Ronquillo Invades the Buhahayen of Mindanao

The governor chose Don Juan Ronquillo, general of the galleys, to go to Mindanao.

Ronquillo was given the necessary reënforcements of men and other things to reach Mindanao.

He took command of the Spanish camp and fleet which he found in Tampacan.

He:

• confirmed the peace and friendship with the chiefs and people of Tampacan and Lumaguan
• restored and set in better order the Spanish settlement and fort
• prepared for the war against the people of Buhahayen.

He spent many days in making a few incursions into their land and attacks on their forts, but without any notable result.

The enemy:

• were many and all good soldiers
• had plenty of arquebuses [63] and artillery
• had fortified themselves in a strong position.

They had many other fortifications inland.

They went from one to the other with impunity, whenever they wished.

They greatly harassed the Spaniards who:

• were little used to so swampy a country.
• were short of provisions

They could not resupply from the countryside because of the war.

Don Juan Ronquillo saw that:

• the war was advancing very slowly and with little result
• the camp was suffering

He sent letters in all haste to Governor Don Francisco Tello, informing him of the condition of affairs.

He wrote that:

• it would be better to withdraw the camp from Mindanao River, so that it might not perish
• a presidio could be established on Mindanao in the port of La Caldera
• would return to Manila for his next orders

La Caldera could be left fortified so that:

• their enterprise would survive
• their friends of Tampacan and Lumaguan could be kept hostile to the Buhahayen.

Governor Don Francisco Tello ordered him to:

• make a great effort to chastise the enemy in Buhahayen
• withdraw with his whole camp from Mindanao River
• burn the Spanish settlement and fort and to go to La Caldera, fortify it
• leave there a sufficient garrison with artillery, boats, and provisions for its maintenance and service
• return to Manila with the rest of his men, after telling their friends in Tampacan that he Spaniards would shortly return to the river better equipped and in greater numbers

Silonga and other chiefs of Buhahayen had sent a chief to Terrenate to ask assistance against the Spaniards.

The king of Terrenate despatched a numerous fleet of caracoas and other boats to Mindanao with cachils [65] and valiant soldiers.

This included:

• more than 1,000 fighting men
• a quantity of small artillery

When the news reached Buhahayen that this fleet was coming, they prepared to attack the Spaniards who also heard the same news.

The Spanish focused more to the main fort. They reduced the number of men in the smaller forts on Buquil River and other posts, mouths, and arms of the same river.

These strengthened the main fort and the armed galleys and other smaller craft to defend against the expected attack of the enemy.

The enemy gallantly attacked and stormed to that fort with all their vessels and men with great courage and resolution.

The Spaniards resisted valiantly. Those outside in the galleys on the river assisted them so effectively with artillery and arquebuses, and at times in close combat with swords and campilans.

They slaughtered the men of Terrenate and those of Buhahayen, who were aiding them.

They killed and wounded many of them and captured almost all the caracoas and vessels of the enemy.

Very few boats escaped. They were pursued and burned by the Spaniards, who made many prisoners, and seized immense booty and many weapons from the enemy.

The Spaniards then turned against the settlements and forts of Buhahayen.

The natives saw themselves hard pressed and without anyone to help them. So they sent messages and proposals of peace to Don Juan Ronquillo.

They agreed to render recognition and homage and renewed their friendship with the people of Tampacan, their ancient enemy.

In order to strengthen the friendship, they sealed it by the marriage of the greatest chief and lord of Buhahayen with the daughter of another chief of Tampacan, called Dongonlibor.

This completely ended the war. Provisions were now to be had, and the Spaniards with little precaution crossed and went about the country wherever they wished.

One of the conditions of peace was for the people of Buhahayen to dismantle all their forts immediately.

Then the Spaniards returned to their fort and settlement at Tampacan. Don Juan Ronquillo immediately sent despatches to Governor Don Francisco Tello, informing him of the different turn of events.

He asked the governor to issue new instructions on what to do, saying that he would wait.

The governor had already answered Don Joan Ronquillo’s first despatch, as we have said above, when the second despatch arrived with news of the successes in Mindanao. Suspicious of the men in the camp who had constantly shown a desire to return to Manila, and little relish for the hardships of war, and fearing lest they would return at the arrival of the first order, executing that order and abandoning the enterprise which had reached such a satisfactory stage; and thinking that it would be unwise to abandon the river: the governor made haste to send a second despatch immediately by various roads, ordering them to pay no attention to his first orders, but to remain in Mindanao, and that he would soon send them what was necessary for further operations.

It seems that this message traveled slowly; for, the first having arrived, they obeyed it without any further delay, and camp was raised and the country abandoned.

To their former enemy of Buhahayen they gave as a reason that the governor of Manila had summoned them; and to their friends of Tampacan, they said that they would leave men in La Caldera for their security, and that assistance would be sent them from Manila.

This news caused as much sorrow and sadness to the latter, as joy to the people of Buhahayen. Then after burning their fort and settlement, the Spaniards embarked all their forces as soon as possible, left the river, and went to La Caldera, 24 leguas farther down in the direction of Manila.

Having entered port, they built a fortress and left there a garrison of 100 Spaniards, with some artillery, provisions, and boats for their use.

At this juncture, the governor’s second message to General Don Joan Ronquillo arrived, to which the latter replied that he was already in La Caldera, and could not return to the river.

Then, without any further delay, Don Juan Ronquillo went to Manila with the balance of his fleet, by way of the provinces of Oton, and Panay.

The governor, having heard of his coming, sent to arrest him on the road before he entered the city, and proceeded against him by law for having withdrawn the camp and army from Mindanao River, without awaiting the orders he should have expected after the favorable turn that affairs had taken.

Don Juan Ronquillo was set at liberty on showing a private letter from the governor, which the latter had sent him separately with the first instructions, to the effect that he should return to Manila with his troops in any event, for they were needed in the islands for other purposes; and because of this letter Don Juan had determined not to await the second order.