The Chinese Begin their Revolt in Manila

The Sangleys had planned their insurrection on November 30.

• But their plan was discovered.

So on Friday, October 3, the eve of St. Francis, they collected very hurriedly in their fort.

By nightfall, there were 2,000 men in it.

Joan Bautista de Vera went immediately to the city and told the governor that the Sangleys:

• had risen
• were collecting on the other side of the river.

The governor, suspecting the mischief, had him immediately arrested and carefully guarded.

• He was afterwards executed.

Don Luys Dasmariñas was living near the monastery and church of Minondoc, on the other side of the river.

• He came hurriedly to the city to advise the governor that the Sangleys had revolted.

He asked for 20 soldiers to guard the monastery.

Don Luys remained to guard the monastery, with the men brought from Manila, where he had placed in shelter many women and children of Christian Sangleys, with the religious.

The noise made by the Sangleys grew louder, for they were continuing to assemble and were sounding horns and other instruments, after their fashion.

The call to arms was sounded after the Sangleys set fire to some houses.

• The fire was so great that it was thought that they were devastating that district.
• They burned a stone country-house belonging to Captain Estevan de Marquina.
  • He and his wife and children died except a little girl who hid in a thicket. [181]

Thence the Sangleys went to the settlement of Laguio, [182] on the shore of the river, and burned it.

• They killed several natives and the rest fled to the city.

There the gates were already shut and all the people, with arms in hand, manned the walls and other suitable posts, ready for any emergency, until dawn.

The enemy, who now had many men, retired to their fort, to make another sally thence with more force.

200 Spanish Counterattack and are Defeated by 1,500 Sangleys

Don Luys Dasmariñas was guarding the church and monastery of Minondoc with regulars and inhabitants of the city, under:

• Captains Don Tomas Brabo de Acuña (the governor’s nephew)
• Joan de Alcega
• Pedro de Arzeo
• Gaspar Perez

All was confusion, shouting, and outcry in the city, particularly among the natives, and the women and children, who were coming thither for safety.

To make certain of the Sangleys of the parián, their merchants had been asked to come into the city, and bring their property.

• But they did not dare to do so.
• They always thought that the enemy would take the city because of their great force of numbers, and annihilate the Spaniards

Consequently, they preferred to remain in their parián, in order to join the victorious side.

Don Luys Dasmariñas left 70 soldiers in Minondoc, in charge of Gaspar Perez.

He went on the offensive and took 140 of the best picked arquebusiers to the village of Tondo to fortify himself in the church, a stone building at 11am.

• 1,500 Chinese arrived for the same purpose at the same time.

An hour’s skirmish took place between them for control of the monastery.

• Captain Gaspar Perez came up with the reënforcement of the men left at Minondoc.
• The enemy retired to his fort, with a loss of 500 men.

Gaspar Perez returned to his post, where Pedro de Arzeo was also stationed.

Juan de Alcega and others requested Don Luys to halt and rest his men, and await the governor’s orders as to what was to be done.

But he wanted not to lose the opportunity. So he roused his men with harsh words, in order to make them follow him, he marched forward until they reached a swamp.

After leaving the swamp, they came suddenly into a large clearing, where the enemy was stationed.

The enemy surrounded them in force on all sides, armed with:

• clubs
• some with catans
• a few with battle-axes.

Don Luys and his men were not able to retreat.

They fought valiantly and killed many Sangleys.

But finally, the enemy were so many that they cut all the Spaniards to pieces, only 4 escaped, badly wounded.

So many and the best Spanish soldiers were killed in this place. The Sangleys took their weapons and became sure of victory.