The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; 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 political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 24]

36

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 24

This tidings was certain; and another fleet was prepared with all possible despatch in Sugbu, in order
that the Spaniards might defend themselves, and if
possible, drive the enemy from the islands. Although
diligent efforts were made in this, when our fleet set
sail already had the enemy rounded the island of
Panay. Our fleet, which consisted of seven caracoas
and four or five barangays, followed the enemy.
They reached the islets of Asur, where they heard
that the enemy had passed there, with the intention of
burning the city of Arevalo and the village of
Oct6ng, with all their provisions. The captain and
commander of our fleet was Captain Salgado, then
alcalde-mayor of Sugbu. The two fleets met near
Pan de Azucar [i.e., " Sugar Loaf"]. The Spaniards
were very resolute. The enemy formed themselves
in a crescent with sixty caracoas. So senseless were
they that they untied their captives, threw them overboard, and came to attack our boats. I know not the
captain's design or purpose, that made him dally
with the enemy, so that the latter were shouting out
spiritedly and imagining that they were feared. The
father provincial and his companion, Fray Hernando Guerrero,5 talked encouragingly to the petty
leaders, and encouraged and even shamed them so
Fray Hernando Guerrero, a native of Alcaraz, professed in
the convent of San Felipe el Real in 1588. After his arrival at
the Philippines, he labored in various Bisayan villages (1599 -1613). In 1613, he went to Spain, whence he returned in I617.
He went again to Spain and Rome in 1625. In 1628 he was
appointed bishop of Nueva Segovia, and, in 1635, archbishop of
Manila. His term in the latter office was marked by contests with
the Jesuits, and he was finally excommunicated by a secular priest,
and then exiled to Mariveles by the governor, Corcuera - only
leaving that island on signing certain conditions. He died July
i, 1641, at seventy-five years of age. See Perez's Catalogo, pp.
48, 49; and Buzeta and Bravo's Diccionario, ii, p. 275