HOM.08
Last Chamorro Revolt, 1683-1687, is the eighth volume of the History of Micronesia: A Collection of Source Documents (HOM), compiled and edited by Rodrique Levesque.
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The History of Micronesia: A Collection of Source Documents was complied, edited and published by Rod Levesque from 1992 to 2002. Copyrights were obtained by the Habele Outer Island Education Fund, a US nonprofit, in 2022, which digitized the content to facilitate noncommercial access to, and use of, the twenty-volume series. The PDF file for HOM.08 is roughly 65MB.
Levesque's Summary
Volume 8 contains 82 chapters totalling 141 documents mostly covering the activities of the Spanish colony in the Mariana Islands and their relationship with the rebellious natives. The last Chamorro revolt took place in 1684, and it was almost successful. At last, the many reports ever written about this revolt have been collected, translated, and appear in one volume; they include the eulogies of the dead missionaries.
The passage of English pirate ships was recorded in 1685 (Captains Eaton & Cowley) and in 1686 (Captains Swan & Dampier). What the Spanish said about them is printed here for the first time. There are the usual royal decrees, annual reports, and other Jesuit correspondence, including eulogies of the last martyrs killed in the Marianas, notably the Belgian Father Coomans, killed in Saipan in 1685
—List of the 19 illustrations, including maps and a special reconstruction of Fort Santa Guadalupe in Guam, and a foreword that summarizes the events of the period.
—The first stone fort built by Europeans in Micronesia was built by Governor Saravia in 1682-83.
—Many documents in this volume (and the next) are extracts from catalogs of the Maggs Bro¬thers, sellers of rare books and authographs in London, England. They came from the private archives of the Duchess of Aveiro, and the manuscripts themselves are now in private collections, most of them in unknown locations.
—A second parish was founded at Agusan, on Rota Island. An expedition to conquer Saipan in 1682 failed as Fr. Solorzano was prevented from landing there. However, two years later, Major Quiroga successfully conquered the Island. He also salvaged most of the guns from the shipwreck site of the galleon Concepcion.
—The first direct voyage of the Mariana sloop, or frigate, from Manila to Guam, took place in 1683.
—The native Chiefs Hineti and Ayihi figured prominently in the defence of Spanish interests, and were thus recommended to the King of Spain for rewards. Ayihi was later granted an important military medal.
—Father Xaramillo came to visit Guam aboard the Mariana sloop and wrote an official report to the King, in which he supports Esplana as Governor of the Marianas, against the wishes of most of the missionaries. He tried to divert toward the Caroline Islands upon his departure from Guam, but his boat could not take it.
—English buccaneers visited Guam twice, and behaved peacefully, in order to receive food supplies. In 1685, it was Captain Eaton, and in 1686 it was Captain Swan, who was accompanied by the more famous Captain William Dampier. The latter was to visit Guam two more times.
—The galleon Santa Rosa came in sight of Guam in 1686, but was warned off because of the presence of the pirates. She ran aground on Santa Rosa Bank, south of Guam. Her launch was trying to find a safe passage through shoals when it became lost because of bad weather, and drifted to Cagayan, Philippines.
—The main events of this period, however, have to do with the Revolt of 1684 that almost annihilated the Spanish colony. All the reports published about it are reproduced in this volume. The most interesting one is the confidential report by Fr. Bouwens. It gives an insight into the feelings of the survivors of the many assassinations of missionaries and soldiers, and reveals that many leaders of this revolt had been raised and educated by the Jesuits themselves. The first leader, Antonio Yura, had even visited Manila and Mexico.
—The causes of the 1684 revolt were the slack administration of Governor Esplana and the lack of training and discipline of his troops. Major Quiroga saved the day, and was effectively aided by Chiefs Hineti and Ayihi. The latter was in the Gani Islands north of Saipan with Fr. Coomans, and he saved his life, for a time.
— Both the Spanish and the native camps made use of psychological warfare. Esplana tried to use chemical warfare (by poisoning some wells), but he was admonished by the missionaries.
Table of Contents
1683H Letter from Fr. Solorzano to Fr. Vidal, dated Guam 20 May 1683
16831 Jesuit annual report for 1682-1683, by Fr. Solorzano
1683J Letter from Fr. Balthasar de Mansilla to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Mexico 13 August 1683
1683K Letter from Fr. Coomans to Fr. General, dated Rota 30 May 1682
1683L Letter from Fr. Coomans to Fr. de Pape, dated Rota 30 May 1683
1683M Governor Saravia builds a proper fort at Agaña, Guam
1683N Letter from Fr. Salgado to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Manila 29 June 1683
1683O Letter from Fr. Isidro Clarete to the Duchess, Manila 9 July 1683
1683P Letter from Fr. Borja y Aragon to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Manila 24 July 1683
1684A Composite reports for period 1681-1684, edited by Fr. Morales
1684B Letters from Fr. Coomans in 1684;To Fr. de Pape, dated Guam 19 February ;To Fr. Gen. de Noyelle, dated Agaña 20 February ;To Fr. General & Fr. de Pape, dated Saipan May 1684
1684C Letter from Fr. Solorzano to Fr. Vidal, Agadña 7 April 1684
1684D Two brief reports sent directly to Spain by Fr. Solorzano in 1684 ;To the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Agaña 25 April ;To the King, dated aboard the galleon Santa Rosa, 8 June
1684E Two letters from Fr. Bouwens, dated May 1684 ;To Fr. Karl Manderscheidt in Rome, dated Rota 28 May ;To Fr. de Noyelle in Rome, dated Rota 29 May 1684
1684F Letter from Fr. Solorzano to the Duchess, Agafla 10 June 1684
1684G Letter from Fr. Jacinto Garcia to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Manila 18 June 1684
1684H Letter from Fr. Salgado to the Duchess, Manila 24 June 1684
16841 Letter from Fr. Francisco de Borja to the Duchess, dated Manila 24 June 1684
1684J Letters from Governor Vargas, dated Manila 26 June 1684; Regarding the construction of a new galleon 123; Regarding the navigation route from Philippines to Marianas
1684K Fr. Bouwens gives advice to Governor Esplana
1684L Letter from Fr. Xaramillo to the King, Manila 29 June 1684
1684M The King responds to Fr. Xaramillo’s earlier reports
1684N Letter from the Council of the Indies to Major Quiroga, dated Madrid 9 August 1684
1684O Two letters from Fr. Salgado, dated Manila, December 1684; To Fr. Manuel Rodriguez, dated 7 December 165; To Fr. Espinar, dated San Pedro [Makati], 30 December 1684
1684P Letter from Governor Curuzeláegui to the King, dated Manila, December 1684
1685A Certificate issued by Fr. Mansilla to Fr. Vidal, dated Mexico, 6 January 1685
1685B Lists of Jesuit martyrs in the Mariana Islands
1685C Letters from Fr. Jacinto Garcia, dated Manila 1685
1685D The Duchess of Aveiro is forewarned of Fr. Morales’ coming, with the 1684 reports
1685E Official Jesuit report on the 1684 revolt in the Marianas
1685F An English pirate, Captain Eaton, visited Guam in March 1685
1685G Letter from Fr. Tilpe to Fr. Mathias Tanner, Agaña 16 May 1685
1685H Letter from Fr. Ahumada to Fr. Francisco Garcia, dated Guam 17 May 1685
16851 Letter from Fr. Cuculino [Kuklein] to Fr. de Boye, dated Agadfla 20 May 1685
1685J Jesuit annual report for 1684-1685, by Fr. Cuculino [Kuklein]
1685K Confidential report on the 1684 revolt, by Fr. Bouwens
1685L Some eulogies written mostly by Fr. Bouwens in May 1685; Letter from Fr. de Angelis, Genoa 3 June 1678
1685M Jesuit annual report for 1684-1685, by Fr. Bouwens, dated 30/31 May 1685
1685N Report from Fr. Bouwens to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Marianas 30 May 1685
16850 Excerpt from an anonymous report on the events at Manila for1684-1685
1685P Report and letters sent by Governor Esplana in May 1685
1685Q Letter from Fr. Bouwens to the Governor of the Philippines, dated Agaña 31 May 1685
1685R Letters from Governor Curuzeláegui to the King, dated Manila 1685
1685S Report on a visit to Guam in 1685, by an Austrian Jesuit
1685T Letter from Fr. Bouwens to Fr. de Pape, dated Agaña 10 June 1685
1685U Letter from Fr. Xaramillo to the Duchess of Aveiro, dated Manila 12 June 1685
1685V The 1685 memorials by Fr. Morales on behalf of the Mariana Island Mission
1685W Eulogy of Fr. Augustin Strobach
1685X Eulogies of Fr. Carlos Boranga
1685Y Royal decrees dated Madrid 29 September 1685
1685Z Captain Eaton’s voyage in the ship Nicholas; Narrative of William Ambrosia Cowley 487; Transcript of part of his original journal
1686A Letter from Fr. Vidal to the Duchess, Mexico 12 January 1686
1686B Royal decrees of 30 March 1686, including a medal for Ayihi
1686C Letter from Fr. Cardeñoso to the Duchess, Guam 25 April 1686
1686D Eulogy of Fr. Coomans by Fr. Bouwens, Guam 31 May 1686
1686E Letter from Fr. Cerezo to Fr. Mansilla in Mexico, dated Agaña 17 May 1686
1686F More pirates at Guam in May 1686. Captain Swan in the Cygnet.; Narrative of Captain Dampier
1686G Letter from Fr. Tuccio to Fr. Espinar, Manila 12 July 1686
1686H Eulogy of Brother Felipe Sonson, a Filipino oblate
Doc.1686I Eulogy of Brother Pedro Pavon
1686J Letter from Fr. Bustillo to the Duchess, Umatac 30 May 1686
1686K Inquiry held in Manila about the Mariana sloop
1686L Letter from Fr. Ahumada to the Duchess, Guam 30 May 1686
1686M Letter from Fr. Ahumada to Fr. Garcia, Guam 31 May 1686
1686N Letter from Fr. Jacinto Garcia to Duchess, Manila 1 June 1686
1686O Letter from the King to Governor Curuzeláegui, dated Buen Retiro 2 June 1686
1686P Letter from the King to Fr. Solorzano, Buen Retiro 8 June 1686
1686Q Letter from Fr. Salgado to Fr. Espinar, dated San Pedro [Makati, Philippines] 10 June 1686
1686R Letter from Fr. Salgado to Fr. Rodriguez, S. Pedro 12 June 1686
1686S Letter from Fr. Andrade to Fr. Morales, dated Santa Cruz [Phil.],22 June 1686
1686T Letters from Fr. Xaramillo, dated Manila 1686
1686U Letters from Governor Curuzeláegui to the Duchess in 1686
1686V Letters from Governor Curuzuláegui to the King, postdated Manila December 1686
1686W Letter from Major Esplana to Fr. Bouwens, Guam 12 Sept. 1686
1686X Letter from Fr. Thirso Gonzalez to Fr. Diego Altamarino, dated Salamanca 16 October 1686
1686Y Three letters from Fr. Balthasar de Mansilla to the Duchess of Aveiro, sent from Mexico in 1686
1686Z Letter from Fr. Antonio de Borja to Fr. Luis de Morales, dated Manila, 10 June 1686
1686AA Letter from Governor Curuzeláegui to the King, dated Manila, December 1686
1686AB Letter from Fr. Pimentel to the Provincial of the Indies, dated Manila 25 December 1686
1686AC More memorials presented by Fr. Morales to the King in 1686
1686AD Request for 12 church bells and ornaments for the Marianas
1687A The mission band led by Fr. Baraona that left Spain in 1687
Publication Details
Lévesque Rodrigue. History of Micronesia : A Collection of Source Documents. Vol. 8 Last Chamorro Revolt: 1683-1687. Gatineau Québec: Lévesque Publications; 1996.
ISBN-10: 0920201083
ISBN-13: 978-0920201084
LCC: DU500 .H58 2000