The Ambush near the Bay of Manila (Danish; Angrebet nær Manilabugten), alternatively the Death of Bernt Pessart (Danish; Bernt Pessarts død), was an ambush by the Indigenous peoples of the Philippines, against a combined Dano-Dutch espionaging expeditionary force in 1645. The ambush led to the death of former governor and president of Danish India, Bernt Pessart.
| Ambush near the Bay of Manila | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Conflict between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart | |||||||||
 Map of the Bay of Manila, 1886 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Danish India Dutch East Indies | Indigenous people | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Bernt Pessart † Unknown mate (WIA) | Unknown | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Dend gode Haab | Native archers | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Some men | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
1 dead 2 wounded | Negligible | ||||||||
Bernt Pessart's regime led to a financial crisis for the Danish East India Company.[1][2] This damaged the Danish East Indian reputation to such a point that Christian IV of Denmark ordered the arrest of Pessart and sent Willem Leyel to Dansborg to succeed him.[3][4][2]
When Pessart was notified if Leyel's arrival, he hastily bought a Portuguese sloop, which he renamed Dend Gode Haab (The Good Hope), and left for Japan.[3][2][5] Though, Dend Gode Haab was intercepted by the Dutch at Malacca and, together with Pessart, brought to Batavia.[3][2] Here Pessart received 10 men and new goods by the Dutch authorities, which then ordered him to espionage on the Spanish Philippines.[3][4][2]
When they reached the Philippines Pessart's Dutch mate, had difficulties finding the Bay of Manila, and accidentally entered another nearby bay.[4][6] Though in the hopes to find someone to direct them, they dropped anchor.[3][6] Here they would stay for the next couple of days to gather fresh water, firewood and to repair their sails.[3][4][2]
They remained for a week; but on the seventh day Pessart went fishing with a boat and some of the men and caught three large fish.[3][6] While preparing the fish, some natives came out of the nearby woods and shot at Pessart and his men.[4][2] Pessart, the Dutch mate and a Laplander were all shot.[3][4] Pessart managed to get out to the boat, where he and the Laplander were dragged up, while Pessart gasped: Help me up, or i am a dead man![6] The boat only had one oar, though they still managed to get out to ship, Dend Gode Haab.[3] When Pessart got onboard on Dend Gode Haab he was already dead,[2] and was subsequently buried on a small island nearby.[4][6]
Since the captain was dead, Michel Evertsen took command and decided to continue to Manila, where they would successfully sell their goods and gather information in the local fortifications.[3][4] Though in Manila, one of Pessart's slaves broke out and informed the local commander about the espionage.[3][6] In response, the Spanish administration would confiscate Dend Gode Haab and imprison its crew.[3][4]
Afterwards the new governor of Tranquebar, Willem Leyel, would try to get the Danish seamen out of captivity, but seemingly without prevail.[3][4][6]