The Fall of Cambodia

In 1594, when Don Luys was governor, a large junk came to the Filipinas with:

• some Cambodians and Siamese
• several Chinese
• 3 Spaniards

One was a Castilian, named Blaz Ruyz de Hernan Gonzalez.

They were in the city of Chordemuco, [48] in Camboja, with Prauncar [49] Langara, king of Camboja.

Then the king of Siam, with many soldiers and elephants, conquered Cambodia and seized the king’s treasures.

The king, with his wife, mother, sister, and his one daughter, and two sons, fled to the kingdom of Lao.

The king of Siam left some of his captains to guard Camboja and returned home with the rest of the army.

He sent what booty he could not carry away by land to Siam by sea in several junks.

He captured the Portuguese and Castilians in Cambodia and put them on board this junk with a Siamese guard and a Chinese crew.

While they were at sea, the 3 Spaniards, aided by the Chinese, took possession of the junk, and killed and imprisoned the Siamese guards.

After that, the Spaniards and the Chinese came to blows as to who should have the prize and where it was to be taken.

The 3 Spaniards overcame the Chinese, and killing most of them. They took the junk to Manila.

Liberty was granted to the Cambodians and Chinese who had survived.

The king of Sian reached his court in the city of Odia [50] and waited for the junk.

Portuguese Diego Belloso was sent by King Prauncar Langara to Manila to ask Dasmariñas for help against Siam.

• On his return to Camboja with the governor’s answer and present, Siam had already won.

They captured him, and the Siamese king seized the present.

Diego Belloso offered to the Siamese king to:

• set him free back to Manila to find out what had happened to the junk
• establish friendship and commerce in the king’s name with the Spaniards.

The king agreed to this and had a junk prepared.

He sent 2 elephants to the governor of Manila, and a quantity of benzoin, ivory, and other merchandise for sale, with the proceeds of which they were to buy the curiosities mentioned by Belloso.

They encountered a storm, and the junk put in at Malaca.

There they learned that:

• the other junk had been seized by its Spanish prisoners
• it was taken to Manila

At this news, the Siamese king’s servant Aconsi wanted to return immediately to Sian.

• So they sold the goods in Malaca

One morning, Aconsi [51] was found dead in the junk.

Diego Belloso became master of the ship. He loaded again the goods and elephants on the junk, left Malaca for Manila.

There he found Don Luys Dasmariñas acting as governor, because of his father Gomez Perez’s death.

• He gave the present of the elephants

The other goods and merchandise were offered for sale by another Siamese who represented his king’s service in the same junk.

Belloso met Blas Ruys de Hernan Gonçales and his two companions in Manila.

They agreed to persuade Governor Don Luys to send a fleet to Camboja to aid King Langara.

They called on the religious of the Order of St. Dominic to support them before the governor in this plan.

These easily put the matter on such good footing. The governor followed their advice and prepared a fleet with as many men as possible, under the captain and sargento-mayor, Juan Xuarez Gallinato

• Gallinato would be in a ship of moderate size.
• Diego Belloso would be in a junk
• Blas Ruyz de Hernan Gonçalez would be in another.

They had:

• 120 Spaniards
• some Japanese and natives
• all else that was necessary.

This resolution seemed inexpedient to the majority of people in the city because:

• it took so many men away
• the success of the expedition seemed very doubtful.

A storm overtook the fleet. The flagship took refuge in the strait of Sincapura near Malaca, where it remained for many days.

The other two junks which carried Diego Belloso and Blas Ruyz with some Spaniards, Japanese, and natives of Manila, reached Camboja with great difficulty.