Expedition to Mindanao

The withdrawal of Don Joan Ronquillo’s camp from the Mindanao river left a Spanish garrison in La Caldera.

It passed into command of Captain Villagra at the death of Captain Joan Pacho in Jolo.

• It was suffering for lack of provisions.

It urgently requested Governor Don Francisco Tello either to supply them or let them retreat to Manila.

There was little money in the royal exchequer.

So he consulted the Audiencia and other intelligent persons.

The Audiencia advised to:

• reënforce and maintain the garrison
• attend to the affairs of Jolo and the Mindanao river as soon as possible

But the governor withdrew the garrison anyaway.

He sent orders to Captain Villagra to burn the fort in La Caldera and return to Manila.

When the Joloans saw the Spaniards abandoning the country, they were persuaded that the Spanish were spent.

So they united with the people of Buhahayen on the river, and equipped a number of caracoas and other craft to raid the Visayas.

The people of Tampacan lost hope of getting further help from the Spaniards.

So they joined the people of Buhahayen in order to avoid the war and injuries.

Then all turned their arms against the Spaniards, promising themselves to make many incursions into their territory and gain much plunder. Accordingly

They prepared their fleet and chose two of the experienced chiefs Sali and Silonga to command them.

They left the Mindanao River in July 1599, in the season of the vendavals, with 50 caracoas with:

• over 3,000 soldiers armed with arquebuses, campilans, carasas, other weapons with handles
• many culverins

They steered toward the islands of Oton and Panay, and neighboring islands.

They passed Negros Island and went to the river of Panay, which they ascended for 5 leguas to the chief settlement, where the alcalde-mayor and some Spaniards were living.

They sacked the settlement, burned the houses and churches, captured many native Christians—men, women, and children—upon whom they committed many murders, cruelties, and outrages.

They pursued these in boats more than 10 leguas up the river, and destroyed all the crops.

The alcalde-mayor, and those who could, fled to the mountains. The enemy could do what they pleased.

After they had burned all the vessels in the river, they left the river of Panay with their boats laden with pillaged goods and captive Christians.

They did the same in the other islands and towns which they passed.

Then they returned to Mindanao, without any opposition, with a quantity of gold and goods and more than 800 captives, besides the people whom they had killed.

In Mindanao, they divided the spoil, and agreed to get ready a larger fleet for the next year, and return to make war better prepared. [121]

This daring attack hurt the Visayas because of the terror it brought.

The Spaniards had kept the Pintaods subject, tributary, and disarmed. They could not defend against their enemies like during the time before the Spanish came.

Many towns revolted and withdrew to the tingues, [122] and refused to descend to their houses, magistrates, and encomenderos.

The Mindanaos and Joloans returned with over 70 well-equipped ships and more than 4,000 fighting men, led by the same Silonga and Sali, and other Mindanao and Jolo chiefs to the same islands of Pintados.

They targetted the Spanish town of Arevalo in Oton.

Captain Joan Garcia de Sierra, alcalde-mayor of that province heard of this expedition.

He gathered into the town all the Spaniards who lived there. Then shut himself up in it with all of them.

He repaired a wooden fort there and gathered there the women and their possessions.

He and the Spaniards—about 70 men—armed with arquebuses, awaited the enemy.

The enemy landed 1,500 armed with arquebuses, campilans, and carasas and marched against the Spanish town

The Spaniards, divided into troops, sallied forth and opened fire with their arquebuses upon the enemy with such vehemence that they forced them to retreat and take refuge on board their caracoas.

So great was the enemy’s confusion that many Mindanaos were killed before they could embark.

Captain Joan Garcia de Sierra, who was on horseback, pursued the enemy so closely to the water’s edge that the enemy cut off the legs of his mount with their campilans and brought him to the ground where they killed him.

The enemy embarked with a heavy loss of men, and halted at the island of Guimaraez, [123] in sight of Arevalo.

Included among the enemy dead was one of the most noted chiefs and leaders.

Then they sailed for Mindanao, making a great show of grief and sorrow, and sounding their bells and tifas. [124]

They made no further delay at the Pintados, deriving little gain from the expedition, but much injury, and loss of men and reputation, which was felt more deeply upon their arrival in Jolo and Mindanao.

They decided that their next expedition would have more ships and men.