Moro Raid on Mindoro
September 22, 2024 4 minutes • 658 words
When Governor Don Pedro de Acuña entered his administration, the captain and sargento-mayor, Pedro Cotelo de Morales, arrived from Jolo.
He had the report of Joan Xuarez Gallinato on the state of affairs in Jolo.
The governor sent him supplies and a reënforcement of some men to punish that enemy, then return to the Visayas.
But Gallinato was already so worn out, and his men so ill, that they used the reënforcements to get away from there.
- He broke camp, burned the forts which he had built, embarked, and went to Pintados.
This emboldened more the Jolo people to raid against the Pintados.
The governor hastily started for the island of Panay and the town of Arevalo, in a galliot and other small vessels.
He left war matters in Manila, during his absence, in charge of Licentiate Don Antonio de Ribera, auditor of the Audiencia.
As soon as the governor left Manila, a squadron of 20 caracoas and other vessels from Mindanao entered the islands near Luzon, making captures.
They took some ships bound from Sebu to Manila which had 10 Spaniards.
They entered Calilaya, burned the church and all the town, and captured many persons of all classes among the natives.
Thence they passed to the town of Valayan [Balayán] to do the same.
But the auditor had already put 50 Spaniards and a captain and some vessels for its defense.
Consequently, they did not dare to enter the town or its bay, but crossed over to Mindoro where they captured many men, women, and children in the principal town.
They seized their gold and possessions and burning their houses and church, where they captured theprebendary Corral, curate of that doctrina.
They filled their own ships, and others which they seized there, with captives, gold, and property, staying in the port of Mindoro as leisurely as though in their own land even if it was just 24 leguas from Manila.
Captain Martin de Mendia, prisoner of these pirates, offered to negotiate for their ransom.
- He went to Manila.
The auditor sent him munitions, ships, and more men to Valayan to pursue the enemy in Mindoro.
Captain Gaspar Perez was in charge of Valayan.
- He was slow.
- Wnen he arrived at Mindoro, the enemy had left that port 6 days before with ships and booty
The enemy put into the river of a little uninhabited island to get water and wood.
Just at that time, Governor Don Pedro de Acuña was hastily returning to Manila from the town of Arvalo where he had learned of the incursion of those pirates.
He passed so near the mouth of this river, in 2 small champans and a virrey, with very few men, that it was a wonder that he was not seen and captured by the enemy.
He learned that the enemy was there, from a boat of natives which was escaping them.
Then he met Gaspar Perez searching the enemy with 12 vessels, caracoas and vireys, and some large champans.
The governor gave him some of his own men to guide him to where he had left the pirates the day before.
But the latter espied the fleet through their sentinels whom they had already stationed in the sea, outside the river.
They fled the river, throwing into the sea goods and slaves in order to flee more lightly.
Their flagship and almiranta caracoas protected the ships which were dropping behind and made them throw overboard what they could and work with all the strength of their paddles, assisted by their sails.
The Spanish fleet was heavy and could not overtake all of them because the enemy went to the open sea.
Yet some of the ships of Captain Gaspar Perez, being lighter, got among the enemy’s fleet, sunk some caracoas, and captured two.
But the rest escaped, although with great danger of being lost.
The fleet returned to Manila very much disturbed about the audacity of the enemy.