History of the Philippine Islands (Vol. 1&2). Joaquín Martínez De Zúñiga
was determined above all things on the conquest of Manila, named the Colonel as commandant, and sent with him his grandson, Juan de Salcedo, with an hundred and twenty Spaniards, and many friendly Indians, to accomplish it. They sailed from Panay the beginning of May 1570. The Colonel went directly against Manila, but Juan de Salcedo turned aside to the country about the lake of Bombon, which is now called the Province of Batangas, to treat with the natives. He sent the usual peace-offerings, but they answered him with their arms. He engaged them, and would have succeeded, but received so severe a wound in his leg from an arrow, that he was compelled to abandon his enterprise, and follow the Colonel to Manila. The Colonel made terms with the Rajah, who was a good old man, and whom history calls Raxa Matanda, that is, the old Rajah; he had a nephew of the name of Raxa Soliman, who, likewise, made terms with the Colonel; but little dependence could be placed on him, as he evidently was no friend to the Spaniards, and had, as it was supposed, secreted provisions. He was accused, likewise, of exciting the Indians to murder the Spaniards, while on shore, which obliged our people to behave with great circumspection toward them. One day Raxa Soliman even ordered his men to fire upon our shipping, and, after having done us considerable damage, he embarked on board a large junk, and left the river, firing at us as he passed17. The Colonel instantly landed, leaving Juan de Salcedo in charge of the ships, and, with eighty men, stormed the fort which the Indians had at the mouth of the river, and where at present stands the fort of Santiago. He ordered his soldiers to attack the guns, and they were so fortunate in their attack, as in their first onset to kill the principal artillery officer, who appeared to be an European, as he was seen to cross himself before he died18; the remainder, were by the vigour of the assault, compelled to fly towards the town, which they burnt in their retreat, that the Spaniards might not profit by their success. Among other things, a foundery for cannon was destroyed, and it was supposed they had thrown many pieces of artillery into the sea, as only twelve, and a few falconets (a piece so called), were found in the place. The old Rajah was not a party in this disturbance, as neither he nor any of his people were engaged; and his fidelity was proved, by his having displayed from his house a white flag, during the time the action lasted. The Colonel, fearing that if he remained longer, he should encounter the south-west monsoon, and be unable to return, retired immediately to Cavite, to do the needful repairs to his ships, and in two days sailed for Panay.
On the 23d of June of this year, Captain Juan de la Isla arrived with three vessels, in which came the Friar Perrera with two other religious, viz. Friar Diego Orduñez, and Friar Diego de Espinar, who came to labour in this new vineyard. Despatches were brought by them from his Majesty, by which Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was constituted President of the islands of the Ladrones, and he was recommended to settle the Philippines; at the same time his Majesty bestowed portions of lands, with their inhabitants, on all who might be engaged in the conquest. With a view to put these orders in execution, Legaspi first despatched from Panay, the same Captain Juan de la Isla, with two ships to Acapulco, and sailed for Zebu, where he ordered it to be proclaimed, that he intended to erect the town which had been built into a city, and to give every encouragement to increase the population, directing those who wished to settle in it to go before the notary, to be enrolled by five hundreds. On New Year's day, 1571, he named two ordinary alcaldes, six regidores, a notary, and two alguazils, who immediately took the customary oath on entering their office, and he strictly enjoined them the discharge of their respective duties. He likewise directed that the town, which had till then been called San Miguel, should be named the City del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, in memory of the discovery of the sacred child, as before related. He settled the manner, in which rewards should be distributed among the tributary Indians, who were in the neighbourhood of the city, and left them under the care of the treasurer, Guido de Labezares, in order that he might have the opportunity of finishing a stone fort, which he had ordered to be constructed. All these and many subordinate objects, being attained by the end of January, he returned to Panay, to attempt from thence the conquest of Manila.
Immediately after the President arrived at Panay, the Colonel, attended by all the officers and soldiers, joined him, leaving in Masbate the Padre Alba with six men, and in Dumangas Padre Ximenes, in charge of the new conquests. The Padre Herrera, with other religious, accompanied the General in his expedition against Manila, on which he sailed the 15th of April; and in the island of Lutaga he reviewed his force, and found they amounted to two hundred and eighty soldiers, consisting partly of his own people, of those of the Colonel, of Captains Andres de Ybarra, Luis de la Haya, and Juan de Salcedo. He passed by the island of Mindoro, and settled the tribute which the natives were to pay to the King of Spain. Here he had the opportunity of saving a Chinese vessel called a Sampan, from foundering; and he received the crew, with that kindness and warmth of feeling, so natural to the Spaniards.
The Chinese acknowledged the kindness of the Spaniards, and formed a friendly connection with them. The President continued his voyage, and entered Cavite, where he waited the arrival of those who had fallen astern; meantime he treated with the natives of the place, and received them as vassals of the King of Spain. Two days after he arrived, he entered with all his squadron into the river of Manila. The Indians, thinking the Spaniards had returned, to punish them for the resistance they had made to the Colonel, set fire to the town, and with their effects fled to Tondo. The President sent the Colonel to bring them to terms, who, arriving at their camp, gave them to understand, by means of an interpreter, that the Spaniards had not come with the intention of doing them any injury. On learning this, some began to quench the flames, and others went in search of the old Rajah; and Lacandola, the chief of Tondo, immediately went with others to wait on Legaspi. He received them with a smiling countenance, and told them that he came as a friend, provided they acknowledged the King of Spain, as their king and natural lord and master, who would receive them under his protection, and relieve their distresses. The principal motive, he said, which induced his Majesty to send him there, was to propagate the true worship of one all powerful God; that he had brought several sacred characters with him for that purpose, and shewing them Padre Herrera, said that he was the principal of those, who were to be their teachers. They promised to become vassals of the King of Spain, and hear the law which they were to be taught; he hinted to them that he did not see Rajah Soliman with them: they replied, that he dared not appear after what had happened with the Colonel on the first expedition; but if he would pardon him, he would immediately appear, and promise obedience, as the rest had done. The General not only promised to pardon him, but sent him a message to that effect, without, however, being able to remove his apprehensions at that time.
But on the 18th of May, Rajah Soliman arrived, accompanied by his uncle Rajah Matanda and Lacandola, making many apologies for what had passed. The General pardoned and received him as a vassal of his Majesty, and as such he was registered by the notary, Hernando Riguel. Legaspi immediately commenced his arrangements for founding a new city, and directed the Indians to finish the fort they had begun in the mouth of the river. Behind this he erected a large building, which served as a palace, with a church and convent for the religious, and an hundred and twenty smaller houses for the remainder of the Spaniards, intending this city to be the seat of government, both spiritual and temporal, of the islands. The whole of this, the Indians engaged to accomplish with great despatch, but it was found necessary, to employ the Spaniards to assist them in it. A good understanding being thus established, between the natives of Manila and Tondo and the Spaniards, Manila was taken possession of on the day following, the 19th of May, 1571, when, in a temporary church, the feast of the blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated, who, from that circumstance, was named the patroness of the new city.
The peace which Rajah Soliman and Lacandola had made, was, on their part, by no means sincere, for the Indians of Macabebe and Hagonoy, appearing at the mouth of the harbour of Bancusay, with forty caracoas (an Indian vessel), proceeded to the house of Lacandola. These men jeered at and reproached the Indians, for submitting with such readiness, to such an insignificant number of Spaniards, promising, if they were disposed to shake off the yoke, that they should be assisted from Tondo and the neighbouring country, and not leave one Spaniard alive. The President, supposing those Indians who had arrived, had come to solicit peace, sent two Spaniards to assure them that they might present themselves to him without fear. The chief of the Indians, after listening to these ambassadors, leaped on his feet, and drawing and flourishing his cimeter, he said, “The sun gave me life, and I must not be disgraced in the eyes of my women, who would detest me, if they