revolt spread to Ilocos and Pangasinan; in the
latter province Don Fernando Araya raised a troop of 30 Spaniards
with firearms, and 400 friendly natives with bows and arrows, and
after great slaughter of the rebels the ringleaders were caught,
and tranquillity was restored by the gallows.

A rising far more important occurred in Ilocos Sur. The _Alcalde_
was deposed, and escaped after he had been forced to give up his
staff of office. The leader of this revolt was a cunning and wily
Manila native, named Diego de Silan, who persuaded the people to cease
paying tribute and declare against the Spaniards, who, he pointed out,
were unable to resist the English. The City of Vigan was in great
commotion. The Vicar-General parleyed in vain with the natives; then,
at the head of his troops, he dispersed the rebels, some of whom were
taken prisoners. But the bulk of the rioters rallied and attacked,
and burnt down part of the city. The loyal natives fled before the
flames. The Vicar-General's house was taken, and the arms in it were
seized. All the Austin friars within a large surrounding neighbourhood
had to ransom themselves by money payments. Silan was then acknowledged
as chief over a large territory north and south of Vigan. He appointed
his lieutenants, and issued a manifesto declaring Jesus of Nazareth
to be Captain-General of the place, and that he was His _Alcalde_
for the promotion of the Catholic religion and dominion of the King
of Spain. His manifesto was wholly that of a religious fanatic. He
obliged the natives to attend Mass, to confess, and to see that their
children went to school. In the midst of all this pretended piety,
he stole cattle and exacted ransoms for the lives of all those who
could pay them; he levied a tax of P100 on each friar. Under the
pretence of keeping out the British, he placed sentinels in all
directions to prevent news reaching the terrible Simon de Anda. But
Anda, though fully informed by an Austin friar of what was happening,
had not sufficient troops to march north. He sent a requisition to
Silan to present himself within nine days, under penalty of arrest
as a traitor. Whilst this order was published, vague reports were
intentionally spread that the Spaniards were coming to Ilocos in
great force. Many deserted Silan, but he contrived to deceive even
the clergy and others by his feigned piety. Silan sent presents to
Manila for the British, acknowledging the King of England to be his
le