Table 1 Historical sources analysed for the 1831 eruption of Babuyan Claro. The sources are listed in reverse year order. All translations are one of the author’s (CG) own except for the translation of source no. 41

1

Global Volcanism Program (2013)

[Volcanoes of the World, 4th ed.]

“Start date: 1831, Stop date: Unknown, Eruption Certainty: Confirmed, VEI: 4?, Evidence: Historical Observations, Activity Area or Unit: Babuyan Claro” (‘Holocene Spreadsheet’ downloadable from the GVP database)

N.B When viewing the eruptive history of Babuyan Claro volcano through the ‘Volcano Search’ option of the GVP database, a VEI = 4 (without the question mark modifier) is presented. However this is seemingly an artefact of the web interface and the VEI = 4? presented in the authoritative Holocene spreadsheet data downloadable from the GVP database is the correct value (pers. comm. Dr. Ben Andrews, Smithsonian Institution, 28/04/2016).

S

‘References’ under ‘General Information’

2

Siebert et al. (2010)

[Volcanoes of the World, 3rd ed.]

“Start: 1831, Duration:?, Volcano Name: Babuyan Claro (Luzon-N of), Number: 0704–03=, VEI: 4?, Vol V/T: −/8” (p. 260)

S

Standard catalogues of historical volcanism (p. 1), ‘References’ (pp. 479 et seq.)

3

PHIVOLCS (2008)

“Name: Babuyan Claro, Year: 1831, Site: Crater, Eruption Character: Explosive.”

S

Van Padang (1953)

4

Simkin and Siebert (1994)

[Volcanoes of the World, 2nd ed.]

“Start: 1831, Duration:?, Volcano Name: Babuyan Claro (Luzon-N of), Number: 0704–03=, VEI: 4?, Vol V/T: −/8” (p. 207)

S

Standard catalogues of historical volcanism (p. 1), ‘References’ (pp. 303 et seq.)

5

Simkin et al. (1981)

[Volcanoes of the World, 1st ed.]

“Volcano Name: BABUYAN CLARO (LUZON IS-N OF), Number: 0704–03” (p. 64)

“Volcano Name: SMITH VOLCANO (LUZON IS-N OF), Number: 0704–04=, START: 1831, ERUPTIVE CHARACTERISTICS [Three symbols: Central crater eruption, normal explosions, destruction of land, property], VEI: 3?, VV LT: −8 [no recorded lava volume, 0.1 km³ tephra” (p. 64)

S

Standard catalogues of historical volcanism (p. 1), ‘Bibliography’ (pp. 215 et seq.)

6

COMVOL (1981)

“Name: Babuyan Claro…Its first eruption was reported in 1831.”

S

Various late C19^th and C20^th sources including Van Padang (1953), Saderra Masó (1924), Smith (1924), Saderra Masó (1904).

7

MacDonald (1972)

N.B. No reference to an 1831 eruption of Babuyan Claro.

n/a

n/a

8

Lamb (1970)

“vii-viii.1831...Babuyan (Babujan), Philippine Is. (H, K, S, Sh)...19^oN 122°E…(Sapper’s assessment) b₂…d.v.i./E_max = 300.” (p. 514)

“...The Babuyan eruption is generally accepted as a great one.” (p. 515)

S

Humphreys (1940)

Shaw (1936)

Sapper (1917, 1927)

Symons (1888)

9

Van Padang (1953)

[CAVW, Part II: Philippine Islands and Cochin China]

“I. Name and location...BABUYAN CLARO (7,4–3).” (p. 42)

“I. Name and location...SMITH VOLCANO (7,4–4)…III. Volcanic activity. Some of the older eruptions may have been of Babuyan Claro (7,4–3)…1831 [Three symbols: Eruption in the central crater, normal explosions, destruction of arable land].” (p. 43)

S

Becker (1901)

Smith (1924)

Saderra Masó (1905, 1924, 1925)

Alvir (1928)

10

Humphreys (1940)

“At any rate, volcanic dust is so fine, and the upper atmosphere above 11 km so free from moisture and vertical convection, that once such dust is thrown into this region, as it obviously was by the explosions of Skaptar Jökull, and Asamayama, in 1783; Babuyan, in 1831...it must require, as a rule, because of its slow descent, from 1 to 3 years to get back to the earth.” (pp. 593–594)

“Date: 1831–1832…Nature of Discrepancy: Cold…Probable Cause:…Babujan Islands, 1831” (p. 615)

S

–

11

Shaw (1936)

“Volcanic eruptions since A.D. 1800…1831 Babuyan Claro.” (v.2, p. 25)

S

–

12

Alvir (1928)

“Babuyan Claro - This volcano was reported to have erupted in 1919.” (p. 758)

n/a

n/a

13

Sapper (1927)

“Zum philippinischen System (1) gehören folgende Vulkanzonen:

[...]

5. Babuyan Claro, 1000 m, in 19o 40’ N. Br., 121o 56′ Ö.L., hatte 1831 heftigen A., dessen Feinaschen in Europa Dämmerungserscheinungen verursacht haben dürften (neuerdings bezweifelt). Tätig um 1860. 1917 und 1918 Anzeichen neuer Tätigkeit.

[...]

(1) Neue nachrichten in M.Saderra Masó, Active Philippine Volcanoes (Bull. Weather Bureau April 1922) Manila, Auszug in Bull. volcanologique 1925, S. 306–310.” (p. 320)

[Translation: “The following volcanic zones belong to the Philippine system (1):

[...]

“5. Babuyan Claro, 1000 m,...underwent a powerful eruption in 1831, whose fine ashes could have caused the twilight effects in Europe (recently questioned).

[...]

(1) New information in M.Saderra Masó, Active Philippine Volcanoes (Bull. Weather Bureau April 1922) Manila, Summary in Bull. volcanologique 1925, S. 306–310.”]

N.B. It is interesting that Sapper introduces the phrase ‘recently questioned’ to his 1927 entry for this eruption. He cites only Saderra Masó (1922), the summary of which presented in Saderra Masó (1925) states that a precise knowledge of the dates of historical eruptions of Babuyan Claro volcano is ‘rather wanting’. However, even if Sapper did entertain any such doubts in 1927, there is no evidence to suggest that they constrained the use of his 1917 tephra volume range by later authors.

S

Saderra Masó (1922, 1925)

14

Saderra Masó (1925)

“Claro Babuyan Volcano. On the island of Babuyan near the center at 19^o 40’ N, 121 ^o 56 E. Since 1656, when Dominican Missionaries visited the island for the first time, it has been reported as active but precise dates of eruptions are rather wanting. In 1907 WORCESTER took photographs which show two new recent craters. In 1917, W. D. SMITH of the Bureau of Mines, visited it and found convincing indications of recent outbursts. More recently, May 17th and 19th, 1918, Captain ROSÉS of the interisland S. S. “Mauban” on sailing close to the island saw the volcano in eruption. West of the main volcano rises another remarkable well preserved cone called Smith volcano, which was active within the past six months. Several of the volcanoes appearing in previous lists, as for instances, those published by PERRY, MARCALLI and others, are extinct very old volcanoes of the worn-down-stock type;...” (pp. 385–386)

n/a

Mercalli (1907)

Perrey (1860)

15

Saderra Masó (1924)

(see Saderra Masó 1925)

16

Smith (1924)

“On the way, I was enabled to remain about two hours on Babuyan Claro, where there is a volcano which has been active as recently as 1860. There are two volcanoes on this island, one a beautifully symmetrical cinder cone, about 2220 ft [670 m] in height, and the other less symmetrical but showing two craters which contain steam vents. The smaller volcano contains, besides the fine ash that gives it its shape, a recent flow of scoriaceous basalt. The older flows of this volcano are also basaltic. There has been no serious eruption since 1860. The few people living on the island report, however, that steam explosions occurred on the smaller mountain ten years ago and on the larger four years ago. No ashes reached the village in any of these explosions, however. As it is only in the last thirty-five years that the island has been inhabited, the inhabitants know nothing of the eruptions of 1860.” (p. 264)

“BABUYAN CLARO. Ferguson says: Babuyan Island is about 13 km in a northeast and southwest direction and has an average width of about 10 km. At the western point is a volcano 670 m high. This mountain is conical in shape and evidently contains a small crater at its summit. Flows of rough scoriaceous basalt surround the base and the mountain itself is built up of alternating basalt flows and deposits from explosive eruptions, angular basalt fragments, bomb lapilli and small slaglike masses. The writer had an opportunity to land here for a short time and, although unable to reach the summit, collected specimens of the basalt from one of the earlier flows and from the latest flow. In the eastern part of the island is another volcano, 1160 m in height and heavily timbered. On its southern side were active fumaroles. Several eruptions of the volcanoes of this island have been noted. Horsburgh in 1817 mentions a volcano on the western point, though he does speak of any eruption having occurred. Fuchs [1881] mentions an eruption as having occurred in 1831. Becker quotes Meyen as mentioning this eruption, and Semper as stating that Babuyan Claro seemed then (1860) to be continually in eruption.” (p. 304)

N.B. It is interesting that, consistent with Maree (2005), Smith became aware on his brief visit to Babuyan Claro island that it had been uninhabited till comparatively recently (although he seems to have been unaware that it had been previously inhabited in the more distant past).

S

Becker (1901)

Fuchs (1881)

[Meyen (1835)]

17

Saderra Masó (1922)

(see Saderra Masó 1925)

18

Sapper (1917)

“Babuyan Claro, 1000 m, hatte 1831 (5) einen heftigen Ausbruch, dessen Feinaschen noch in Europa schöne Dämmerungserscheinungen mitverursacht haben dürften (6).

[...]

(5) Masó a) S. 12. Meyen, Reise II, S. 181.

(6) Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society. London 1888. S.396.” (p. 149)

[Translation: “Babuyan Claro, 1000 m, underwent a powerful eruption in 1831 (5) the fine ashes of which could have contributed to the beautiful twilight effects even in Europe (6).

[.]

(5) Masó a) P. 12. Meyen, Reise II, P. 181.

(6) Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society. London 1888. P.396.”]

N.B. An earlier reference (p. 148) makes clear that the first reference is to Saderra Masó (1904).

“Tabelle der bekannten Riesenausbrüche…1831 Babuyan Claro b₂ “(pp. 338–340)

[Translation: “Table of known large eruptions…1831 Babuyan Claro b₂”]

“a₁ a₂ bedeutet darin wieder Förderung von über 1 bzw. 1/10 cbkm Lava, b₁ b₂ von ebensoviel Lockermassen. “(p. 337)

[Translation: “In the following a₁ a₂ again denotes the production of over 1 or 1/10 km³ of lava, b₁ b₂ of the same amount of tephra.“]

S

Saderra Masó (1904)

Symons (1888)

Meyen (1835)

19

Schneider (1911)

“90...Babuyan Claro...121^o56’3. 19^o30’ n...Ausbrüche: 1831, 1860.” (p. 242)

[Translation: “90...Babuyan Claro...Eruptions: 1831, 1860”]

S

–

20

Mercalli (1907)

“Babuyane-Claro (1000 m.), situato nelle isole Babuyane, che formano la parte più settentrionale dell’archipelago: ebbe un’eruzione molto forte nel 1831.” (p. 305)

[Translation: “Babuyane-Claro (1000 m.), located in the Babuyan islands, which form the northernmost part of the archipelago: underwent a powerful eruption in 1831.”]

S

Perrey (1860)

21

Saderra Masó (1905)

“[Name] Babuyán Claro...[Date of eruption] 1831, 1860” (p. 187)

S

–

22

Saderra Masó (1904)

“Name: Babuyán Claro...Date of eruption: 1831, 1860” (p. 12)

S

–

23

Becker (1901)

“The remaining volcanic mountains of the archipelago lie in one group at its northern end. Mr. James Horsburgh mentions the little island Camaguín de Babuyanes as having formerly been a volcano, and says that on the west end of the Island of Babuyan Claro there is a volcano [ref: Horsburgh 1817, p. 328]. Meyen states that in 1831 the latter underwent a violent eruption. Semper [see Semper (1869)] says Babuyan Claro seems to be continually in eruption...” (p. 54)

S

Semper (1869)

Meyen (1835)

Horsburgh (1817)

24

Symons (ed.) (1888) [Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society]

“Babujan Islands, 1831, (Great eruption)” (p. 396)

S

Judd (1881)

Daubeny (1848)

25

Fuchs (1884)

“On connaît plusieurs volcans dans les petites îles Bajuban, qui sont situées au nord de l’archipel. L’un d’entre eux, le Claro Babyan (10^o 27′ lat. Bor. et 110 ^o 42′ longit. or.), est. toujours actif et eut une éruption en 1831.” (p. 236)

[Translation: “Several volcanoes are known in the Bajuban isles, which are located in the north of the archipelago. One of them, Claro Babyan...is still active and underwent an eruption in 1831.”]

S

–

26

Fuchs (1881)

(see Fuchs 1865, 1884)

27

Judd (1881)

N.B. No reference to an 1831 eruption of Babuyan Claro.

n/a

n/a

28

Von Humboldt (1869)

(see von Humboldt 1858)

29

Semper (1869)

N.B. No reference to an 1831 eruption of Babuyan Claro although Semper mentions “…ein wie es scheint in beständiger Eruption befindliche Vulcan auf Babuyan Claro… “(p. 14)

[Translation: “…a volcano on Babuyan Claro which seems to be in constant eruption…”]

n/a

–

30

Fuchs (1865)

“Zwischen Formosa und den Philippinen liegen zwei vulkanische Inseln, Claro Babyan und Caminguin. Der Vulkan auf Claro Babyan liegt 19^o 27′ n. Br., 119 ^o 42′ östl. L. und hat nach Meyen 1831 einen Ausbruch gehabt.” (p. 47)

[Translation: “Between Formosa and the Philippines lie two volcanic islands, Claro Babyan and Caminguin. The volcano on Babuyan Claro..., according to Meyen, underwent an eruption in 1831.”]

S

Meyen (1835)

31

Scrope (1862)

“Some of the lesser islands which connect Formosa with the Philippines have been seen in eruption. In this latter group no less than nineteen lofty insulated conical mountains, all called in the country ‘volcanes,’ are enumerated by Von Buch.” (p. 460)

n/a

n/a

32

Perrey (1860)

“1831 - Le volcan situé à la pointe méridionale de l’île Claro Babuyan (Philippines), entre les îles Bashi et Luçon, par 19^o 27′ lat. N. et 119 ^o 42′ long. E., eut une éruption si violente, que, pour échapper à l’embrasement, les habitants de l’île furent forcés de s’enfuir avec la plus grande rapidité (3). Les petites îles Baschi, et les Babuyanes, qui, dit Humboldt (4), suivant le témoignage de Meyen, ont donné encore en 1831 le spectacle d’une violente éruption de flammes...”

[...]

“(3) Landgrebe, l.c., p. 348, d’après Meyen, Reise um die Erde, t. II, p. 184. De Buch, l.c., p. 438, même source.

(4) Cosmos, t. IV, p. 421″ (p. 180)

[Translation: “1831 - The volcano located at the southern tip of Claro Babuyan island (Philippines), between the Bashi islands and Luzon,..., underwent an eruption so violent that, in order to escape the blaze, the inhabitants of the island were forced to flee with the greatest rapidity (3). The small Baschi islands, and the Babuyans, which, states Humboldt (4), according to the testimony of Meyen, yielded in 1831 the sight of a violent eruption of flames...

[...]

“(3) Landgrebe, l.c., p. 348, according to Meyen, Reise um die Erde, v. II, p. 184. De Buch, l.c., p. 438, same source.

(4) Cosmos, v. IV, p. 421″]

S

Von Humboldt (1859)

Landgrebe (1855)

Von Buch (1836)

[Meyen (1835)]

33

Von Humboldt (1859) (see von Humboldt 1858)

34

Von Humboldt (1858)

“Die kleinen Baschi-Inseln und die Babuyanen, welche noch 1831 nach Meyen’s Zeugniß einen heftigen Feuerausbruch erlitten, verbinden Formosa mit den Philippinen...” (v. 4, p. 404)

[Translation: “The small Baschi-islands and the Babuyans, which according to Meyen’s testimony underwent a powerful fiery eruption in 1831, connect Formosa with the Philippines...”]

S

Meyen (1835)

35

Landgrebe (1855)

“8. Die Insel Claro Babuyan. Sie liegt in der Mitte zwischen den Bashi-Inseln und Luzon, oberhalb Camiguin. Auf ihrer Südspitze, unter 19 ^o 27′ n. Br. und 119 ^o 42′ östl. L., bemerkt man einen mehrere tausend Fuss hohen Vulcan, der nach Meyen’s Zeugniss (s. dessen Reise Um die Erde. Bd. II. S. 184) im J. 1831 einen so heftigen Ausbruch hatte, dass die Bewohner der Insel sich zur schnellsten Flucht genöthigt sahan, um dem sichern Verderben zu entgehen.” (p. 348)

[Translation: “8. Babuyan Claro island. This is located in the middle between the Bashi-islands and Luzon, above Camigun. At its southern point...a volcano several thousand feet high can be seen, which according to Meyen’s testimony (see his Voyage around the World, Volume II, Page 184) underwent such a powerful eruption in 1831, that the inhabitants of the island had to flee as quickly as possible, in order to escape from their certain destruction.”]

N.B. The reference to v. 2, p. 184 of Meyen (1835) is evidently a mistaken reference to p. 181. It is interesting to note the degree of embellishment which has been introduced here: not only did the inhabitants have to flee the island but they had to do so ‘as quickly as possible’.

S

Meyen (1835)

36

Daubeny (1848)

“The volcanic chain is also connected more closely with the island of Formosa by a burning mountain existing in the group of the Babujan Islands intermediate, in which a great eruption that occurred in 1831 drove the inhabitants from the island.” (p. 399)

S

Von Buch (1836)

37

Von Hoff (1841)

N.B. No reference to an 1831 eruption of Babuyan Claro (although at v.2, p. 182, von Hoff does refer to Meyen’s ‘Reise um die Welt [sic]’).

n/a

n/a

38

Von Buch (1836)

“17^o Volcan de l’île de Babujan, Lat. 19 ^o 27’ N.; Long. 119 ^o 42′ 1/4. E. de Paris. Ce volcan qui a quelques mille pieds de hauteur, est. situé dans la partie ouest de l’île. Une grande éruption qui eut lieu en 1831, força les habitants à prendre la fuite et à abandonner l’île (Meyen, Voyage, II, 181).” (p. 438)

[Translation: “17 ^o Volcano on the island of Babujan,...This volcano, which is some several thousand feet high, is located at the western end of the island. A great eruption, which took place in 1831, forced the inhabitants to take flight and abandon the island (Meyen, Voyage, II, 181).”]

S

Meyen (1835)

39

Meyen (1835)

“In der Nacht zum 7ten August näherten wir uns den Bashee-Inseln, deren Länge noch auf allen Karten, die wir an Bord der Prinzess hatten, verschieden angegeben war. Wir wählten die Strasse Balingtang zur Durchfahrt und hatten am folgenden Morgen die Insel Babuyan zur Linken, und die Insel Balingtang zur Rechten im Gesicht. Die Berge von Babuyan können einige Tausand Fuss an Höhe übersteigen, ihre westliche Spitze bildet einen schroffen Kegelberg, der wahrscheinlich der Vulcan ist, welcher noch vor kurzer Zeit die Bewohner der Insel zur Flucht getrieben hatte. Die Balingtang-Insel hat in ihre Nähe sehr merkwürdig gestaltete Klippen…” (v. 2, p. 181)

[Translation: “During the night before the 7th August, we approached the Bashee-Islands, the latitude of which was recorded differently on all the maps aboard the Princess. We chose to approach through the Balingtang Straits and, on the following morning, had the Island of Babuyan in view on the left and the Island of Balingtang on the right. The mountains of Babuyan could exceed a few thousand feet in height, their western peak forming a steep cone, which is probably the volcano which only a short time ago had caused the inhabitants of the Island to flee. Balingtang island has some strangely shaped rocks in its vicinity…”]

N.B. On his approach to Babuyan Claro island, Meyen reported the observation of a solar halo and an extended twilight:

“Am 3ten August…Kurz vor Mittags-Zeit, als uns die Sonne fast im Zenith stand, bildete sich ein Dunstring um dieselbe, dessen Radius 21 1/2^o betrug; die Farbe des Ringes war nicht so bestimmt, wie die eines Regenbogens, und im Innern der Ringes befand sich eine Wolkenmasse, welche dunkler war, als die des umgebenden Himmels, durch welche wir die Sonne kaum durchsehen konnten. Es befand sich Niemand an Bord des Schiffes, dem ein solcher Sonnen-Ring, welcher etwas Aehnlichkeit mit dem sogenannten Hofe des Mondes hatte, zu Gesicht gekommen war.” (v.2, pp. 180–181)

[Translation: “On the 3rd August…Shortly before Mid-day, with the Sun almost at the Zenith for us, a hazy Ring appeared around the same, whose radius was 21 1/2^o; the colour of the Ring was not so well-defined as that of a Rainbow, and inside the Ring there was located a Cloud-mass which was darker than that of the surrounding sky, through which we could hardly see the Sun. There was no-one on board the Ship who had observed such a Sun-Ring before, which had some similarity with the so-called Moon Halo.”]

“Auch wurde in diesen Tagen eine Dämmerung bemerkt, die beinahe eine Stunde nach Sonnen-Untergang anhielt, woran wohl die niedere Declination der Sonne, nämlich gerade 16 ^o, den grössten Antheil hatte; diese Dämmerung wurde aber auch nur wenige Tage hindurch beobachtet.” (v.2, p. 181)

[Translation: “A Twilight was also experienced in these days which continued almost an hour after Sun-set, which was mainly caused by the low declination of the Sun, namely 16 ^o; this Twilight was only observed for a few days however.”]

A solar halo known as a ‘Bishop’s Ring’ is sometimes observed after a volcanic eruption (Meinel and Meinel 1983). Caused by the diffraction of sunlight by volcanogenic aerosol particles, it typically appears as a brighter whitish-blue disc surrounding the sun, enclosed by a dimmer reddish-brown ring: the inner and outer radius of the ring varies by several degrees depending on the particular size distribution of the aerosol but average values are c. 10-11^o and 22-23^o respectively (Symons 1888; Meinel and Meinel 1983). Meyen’s description seems, however, a closer match to a more common 22^o solar halo. Caused by the refraction of sunlight (or moonlight) by atmospheric ice-crystals, this appears as a brighter rainbow-like arc around a dimmer portion enclosing the sun, with a well defined reddish inner radius at 21.7^o extending outward to a more diffuse bluish-white edge (Lynch and Livingston 2001). The circumscribed 22^o solar halo which is observed at high solar elevations is particularly pronounced (Können 2015). The extended twilight appears to be an observation of the unusual atmospheric optical phenomena being contemporaneously observed elsewhere in the world at the time (as mentioned in the Introduction) but is therefore not local to Babuyan Claro island or even to East Asia (Arago 1832; Kiessling 1888; Symons 1888).

P / S

n/a

40

Horsburgh (1817)

“CLARO BABUYAN, or OLD BABUYAN, in lat. 19^o 37’ N., lon. 122^o 17′ E., distant about 10 leagues to the eastward of Calayan, is the most northerly and highest of these islands, in extent about 2 or 2 1/2 leagues. There is a reef projecting from the West end of the island, and the mount on this part is a volcano; betwixt which, and the mountains on the eastern part, there is a concave curve in the form of a crescent, when viewed from the northward or southward; but when the island is seen at a great distance from the eastward, it appears as one round mountain, with a detached hummock to the northward.” (p. 328)

n/a

n/a

41

De Salazar (1742)

“CAP. XXIII. FUNDACION DE LA MISSION de Battanes, y muerte de los Padres Fr. Matheo Gonçalez y Fr. Juan Rois...El año de 1680...el año siguiente,...Haban sumamente afligidos, y atemorizados con el mucho suego, piedras, y cenizas, que actualmente arrojaba de si un Volcan, que ay en un monte alto de dicha Isla, que à todos causaba terrible horror, y espanto; y con la ocasion de la pena, en que se hallaban les comenzò à predicar el Padre Fr. Matheo, explicandoles las penas de el Inferno, y lo incomprehensible de los tormentos, que han de padecer los condenados por una eternidad, abrassandose en sus vorazes llamas, especialmente los que siendo Christianos, avian apostatado de la Feè, y eran causa de que se condenassen sus hijos, y nietos, por tenerlos en aquella Isla, tan apartados de la vista, y communicacion de el Ministro, que pudiesse doctrinarlos, y bautizarlos. Estando actualamente predicando el Padre Fr. Matheo, era grande el estruendo, y ruido de el Volcan, como de gruessos tiros de artilleria, con lo qual fue tan grande la conmocion, que la doctrina de el Padre causò en todos ellos, que arrassados en lagrimas sus ojos, dieron clarissimas muestras de un grande arrepentimiento de sus culpas, y se rindieron à la voluntad de el Padre Fr. Matheo, determinandos à dexar aquella Isla, y accompañar al dicho Religioso, para que los restiruiesse à la Iglesia, como lo executaron puntualmente, sin quedar ni uno solo en toda la Isla. Vinose el Padre con ellos à Cagayan...” (pp. 518–520)

[Translation (Montse Manzano Fernandez): “Chapter XXIII. Foundation of the Mission of Battanes, and death of the Fathers Fr. Matheo Gonçalez and Fr. Juan Rois….Year 1680…the following year…People were worried and frightened by a volcano, which was on top of a high mountain and that was throwing out fire, rocks and ash. This volcano caused everyone a dreadful horror. With the occasion of their sadness, Father Fr. Matheo started preaching to them, explaining the punishments of Hell, and the incomprehensible torments that those condemned for eternity would endure, burning in voracious flames. Especially those who were Christians and had abandoned (had apostatized from) their faith. For this reason they had also condemned their children and grandchildren, and for having them isolated on the island, far from the sight and the reach of a Minister who could indoctrinate and baptise them. One day, when Father Fr. Matheo was preaching, there was a huge boom and noise from the volcano, as if it was heavy artillery fire. People were so moved by the preaching from the priest that, with their eyes full of tears, they showed very clear signs of a great repentance for their sins, and did what Father Matheo wanted. They were determined to leave that Island, and to accompany the priest, so that they could be included in the Church again. They left straight away and there was no one left on the whole island. Father Fr. Matheo went with them to Cagayan…”]

n/a

n/a