Manuel Rojo, Author at The Philippine Diary Project

Manuel Rojo

(September 24, 1708 — January 30, 1764), Archbishop of Manila from 1759; Acting Captain-General of the Philippines from 1761 to the British invasion in 1763.

1st-21st of September, 1762

September 21, 1762

Before commencing this journal, it is fitting to give a brief description of the location of Manila, and of the destitute condition in which the

22nd of September, 1762

September 22, 1762

In this state of defense, on the twenty-second of September, 1762, at half-past ﬁve in the evening, a powerful fleet of thirteen vessels was seen.

23rd of September, 1762

September 23, 1762

As soon as they had received the answer, the entire squadron began to move about six o’clock on the evening of the twenty-third. They approached

24th of September, 1762

September 24, 1762

On the twenty-fourth, about eight o’clock in the morning, they began to salute the enemy with artillery from the boulevards of the foundry and from

25th of September, 1762

September 25, 1762

The following night it was resolved to make a vigorous sortie in order to discomﬁt the enemy who were fortifying themselves with all haste in

26th of September, 1762

September 26, 1762

To it was joined a fusillade which produced a good effect, for on the day of the twenty-sixth,[60] several corpses were to be seen from

27th of September, 1762

September 27, 1762

At eight in the morning, some Indian and mestizo spearmen presented themselves before the enemy’s trenches, without that movement on their part having been preceded

28th of September, 1762

September 28, 1762

On the morning of the twenty-eighth, a message was received from the English commander-in-chief, who urgently demanded the head of the English officer which the

29th of September, 1762

September 29, 1762

On the twenty-ninth,^^ at six in the morning, the flagship and another vessel commenced to cannonade the bastion of the foundry, and made a desperate

30th of September, 1762

September 30, 1762

The thirtieth, the bombardment continued, and the vessels ﬁred some shots from their cannons. From the city four chaloupes were seen which had overturned; they

1st of October, 1762

October 1, 1762

October ﬁrst, the Indians of Passay reported that a raft had made the shore, which was built of large masts, small masts, and yards that

2nd ofOctober, 1762

October 2, 1762

At daybreak of the second, the enemy placed in operation a battery of eight twenty-four pounders against the flanked angle of the bastion of the

3rd of October, 1762

October 3, 1762

At the hour set, our Pampangos and pickets sallied out in the best order, but scarce had they set foot outside the Parian gate, when

4th of October, 1762

October 4, 1762

At dawn on the fourth, the enemy began to fire shells into the city. They set fire to several of the buildings, and together with the

5th of October, 1762

October 5, 1762

Finally, at six o’clock in the morning of the fifth, the enemy’s troops left their posts in three columns. The first directed its course toward