Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/505

 ©F THE ARCHIPELAGO. 461 by the greatest danger which ever threatened them. 1 his was from the arms of Kwe-Sing-kong^ or Codinga^ the fortunate rebel who conquered Formosa from the Dutch, and whose achievement affords the only great example in the east, of eminent success against European arms. Elated by his good fortune, he sent a Dominican friar to the governor of Manila, as his ambassador, demanding to be recog- nized as sovereign of the -Philippines, and claiming tribute." The Spaniards, on this summons, were thrown into the greatest alarm. The whole of the Chinese were ordered off the island, and these people, in their distrust of the fidelity of the Spa- niards, fearing their lives in danger, from their ex- perience of the past, flew to arms. The Spaniards called in their outposts from Ternate and Min- danao ; but they escaped this danger by the sud- den death of Coxinga, and they had nothing to fear from his unenterprising and unwarlike son. Had Coxinga lived, the Philippines would at this day have been a province of China, and having gained such a footing, there is no saying how much farther to the west their arms might not have pene- trated. Coxinga had conquered Formosa from a more powerful and skilful enemy than the Spa- niards, and weak as these were in themselves, and surrounded by internal enemies, there can be no doubt but their possessions would have fallen an easy prey to an hundred thousand warlike Chinese ac-