CHAPTER XI.
ANNO DOM. 1750.
The Administration of the Marquis of Obando.
Don Francisco Joseph de Obando, a native of Caceres, in Estremadura, had arrived in the South Sea with a squadron, and was in Lima when the great earthquake happened, by which Callao was swallowed up. On this occasion his exertions obtained the King"s favour, and he was nominated Governor of Manila. He then pa.s.sed over to Mexico, where he married Dona Barbara Ribadeneyra, and accompanied by her embarked for the Philippines, the government of which he took possession of in the month of July, 1750. The Archbishop, on his arrival, presented him with the King"s despatches, in which his Majesty charged him with the expulsion of the Chinese. A council was summoned in order to discuss the measure, when a difference of opinion arose on the subject, which terminated in totally frustrating the good intentions of his Majesty in respect to the Chinese, notwithstanding the prejudice these his dominions suffered by them. The Archbishop claimed the right of sitting on the left hand of the Governor, on the government seat, and which he was not disposed to accede to; and he claimed likewise the same honours from the officers commanding the guard when he entered the palace, or pa.s.sed through the gates of the city. These points of etiquette alone were of sufficient importance to suspend the execution of the orders of expulsion of the Chinese from the Philippines. The council was consulted on this controversy, when both points were decided in favour of the Archbishop.
The Royal Audience had likewise a misunderstanding with the Governor, in consequence of his having, on his own authority, given the command of Cavite Castle, ad interim, to Don Domingo Nebra; this appointment being, in point of regularity, always given by the consent of, and after duly consulting the Royal Audience, conformable to his Majesty"s orders. The Governor did not deny this royal order, but alleged, in his own justification, that he could not find any person so well qualified as Nebra for constructing such vessels as were requisite for the commerce of Acapulco, and the defence of the islands against the Moors; that Nebra was seventy years of age, and could not be compelled to undertake the charge of constructing vessels unless he chose it; and that he would by no means accept the employment, if there were any interference of the Royal Audience, because, in such case, he would be obliged to reside at Cavite. An extraordinary case like the present ought not to be subjected to common rules, and he had determined according to what appeared to him most conducive to the interest of his Majesty"s service. The Royal Audience, in reply, made its representations and protests, but finding that the power of the Governor preponderated, they yielded up the point in the mean time, and appealed to his Majesty. Notwithstanding the science of Nebra, however, of which the Governor boasted so much, the ship Pilar, which he careened before her departure for Acapulco, disappeared at sea, and nothing has ever been heard of her since. Another dispute, which made considerable noise, took place at this time in Manila: a lady who had taken the veil in the nunnery of Santa Catalina, under the name Madre Cecilia, had fallen in love with Don Francisco Figueroa, and the vacant seat of government being at that time filled by Senor Arrechedera, Figueroa presented himself to the proper officer, requiring that the profession of Madre Cecilia might be annulled. The Vicar General, not desirous of having any controversies with the Dominican Friars, of whose order the Governor was, advised Figueroa, on this occasion, to say nothing on the subject for the present, but wait a more favourable conjuncture for his pretensions. As soon as the Senor Obando arrived, conceiving that the reason which induced him to refrain no longer existed, he presented himself to the Archbishop, requesting, as he had done before, that the Vicar General should annul the nun"s vows. His Excellency ordered that she should be lodged in the Santa Potenciana; the Dominicans opposed it most strenuously, and appealed to the superior government; but not finding themselves supported in this tribunal, they gave up the point, and delivered her over to the Vicar General, who was charged with the care of her. The cause mean time went on, and the Archbishop decreed, after mature deliberation, that the sanctuary of Santa Catalina being by his Majesty prohibited from being converted into a convent, the Madre Cecilia, who had there made her profession, could not be properly considered a religieuse, and that her profession, therefore, was null and void. The Dominicans appealed to the delegate, who was the Bishop of Zebu; the appeal was admitted, but permission was given her to marry. In order to follow up this appeal, with alacrity, a dignified clergyman was ordered to be despatched, who was capable of opposing the pretensions of Cecilia with effect, for it was concluded that to act otherwise would be to dishonour the sanctuary of Santa Catalina; but this gentleman not being disposed to take charge of so unpleasant a suit, pretended ill health. There was no other of that description in the Philippine Islands to whom they could have recourse, in consequence of which they laid the cause before the Archbishop of Mexico, who received it, and cited the Madre Cecilia to appear before his tribunal, ordering her to be sent to Mexico to answer the plea, and receive sentence.
As the appeal, however, was not allowed to operate to the suspension of matrimony, Cecilia contracted marriage, and with her husband embarked for Mexico, where it was decided that the marriage should be considered as valid, and of course the profession declared to be annulled. This decision having reached the council of the Indies, it was ordered that the sanctuary of Santa Catalina should be abolished, on the decease of all the religious then existing in it, which, however, was not observed, the Dominicans having obtained a reversal of the order.
The Governor having received information of new depredations committed by the Moors in the Bisaya provinces, determined to fit out an efficient force, which might not only attain this object, but likewise re-establish the throne of Jolo in Don Fernando Alimudin, who had been unjustly deprived of it, and whom he had found, on his arrival at Manila, converted to Christianity.
On this last point, indeed, there was a diversity of opinion, for many thought that his fidelity could not be relied on, and that the very first opportunity which offered he would be guilty of treachery, as his ancestors had been. It was, however, determined in favour of the expatriated King, and he was conducted to Jolo in the Admiral"s ship of the squadron, which sailed from Cavite, under the command of Colonel Quian, who was charged with both commissions. The squadron arrived at Zamboanga, with the exception of the Admiral"s ship, which not appearing, and that the monsoon might not be lost, or time allowed to the Moors to fortify themselves, the armament sailed from that port on the 13th of June, 1751, and on the 20th came to anchor in the harbour of Jolo, one mile distant from the fortification of the enemy. The attack was immediately commenced, and so panic-struck were the Moorish commanders, that they directly entered into a treaty, and signed an instrument, binding themselves to obedience to the King, and to conduct themselves as faithful subjects, and also engaging to deliver up to the Spaniards all the captive Christians which might be then in the island. With this treaty the Colonel returned in nine days to Zamboanga, carrying with him two sampans with Chinese, whom he found there acting as merchants, and whom he made prisoners, under the pretext that they had sold a cannon to the Joloese, our enemies, with whom we had just made peace. The Admiral"s ship had been delayed by a storm, and was detained in Calapan repairing the rudder, which was the occasion of his not arriving at Zamboanga until the 25th of July, but the King of Jolo, impatient at such delay, embarked, accompanied by two carracoas, and had arrived twelve days before.
Notwithstanding his diligence, the Governor of Zamboanga entertained much doubt of his fidelity, and having taken charge of two letters, one of which he had written, by order of the Governor of Manila, to the King of Mindanao, and the one letter being in the vulgar tongue, and the other in Arabic, a language which he had acquired in Batavia, where he had been some time, it excited a curiosity to know what the King had said in that language so totally in disuse in our islands. Accordingly a person was procured to translate the letter, and the contents were found to be, that he (the King) had written the other letter in obedience to the commands of the Governor of Manila, and that he could not do otherwise than obey, as he was in the power of a stranger.
To the suspicion attached to this was added another circ.u.mstance: a brother of his, named Asin, together with the chiefs of Jolo, who had capitulated with the Colonel, and agreed to receive their King, and deliver up the Christian captives, paid a visit to Zamboanga, and in addition to their bringing with them no captives whatever, they were charged with having introduced arms to surprise the government. The Governor, upon the strength of this charge, immediately confined the King, together with Asin, and those who accompanied him: his house was searched, but only a few arms were found, quite insufficient to induce a belief that he intended any thing against the government; but many other effects were found concealed in his prison, and various informations and memoranda which he had sent to the Moors, justified the suspicions entertained of him. In corroboration of all this, the Admiral and two pa.s.sengers declared, that the King was on very bad terms with the Manila people, of whom he had received so many attentions and services, and that on all occasions he manifested his ingrat.i.tude. That he had said the new Governor detained him prisoner; that he had given no proofs of being a Christian, for he slept every night with his concubines; that he never heard ma.s.s; and that he even stripped off the crosses from the rosaries of the family he resided with; and, lastly, that he had become an apostate, by making a Mahometan sacrifice at Calapan, where he had killed a goat, divided it into twelve portions, with many superst.i.tious ceremonies, and distributed it to his companions to eat, by way of celebrating the pa.s.sover.
The Governor of Zamboanga communicated these proceedings to the government at Manila, requesting instructions for the regulation of his conduct in respect to the seizure of the Sultan and his family; and the result was an order for his being sent to Manila with all his people. War was likewise immediately declared against the Joloese. Letters of marque and reprisal were granted to whomever might apply for them, and all prize-money was given up arising from captures, together with the liberty of detaining the persons of their prisoners as slaves. So firm, indeed, was the determination of our government to exterminate the Moors, that a general absolution was conceded to all those who should present themselves to serve against them. The armament at Zamboanga, under the command of the Colonel, was reinforced, and a second expedition was undertaken to Jolo, still more unfortunate in its results than the first: for having attempted to disembark in that island, they were received by the Moors with so much spirit, that they were obliged to retire with considerable loss, and with great disgrace and ignominy to the Spanish arms.
The haughty Bantilan, who governed the kingdom of Jolo in the absence of his brother, proud of the victory he had obtained against the Spaniards, began to treat with the inhabitants of Mindanao, to induce them to break with us, and molest us as much as in their power: and he persuaded all the pirates among those islands to exert themselves against the Spaniards, representing them as conquered, and in great dread of his arms. The consequence was, that the seas were covered with Moorish armaments, which spread desolation in every quarter.
Nothing was heard of but the robberies, burnings, captures of ships, imprisonments, and insults which our provinces experienced from the Moors. So that Senor Obando was resolved to proceed in person against them, and endeavour to remove the dreadful evils to which we were exposed.
His Majesty had given orders that an establishment should be formed in the island of Paragua, to shut out the pirates from that quarter, in the same manner as they were from Zamboanga. To proceed with due regularity in this respect, the governor despatched an amba.s.sador to the King of Borneo, to induce him to cede to us the claim he held to part of that island, which, being granted, a squadron was sent there to erect the proposed station, and to cruize against the Moors, who infested the islands. He was desirous of taking the command of this expedition in person, and consulted the Royal Audience on the subject, who were of opinion that it would not be proper to expose himself, and that, by confiding it to some other person, and sending an engineer to make the necessary arrangements for forming the establishment in the island of Paragua, every thing might be done which the public good required. In conformity to this advice he named Don Antonio Fabea to the command of this expedition, who proceeded from Port Cavite with eleven sail of armed vessels, taking with him Don Manuel Aguirre, who went as governor of the proposed new establishment. He received orders in pa.s.sing by Igolote, in the same island, to dislodge the Moors, who were the only possessors of that part of it; but here, sickness prevailing to a great extent in the armament, they merely took possession of the island, and returned to Manila, leaving behind them two hundred and seventy dead, and bringing many more invalids in the squadron. The King of Jolo had by this time arrived at Manila, and was imprisoned in the fort of Saint Jago, to the great satisfaction of all those who had opposed his baptism, and who always doubted his fidelity; but he obtained permission from the Governor for his daughter, Fatima, who was also a prisoner with him, to go to Jolo, and to carry letters to his brother, and other princ.i.p.al persons, in order to bring about a peace with the Spaniards; and for this indulgence he bound himself to deliver up fifty captive Christians. The princess fulfilled the engagement, brought over the fifty captives, and induced her uncle, Bantilan, to send an amba.s.sador to Manila, to treat on all matters relative to her father. This envoy brought powers to negociate in concert with the King for peace with the Governor; and in confirmation of such powers, he bound himself to observe whatever terms were acceded to by them.
It was accordingly stipulated with the King and the Amba.s.sador, that the Moors of Jolo should deliver up all the Christian captives who might be found in the island. That they should return all the arms they had taken from the Spaniards, and the ornaments of which they had pillaged the churches; and in order to have the treaty ratified, liberty was granted to one of the chief officers, who was confined with the King, to go to Jolo in company with the amba.s.sador whom Bantilan had sent over. The Governor put very little confidence either in the promises or the treaty of the Moors, for they have never observed them, but have broken them with the same facility with which they made them. He therefore fitted out a strong squadron to compel them by force to a due observation of their engagements, as it was not otherwise to be expected.
His precautions were not in vain, for in the very same year of 1754, the greatest irruption took place which these islanders ever made into the Philippines. They entered with fire and sword in all directions, murdering the religious orders, Indians and Spaniards, burning and robbing towns, and making prisoners of thousands of Christians, not only in the islands near to Jolo, but in all our dominions, even the provinces in the immediate neighbourhood of Manila.
The fleet sailed which had been prepared to oppose them; but before any thing could be done, the four years of Obando"s government expired. His successor arrived, and the Marquis left these islands in the most deplorable situation in which they were ever known. The causes of these evils were either his own ill management, the incapacity of those he employed, or, perhaps, misfortune. What we are certain of is, that the period of his residence here was most calamitous. Yet, we must say, he had many great difficulties to encounter.
The following year he embarked in the galleon Santissima Trinidad for Acapulco, and died on his pa.s.sage, without ever reaching New Spain.
CHAPTER XII.
ANNO DOM. 1754.
The Administration of Don Pedro Manuel de Arandia.
Don Pedro Manuel de Arandia, a native of Ceuta, and a Biscayan by descent, took possession of his government in July, 1754, and as soon as he arrived at Manila, he lost no time in adopting the regulations observed in Spain for putting the military on a more respectable footing.
The royal regiment, which consisted of two battalions, he formed into a corps of artillery, putting it into the state in which we now find it, and granted to the soldiers, as well as the officers, a pay sufficient to maintain themselves with decency, and perform their duty without the necessity of having recourse to any other employment for their support. He took great pains, likewise, in improving the a.r.s.enal of Cavite, and the situation and consequence of the officers of that establishment; in doing which he incurred the disapprobation and ill-will of many, to whom such reform and zeal was highly injurious.
In the commencement of his government, in the month of December, there happened a terrible shock of an earthquake, and the Taal, which is in the middle of the Lake Bombon, in the province of Batangas, threw out such an immense quant.i.ty of cinders, as completely to ruin four towns which were situated near the lake, and the inhabitants found it necessary to retire a league further into the interior. Many other severe shocks followed, accompanied by loud reports similar to those of contending squadrons, and the atmosphere was entirely obscured by the sand and ashes thrown up by the volcano, so that at Manila, which is twenty leagues distant, it was scarcely possible to see even in the middle of day; and at Cavite, which is rather nearer, the obscurity resembled the darkness of midnight.
I ascended, with the Senor Alava, to the summit of this volcano, but all that we could observe was a lake, about half a league in diameter, very deep, and containing water of a dark green colour.
The fleet which Senor Obando had despatched against the Moors was so ill conducted, that it was found necessary to take the command from Don Miguel Valdos, who had been sent in that capacity, and give it to the Friar Ducos, a Jesuit, from whose conduct a more favourable result was expected. So effectually did that father conduct the expedition, and with such valour and prudence, that he took from the enemy more than one hundred and fifty sail of vessels, destroyed three towns, killed and made prisoners an immense number of people, and completely checked the impetuous spirit of those barbarians.
These happy tidings arrived at Manila in January, 1755. Senor Arandia gave orders that Te Deum should be sung as a thanksgiving, and confirmed the command of the squadron to the Friar Ducos, whom he very much esteemed, being the son of a colonel of his intimate acquaintance, and appearing to have inherited his father"s military talents.
The King of Jolo experienced from the Governor the most kind and compa.s.sionate treatment, and he granted him his liberty, although he continued voluntarily to reside in the fort of Saint Jago. He settled a revenue on him of fifty dollars per month, besides six measures of rice for his maintenance, and persuaded the Archbishop to grant him permission to hear ma.s.s, and receive the sacrament, of which he had been deprived.
The King was desirous of marrying a woman who had been his concubine, and had already become a Christian. The Archbishop was not inclined to consent; but Arandia not only removed every difficulty, but allowed him the use of his palace, in order that the marriage might be celebrated with more solemnity and grandeur.
These arrangements were not made without some dispute with the Archbishop; and at the same time another circ.u.mstance, although of no great importance in itself, proved sufficient to occasion a great sensation in the islands.
Arandia had complained to the Archbishop, that the bells were not rung when he entered or left the church as they ought to be, he being the representative of his Majesty. It was in reply, the Archbishop alleged, that no royal order existed to that effect; and these contests on points of etiquette, added to the indisposition under which this prelate laboured, which produced his death on the 29th of May, 1755.
The Governor continued his kind attentions to the King of Jolo, as it appeared to him the best mode of putting an end to hostility with the Moors. He sent thither all the Princes and Princesses, and all the women which had been detained by them, the King only remaining at Manila, who presented repeated pet.i.tions for release, and engaged, in the most solemn manner, to conform to the decision of the court of Madrid respecting the cause of his detention.
The Princes and Princesses arrived at Jolo the 5th of October of this year, and they were well received by Bantilan, who being highly pleased with the generosity of the Governor, promised faithfully to observe the treaties of peace which his brother and his Amba.s.sador had signed at Manila. Entirely to put an end to hostilities, it was requisite to have an understanding with the inhabitants of Mindanao. Amba.s.sadors were accordingly sent over, but so numerous are the petty Kings in those islands, and so treacherous, that it was found impossible to establish a durable peace with them. Even admitting that all the chiefs were desirous of strictly observing pacific terms with the Spaniards, they have so little power over their va.s.sals, that they have never been able to restrain them within due bounds. That kind of predatory life having become habitual to them, nothing but a spiritual conquest of their provinces will protect us from the persecuting spirit of these troublesome neighbours.
The government now thought of establishing missionaries in the Batan islands, which lie to the north of Cagayan. Formerly there had been Dominican friars settled in the island of Babuyanes, who employed themselves in instructing the inhabitants in the Christian duties; but in the year 1690 they returned to Cagayan, upon the order of the chief to quit the country. The father who conducted them immediately established a mission in the Batan islands, about thirty leagues from Cagayan, but after his death his companions retired, abandoning the mission until the year 1718, at which period another Dominican friar re-established it, fixing his residence in the island of Calayan, to which he endeavoured to induce the inhabitants of the adjoining islands to repair for instruction in our faith. But whatever might be the inclination of the Batanians to become converts, only one hundred and fifty persons found resolution to change their residence, and of these one half died in a very little time. That island, indeed, afforded but very few resources, in consequence of which the missionary friar fell sick, and although a successor was appointed, the mission was eventually abandoned.
In the year 1754 the idea was resumed, and two friars were sent for the purpose, of which one died immediately, and the other retired to Cagayan very seriously indisposed, but returned again the succeeding year with a brother friar; and in order to guard against the miseries which they had suffered the preceding year, they determined to take with them a carpenter, who was a lay brother, for the erection of a house and accommodations immediately on their arrival, the materials for which they proposed to have ready prepared for the purpose. Their zeal, however, would not permit them to wait until the materials for the house could be finished, and fearful lest the monsoon should be lost, they embarked without them.
They had scarcely arrived at Cagayan, when they both fell sick; two other friars went to their aid, and they also fell sick, as did all who followed, and it became absolutely necessary to abandon the attempt after the Dominicans had incurred very heavy expenses to effect the object. In the year 1783, Senor Basco again undertook this conquest; and at length we have succeeded in establishing the Dominicans there, who employ themselves strenuously in the conversion of the inhabitants of these islands.
A Governor was appointed with an a.s.sistant, and great expense was incurred in support of the establishment, as it was necessary to send almost every thing from the Philippines, all those islands producing little else than a species of potatoe, and some other objects of as little value.
There is no doubt that other productions might be reared, but the rats are so numerous that they consume every thing, and very frequently the hurricanes destroy the seeds before they come to perfection. Every year a vessel was sent to carry the necessary supplies to the establishment, but as these hurricanes are very frequent, and many of the vessels were shipwrecked, it became fully ascertained that it would be impossible to maintain the station, and it was determined that only the Dominican friars should remain there, with a small escort, which was to be relieved from Cagayan as occasion might require. On Senor Basco the t.i.tle of Conde de Conquista was bestowed, as a reward for his exertions in this undertaking; but it is very certain that if half the money which was thus expended in Batanes had been applied in the appointment and support of missionaries in Ylocos, Pangasinan, and Cagayan, his Majesty would have acquired many more subjects, and with much less risk.
It is matter of astonishment that we should have quitted the old beaten track of employing precautionary and pacific measures for the conquest of the Indians, and have recourse to arms and expensive expeditions, merely because they make more noise, and appear more splendid: a proof of the insufficiency of these appeared on the following occasion in the mountains of the Igorrotes. In the year 1740, the Augustine friars had delivered over to the Dominicans the missions of Ytuy, or Ysinay, so that in conjunction with the missionaries of Panique, who had been established there the year before, the provinces of Pangasinan and Cagayan, by the south side, might be united. The Indians, Christians as well as Infidels, took umbrage at this alteration in the establishments, and a kind of civil war among them was the consequence, so that the Oidors Don Ignacio Azardun, and Senor Rebolledo, who were then inspecting the province of Pangasinan, deeming it necessary, sent troops to quell these disturbances. But a few years afterwards fresh discontents on the same account arose; and in the year 1756, many of the Christians became apostates, and, uniting with the Infidels, were guilty of the greatest excesses. They burnt several churches, murdered a great many of those who retained their attachment to Christianity, and losing all respect for the missionary fathers, they diligently sought their lives. This induced Senor Arandia to despatch an expedition in aid of the missionaries, to the mountains of the Igorrotes, which proved of very little effect; for the only purpose it answered was to drive the Indians to the recesses, from whence they again issued on the retreat of our forces. To attain the best mode of civilizing the Indians, it is necessary to know well their character and disposition: either from their turn of mind, which is naturally superst.i.tious, or because Heaven wills it so, they are in general very much attached to the missionary fathers, and hold them in great respect; but notwithstanding this, as may be expected, there will be some bold enough to conceive enmity against them, and for this reason military stations, or escorts, become necessary for their protection. Occasionally a mutinous disposition will be shown, and a whole mult.i.tude will declare against the fathers, from which unhappy consequences might arise, did not the different military stations scattered through the country afford a check to such disposition. By means of such cautionary, rather than splendid establishments, these islands were originally subdued, and these in many parts still exist; but the missionaries being very few in number, it often becomes necessary to make a journey of a whole day, when confession or other ecclesiastical rites are to be administered. In addition to this, they are but very poorly paid; for what is one hundred dollars, and two hundred measures of rice, for the maintenance of a Spaniard on these missions?
This very small stipend is insufficient to cover their expenses, and they are exposed to every privation, without the enjoyment of any one comfort. Of all this our magistrates are the cause, many of them seeking various pretexts for withholding the stipends, and even obliging the fathers to go to the capital to receive them, as I have myself seen. Such is the misery these poor friars undergo, that at times they are compelled to subsist on what is allowed them for their escorts, and live without that protection, rather preferring to be exposed to the insults of those heathens, than to perish through hunger. The military stations are also very thinly scattered, and the loyal Indians very incapable of imposing any restraint on their countrymen.
If what has been expended in vain and fruitless expeditions had been employed in these certain means of civilization, much more progress would have been made. It is true that we never can expect such rapid progress as our ancestors made in the conquest, because the Indians are more enlightened. Even the Christian converts persuade them not to be baptized, that they may avoid the payment of tribute or other imposts. The custom, too, of one tribe revenging the murder of an individual of that tribe upon the tribe of the murderer, very much impedes conversion, and consequently civilization, for from hence results the necessity of the weakest tribes changing their residence, or forming a confederacy with others. In such case Christianity must suffer, for the baptized Indians must always follow the Infidels of their tribe, and be alienated from the fathers, or be exposed to constant hostility. Nothing but the extension of protection, and the gradual dissemination of our religious tenets, will abolish this sanguinary custom. The Christian morality is so salutary in its effects, as to extract vice from every heart, in which it has not taken too deep a root.
On the 15th of May, 1757, the Holy See pa.s.sed a decree, which put an end to the controversies which existed in the kingdom of Tonquin, between the Dominicans, Augustines, and other followers of the cross, but it is unimportant to our purpose. Returning to the affairs of Manila. One of the good things which Senor Arandia effected during his administration, was the expulsion of the Chinese. He despatched all these heathens to their own country; and in order to prevent them in future from settling in the Philippines, he appropriated the quarter of St. Fernando for the reception of such Chinese as should come upon commercial pursuits, and who by the regulations established were to re-embark in due time, with the exception of such Christians as might be among their number, who were permitted to remain, and apply themselves to the cultivation of the land. The Spaniards who interested themselves in the residence of the Chinese in Manila, represented to the Governor that there would be a want of people to carry on the trade with the islands if they were expelled; and to obviate this difficulty, he established a company of native Spaniards and Mestizoes for that purpose, which, however, was found very incompetent to the task. The Asiatics being naturally very slothful, and consequently very fond of that kind of employment which procures subsistence without much labour, attain their object by buying and selling such things as are raised here, or imported from the adjacent islands for the consumption of the capital; and as they are poor miserable creatures, each has a very narrow and limited traffic, but there is scarcely one of them who does not employ himself very diligently. This superabundance of petty merchants makes the goods come very dear, because they pa.s.s through many hands before they reach those of the consumer, and as they turn but a very small capital, it is necessary they should each make a profit adequate to their maintenance; from all which it may be inferred, that far from there being too few Chinese in this trade, their number ought to be considerably reduced.
Notwithstanding the wisdom of this measure, Senor Arandia lost much of that esteem in which he had been held, and by this and other means drew on him the odium of the public. By virtue of the full powers with which he was invested by the court, he framed instructions for the chief magistrates in the government of the provinces, in which an open declaration was made against the regular clergy. In the commencement of his authority he had treated the religious orders with due attention, but hurt at the disrespect shewn to him by some individuals, he deprived them by these instructions of their kitchen boys, which the King had granted them ever since the conquest, and of the servants which had been allowed them as sacristans. Not satisfied with these injuries, he made many representations against them to his Majesty, in which he spoke of them with very little decorum, and in his despatches lost no opportunity of vilifying them even in matters not at all connected with their clerical duties. The instructions here alluded to the King had the goodness to disapprove of, as soon as he saw them. With the Royal Audience, likewise, he had a dispute, in consequence of his refusal to allow them military honours during their sittings, unless he himself presided. He imprisoned and commenced a process against the treasurer and comptroller of the royal revenue, and treated them with great severity, because they had communicated information to the court on some points very opposite to his communications on the same subjects. Indefatigable in the discharge of his duty, he formed many projects which he conceived to be of importance to the welfare of the settlement. It was his intention to remove the a.r.s.enal of Cavite to Port Lampon. He ordered a ship to be built in the kingdom of Siam; but, unfortunately, in conducting her to Manila, she put three times into China, and once into Batavia, incurring by this means an enormous expense on the treasury. He proposed to the King various plans for working the iron and gold mines. He abolished the office of Corregidor of Mariveles, uniting Marigondon and other small towns to the district of Cavite, and forming of the towns on the opposite coast, and of others belonging to Pampanga, the district which we call Batan. He introduced many regulations among the troops, and for the better management of the royal revenue and the affairs of the Acapulco ship, giving on all occasions many proofs of his zeal for his Majesty"s service, with which he appeared animated, perhaps, to a degree of enthusiasm; and which having been mismanaged by his favourite, Senor Orendain, had been the cause of his being universally disliked. All these objects occasioned so much fatigue to Arandia that he became incapable of any kind of business, and such a rapid decline in his vital powers took place, that on the 31st of May, 1759, apprehending his approaching death, he took all the sacraments, and expired the following day at two o"clock in the morning. He left a property to the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and it was difficult to conceive how he had ama.s.sed so much money in the short period of five years, during which his government lasted; but at the hour of his death he distributed his property, like a pious man and a Christian.