ld
himself head of that fort, he resolved to make an entrance among the
Tagabaloes. [85] He assembled many men from the friendly villages;
as is the custom--although I know not with what justice they have
taken to make forays on them, capturing them, carrying them away, and
selling them, for those Indians where they go are not Moros, nor even
have they done any harm to the Spaniards, but remaining quiet in their
own lands, they eke out a miserable existence. But this [custom] is
inherited from one [generation] to another. While about to make a foray
in this manner, Captain Bautista quarreled with a chief of Caragan,
the chief of all that district; and, not satisfied with treating him
badly with words, the captain attacked him, threw him to the ground,
and gave him many blows and kicks. Captain Bautista was unarmed,
as were also the Spaniards with him, who are very self-reliant in
all things. Then the chief returned to his own people and asked
them if they were not ashamed of what had happened. "Then," said he,
"how do you consent that the Castilians and captain treat me thus in
your presence, when you could easily kill them?" As they were few and
unarmed, the natives killed the captain and twelve soldiers, and Father
Jacinto Cor, a Recollect father, who was going with them. After this
first misfortune, resulting from the anger of an imprudent captain,
the natives went about warning and killing all the Spaniards whom they
found on their coasts, and tried to take the fort by strategy. But
already the matter was known, and on that account they did not take
the fort, which was the only means of recovering that post. They
killed four more religious, among whom was father Fray Juan de Santo
Tomas, prior in Tangda, who was near the same fort. He was a holy
man, as he showed at his death; for, seeing them resolved to kill
him, he asked permission to commend himself to God. He knelt down,
and while he was commending his soul to God, they thrust him through
with a lance. This religious was very learned and devout, and took
especial care of his soul. Therefore it is believed that by that
title of martyr our Lord chose to take him to His glory and crown
him there. They wounded brother Fray Francisco, a layman, severely,
as well as the father reader, Fray Lorenzo; but they did not die,
and were afterward ransomed. The other religious were very devoted
to God. How fortunate they, since they died so happily and in so
heroic a quest; f