Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 11).djvu/241

commander, who was an uncle of the said king of Terrenate—at this the natives of the said island of Mindanao, who until that time had defended themselves, began negotiations for surrender, and for rendering submission to your Majesty; a part of them did so, and paid tribute to your Majesty. The said Don Francisco Tello, with the approval of Doctor Antonio de Morga, without considering the state in which this matter lay, or reflecting upon the injuries which might result from issuing such orders as they did (as may be seen later by what will be written further on), sent the said Don Joan Rronquillo an order to dismantle the fortifications of the said island, without leaving any fortified station, and to tear down the forts which your Majesty held there. Although he saw the great loss which would result from this, yet, as there was a clause in the said order directing him to do this without any reply, under penalty of being held contumacious and liable to punishment, he left the said island and came to this city with the fleet and troops which he had there, in the month of April of the year 98. The said Don Francisco Tello and the said Doctor Morga, seeing the great error which they had committed, attempted to exonerate themselves before the said Don Joan Rronquillo should arrive in this city. They arrested him, charging him with having taken away the protection of the said island of Mindanao, without their having sent him any strict order which would oblige him to do it. In order to give color to this—as they were aware that, in the voyage which the said Don Joan Rronquillo made while returning, his ship was partly wrecked, and they supposed that the said order which they had