Ships Going To and From Manila

On July 10, 1603 [173], the “Espiritu-Santo” and “Jesus Maria” left the port of Cabit en route for Nueva España.

2 days before, 2 smaller vessels had been despatched with Filipinas merchandise.

Don Lope de Ulloa was their commander, while Doctor Antonio de Morga left those islands in the almiranta, the “Santo Espiritu,” to fill the office of alcalde of the court of Mexico.

Before leaving the bay, both vessels were struck head on by a storm, and went dragging on the coast, buffeted by the heavy seas and winds, and amid dark and tempestuous weather, from 3pm until morning of the next day.

Then they grounded upon the coast, in La Pampanga, 10 leguas from Manila. The storm lasted for 3 more consecutive days.

Consequently, it was regarded as impossible for those vessels to sail and make their voyage, inasmuch as the season was now well advanced, and the vessels were very large and heavily laden, and were deeply imbedded in the sand.

Advice was immediately sent overland to Manila, whence were brought several Chinese ships, cables, and anchors.

By dint of the great efforts exerted, both vessels, each singly, were fitted with tackle and cables, which were rigged at the stern.

There awaiting the high tide, the ships were drawn, by force of capstan and men, stern first for more than one legua through a bank of sand, upon which they had struck, until they were set afloat, on July 22, St. Magdelen’s day.

Immediately they set sail again, as the vessels had sustained no injury, nor sprung any leak; and they made their voyage and navigation, under light winds, to the coast of Nueva España.

A violent south-southwest gale, accompanied by heavy showers, hail, and cold, struck the ship “Espiritu Sancto” on November 10, in 42 degrees, and within sight of land.

The wind was blowing obliquely toward the shore, upon which the vessel was almost wrecked several times.

The vessel suffered distress and lost its rigging, while the crew was worn out by the voyage and with the cold.

The storm lasted until November 22.

On the morning of that day, while the ship was in the trough of the waves, and with topmasts shipped, it was struck by a squall of rain and hail, accompanied by great darkness.

A thunderbolt, descending the mainmast, struck the vessel amidships.

It killed three men besides wounding and maiming eight others; it had entered the hatches, and torn open the mainhatch, with a blaze of light, so that the interior of the ship could be seen.

Another thunderbolt fell down along the same mast among the entire crew, and stunned 16 persons, some of whom were speechless and unconscious all that day.

It left the vessel by the pump-dale.

The next day, the wind veered to north-northeast, whereupon the ship set sail, and went coasting along the land, with sufficient winds until the nineteenth of the month of December, when it made port at Acapulco.

There were found the two smaller vessels that had sailed first from Manila.

Three days later, General Don Lope de Ulloa entered the same port of Acapulco, in the ship “Jesus Maria.”

That vessel had sustained the same storms as the ship “Espiritu Sancto.”

From the time when the 2 vessels had separated, on sailing out of the channel of Capul, in the Filipinas Islands, they had not sighted one another again during the entire voyage.

In 1603, Governor Don Pedro de Acuña sent the ship “Sanctiago” from Manila to Kanto in Japon, with merchandise.

This was to comply with the desire and wish of Daifusama.

As news had been already received of the death of Fray Geronimo de Jesus, four of the most important religious of his order in Manila—namely, Fray Diego de Bermeo [174] (who had been provincial), Fray Alonso de la Madre de Dios, Fray Luys Sotello, [175] and one other associate—sailed on that vessel for Japon.