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. 48]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 48

that Sefior Obando wished to go forth in person to
restrain them, and to repair the many injuries which
they were inflicting on us. His Majesty had commanded that a fortified post should be established in
the island of Paragua, in order to shut off the pirates
from entrance [into Bisayan waters] on that side, just
as it was closed on the other side by the post of Zamboanga. In order to proceed in all respects with
moderation, the governor sent an ambassador to the
king of Borney, in order that the latter should cede
to us the territory that he possessed in that island;
and when it was ceded he made ready a squadron to
build the fortified post, and from that place to follow
up the Moros who were plundering our islands. He
intended to go out in person at the head of this armada, and consulted the royal Audiencia on this
point; but the auditors were of opinion that it was
not expedient to hazard his person, and that he could
entrust this expedition to another person, who by
carrying an engineer to draw plans for the fort which
it was necessary to build on the island of Paragua
could accomplish all that was expected from the exand have an irreconcilable hatred for those enemies." Here they
were led by their Recollect priest, Fray Marcelino de el Espiritu
Santo, "a robust native of La Mancha," who with them fought
so valiantly that the enemy could not make a landing. Romblon
had so good a fort that it could repel the foe; Ticao was so
poorly defended that the people, with their missionary, Fray
Manuel de Santa Cathalina, could only take to flight- the priest
being afterward captured, and finally ransomed for eight hundred
pesos. In several places the missionaries were either slain or
captured by the pirates; and these raids were extended, the boldness of the enemy increasing, even to the coasts of Luzon, in
Batangas and Zambales. The government took what precautions it could, but these amounted to little save in the vicinity
of Manila, Cebui, and Zamboanga; military and naval forces, and
supplies of all sorts, were deficient, and there was much official
apathy and corruption.