July 1653 Tsunami: Sibuyan Sea, Philippines

Reference #414:

1653, between June 26 and July 23. According to one source, not confirmed by others. the "San Francisco Xavier" en route to Manila passing through the San Bernardino Strait and casting anchor on Mindoro Island, felt an earthquake which caused storm waves at sea. The ship was torn from its anchors and damaged (Repetti, 1946; Iida et al., 1967; Cox,1970). [It is difficult to interpret the report; the possibility of a tsunami is not excluded.]

Reference #79:

1653, July. Mindoro, Sibuyan Sea. Anchored galleon set adrift by breaking waves that were caused by an earthquake according to one historical account. Repetti points out that the quake was not mentioned but that three typhoons were mentioned in other accounts. The occurrence of a tsunami is, therefore, considered very doubtful.

Reference #3029:

1653, July. Island of Mindoro. Midnight. The Recoleto historian, Father Diego de Santa Teresa, reports an earthquake as follows: "[The galleon San Francisco Xavier] reached the strait of San Bernardino after a successful voyage, and, passing through it at the risk occasioned by the vicinity of so many islands, anchored near Mindoro. At midnight it was in great danger because an earthquake caused the sea to throw up breaking waves, and the galleon broke from its anchors. It would have been carried to certain destruction if it had not been saved by the Suffering Christ." DST, p. 243. We learn from the Augustinian historian, Diaz, that the ship entered San Bernardino on June 26 and arrived at Cavite on July 23. He mentions that it was nearly wrecked in a storm off Mindoro and encountered three more typhoons before reaching Manila.

He makes no mention of an earthquake. CD, pp. 527-528. The reality of this earthquake may be reasonably doubted. In order to have the effects on the sea which Santa Teresa describes, the earthquake would have been very strong and could scarcely have escaped notice by other historians.