IN the meantime, he went ashore with Frs. Andres de Urdaneta[i]
and Andres de Aguirre and some troops, took formal possession of the place they
knew as Tandaya[ii],
with Fr. Aguirre saying the mass after that. They went farther inland to a
village called Congiungo and there found the natives as hostile as ever. ‘They
were drawn up in squares according to their custom, and by their cries demanded
battle.’ The natives were not impressed or convinced with the explanations of
Frs. Urdaneta and Aguirre, who spoke through the interpreter Geronimo Pacheco. They
answered back that ‘the Castilians’ words were fair, but their deeds evil.’[iii]
So Legazpi turned back and as soon as he did, the natives showered them with stones
that had him worried for a moment. So his troops fired a few warning shots with
their arquebuses[iv],
causing the natives to fall back.
Now
he faced the same problem in Cabalian (now San Juan) in the southern part of
the island. When Captain Martin de Goiti returned and informed him of ‘a large settlement, with many ricefields,
herds of swine and Castilian fowls,’ he set sail at once to Cabalian where he
thought things would turn out better. News of his kindness and generosity had
travelled fast, so that upon his arrival in the bay near Cabalian, his boat was
surrounded by barotos and small boats
of all kinds, swarming with curious natives, with Camutuan, son of the village
chief Malitic, leading the bunch.[v]
Legazpi
treated him with all due courtesy, but upon the young man’s insistence for a
blood compact, Legazpi instead offered his own son, the alferez, to perform the
act, saying he would make the blood compact if it was Malitic himself who was
present. But Malitic, like Tandaya,
never showed his face to Legaspi. Thus, the expected blood compact between
Malitic and Legazpi never materialized. In the meantime, the natives, who were
suspicious of the intentions of the Spanish intruders, collected their food
stocks and precious belongings and began leaving the village, leaving Camutuan hostaged
by Legazpi. The latter, in his desperation, was thinking of using extreme
measures to get their much-needed provisions.
However, he did not want to
decide by his lone self. He wanted to decide with the consent of his men and
the missionaries, especially. So he called a council of war and explained the
issue. Was it right to use violence upon the natives that they were supposed to
befriend? ‘It was permitted the Spaniards, in order to sustain life, to take
food by harsh means, since kind measures did not suffice,’ he had argued. He wanted to buy the food that
they need with money, but the natives would not sell. After he spoke, he
ordered everyone else to express his own opinion.[vi] (To be continued)
[i]
Andres de Urdaneta was born in 1498 at Villafranca de Guipuzcoa. He received a
liberal education, but, his parents dying, he chose a military career; and he
won distinction in the wars of Germany and Italy, attaining the rank of
captain. Returning to Spain, he devoted himself to the study of mathematics and
astronomy, and became proficient in navigation. Joining Loaisa’s expedition, he
remained in the molujccas, contending with the Portuguese there, until 1535,
when he went back to Spain. Going thence to Mexico (about 1540), he was offered
command of the expedition then fitting out for the Moluccas, but on terms he
could not accept. Villalobos was given command in his stead, and Urdaneta later
(1552) became a friar, entering the Augustinian order, in which he made his
profession on March 20, 1553 in the city
of Mexico. There he remained until the fleet of Legazpi departed (Nov 21, 1564)
from La Navidad, Mexico for the Philippine Islands. Urdaneta accompanied this
expedition with four other friars of his order. He was appointed prelate of
those new lands, with the title “protector of the Indians,” he also acted as
the pilot of the ship. In the following
year, he was dispatched to Spain to give and account of what Legazpi had
accomplished. The mission accomplished, he wanted to return to the Philippines,
but he was dissuaded from this step by his friends. He came back to Mexico
where he died (June 3, 1568), aged 70 years, Urdaneta was endowed with a keen
intellect, and held to his opinions and convictions with great tenacity. To his
abilities and sagacity are ascribed much of Legaspi’s success in the conquest
of the Philippines.
[iii]
Op cit, Medina, p. 148
[iv]
The arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus or hackbut; from Dutch haakbus, meaning "hook
gun"), or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th
to 17th centuries. In distinction from its predecessor the hand cannon, it has a matchlock. Like its successor the musket, it is a smoothbore firearm, but was
initially lighter and easier to carry.(Wikipedia)
[v]
Op cit., Medina, p. 149
[vi]
Ibid, p 151
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