Galleon in Japan

During the first days of the governor’s administration, the Cavite shipyard had 2 large ships being finished for their voyage to Nueva España.

1. The “Jesus Maria”

This belonged to Don Luys Dasmariñas

2. The “Espiritu Santo”

This was built by Joan Tello de Aguirre and other residents of Manila.

This was to make the voyage with the merchandise of that year credited to the builders. But it was to pass into possession of his Majesty upon arrival in Nueva España

They left Manila on July 1602*, with:

• Don Lope de Ulloa commanding the “Espiritu Santo” as general
• Don Pedro Flores in charge of Jesus Maria

Maharlikanism Note

This is typhoon season

They met storms in 38 degrees.

The ship “Jesus Maria” put back into Manila with difficulty after having been more than 40 days in the island of the Ladrones, whence it was unable to depart.

During this time they had opportunity to pick up all the surviving Spaniards from among those left by the ship “Santa Margarita,” among them, Fray Joan Pobre, who had jumped into one of the boats of the natives from the galleon “Santo Tomas,” when it passed that way the year before.

Five other Spaniards were in other islands of the same Ladrones, but although every effort was made to bring them, they could not come.

The natives brought Fray Joan Pobre and the others to the ship in their own boats, with great friendship and good will.

After they had been entertained on board the ship, which they entered without fear, and after iron and other presents had been given to them, they returned without the Spaniards, weeping and showing great sorrow.

The ship “Espiritu Santo” had to go to Japon with its mainmast gone.

It entered a port of Firando, 20 leguas from a station of the religious of St. Augustine.

Many soldiers had assembled quickly at the port. They had asked the general for the sails of the ship, which he declined to give them.

He feared that they wished to seize the ship and its merchandise, as was done in Hurando, with the “San Felipe,” in 1596.

He sent his brother, Don Alonso de Ulloa, and Don Antonio Maldonado to Miaco by land with a present for Daifusama, to give them:

• provision
• permission to go out again from that harbor. [155]

Meanwhile, those on the ship were greatly troubled by the Japanese who were in the port, and by their captains, who were not satisfied with the presents which were given them to make them well disposed, but forcibly seized whatever they saw, giving out that everything was theirs and that it would soon be in their power.

Fray Diego de Guebara was the Augustinian superior in Firando.

He came to the ship and told the general that:

• he had put into a bad harbor
• the infidels and wicked people would take his ship and rob it
• he should get it out of there and take it to Firando where he [the father] was living.

18 of the Spaniards of the ship were ashore, where they were imprisoned.

Without waiting any longer he drove the Japanese guard from the ship, bent the foresail and spritsail, loaded the artillery, and, with weapons in hand, one morning set the ship in readiness to weigh anchor.

The Japanese went to the channel and stretched a thick rattan cable which they had woven, and moored it on both banks so that the ship might not be able to sail out.

The general sent a small boat with 6 arquebusiers to find out what they were doing, but at their approach, a number of the Japanese funeas attacked them to capture them.

However, by defending themselves with their arquebuses they returned to the ship and reported to the general that the Japanese were closing the exit from the harbor with a cable.

The ship immediately set sail against the cable to break it.

A negro, to whom the general promised his freedom, offered to be let down over the bow with a large machete in order to cut the cable when the ship reaches it.

With the artillery and the arquebuses he cleared the channel of the funeas there.

When he came to the cable, the impetus of the vessel and the strenuous efforts of the negro with the machete, it broke.

The ship passed through.

The general thought it best to return to Manila than to seek another harbor in Japon.

Having raised a jury-mast [156] in place of the main-mast, and with the wind freshening daily from the north, he crossed to Luzón in 12 days, via the cape of Bojeador.

He reached the bay of Manila where he found the ship “Jesus Maria”.

It was also putting in distress through the Capul Channel.

So the two ships made harbor there again.

Don Alonso de Ulloa and Don Francisco Maldonado reached Miaco and delivered their message and present to Daifusama.

The latter, upon being informed who they were, that their ship had entered Japon, and that they were from Manila, received them cordially, and

Daifusama quickly gave them warrants and chapas [i.e., safe-conducts] so that the tonos and governors of the provinces would allow the ship and its crew to depart freely.

They were to be allowed to refit, and to be given what they needed; and whatever had been taken from them, whether much or little, was to be returned.

The Daifu:

• gave new chapas for restitution of all the goods to be made
• sent a catan from his own hand with which justice should be performed on those who had offended in this matter [157]
• ordered that the Spaniards who remained in the port should be set free, and that their goods be returned to them.

With this warrant the Spaniards left that port and recovered what had been taken from them.

The ambassadors and the others returned to Manila in the first vessels which left, taking with them 8 chapas of the same tenor from Daifusama, in order that in the future ships coming from Manila to any port whatever of Japon, might be received courteously and well treated, without having any harm done them.

These, upon their arrival in Manila, they handed over to the governor, who gives them to the ships sailing to Nueva España, to provide for any incidents on the voyage.