The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 31, 1640 Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the polit

Luzón, the pious and devout acts of their converts, and the joy and gratitude of the religious thereat, are recounted at length. In 1596, news comes to the islands of the death of Bishop Salazar in Spain. Aduarte describes in detail the life, achievements, and virtues of that prelate. He was distinguished—not only in the Philippines, but during a long residence in Nueva España—as the friend and protector of the Indian natives. His mode of life was most simple and austere; he was charitable and generous to the full extent of his limited means. By nature choleric and quick-tempered, he trained himself to patience and forbearance; and the slanders of the evil-minded against him only roused his compassion. He was public-spirited, and foremost in all enterprises for the good of the community. To him are attributed the royal grant to the Jesuits for maintaining a school, and the establishment and much of the endowment of the hospital for sick Indians.

Bishop Salazar’s journey to Spain enables him to secure for his cathedral important aid, and the division of his diocese, so that its manifold duties may be more satisfactorily performed; soon afterward, he dies at Madrid. During his absence, his see is directed by his vicar-general, Fray Christobal de Salvatierra, to an account of whose exemplary life, valuable labors, and apostolic virtues a chapter is devoted. He protects the Indians, and does much to reform the morals of the Spaniards. Among other things, he compels the Chinese to cease such of their theatrical performances as contain idolatrous and superstitious matter; and obliges the Spaniards to give up attendance at these comedies. It is he who begins the spiritual conquest of the Cagayán region, and he goes on other expeditions; and he assumes charge of the Bataán mission until missionaries come for that field. At his death, he appoints two Dominicans to assume his duties as vicar-general; but they are so opposed by the ecclesiastical cabildo that they resign the office to the latter. Next comes a biographical sketch of the younger Juan de Castro, who is assigned to the toilsome and difficult mission of Pangasinán. In December, 1593, he accompanies an embassy to China; on the return voyage, the ship is wrecked. Castro escapes to land, but soon afterward dies as a result of the shock and exposure thus suffered.

Aduarte recounts, with much detail, the expedition of 1596 to Cambodia, which is accompanied by himself and another Dominican, Fray Alonso Ximenez. Velloso’s junk is driven ashore by a storm, and the men, after much privation and suffering, make it over into a shallow oared vessel, and row along the coast in search of water and inhabited places. When reduced to the last extremity, they accidentally find fresh water, and thus are saved, finally making their way to a fort where some Cambojan soldiers are stationed. From these the Spaniards learn that the king who was friendly to them has been driven out by a usurper, and that one of their consorts in the Spanish fleet has reached that country. They join this ship, and soon afterward, learning that the king is plotting to destroy them all, and coming to blows with the Chinese traders who have come to Chordemuco, the Spaniards attack the Cambojans at night and defeat them, killing the usurper of that throne. The Spanish commander Gallinato arrives, and decides to return to Manila; but contrary winds force them to land at Malaca, after twice encountering enemies. Nearly a year later, they succeed in reaching Manila, without other result of their journey “but that of having suffered for the gospel.”

In 1596, Fray Bernardo de Santa Catharina is elected provincial; under his rule, the conversion of the natives greatly increases. A new band of missionaries arrives soon afterward, most of whom go to the Cagayán field. In Cambodia Velloso and Blas Ruiz, Spanish adventurers, have aided the lawful king to regain his throne, and

they persuade him to send to Manila requesting soldiers and the return of the two Dominican friars. Luis Pérez Dasmariñas offers to make this expedition at his own cost, and Aduarte and Ximenez accompany him. A fierce storm scatters the ships; that of Dasmariñas is driven upon the coast of China, and that in which Aduarte sails is wrecked on one of the Babuyanes group. He sends word of this misfortune to Manila; the governor orders the Spaniards to proceed to China, on which coast they again suffer shipwreck, but find Dasmariñas—who has met a like disaster there, and is enduring great privations. Aduarte has meanwhile returned to Manila; but word of Dasmariñas’s misfortune reaches that place, and Governor Tello sends him a ship with aid, and orders to return at once to Manila. Aduarte accompanies this vessel. He goes to Canton, to obtain the viceroy’s permission for Dasmariñas’s return to Manila; but there falls into the hands of a greedy and corrupt official, who, thinking to extort money from the friar, has him tortured. Finally, Aduarte is placed in prison with the Spanish sailors, but is soon bailed out by a Chinese friend. He makes his escape, and joins Dasmariñas; the latter returns to Manila, but Aduarte’s health is so injured that he is obliged to halt at Macao. Fray Alonso Ximenez dies at that place, as a result of his hardships and sufferings in the Camboja expedition; a sketch of his life and virtues is given.

In 1597 another mission arrives at the islands, with Bishop Benavides. The intermediate chapter of the Dominican province is in session, and the new arrivals are therefore assigned to the needy missions; various incidents in those of Cagayán and Pangasinan are related. Biographical sketches of Antonio de Soria and other pioneer missionaries are given. Two of these are sent (1598) on a politico-religious mission to Camboja, with a Spanish officer named Mendoza; they are attacked by Malays, and most of the Spaniards are slain. The rest escape to Siam, but are attacked there also, with further loss of life. Among the dead are the two Dominicans and Mendoza.

At the chapter-session of 1600, Juan de Santo Thomas is elected provincial. The Cagayán missions are extended further into the interior; and the religious zealously pursue and destroy any trace of idol-worship. At the intermediate chapter of 1602, the house of San Juan del Monte, without the city, is established as a retreat for convalescent brethren of the order. At that time occurs a miraculous healing of a friar possessed by an evil spirit; also, a large band of missionaries arrives from Spain, being divinely aided to escape various dangers of pestilence and shipwreck. With these friars all the convents in the province are supplied, and some even go to Japan. Aduarte explains the reason for Dominican missionaries being called to that country, and describes their first establishment, which is in Satsuma.

In 1603 the new king of Camboja asks the Manila government for soldiers and missionaries. Three Dominicans are sent, with a few soldiers as guards, and letters to the king. They are well received; but two of them die, and the factions in that country and the fickleness of the natives induce the remaining friar to return to Manila. In April, 1604, occurs the great conflagration in Manila, and, in the succeeding autumn, the revolt and massacre of the Chinese in and near that city—which have been fully described in previous volumes.

At the chapter of 1604, Fray Miguel de San Jacinto is elected provincial, and several new churches in heathen communities are received. These are supplied with ministers from a new company that arrives that year from Spain. Some account is given of the journey of these friars, with its hardships and dangers—among these being an attack made upon them by hostile Indians at Guadalupe Island, in which six friars are

slain and three wounded. Many of these new missionaries are sent to the Cagayán missions—some to the Itaves Indians, who were considered fierce and untamable by the Spaniards (some of whom, having oppressed the natives, were slain by them) until “the holy gospel declared by the Dominican religious changed them from bloodthirsty wolves to gentle sheep.” Aduarte declares that wonderful results were thus achieved, rendering those Indians moral and obedient, and achieving this entirely by kindness and gentleness. The Indians even consent to change their abodes to the mission reductions. The fathers are almost worn out by these tasks, and one dies; but they are encouraged by the wonderful results of their labor and by miracles which the Lord vouchsafes them.

Aduarte presents a long biographical account of Archbishop Benavides, Salazar’s immediate successor. He is distinguished in Spain, both as a student and as an instructor. Coming to the Philippines, he immediately undertakes to learn the Chinese language, that he may minister to the men of that nation who come to Manila; and founds a hospital for the poor sick Chinese there. Benavides goes to China (as previously narrated), and afterward to Spain. There he does good service in refuting the opinion prevalent there that conquest must precede conversion, and soldiers clear the way for missionaries. He also procures the recall of a papal brief authorizing the bishops to visit the friars in charge of the Indians, the same as if they were parish priests; and accomplishes other important business, especially in behalf of the Indians, winning golden opinions of his abilities, good judgment, and virtue. Returning to the islands, Benavides takes charge of the diocese of Nueva Segovia, where he labors zealously for the moral improvement of the Spaniards, but most of all for the protection of the Indians from Spanish rapacity. After Salazar’s death, Benavides takes charge of the vacant see, and is finally appointed archbishop; but his mode of life is always as simple and austere as that of the poorest friar, and he spends all his income in almsgiving. At his death, he bequeaths the little that he possesses to his brethren, for the founding of a college at Manila. Biographical accounts of other friars are presented. One of these, Jacinto Pardo, dies suddenly, it is supposed from poison given him by hostile Indians. Another, Juan de la Cruz, is a notable linguist.

In 1605, a papal brief (obtained by the Jesuits) forbids any religious to go to Japan except by way of India; but it is revoked three years later. This, in the interim, causes the friar orders much trouble; and Japan, moreover, is greatly unsettled and disturbed by various political matters. In 1606 an intermediate chapter is held at Manila, at which the religious of the order are directed to collect materials (of which Aduarte has availed himself) for a history of the Dominican province. The great victory of Acuña at Maluco, which occurs about that time, is ascribed to the agency of our Lady of the Rosary, to whom the Dominicans have a special devotion; a confraternity in her honor had been founded in Acuña’s army, and the captured town is dedicated to her. In this same year, another company of religious arrives from Spain; one dies before reaching Manila. At this time, a Dominican mission is established in the province of Hizen, Japan.

In 1605 the mission in Pangasinan is extended to the village of Manáoag, farther inland; and, “within a few months, there was not a heathen in the village.” A chief in a neighboring village is also converted, to whom a miracle occurs. In 1607, two new churches are established in Cagayán. In Nalfotan the Indians, led by their excellent chief, build a church even before a missionary is sent to them; and all is prospering when a priestess of the old idols stirs up the people, against the new faith, and the villagers take to the hills. Later, they

burn the church; but the good chief saves the missionary’s life. Another revolt occurs in that province, caused by the cruelty of an encomendero. Troops are sent from Manila; their commander finds that the Indians had cause for revolt, and sends the people of Nalfotan home with their pastor. This mission prospers, and the chief is its mainstay during his life—a function long continued by his pious sister.

The provincial chosen in 1608 is Baltasar Fort. Some account is given of the persecution of Christians in Japan; they are banished from Satsuma, but many find shelter in Nagasaki. The Dominicans accomplish much in Hizen. They also extend their missionary labors among the wild mountaineers of northern Luzón, gathering many scattered hamlets into larger villages, and converting many of their heathen inhabitants. In Ituy they attempt to open a mission, but the Franciscans claim that as their territory; the Dominicans yield, but regret to see these Indians abandoned soon afterward by their Franciscan teachers. In 1609 the general of their order commands the provincials of the mission provinces to report every year the work and achievements of the missionaries, with information regarding the numbers and condition of the order in each province. Several friars die in that year, of whom biographical sketches are presented. One of these, Pedro Rodriguez, has rendered special and distinguished service in the hospital for Chinese at Manila.

The Editors

August, 1905.