suppressed by the Spaniards and the Visayas troops, who bayoneted the Tagals without mercy, even when they had laid down their arms.

Besides many who were shot for complicity in this revolt, three native priests--D. Mariano Gomez, D. Jacinto Zamora, and D. Jose Burgos--were garrotted in Bagumbayan on the 28th February. Much discussion arose about the guilt or innocence of these men, and it is a matter on which friars and native clergy are never likely to agree.

Later on, a rising took place in Zamboanga penal establishment, but this was put down by the warlike inhabitants of that town, who are always ready to take up arms in their own defence, and are very loyal to Spain.

Loud subterranean noises in Albay. Eruption of the Mayon volcano, which lasted for four days.

1873. Juan de Alaminos y Vivar became governor-general.