In the latter part of the year 1761 war was begun between Spain and France on the one hand, and England on the other. Spain and France were first to declare this war, but England carried on her part in it with great vigor. The English took Havana, and an English fleet under Admiral Cornish (k̤or´nish) was sent to the Pacific with orders to take the Philippine Islands.

With a fleet of thirteen vessels Admiral Cornish entered Manila Bay on the evening of September 22, 1762. The ships anchored off Cavite, and next day Cornish sent to demand the surrender of the city. This was, of course, refused by Archbishop Rojo (rō´hō), who was then acting governor-general of the city.

The archbishop’s forces at that time consisted of a small part of the King’s Regiment, not more than about 600 men and officers, and 80 pieces of artillery. The English troops, who were landed under command of General Draper (drā´per), numbered one regiment of British infantry, two companies of artillery, 2,200 Sepoys from India, and 3,000 seamen—in all, 6,380 men.

Nevertheless, in spite of the inequality of the two armies, the Spanish Churchman defied the second demand to surrender. A part of the Spanish force went bravely out to fight the landing English, but with what success it is easy to guess. They were driven back into the city, and the enemy landed in full force. The British encamped around Manila, at Malate (mä lä´tā), Santiago, and San Juan. On the 24th of September they began to bombard the city.

At this time one of the royal galleons was expected at Manila. This was the Philipina, carrying a very rich cargo and a large sum of money for the government. Some of the English ships went out to lie in wait for her. They missed her; for the Spanish friars managed to reach her first, and by their aid she gained a place of safety. The British, however, brought in another galleon, the Trinidad, from which they took $2,500,000.

A nephew of the archbishop was on board the Trinidad, and was captured with the ship. When the English learned who he was, they sent him to Manila with an escort, and turned him over to his uncle. The escort then started back to the ship, but was attacked and killed by Filipinos. The natives cut off the head of the English officer, and refused to give it up.

The British were greatly angered by this outrage, and they now stormed the city in earnest. The Spanish had by now got together a large native force, which was sent against the enemy. They could not stand against the British regulars, however, and were soon beaten back. The enemy’s artillery made great breaches in the walls, and on October 5 General Draper and his army forced a way into the city. By another day the following terms of surrender were agreed upon:

The Spanish were to have full religious freedom; private property was to be held safe; the Supreme Court was to keep order, and free trade was to be allowed. The Spanish were to pay the British an indemnity of $4,000,000. These terms were signed, and the British flag floated over Manila.

The English and Sepoy troops, turned loose in the city, did great mischief and destroyed much public property. The archbishop then went to General Draper and begged him to put a stop to this. The general issued orders forbidding violence and pillage by his soldiers. He himself shot and killed one Sepoy whom he saw attack a Filipino.

But while the British were in possession of Manila, they were not without opposition. It was the law in the archipelago that if at any time the country should be without a governor-general, the Supreme Court should govern. This law one of the justices of the court now tried to put in force. Simon de Anda y Salazar (sē´mōn dā än´dä ē säl ä thär´), the justice in question, pretended to think that the Spanish could have held Manila but for the weakness of the archbishop. Refusing to listen to reason, he gathered a band of Filipinos whom he promised to lead against the English. With a few of them he fled in a prahu to Bulacan the night before the city surrendered. He took with him some of the stamped paper of the government. This would, he knew, be a help to him in a plan which he meant to carry out.

Now, ignoring the fact that Archbishop Rojo was the acting governor-general, Simon de Anda began an absurd fight against the English. He claimed the right, as a justice of the Supreme Court, to act as governor-general. On the stamped paper he wrote a proclamation ordering the British to leave Manila. He sent this proclamation to General Draper, who ignored it and declared Anda a nuisance.

After this Anda raised a small army, and fought several battles with the British. They only served to keep the country stirred up, so that neither the Spanish nor the British could go about their affairs in peace. General Draper, meanwhile, was busy restoring the sultan of Sulu to his throne. Anda had become a hindrance to peace, while at the same time he had no power to carry on effective warfare. Seeing this, the Chinese of Pampanga made a plot to kill him.

Simon de Anda was told of this plot, and his rage was great. He collected all his Filipinos and marched against the Chinese. He had real war at last, and the Spanish accounts say that 8,000 Chinese were slain.

In the meantime the war in Europe was over. By the Peace of Paris, made February 10, 1763, it was settled that Manila should be restored to Spain. The British commander made ready to turn over the city to the Spanish and go home, but at once a new difficulty arose.

Simon de Anda was in command of whatever Spanish army there was in the islands at this time. Therefore, when a notice was sent to the archbishop for the “Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish forces,” the archbishop sent it on to Anda. This notice was to the effect that Anda should take over the city from the English; but he refused to receive the notice. He declared that he should have been addressed as “Captain-General,” and would recognize no other style of address. On this foolish plea he kept up war with the English until January, 1764, in spite of the peace between his country and England. All that the British wished was that Anda should let them hand the city over to him and depart. This, however, he would not do.

On January 30, 1764, Archbishop Rojo died. There was still, however, no one to whom to give up Manila, for several men at once claimed the right to act as governor-general.

At last the Spanish Government sent out from Mexico a new governor-general. As soon as he reached Manila he sent word to the British commander that he was ready to take over the city, and he arranged that Simon de Anda should be the one actually to receive the city back. It was turned over to Anda for the governor-general, and the English left the country. Only $1,000,000 was paid of the $4,000,000 war indemnity agreed upon, but the English received a bill upon the Madrid treasury for the remainder of that sum.

Summary.—In the latter part of 1761 war began between France and Spain on the one hand, and England on the other. In September, 1762, a British fleet came to Manila and took that city. Archbishop Rojo, who was acting governor-general, surrendered the city. Simon de Anda, a justice of the Supreme Court, opposed the surrender of Manila. He fled to Bulacan, gathered a native army, and issued a proclamation ordering the British to leave the islands. This proclamation was not heeded. Several ineffective battles were fought, and strife continued between the English and Anda’s forces. The Chinese made a plot to kill Anda, and he fought them with his army. When peace was declared in Europe, it was decided that Manila should be given back to Spain. Simon de Anda, as commander of the Spanish army in the Philippines, should have received the city from the English. He claimed not to have been properly addressed, and refused to accept the notice telling him of the treaty of peace. He kept up the war against the British until January, 1764. The archbishop died on January 30, 1764. Several men now claimed the right to act as governor-general. At last the home government sent out a new governor-general, who took over the city, and the English left the islands.

Questions.—What countries were at war against England in 1761? What did the English do? When and how was Manila taken by the British? Who was Simon de Anda? On what did he base his claim to a right to act for the country? When was peace made? Why did Anda refuse to take over the city? How long did he keep up the war? How was the matter finally settled?